Reviews

Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Henry Ayrton's Block Rapley Trail Vineyard

What should have been the grand finale of the signature Pinot lineup from Fogarty ended up, not surprisingly, a total dud. Same old song with the watery and diluted flavor profile, even less so when…

Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Rapley Trail Vineyard

Probably one of the "best" wines in the Pinot lineup, the Rapley Trail had a little bit of forest floor, mulch, and cedar to assist in attempting to wake up the otherwise diluted and watery black…

Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Series Muns Vineyard

Try as I might, I can't for the life of me remember this Pinot at all. I can tell you it was thin and lost on my palate.

Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Will's Cabin Vineyard

Obviously sounding like a broken record, this wine followed suit with its brethren Pinots in its lost and forgettable profile. Some diluted strawberry, black cherry, and a hint of forest floor (which…

Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Series Vida Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains

Much like the appellation Pinot. Thin, diluted, and weak. I took one sip and dumped the wine. Instantly forgettable and disappointing. Not even lifesaver verbiage like "pretty" or "feminine" or…

Bernardus Winery Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard

This was a little more interesting and intense than the 2013 Bernardus SLH. Still extremely young, acidic, and primary, the Pisoni managed to push out some high-toned black cherry, strawberry, and…

Bernardus Winery Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Some basic strawberry, red cherry, and pomegranate notes, with the slightest hint of forest floor. Fairly high-toned and simplistic, especially when served next to the 2014 Bernardus Pisoni Pinot,…

Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon

Previous tasting notes apply. This thing played punching bag with a 2012 Odette served beside it. I'm loving the way the Kobalt is showing right now. Right up my alley. Paired incredibly well with a…

Odette Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Same as my previous tasting notes. Others at the table loved this wine, commenting on its smooth and seamless personality. For me, it was certainly good, but it suffered from two things:

Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

Thin mid-palate, a bit watery, and overall a pretty boring experience. Some hints of black cherry and spice, but the diluted personality of this wine overshadowed any true distinguishable flavors.…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Still solid. 93-94 points. Previous notes apply. This bested a 2012 Boich GIII and a 2012 Pruett Taylor's Syrah by a decent margin. Drink now with no decant really necessary.

Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Pretty much the same as six months ago. Previous notes apply. A little tight and less giving in terms of the immediacy of fruit. I wasn't getting a whole lot of personality from this little chameleon…

Pruett Vineyards Syrah Taylor's Reserve

All previous notes apply. This was tasted next to a 2012 Boich Cabernet GIII and a 2013 Myriad Cabernet, which both bested the Pruett. Not exactly a fair fight.

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Same as my notes a month ago. 93-94? points. Comes off a little young (understandably); a little bit of a cocktail feel about it after about four+ hours of air. Like the 2013, this is an early…

Mail Road Wines Pinot Noir Blocks 2, 3, 5 Mt. Carmel

Same as my notes from February, but this still needs quite a bit of time in bottle to integrate. High pitched and never fully shedding itself of a tartness/sourness that was a bit distracting,…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Summit 2114

Same as my notes from 3/8/2016. Took some time to open up (about two total hours in the decanter). Ended up mellowing out pretty quickly at the post-two hour mark. Glided into a nice (though less…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

I definitely concur with much of what J_Smallwood had to say about this wine. This has certainly opened up quite a bit since I last had it back in February. After about an hour or two in a…

Shafer Relentless

Previous notes on specific flavors still apply. Awesome wine, and inching its way up in score for me as time goes on. PnP was near-perfect and ready right out of the gate.

Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon

Same as my previous notes from May. Delicious wine. Didn't really even need a decant. After a few hours of air, it was gliding beautifully. A big fistful of Cabernet hendonism. Outstanding!

DuMOL Syrah Jack Robert's Run

A very "friendly" Syrah, with easily accessible notes of blackberry and blueberry, with smoke and floral hints framing out the core fruit.

Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red

What a great showing on this wine! Drank alongside a 2013 Myriad; after 30 minutes in the decanter, the Rudd took off like a rocket. Bursting with dark black raspberry, black cherry, deep red and…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Served side-by-side with a 2008 Rudd Oakville. At first PnP, the Myriad exploded with its typical awesome dark berry fruit.

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Same as my notes a few weeks ago, though this was inching toward the 95 point range. This was the final wine in the lineup, and managed to hold strong even in the face of the amazing Daughters of…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Architects & Saboteurs

Same as my notes from August and before. Almost as good as the Daughters of Earth, with just a tad less in terms of layered complexity. Wins huge points for power and intensity, and the most…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Daughters of Earth Goldrock Ridge

Same as my other previous notes on this wine. An absolutely amazing bottle of wine. One of the best domestic Pinots on the planet, and one that totally blew all of the others in the lineup out of the…