Reviews

Walt Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

At first this seemed like it was going to deliver in spades with plush black cherry and spice box notes, but it instantly turned into an ultra-round and ripe plum fruit bomb. Muddled and flabby, with…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

It's been a year since I had this wine. I was a little reluctant to open this simply because I know some of these 2013 Carter wines need some time in bottle before they can really stretch their legs.…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain

Same as my CT notes from last month. Still in the 94+ range for me. This was a little more wound tight from what I remember in March. Shows a lot of promise. 97+ from Parker seems a little high to…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld

Akin to the 2013, except that the 2014 (indicative of the vintage) is a little more accessible and forward. It showed immense blue and black fruits, with a cut of black slate and river rock. Full and…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

Similar to my previous notes. 94-95+ points. Started to show more power and intensity than what I last remembered. Concentration was most notable, as was a bit more of its darker fruit profile.

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Masterpiece

Ironically, I think I preferred the 2014 Jack's to the 2013 I tasted last month...but not necessarily by too much. It was "ok," with some brush-tinged dark red and black currant, black cherry, dust,…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Eighteen Seventy-Three Napa Valley

I preferred this 2014 1873 to its 2013 older brother served alongside it. The 2014 was a little more giving with its predominantly black cherry and red currant fruit and didn't have such a clipped…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Eighteen Seventy-Three Napa Valley

Similar to my previous notes from 11/26/2016 and 10/15/2016. I especially noticed some thin, dry wood and alcohol notes on the back end that detracted from the overall flavor profile of this wine. It…

Argot Pinot Noir Bastard Tongue

My first time with this producer. JHIEB's notes are spot on. The BT exhibited wonderfully tiered black cherry, black raspberry, incense smoke, and a wild spicebox note that carried on through the…

Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Impériale

I suppose the only likely punchline analysis on the Imperiale is to say this thing needs tons of time. Shut down and muted for the most part throughout consumption. Some primary flavors of kirsch,…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

My previous notes apply. The Maybach was a straight PnP from a .375ml. Compared to the Tusk, the Maybach was equally "perfect/near-perfect" but on a whole different plane. The Maybach is delivering…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Thanks a million to Cristal2000 for sacrificing this awesome wine for the greater good. Texture, texture, texture! The seamlessness and silkiness on the Tusk was insanely incredible. One sip and you…

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Popped the cork at 3PM and had a small taste. A blast of alcohol, acid, and hi-toned red liqueur flavors instantly numbed the palate. Decanted, poured back in the bottle, corked, and off to dinner to…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to last year's experience with this wine, with super-plush and fatty black cherry liqueur and purple plum fruit gushing out in an overtly giving display of sexy, posh flavors. Good purity of…

Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

PnP was a lesson in palate-dodging the initial hit of blasting alcohol and black cherry liqueur. It took over an hour in the decanter to chill out to the point where I could start identifying the…

Aratas Petite Sirah

It's been a year and a half since I last had this. It's good. It's nothing that gets me fired up for anything in particular, but it served its purpose with packaged pasta and red sauce (you get the…

Torrin Akasha

Same as my previous notes from November. The best showing of this wine I've ever had. 98 points from RP seems about right. My last bottle. Wish I had more, but at more than twice the release price…

Bevan Cellars Two Dog Knoll

A fine bottle of wine indeed. PnP was a little tight and palate clenching, with a blast of coiled-up black and dark red fruit, asphalt, black slate, black licorice, and a streak of red currant.

The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Kingly Project Winfield Vineyard

An unbelievable showing this go-around. My previous notes apply from last year, except that an extra year in bottle has certainly done wonders for this wine.

Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

Same as last year's notes. Without question, one of the best domestic Syrah producers in the nation. This is fully resolved and ready to be consumed now. No decant necessary, unless you want to…

Cirq Pinot Noir TreeHouse

It's good. It's better than the 2012. As my other half said, "I really liked it, and then it fell off a bit." Agreed. It held up for a couple of hours, but then it became a little bit blasé. It had…

Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD

Echoing what others have said, I found this wine to be a little blasé in some respects this go-around. My previous notes apply, but this was more accessible than before, maybe too much so. The…

North Vineyards Pinot Noir

Something to leave alone for another 2 years. Really nice, pure black cherry fruit and some earth notes, but it fell apart after about three hours in the decanter. Acid and tannins were lower than…

Walt Pinot Noir Clos Pepe

PnP was immediately accessible with gobs of red and black cherry, red and black raspberry, and a viscous young blackberry liqueur note. Acid seemed a bit low, but a few spice flavors gave way to a…

Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

This was the second of two bottles. The first was flawed. This bottle was opened two days ago, corked, and allowed to sit upright for 2 days. This was the most finessed I've experienced this wine.…