Reviews

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée

Previous notes from December 2017 still apply. This is continuing on it path nicely, with seemingly even more room to grow over the next year, as it really started to pick up its pace after a couple…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

An extraordinary example of the LPV site, with captivatingly crunchy minerality swirling amongst the gorgeously balanced and pure black and purple core fruit. Black cherry, miniature wild purple plum…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Black and red core fruit, with notes of black and red raspberry, black and red cherry, vanilla liqueur, black rock, and some cedar. The mineral note shows up again on the back end (thankfully),…

Stone the Crows Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

Pucker factor galore on the initial PnP. This needed some air to even out its delivery and broaden its shoulders a bit more. Sour plum, black and red cherry, wild blackberry liqueur, and some bitter…

Post Parade Cabernet Sauvignon

Nose of ripe prune, green peppercorn, and poblano chili pepper. "Uh Oh?!" I immediately thought this was going to be blasted or flawed. Ultimately it was not - at least not the latter (which would've…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Lemon liqueur, yellow pear, glycol, and lamp oil. Some faint lemon verbena and grass on the back end, but mostly hits of lemon and alcohol. A furry/pithy aftertaste made for an abrupt finish. Even…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series

Black cherry, black and red currant, plum, vanilla bean, and light cedar notes. Medium weight on the front end and through the mid-palate. Fairly simple and pedestrian, with a little bit of energy…

Lewis Cellars Cuvée L

PnP and this was ready to go. A little heat at first, but it blew off soon enough. Powerful but with a refined elegance that offers a more silky mouthfeel when compared to the Reserve or standard…

Pulido-Walker Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard

Blackberry, black cherry, asphalt, black pebbles, and some scorched earth. The flavors were enticing, with the mineral notes really grabbing my attention. However, it was a bit boozy. The grip was…

Williams Selyem Chardonnay Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard

Half of the bottle was re-corked and put in the refrigerator for two days. Some richer hazelnut, olive oil, and riper lemon notes. Held up nicely. For those holding bottles, I'd let this wine sit for…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

DAY 2: A little less than 1/4 of the previous juice was bottled in a small sample bottle, filled to the top, and sealed for the next day. Much more resolved and less overtly bombastic than Day 1.…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

So I've had some breathtaking and otherworldly wines within the last week; and a number of them were from one of my favorite sites in the Valley. Who would've thought LPV could deliver such…

Williams Selyem Chardonnay Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard

Fun and zippy, with a lot of verve and acidic prominence. Puckering light lemon and yellow/white citrus notes. Green apple and dry hay flavors added interest. A higher toned animal. A little thin…

Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard

Finished a previously Coravin'd bottle. Hazelnut, lemon curd, and vanilla bean notes emerged with extended air. The strong green apple element from the initial Coravin pour had subsided considerably,…

Addax Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Previous notes from last year apply. Big, ripe, and sexy, but with some serious scaffolding to hold it nicely together. Black and purple/red core fruit, with predominantly a black profile overall.…

Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard

Previous notes from last year apply. Quite flavorful, with saturated red raspberry, red and black cherry, spice, cedar/earth, and a nice evergreen note. A little simplistic on the front end of the…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Previous notes apply from last year. This has certainly found its groove, with beautiful black and blue core fruit, black currant, signature site-specific black asphalt, crunchy minerality, and some…

Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Previous notes apply. This was delivering really beautiful black and blue berry fruit flavors right away on PnP. A little softer and more plush than the 2014 Memento Mori LPV SVD served alongside it,…

Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard

Black fruit, with black currant, spice, vanilla bean, caramel oak, and some river rock. A smooth operator of a wine, with Russell's signature soft edges on the attack, making for a silky mouthfeel…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Colesworthy Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This was a bit more elevated than the standard 2015 Schrader LPV served beside it, but this too was a helpless kitten when the tiger 2015 Carter Verdad LPV stepped in and pawed the crap out of the…

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

Ok. So know this about the 2016 Carter OG. This friggin' wine is some next level sh** right here!

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Colesworthy Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Better than the 2014 Schrader LPV, but in no way a top performer among the other LPVs served throughout the evening. It was good. It was fine. It was maybe even better than fine. But considering the…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

"Holy bottle variation Batman!" I'm not sure what in the holy heck happened here, but this poor lost soul of a wine just couldn't get up to speed amongst the rest of the wines around it kicking tail…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

The best showing of this wine ever. Totally compelling; totally enthralling. A complete package of class and pleasure. All previous notes apply, except that this just shot to the moon in every…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This was a bit of a tough go for me primarily because I couldn't get past the initial coconut oil and vanilla bean cloak that was masking the fruit. I felt like I was drinking red wine out of a…