Reviews

Realm Cellars The Tempest

Cassis, black cherry, black currant, bitter chocolate, and some electric purple plum. Some baby fat still present, but it eased up pretty fast and became a medium-bodied plush stuffed animal in…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Bearwallow Vineyard Anderson Valley

PnP with a slap of dried apricot, buttered popcorn, lamp oil, butterscotch, wood, and bruised lemon rind. Fairly abrasive in the front and somewhat angular though the mid-palate. Finish was flat and…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Last minute pull. Previous notes apply, though this was more flavorful and giving after a slow O2 for an hour and some swirling in the glass. I'll try to hold until after 2019+.

Argot Pinot Noir Estate

Exact same note as in April. It got a little lost, blown out, and muddled toward the end, with the ripe red candied raspberry note dominating. PnP offered the best sips. Serve this wine on the colder…

The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Much improved from my last bottle. Some old world restraint here (which is indicative of Hoefliger's style), but some nice dark berry and currant flavors that kept me coming back for another sip.…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

All previous notes apply. This continues to impress all who sample it. The bottle was empty before everyone knew it. Drinking fine now on PnP, but may improve even more in the "seamlessness of…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

Coravin pour. Similar notes as last year. Some really nice black cherry and bitter chocolate notes initially, but this teenager is still working itself out. A lot of bitter sediment came to the…

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Notes of yellow and red apple skin, marzipan, quince paste, freshly grated ginger, wet limestone, crab shell, and hints of Dalmatia fig orange spread (but without the sweetness). A bit of a funky but…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

I'm still not jiving on this wine. I know it's an appellation Chardonnay with a seemingly great QPR, but... there was no elegance or refinement to be had here. Pretty simple in complexity and flavor,…

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

All previous notes apply. Served alongside a '14 Carter Grand Daddy, which had a more red-fruited profile and a little less depth than the OG. The OG was more of a black/purple/crimson profile, with…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

It has been two years since I last had this wine. PnP with notes of black cherry, cassis, black and ripe red raspberry, red and black currant, tobacco leaf, black licorice, and a faint herbal/menthol…

Clos Solène Hommage À Nos Pairs Reserve

PnP was fairly hot and cocktail-esque initially. After an hour in the decanter, some of the booze dissipated, but never fully ceased distracting a bit from the overall core fruit. Dark red and…

Dow Porto Vintage

Smooth plum, camphor, and soil notes. A little bit of animal and bear paw fur on the back end. Not completely barnyard, but definitely some mammalian tinges on the finish. Still, this maintained its…

Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard

The only thing that kept this from being 100 points tonight was that the MACDONALD kept coming along and smacking around everything in front of it. All of my previous notes on this EE apply. This is…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

All previous notes apply. PnP was a little boozy, but that settled down after some swirling in the glass. It was very good, but couldn't fully run away from the liqueur component that was making it…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

All of my previous notes on this wine apply. I've written on and on about my adoration for the 2015 Scarlett Reserve. The best Scarlett ever. The best McGah ever. One of the best Mike Smith wines…

Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my previous notes on this wine. This was served to me blind and I identified it correctly as the '15 Becklyn NV, mostly because of the unique array of blue, black, and red fruit notes…

Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon 887

I always have a soft spot in my heart (or palate) for the St. Helena wines from Del Dotto. This 2013 is a medium-bodied animal (when compared to what I remember about the 2014), darker fruit profile,…

Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Strikingly similar to the 2010 Carter Grand Daddy, except that the Mondavi had a lighter body overall, with a bit of an old-world, earthy quality that made it uniquely stand out when compared to the…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Somewhat similar to the 2012 Revana Block 6 (served beside it) in terms of its dark, black core fruit. Less chocolate-driven than the Revana, but displaying a nice streak of black soil and earthy…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Block 6

Very similar to the 2012 Block 6 I had the week before. Dark black and some super dark red core fruit, with black currant, chocolate, black soil, and spice to round-out the flavor profile. Dark,…

Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my notes on this wine from last month. Black and purple core fruit (with some streaks of dark red), cassis, spice, and some licorice. More frame and grip than the 2015 Outpost Immigrant…

Outpost Immigrant True Vineyard

Served next to the 2015 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon (which I preferred ever so slightly - mainly for its elevated frame and grip). Purple and black core fruit, with black currant, black soil,…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve

A step up from the 2015 Bone Ash, but still leading its attack with a lot of fruit in the mouth all at once. A darker flavor profile than the Bone Ash, with sappy black raspberry, wild blackberry,…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

Definitely more fruit-driven than the Morlets and Rudd served alongside it, with seemingly less backbone and acidic grip. Ripe red and black core fruit, with lush, plush, rounded edges that would be…