Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Super smooth and agreeable. A little round and plush this time around, with a fruity finish that was certainly flavorful. An easy gulper at this stage.

Celani Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Ardore

Same notes as in April. Rich, chewy, and black. Chocolate chunk meets blackberry and dark black raspberry core fruit. A touch heavy and thick, but delivers high on the flavor scale. Drink now and…

Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar to my experience with this wine a few months ago, though after a couple of hours in the glass, it really opened up and started to show some wonderful black fruit flavors. Some nice dark earth…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

It has been two years since I last had this wine. This go-around, PnP was strikingly similar to my last encounter with it. Balled-up, fairly acidic, and clenching the palate like Wile E. Coyote…

Patiné Cellars Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard

Sappy and ripe black and red cherry flavors gush on to the palate with a plush, fruit-forward push that washes over and completely coats the inside of the mouth. A gooey, viscous mouthfeel, with an…

Sine Qua Non Grenache Five Shooter

Dark, fairly round and rich, and displaying a ripe and ready attack of brooding black and crimson core fruit. Less of the funk than its Syrah counterpart, but equally as opaque. No high-toned red…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Turf War Bisagno Vineyard

Raspberry coulis, red cherry preserve/compote, purple plum, cassis, and some subtle minerality. Drinking surprisingly well on a PnP, with just a little swirling in the glass needed to coax out…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

Finished the bottle after a Coravin a few days prior. I didn't bother with a decant. PnP and a few minutes of swirling in the glass was perfect. Very much fan of this wine. Previous notes from…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Le Nouveau Western Star Vineyard

Plum and black cherry dominate, with some detectable earth/dust, unsmoked cigar, and RC cola. Mostly on the fruit-forward side of the spectrum, with the plum and black cherry carrying the majority of…

Bevan Cellars Syrah Moaveni Vineyard

A great showing. With some exposure to some decanted air, this was delivering beautifully. It's a big wine of course, but it showed a nice balance and weight this time around. Black, dark fruit, with…

Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

Incredibly viscous and powerful on entry, and still managing to carry out a notable balance across the palate; all the while, its delivery (though intense and driven) was still fairly seamless. Super…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Red plum, red and black cherry, and some faint vanilla. Medium all the way around. It's good. It does the job fairly well considering it's QPR. Don't expect it to help you pass a math test, but it's…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

Crisis averted from 3 days ago with a previous bottle from 10/20/18 that must have been cooked a bit for whatever reason. This bottle tonight was what I expect from this wine. Fantastic! Previous…

Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

From a .375. Notes of red and black currant, red and black cherry, red plum, cranberry, unsmoked cigar, dust, and faint spice box. Most notable in its delivery of hyper pure fruit; medium in body and…

Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

There's a big part of me that almost grows tired of anointing super high scores to some of these Napa Cabernets. Maybe I should stay in that agreeable 94/95 realm when something is really good, just…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

This particular sample threw out a distinct plum note (bordering on raisin) that really heightened the sensation of ripeness in the overall flavor profile. It was good, but it was certainly not the…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

Pervious notes apply. Big on the black cherry fruit flavors. Fun and a bit bombastic this time around. Enough notable frame to hold it all together. Good as a PnP, but I'll try to hold for just a bit…

Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard

Muddled strawberry, diluted red and black cherry, orange rind, and subtle spice (cinnamon stick) initiate the attack on this soft, subtle, and cloudy Pinot Noir. It still maintains a notable grip,…

B Cellars Blend 24

Similar to last month. Blackberry pie, jam, fig, pomegranate reduction, and some spice. A wine that shouldn't work, but it turns out kinda ok. Some chocolate emerged, helping to elevate its profile…

B Cellars Pinot Noir Reuling Vineyard

Served next to the 2016 B Cellars Sonoma Coast, which I thought had a little more focus and complexity than that Reuling in its current state. The Reuling was more about luscious ripe fruit than the…

B Cellars Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Served next to a 2016 B Cellars Reuling Pinot, which was much more ripe fruit driven than this Sonoma Coast.

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Selection Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard

Black cherry, crunchy cranberry, white pepper, spice, red and black currant, and slight hints of dust. The Bourn impresses with its notable acid and grip, though it does ride fairly high on the…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes from February still apply. Black cherry, black raspberry, black and red licorice, dark cassis/black cherry syrup, bitter chocolate, Asian spices, and some blackberry pie crust. Hyper…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the 2015 B Cellars BTK. This 2016 (a barrel sample) is similar to when I had it back in February, though it seems to be honing-in more on its identity at this stage. The…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Inching its way in excellence, the BTK continues its trajectory toward showing a great combination of cerebral interest and soulful flavor. Previous notes apply, though I found this sample to be more…