Reviews

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

A generous delivery of black and blue core fruit. Blackberry, blueberry, ripe red raspberry, fresh vanilla bean, dark (rich) chocolate, baking spice, and some scorched earth. Less of the floral…

The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Well damn, this all but sucked a big bag of dirty diapers...An unfortunate disappointment among other wines at the table. To be fair, it wasn't a "bad" wine necessarily, but given its pedigree, it…

Vice Versa Chardonnay Platt Vineyard

My previous notes apply. One of the best examples of sophistication in this varietal on a domestic level that I've experienced. Aubert look out...VV Platt Chardonnay is coming! So many fascinating…

Vice Versa Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Every time I am able to revisit this Pinot, I come to a greater appreciation for the site and the winemaking craftsmanship behind it. Black cherry, evergreen, underbrush,…

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée

A lovely bottle of Champagne, with yeasty brioche, lemon chiffon cake, Asian pear, ripe green and red apple, sea foam, toasted pignolia, and a banana nut bread note that added depth and character.…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven

The best wine I've ever had. Ever...

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

After initially sipping on a fabulous '16 VV BTK sample, out comes this LPV BBS in all of its glory and totally captivated me with its hauntingly dark, mineral-driven core fruit flavors. Black…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

My previous notes from 10/3/2017 still apply. Wonderfull black, Oakville soil-driven core fruit; black raspberry, black and red currant, clove, espresso, black soil, and scorched earth. As noted…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Beckstoffer

Barrel sample. Another massive creation, pumping out layers and layers of ripe black and deep red core fruit. Blackberry, black and red raspberry, black cherry, smoked meat, beef's blood, Chinese…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel sample. Blasts of dark and jammy black core fruit, spice, and earth. Chewy tannins, with a boozy, jammy attack that washes over the palate like a Mavericks crashing wave of wild, soil-driven…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

Barrel sample. Gobs of Bootsy Collins funkafied fruit, interwoven with a meaty, gamey core of blackberry cobbler, blackberry and raspberry liqueur, cherry syrup, absinthe salami, smoked BBQ ribs,…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Barrel sample. Of course the wine that was likely my top favorite in the whole B Cellars lineup has to be the blue-footed unicorn that is impossible to acquire...this '16 LPV was simply stunning.…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. A slap-yo-mama-silly kinda wine that hits the palate from every angle imaginable. A total stunner, with notes of blackberry, black raspberry liqueur, Amarena cherry syrup, deep cassis,…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena

"Actually quite good," was the first entry into my notes on this wine. As Cristal2000 mentioned, this was a nice surprise. As soon as our host mentioned it was Lewelling Vineyard, I instantly became…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Ehrlich Vineyard

Definitely a tick or two more advanced than the Blend 26 tasted just before it, the Ehrlich displayed some nice black and blue/red core fruit that held up through the mid-palate and into the finish.…

B Cellars Blend 26

An easy, simple ground-pounder when you're looking for something to pair with ribs and BBQ beans. Nothing too intellectual here, and a little out of place amongst the behemoth Beckstoffer wines. Some…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

This reminded me of a more regal version of a 2014 Myriad GIII, almost what I'd imagine the Empyrean to be like if Mike Smith produced a 2014 bottling of it. Finessed, elegant, but still pumping…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

For a wine that was just bottled a week ago, this showed a nice sophistication and beautiful, seamless delivery of flavor across the palate. Deep, but not exceptionally so just yet, this BTK had a…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Deliberate and delineated POWER is the name of the game here with this wine...but not brutish in any way. The flavors hit you with a 'skydiving without a parachute' type of velocity that grab ahold…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. It's not every day that you find a 100% Cab Franc that is as utterly awesome as this '16 Dr. Crane. Yes, it is a barrel sample. Yes, barrel samples can be deceiving in terms of their…

B Cellars Chardonnay Barrel Select

A beautiful expression of the varietal. Captivating notes of ripe yellow citrus, poached pear, lemon curd, vanilla bean, fresh olive oil, lemon oil, and faint whispers of flint and pumice. Creamy and…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel Sample from a Taransaud T5 barrique. An absolute bad a** example of the BTK site. Tons of power and concentration, but with a textural superiority that seldom graces such bombastic fruit…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

Barrel sample. Not surprisingly, this 2016 is essentially the 2014 MH on steroids...like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando type of steroids. Big and rich, with hefty doses of black, purple, and blue…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard

Gobs of ripe black raspberry, blueberry, sweet cassis, Baker's chocolate, gray slate, river rock, soil, and spice flavors. Just a hair too much of a good thing in the rich and ripe fruit department.…

Bacio Divino Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

An immediate gratification push of smooth black and red/blue fruit, blackberry, black raspberry, black soil, spice, and some vanilla. A beautiful and finessed version of the site, with an super…