Reviews

Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

For a barrel sample, this wine displayed notable focus and frame, especially given how ripe and bombastic the black and dark red core fruit was delivering on the front of the attack. A lot of power…

Hourglass Merlot Blueline

Barrel sample. Beautiful dark black and deeply pitched red core fruit, with chocolate, oak char, and tar; a lot of power and push right now, but with a notable depth and body that speak well to where…

Hourglass Sauvignon Blanc

Good intensity and push of flavors; tropical fruit, quince, grass, lemon rind, and some subtle graphite. Best when served cold; as it warmed up in the glass, it lost some focus. Still, the flavors…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Another awesome vintage of this wine, the 2016 stands toe-to-toe with its 2015 older brother. Outrageous purity of fruit, with sweet tannins and uber-flavorful core fruit that swirl around…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

A huge step up from the inaugural 2015 vintage of La Bam, this 2016 is a gorgeous representation of the LPV site. Purple and black core fruit with gravel and rocks swirling all around.…

Bevan Cellars Chardonnay

Similar to my previous notes last year. Dominated by popcorn and vanilla oak. A nice texture and mouthfeel, with yellow citrus, lemon curd, butter, and some glycol filling out the overall profile.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Carter

A primarily purple core, with some black, and deep, dark red fruit flavors. Black raspberry, black currant, purple plum, bitter chocolate, river rock, and some mocha.

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon McGah Vineyard

All previous notes apply. Very compelling blue and black core fruit, with subtle streaks of black asphalt and river rock. A straightforward 2014 type of delivery and execution, medium complexity,…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

A massively powerful and intense wine, packed with black core fruit. Burnt embers, scorched earth, black soil, river rock, pulverized granite, black pen ink, and some dark cassis. The front end is an…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Black/red and some purple core fruit. Similar in profile to the Fortuna with its black cherry, plum, and currant notes. A little higher register red fruit kicking out at this point (not unlike…

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…

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 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 Cabernet Sauvignon Tin Box Vineyard

Similar to last year. Great dark core fruit flavors and purity. More medium bodied and even-keeled than some of Bevan's more intense creations. Tapered off a little on the back end after some air.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Same as last year. Still needs some time. Purple and red berry fruit. Furry tannins that still require unraveling a bit more. I'd say after 2020+ is best for a revisit. Decanting for a couple of…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wildfoote Vineyard, Vixen Block

In reading my notes on this wine 2 years ago, I can't say I have much to add except that this was amazingly captivating juice. So well made on every front. Even deeper and darker than I remember.…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Witch's Ladder

1.5 years since I last had this wine. Very good focus and delineation of flavor. More of a straight shot in terms of delivery, with wonderful underbrush and rosemary notes drilling though the black…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

This wine wiped the floor over the other wines at the table. In its class, it and a '14 Bevan Ontogeny were the WOTN. Powerful and concentrated, awesome black core fruit flavors, with black rock and…

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard

Previous notes from last month apply. Medium bodied and middle of the pack amongst other wines at the table. Nice black and some blue core fruit. Similar profile to a '14 Buoncristiani Cab. Drink now…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Daughters of Earth Goldrock Ridge

Same as 4 months ago. All previous notes apply. The front end is full of fruit and spice. Served next to a Wren Hop Witch's Ladder, which was much more herbal and "cooler" feeling in its delivery. I…

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Vineyard

Same notes as last year. One of the top wines of the night. Even better on day 2, which leads me to believe a couple of years will suit this wine even better. Great black/blue/red fruit. Some nice…

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard

A last minute pull and a bit of a rushed service this time around. Still fantastic. All previous notes apply.

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

A great showing with this wine. Open for business and displaying wonderfully focused and flavorful blue and black fruit, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, black asphalt, tar, black currant,…