Reviews

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

This was from a Coravin bottle that had been tapped multiple times over the course of three months. Thanks to Dan and Mark for trying to add this wine to our lineup and seeing if it would still…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This was really showing its capacity to deliver an amazing array of complex flavors. Last time I had the Three Kings, I favored the Grand Daddy served alongside it. This time, the Three Kings came…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Wine is fun... unpredictable, but fun...

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

My previous notes apply. Once again, this wine absolutely killed it! The "oohs" and "aahs" across the table were instantaneous as soon as we all took our respective sips. It's no doubt this wine sold…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Bam Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

My third time having this wine; previous notes apply. This wine needs another few years to really stretch its legs. It is a youngster that flaunts its youth with somewhat compacted core fruit and a…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Carter

Carter Carter...The wine so nice, they named it twice! My previous notes apply. Having an opportunity to have this wine side-by-side with the Fortuna, I found myself favoring the Fortuna just a hair…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Previous notes apply. A very compelling wine that strikes a nice balance between fruit flavor/concentration and tension/verve. This is drinking even better than when I last had it in June. The grip…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard

Same as my previous notes on this wine. Drinking even better than a few months ago. A beautiful profile of red, black, and some purple core fruit. Complex and tiered in its delivery, with a…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This wine was gifted to us by Patrice and Samantha Breton of Vice Versa for our LPV taste-off dinner. Amazingly generous!

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This followed a very similar path as the 2013 Carter LPV served alongside it. A little fruity (not as much red fruit as the Carter) and cattywampus on PnP, but with an hour or two in the decanter…

Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Thanks to Cristal2000 for bringing this wine to the party. For me, the Hobbs had an inverse progression than the Carter. The Carter started out fruity and a bit over-lush and then made it's way into…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

You might as well cut and paste Cristal2000's detailed notes on this wine, as he and I had a near-identical experience. PnP and this was initially overtly fruity (red fruited) and kinda wonky. We all…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This was a barrel sample generously gifted to us for our Las Piedras taste-off at Cook Restaurant in St. Helena, which also included a '13 Carter LPV, '13 Hobbs LPV, '13 Quivet LPV, and a '12 Vice…

Sodhani Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar to the 2014s except that this 2013 was wound a little tighter and showed more of a linear profile. Plum, black and red currant, camphor, leather, and cedar. Tight, bitter, and pretty…

Sodhani Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

This Reserve was a little less funky than the standard 2014, but it still carried a strange aftertaste that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The attack started out seemingly solid, but then a…

Sodhani Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Notes of ripe plum, camphor, mulch, and wet leather. Unfortunately all of the wines in the Sodhani lineup had a wood turpentine note to them. Not sure what was going on there. No rating.

Michel Gonet Champagne Grand Cru Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs

As before, this Champagne was a great way to end a tasting of fabulous reds at Vice Versa. Crisp yellow and white core fruit, pumice dust, and some light lemon zest. 93-94 points.

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Black, earthy core fruit surrounded by black currant, dark spice box, coffee grounds, and some faint truffle and earthy cedar on the tail end. Massive and finessed at the same time; as with the 2014…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Just when I thought nothing would be able to compete with Vice Versa's 2016 LPV served just before this wine, along came the good Doctor who just had to try to push the reigning champ off to the…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Absolutely unreal! This stands to become one of the best LPVs I've ever had; this juice blew the socks off of just about any LPV I've experienced. Of course, as a barrel sample, and as a wine that…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon BBS Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the "standard" 2014 VV LPV. This BBS ratchets up the concentration and drive ever slightly when compared to its secondary counterpart. Carrying much of the same black and red…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the 2014 VV LPV BBS. This "standard" LPV provided a seamless delivery of black and red fruit notes along with the signature LPV minerality indicative of the rocky site. Silky…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A wonderfully balanced version of To Kalon. Not overtly flavor-blasted or extracted the way some versions of BTK can end up. Haunting and dark with still a finessed lift that elevates the core fruit,…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my previous notes on this wine from August. This is both strong and beautiful in its delivery of red and black fruits. An interesting hybrid of sites that ultimately ends up creating a…

Moone-Tsai Vineyards Black List VII

A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend with a heavy PV component (and a dollop of Merlot), this Blacklist version presented itself much in the same way of the 2013 Blacklist IX. Dark fruit with some…