Reviews

Christopher Tynan Wines Syrah Judge Family Vineyard

Barrel sample. A Cote Rotie lookalike, the 2019 Syrah is bursting with bunches of violets mixed with unripe blackberry, blackberry seeds, Chambord, red raspberry, purple licorice, freshly washed…

Maxem Pinot Noir Silver Eagle

An intensely scented nose foreshadows a correspondingly floral entry on the palate, with penetrating notes of violets, deep cranberry, crunchy black cherry, and slight citrus and mineral notes. There…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 3 Tench Vineyard

Decidedly Tench, with red and purple fruit and a sack of booze to boot upfront, as a wave of cassis and freshly washed berries play catch-me-if-you-can with a bouquet of dried flowers. The power and…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven

So this didn't suck at all. Holy Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, what is this concentrated showboater of a jammin' juice to which you have put before me good sir?! You want a standout? Here it…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Barrel sample. Outstanding acid and beautifully defined fine-grained tannins fashion a gorgeously fresh and grippy MG. Blackberry seed and freshly popped pomegranate seeds lead the charge, with the…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

Deep black cherry dominates, with a broad push of full berry fruit flavors washing over the palate. Finishes with a plush feel on the back end, with a "hug me like a teddy bear" demeanor enticing for…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 Pritchard Hill

Pritchard Hill berries baby! Unripe red raspberries, cranberry, red and black cherry, cassis, and iron all culminate to push out higher register tones, finishing youthfully fuzzy and grippy. Treble…

Vice Versa Beatrix Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Barrel sample. Immediately recognizable as Valley Floor/Oakville fruit. Big, warm, fruity, and earthy, this specimen is a To Kalon mullet on the palate: Cab Franc on the front end, Cab Sauv on the…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Electric and fresh, exhibiting matching sparkle akin to the 2019 MG barrel sample, the 2018 MG is locked-and-loaded with acidic vitality and dynamism. With notable structure and acidic speed, this is…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 1 Perrarus Block 1

Dark berry fruit with a gravelly Las Piedras-type of demeanor. In fact, I would have guessed this Stones 1 was still carrying the LPV site in its profile. Blackberry, black currant, river rock,…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Barrel sample. On the nose, this was notably more austere and muted compared to the others sampled. On the palate, the reservation of flavor parroted the nose, with an overly measured delivery of…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

My second time trying this wine (since 12/07/2019), the 2017 MG carries interesting plum and muddled blackberry flavors complimented by red/purple licorice, vanillin black cherry, and some dark spice…

Fairchild Estate Stones Longitude - Latitude

Red and black fruits, with the red berry and currant notes ultimately elbowing their ways ahead of the overall march of flavors, this offers slightly more depth than the Sigaro initially, but then…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Mysterons

Barrel sample. This new blend from Vice Versa showcases luscious black fruit on the front end that is instantly swept away by a wash of fabulous acidity and drive. A wave of rolling power pushes the…

Christopher Tynan Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Meleagris Gallopavo

Two years since I've last sampled this juice. One of the most phenomenal wines I've had all year, the 2012 Tynan MG absolutely soars from the glass with aromas of ripe blackberries and earth. On the…

Fairchild Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Sigaro

Bright red mountain fruit, with beaming acidity that makes for a fresh and brightly styled profile. Finishes with a cedar-meets-spice flavor that dries the back of the palate and keeps the fruit from…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Barrel sample. Anyone who knows me knows that LPV is directly in my wheelhouse, and based on the performance of this LPV, it should be in your wheelhouse, too. Aside from the 2019 M7 (which was just…

Promontory

At the French Laundry. Red berry fruit, unsmoked cigar, leather, and additional deeper plum notes make for a more sophisticated delivery of flavor, especially when served side-by-side with the…

Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar in profile to the 2016, this 2017 exhibited the driest of demeanors when compared to its siblings. Mid-palate was a tad hollow initially but began to fill in nicely as air penetrated the…

Harlan Estate

Barrel sample. Fresh berries and charcoal, as if you took the best made blackberry pie and fired it up on an old school open-flame Weber BBQ. Texturally this is a complete dream, with fine grained…

Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

At the French Laundry. A mouthful of ripe fruit illustrative of what one might expect from this house and this site. A whopping wine from a big vintage from a vineyard that often produces succulent…

Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Juicy plum flavors unfold and become more complex after a slow O2 for about an hour. Black cherry, licorice, and gravel notes emerge to add interest. Became a bit stemmy on the final sips (some…

Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets

This is coming into a nice drinking window now, especially with a bit of swirling in the glass to coax out its deeper tones. Black cherry, loam, and a kiss of spice kick off the medium gourmand…

Realm Cellars The Bard

Well this was a very pleasant surprise. I've written quite a bit about the up-and-down journey of this particular wine, but I'm happy to report that this most recent bottle was fantastic. Whether it…

Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

Candied red cherry liqueur and dried flowers dominate the youthfully primary profile, with a linear expression of the varietal currently limiting the layering of the execution. A stunted flavor…