Coravin pour. As others have noted, this needs 2-3 more years to get its full act together. Enticing notes of black core fruit, black licorice, black mulch, asphalt, and some river rock.
Black cherry, clove, mulch, evergreen, and hints of orange oil. Still a little linear, but just starting to push out some decent flavors over the course of two+ hours of consumption. A touch thin…
Another Coravin pour. Same notes as before. Started to show more layers and depth over an hour of consumption. Needs time, but definite promise in a couple of years.
Previous note applies. Another Coravin pour. Pretty wild and crazy. It couldn't fully shed itself of a confection/saccharine vanilla aftertaste. Air helped some, but not enough. Fruit seems pure, but…
Previous notes apply. Finished the bottle. Definitely in need of time in the bottle to develop a better sense of seamlessness. Swirling with ripe, chocolatey, oak-influenced flavors, this is akin to…
As others have noted, this needs some time to deepen its flavor profile and get out of its flatter, linear delivery. Still maintained fairly good balance, with some higher toned red and purple berry…
Thick, dark, chewy, and rich. This wine epitomizes hedonism in Napa Cabernet. Previous notes apply, as the Ardore maintained its seriously intense flavor profile throughout a few hours of…
Flawed indeed... Cedar, alcohol, black currant. The best part was the Twilight Zone experience that I had just after I took a sip (and a whiff) of this "wine"... As soon as I ended up taking my first…
High-toned bright red cherry, vanilla, and some white travertine. Simple, lithe, and watery. Hardly any depth to speak of. Gains some points for energy and zip, but otherwise this is a runny nose of…
Ok...I'll take the incoming arrows on this one. Apparently I'm missing something here. I found this to be a higher-register, linear, sour example of the varietal. Yes, it's young, but the lack of…
Simple yellow citrus and saline notes, with flecks of graphite. Some green apple and vanilla show up on the back half of the attack. Otherwise, a fairly humdrum example of the varietal. Not too much…
Earthy blackberry, purple plum, olive, and some tar. Fairly simple and straightforward. Drink now or hold for another year or so. Time may deepen the flavors a bit, but I don't think it'll gin up…
BIGTUNA and WINEPT have this wine pegged. A wine-by-the-glass at a bar that doesn't specialize in wine kind of wine. It is tolerable and will pass the time as you skulkingly peer across the room…
This was a tough one for me. It came off as a simpleton that seemed displaced from any affiliation with the Araujo label. "Second wine" or not, this was a seemingly willowy example. Higher toned, red…
Previous notes from two months ago apply. I have to admit I'm really loving this wine right now. It's not as good as some of the SVDs, but dammit if I don't find this to be a really fine example of a…
Notes of black and red cherry, barely ripe purple plum, vanilla alcohol, cassis, and some stone. An ok representation of the CF varietal, but somewhat pedestrian for my palate; lacking layers and…
Previous notes apply. Ripe, dark black cherry, mulch, earth, and some rhubarb. Round, easy, plush, and fairly straightforward. Fun but forgettable. Not a waste of a date, but definitely not marriage…
Holy behemoth wine of the Seven Seas! A massive, massive wine at this stage, with a steroid-ridden attack of black raspberry and black cherry liqueur, red and black licorice, cassis, black currant,…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Same notes as two months ago. Seemingly weighty and rich, but never burdensome or fat. Maintains great flavor while still holding a good grip on the lush yellow citrus fruit; showed lovely balance…
Coravin pour. Dark and powerful, with a grab-hold-of-ya, palate-gripping intensity that pumps waves of youthful dark fruit from its initial attack. Dark black raspberry, black cherry, blackberry,…
Same as my previous notes from September 2017. For a wine that's progressed a decade from vintage, and as a domestic Merlot...aaanndd a Bevan Merlot to boot...I am shocked at how youthful, powerful,…
Two years ago to the day since I last had this wine; a wonderful progression since that time, with notes of blackberry compote, dark cassis, lower-toned dark cherry kirsch, Black Forest gateau, black…
Finished the bottle. Previous notes apply. It took about two hours of decanted air to blow off some heat that pulled away from the core fruit flavors. In the end, I would hold for another year+ on…
Same notes as over a week ago. Finished the bottle. An enjoyable wine from beginning to end. Ok to drink now, but I'll hold another 6-12 months to see what comes next. No decant needed as far as I'm…
