Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Starting to really come into a nice drinking window. PnP with just a little swirling in the glass to blow off a little initial heat worked just fine service-wise. Black cherry, plum, cassis, and…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Purity of fruit is evident, as is the overall flavor profile. This still has some fattening-up to do in my opinion. Frame first then fruit, at this stage at least. A wine to…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

The optimist would say this wine is "in a transition phase," "still integrating," "of a particular style," or "a unique representation of the terroir."

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

Boy has this little goober lost some steam over the last couple of years. Over-ripe cranberry, orange peel, muddled strawberry, cinnamon stick, and some soil. The flavors are (or rather, were) all…

Arkenstone Estate

Blackberry, purple plum, licorice, anise, black currant, black cherry, and some spice. A floral note emerged on the tail end as well. Notable energy and drive, especially compared to the 2014. A…

Arkenstone Obsidian

Black currant, asphalt, blackberry, black licorice, and subtle dark cassis and violet notes. Drinking very well now, with an accessibility that is indicative of the 2014 vintage. Not as much drive as…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

Served alongside the 2014 Arkenstone SB, which I preferred for its elevated intensity and push of flavors. This 2013 was good, but it had less verve. The tail end was fairly short, fading off fast.…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

All of my previous notes apply. This was served side-by-side with a 2013 Arkenstone SB. I favored this 2014 for its elevated intensity and more powerful flavor drive. Nice energy and complexity.

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD

A 2011 that didn't instantly catapult me into adversity and grumpiness, this Arkenstone NVD actually showed a decent flavor profile that wasn't washed over with bell pepper and wood flavors. Rather,…

B Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Juliana Vineyard

Standard yellow citrus, mild tropical fruit, and grapefruit notes. Not much grass or mineral notes to elevate it beyond the core fruit flavors. Simple but satisfying. Drink now.

J Vineyards & Winery Cuvée 20

White and subtle/hollow yellow citrus and stone fruit. Some unripe pear and bitter apple. The bubbles masked most anything worth talking about here. Your basic 7-11 sparkler that you take to a friend…

Ambrose Rosé

Cantaloupe, strawberry, ripe watermelon, ripe peach, and some orange rind. A weighty Rose, built with notable body and mid-palate girth. Much less watery than most Roses (which I was happy about).…

Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

A great effort; a huge step up from previous vintages and by FAR the best Hossfeld Coliseum I've ever had. A tremendous amount of concentration, especially considering its comparative profile against…

Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline

Fun to check out and debate-about from an educational perspective, this wine was brought out by our gracious host primarily for that exact purpose. Specific notes typical of those 2011 Napa Cabs I've…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The G.T.O Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Did you really think this would be anything other than a perfect representation of the BTK site?! In 2015, I thought the GTO was indeed an example of perfection...and I still think that. I will say…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap

Plum, black cherry, spice, soil, and some bourbon booze. The flavor profile hinted at a tiered delivery initially, but it became a little jammy on the mid-palate. A little wonky at this stage,…

Hourglass 36-24-36 Blueline

My favorite wine in the lineup. This came off as somewhat of a hybrid of the Blueline and the other Estate. It had the deep, black, flavorful core fruit of the Blueline, but a near-perfect frame to…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Previous notes apply. This OG certainly showed the most structure when directly compared to the intensely sexy Three Kings and fruitier Grand Daddy. The OG is exacting, complex, and has a cerebral…

Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

Same notes as three months ago. Showed some reductive qualities toward the end. Drink now.

Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, black and red currant, tobacco leaf, and some spice. Less overtly modern and ripe than the Blueline, with a bit more focus and frame. Solid acid, especially…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This may be the best Three Kings I've had to date. A step up from 2015, and a worthy competitor to my usual favorite, the OG. This Kings was all about a perfect combination of sexy flavor and…

Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline

Blackberry jam, dark ripe plum, black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee grounds, chocolate covered blueberry, and some spice and stone.

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

An almost exact replica of the 2015, this 2016 delivers all of the expected wonderful fruit that GD has successfully provided over the years. As usual, this is the most fruit-driven of the BTKs, with…

Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline

Gobs of dark black and blue fruit. Ripe blackberry and blueberry flavors dominating. Heavily toasted notes of oak char, smoke, vanilla, and chocolate cake. A heavy confection aftertaste made for a…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Red and black core fruit, with a medium-bodied push of flavors across the mid-palate; notable fruit flavors that coat the mouth and glide on through the finish.