Reviews

Christopher Tynan Wines Syrah Judge Family Vineyard

A massive blackberry monster on ice skates, with iron, rock, sanguine, and a little roast beef poking out of the furry blueberry and blackberry core. Huge tannins and grip, but all the while…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Reserve

As Cristal2000 mentioned, this wine was a definite surprise of the tasting. The 2012 Saint Helena Reserve punches WAY above its division; I personally thought this had all the complexity and flavor…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

The nose hits you pretty quickly with ripe blackberry and poblano chili, letting you know almost immediately that this is definitely hailing from the cooler, wetter 2011 vintage. First sips confirm…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

This is certainly up there with the top 2017s to come out of Napa by far. Immediately it shows itself as a "complete" wine, with all the necessary moving parts hitting the right chords at the right…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Obviously a barrel sample that has only had just a wee bit of time to even start thinking about what it wants to be when it goes up, the 2019 MG juice clearly has high aspirations from becoming an…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Red and black cherry liqueur and purple plum skin beautifully explode in a cascade of pure and fresh fruit flavors. Primary and vigilant, but focused and lively, the core delivers a mouthful of…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

An initial horizontal attack of primary black cherry and cassis flavors made for a youthfully primary delivery on the front end. With air, blackberry and black raspberry liqueur, blackberry seed,…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Rich, chewy, perfumed, and about as exciting as they come, the 2016 Macdonald is a shake your money maker kind of experience, grabbing a hold the palate and unloading gobs of dark, black fruit;…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2015 was similar to the 2013 in many ways, except that the 2015 took a bit longer to shed some of its frame and allow the fruit to come forward. It was highly mineral-driven and the least…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

The most inviting and "palate-compelling" right now, the 2014 Macdonald showed wonderfully expressive dark, black fruit, with some violets and asphalt adding to the profile. Surprisingly silky,…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

100 points ALL DAY LONG. You want a To Kalon that can stand the test of time, this dude right here is the one to put your money on. The most gorgeous monster ever, wrapped up in a tight, super grippy…

Aubert Pinot Noir Reuling Vineyard

Incense, cedar, and black cherry. A nice Pinot that relies on some traditional earth components to carry the fruit core forward. Medium all the way around. 91-92 points.

Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard

Olive oil, bruised lemon rind, toasted almond, ripe yellow citrus, light butterscotch, and a whisper of lamp oil on the back end. Still fairly fresh and concentrated, but definitely coming into a…

Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard

Saccharine-laced lemon curd leads the charge here. A little rounder and fatter than most Ritchies of the past. Finishes a little cloying, but with nicely pitched ripe lemon and meringue notes to keep…

Aubert Chardonnay Powder House Vineyard

Yellow apple skin and fresh squeezed lemon juice shoot across the palate with a vivacious and linear attack. Rides high and white at times, with a somewhat pithy stone note flecking the mid-palate…

Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Lemon curd, coconut, vanilla bean, and lemon olive oil, the base bottling of Sonoma Coast comes off pure, fresh, and slightly viscous. Hints of ripe mango add to the profile but as they taper off,…

Melka Cabernet Sauvignon Métisse Montbleau

Rich chocolatey black raspberry, licorice, and black cherry liqueur rush up front-and-center with the initial kick of fat fruit on the attack. A highly perfumed candy shop of flavor, like a Viognier…

Melka Métisse Martinez Vineyard Pritchard Hill

From the first sip, anyone who is familiar with Pritchard Hill knows that this wine speaks loud and clear about its roots. Tension-driven and nervy; high on acid and higher-toned aromatics on the…

Melka Mekerra

Cabernet Franc-heavy on the front end of the attack, with black and red cherry, embers, and violets kicking off the initial push. The mid and back seem to grab better hold of the Merlot component,…

Melka Syrah Majestique Paderewski Vineyard

Perfumed and floral, the front end of this purple popper follows up with notes of blackberry, blueberry, red/purple plum, and a hit of charcuterie. A Cote Rotie interpretation from the famed…

Melka Sauvignon Blanc Mekerra

Grapefruit, guava, stone, white flowers, white peach, and apricot. Silky smoooooooth and absolutely stunning. A gorgeous mouthfeel with an added lemon verbena lift that elevates the back end and…

Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard

Yellow citrus (fresh squeezed lemon juice) and some white stone fruit rule the roost. Youthfully primary but ultra-clean and pure. The freshness picks up even more speed on the back end and raises…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Estate

So, there's the Estate Sauvignon Blanc...and with the 2018 vintage there will also be this RESERVE Sauvignon Blanc to put its dukes up and battle the domestic Sancerre movement in the Napa Valley.…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

If the VHR wasn't enough to slap me silly with the possession of a thousand fun-filled flavors, the Crane offered little help in the exorcism from the continuing onslaught of savor-the-flavor palate…

Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

A gorgeous array of fruit flavors pop out of this wine like Jenna Jameson in a twenty-layered whipped cream birthday cake. Purple, blue, black, red.all just gushing out all over the palate. And just…