Black cherry and black raspberry dominate here, with some red cherry, red and black currant, and cranberry flavors showing up to the party as well. Brilliant cut and acid here. Ripe but not rich,…
Sure enough, the label clearly read "Zinfandel," so I immediately didn't want to like it. I'm a "try all wines" kinda guy, but this varietal is a constant disappointment for me. Only a few of the…
Similar to last month. Blackberry pie, jam, fig, pomegranate reduction, and some spice. A wine that shouldn't work, but it turns out kinda ok. Some chocolate emerged, helping to elevate its profile…
Served next to the 2016 B Cellars Sonoma Coast, which I thought had a little more focus and complexity than that Reuling in its current state. The Reuling was more about luscious ripe fruit than the…
Served side-by-side with a 2015 B Cellars Barrel Select Chardonnay, which I thought had a bit more depth and complexity than this Star Chardonnay. The Star had notable tension and energy, with more…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Served side-by-side with the 2016 Star Chardonnay, which I thought registered a little higher toned on the palate than this more unctuous Barrel Select Chardonnay. Previous notes apply. This was a…
Previous notes apply, though this is starting to show some beautiful yellow citrus and pear notes that give it some additional mid-palate depth. Starts out just as racy as when I had it back in…
Same as previous notes. Great structure and frame, with the flavors starting to peek out nicely. The bone is still bigger than the meat at this juncture. Continuing to hold another couple of years…
Color me the outlier...again... Maybe I need to trade in my palate for a new one...? If you're running late for work, the punchline for those holding bottles is to wait another year+. If you have…
A very agreeable and well balanced Riesling, with somewhat traditional flavors of pear, peach, honey, lychee, and some saline. The mild sweetness is carried throughout the attack, but thankfully it…
Notably balanced and smooth, with a creamy texture that enveloped the palate and offered a nice vehicle to carry the yellow citrus, mild tropical fruit, and sea stone elements through the attack.…
Good verve, with a dry and acidic frame that provides a zippy attack of apple skin and yellow citrus. Some saline here, heightened by the seafood dishes served with it. This has an agreeable…
Dry and a little pithy, with a somewhat tart finish. Some nice yellow and white fruit flavors, but operating on a more superficial plane. An ok sparkler with an average delivery overall. Much…
Previous notes apply. Yellow citrus, white flowers, melon, and peach/nectarine flavors. Less of the grass element this time around. Displaying more peach and cantaloupe notes intertwined with the…
Nearly three years ago I had this from barrel and it showed tremendous promise. Now having been in bottle a few years, this wine is certainly on its way to becoming a beautiful representation of the…
Same as my notes from July. More concentrated red fruit this time around, with the same intriguing saline and earthy notes complimenting the predominantly black cherry core. Smoke, wood, unsmoked…
It's been almost two years since I last had this wine. It has certainly found a glide in terms of approachability, but it seems to have lost a little bit of drive and intensity since November 2016.…
Extremely tight and constricted at this stage. It was much more open for business last year than now. Super grippy, especially when compared to the 2016 barrel sample VdL I had side-by-side with the…
This worked decently with the steak served as the final savory course of the evening, but it was at the back of the pack compared to some of the other Cabernets at the table. Flat mid-palate compared…
Super fruity and plush, with red cherry and ripe red raspberry dominating the profile. A simple red fruit attack of ripe, round fruit hitting the palate with one plop. The back end was more of the…
