Reviews

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Same as previous notes. Great structure and frame, with the flavors starting to peek out nicely. The bone is still bigger than the meat at this juncture. Continuing to hold another couple of years…

Maybach Family Vineyards Chardonnay Eterium

Previous notes apply, though this is starting to show some beautiful yellow citrus and pear notes that give it some additional mid-palate depth. Starts out just as racy as when I had it back in…

Realm Cellars The Bard

Color me the outlier...again... Maybe I need to trade in my palate for a new one...? If you're running late for work, the punchline for those holding bottles is to wait another year+. If you have…

Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Fidelio

Previous notes apply. Yellow citrus, white flowers, melon, and peach/nectarine flavors. Less of the grass element this time around. Displaying more peach and cantaloupe notes intertwined with the…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Steltzner Vineyard

Strikingly similar to the barrel sample that I had last year.... eventually... A Cinderella story of a wine tasting if there ever was one.

Carlisle Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard

Nearly three years ago I had this from barrel and it showed tremendous promise. Now having been in bottle a few years, this wine is certainly on its way to becoming a beautiful representation of the…

Hartford / Hartford Court Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard

Same as my notes from July. More concentrated red fruit this time around, with the same intriguing saline and earthy notes complimenting the predominantly black cherry core. Smoke, wood, unsmoked…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley

It's been almost two years since I last had this wine. It has certainly found a glide in terms of approachability, but it seems to have lost a little bit of drive and intensity since November 2016.…

Piazza Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate Oakville

This worked decently with the steak served as the final savory course of the evening, but it was at the back of the pack compared to some of the other Cabernets at the table. Flat mid-palate compared…

Piazza Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoisseur's Series 9 Oaks French Select South

From barrel. Black fruit dominated by rich blackberry, black cherry, chocolate chunk, and spice. The 9 Oaks barrel really worked well with the core fruit in this particular concoction. Mid-palate was…

Del Dotto The David Howell Mountain

From barrel. The David Howell Mountain presents with a ripe plum and cherry syrup core. Some earthy kirsch, currant, and mocha notes compete for attention as well. The flavors seem to be there, but…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Estate Family Reserve

From barrel. The Rutherford became lost in the sea of other barrel samples that were a bit more compelling than this somewhat simple representation of its terroir. I could drink it, and it went fine…

Del Dotto Pinot Noir Cinghiale Vineyard

Super fruity and plush, with red cherry and ripe red raspberry dominating the profile. A simple red fruit attack of ripe, round fruit hitting the palate with one plop. The back end was more of the…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoisseurs' Series Vicard French Oak St Helena Mountain Block 2

From barrel. It was very interesting to note the difference between this Vicard Energie barreled wine, and the exact same wine but from the Vicard Privilege barrel. This Energie was more abrasive and…

Del Dotto Sauvignon Blanc

More tropical fruit cocktail than Sauvignon Blanc; heavy on the pineapple and melon fruit flavors. Medium-to-light weight; just enough grip to hold it all together. A short, somewhat watery finish.

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoisseurs' Series Vicard French Oak Vineyard 887 SO / Family

From barrel. 887 South Family Reserve. Much like the St. Helena Mountain Vicard Privilege I had the other day, this 887 Vicard Distinction's fruit worked quite well with the barrel influence. More…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon American Oak Alain Fouquet St Helena Mountain Block 2

From barrel. Similar in its flavor profile and grippy frame as the St. Helena Mountain Darnajou, except that the American oak (carved and grooved no less) imparted strong maple and brown sugar notes…

Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill

Extremely tight and constricted at this stage. It was much more open for business last year than now. Super grippy, especially when compared to the 2016 barrel sample VdL I had side-by-side with the…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve Darnajou French Oak Connossieurs' St. Helena Mountain

From barrel. Block 2. Similar to the Vicard version of this wine I had the previous day, the St. Helena Mountain Darnajou provides both focused structure and exacting concentration, with a layered…

Del Dotto Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve

From barrel. Bitter black cherry, black currant, wood, dark cranberry, and alcohol. A piecemeal presentation in its current state, with a tannic bite that never fully leaves the palate and allows the…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve St. Helena Mountain

Tannic and youthful, but the grip isn't as abrasive as some of the other 2013s sampled. The fruit concentration manages to push through (barely) and provide for some decent pleasure. This wine begs…

Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill

From barrel. Energetic and spritely, this version of VdL was pumping some upper register red and black fruit and currant flavors along with an undercurrent of subtle riper bass notes on the…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon American Oak Carved & Grooved Alain Fouquet Vineyard 887 SO/FR St. Helena

Plum, black cherry, wood, torched brown sugar, chocolate, and some spice. A decent depth here, with a ripe fruit-giving style; luckily it's not overly ripe or mushy in its overall profile.

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon The Beast

From barrel. The best rendition of The Beast I've had over the last couple of years. Seemingly more focused than the 2015 was at this stage, and more akin to the 2014 in its concentration and…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Connoisseur's Series Vineyard 887 Family Reserve St. Helena

From barrel. A difficult wine to get a read on, with a plummy aftertaste that dominated the overall profile. Black cherry and unripe blackberry notes were also present. Some astringency on the back…