Reviews

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Even more compelling than the last couple of times I had this wine, the 2016 Weitz popped on the palate with extraordinary drive and complexity. Same as my previous notes in terms of its overall…

Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

Previous notes apply. Still amongst the big boys in the 2016 Carter lineup, this beautiful wine manages to keep pace and hold interest with its wonderfully inviting dark red and purple core fruit.…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Block 6

A massively endowed wine, much akin to the 2014 Block 6 with its dark berry and rich chocolatey profile. A lot of power and sappy concentration here, with the melted dark chocolate notes singing the…

Flint Knoll Royal Appointment

A supple and approachable wine, with a fun and unpretentious profile that offers round red and black berry fruit. The Merlot component softens the edges, allowing the Cabernet Sauvignon to show its…

Alexana Pinot Noir Block 7 Revana Vineyard

Dubbed the 'best block,' the 7 delivers agreeable and familiar Oregonian flavors of ripe red and black cherry, red plum, and light infusions of cedar, dust, and cinnamon. Medium bodied, with some…

Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley

A very nice example of what can be accomplished out of Bennett Valley with this varietal. Blackberry and charcoal notes, with added flavors of meaty black olive and creosote. I appreciated the…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

Horizontal of the 2015 Estate, Stags, and Howell Cabernets.

Riverain Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Tench Vineyard

A generous tasting lineup of the 2013, 2014, 2015, and a new 2016 BBS Tench Cabernets.

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Horizontal of the 2015 Estate, Stags, and Howell Cabernets. More earthy and funky than the Estate or Stags, this Howell offering from Revana displayed a soil-driven meatiness that was interesting, if…

Riverain Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard

A generous tasting lineup of the 2013, 2014, 2015, and a new 2016 BBS Tench Cabernets.

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2015 and 2016 are killer vintages for the Quivet offerings, as this NV is a testament to true "affordable" winemaking at an appellation level. Young but lusciously approachable, with dark, dark black…

Maybach Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Irmgard

A fascinating wine, and ironically one I would have potentially mistaken for a twenty-year-old 1st Cru Burgundy had it not been for the perception of higher alcohol here, especially on the finish.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon La Verdad Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Coravin pour. Previous notes apply, except to note that this round displayed a little heavier on the deeply-pitched red cassis and red licorice notes. A little bit of alcohol on the back end needed…

Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Just as solid from bottle as it was from barrel. Previous notes apply. There is certainly some wonderful oak influence going on with this wine at the moment, with further integration to come with…

Gustave Lorentz Pinot Noir

This was the Lorentz "Evidence" version. Light plum and earthy black cherry, mulch, and some faint citrus rind. Light bodied, but with enough frame to pair decently with some of the best slow-roasted…

Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County

This wine showed pretty flat compared to April 2018 when I last had it. This was also served next to a '12 Favia Quarzo, which bested it by a margin. It was fine, but nothing memorable here. Some…

Favia Syrah Quarzo

Previous notes apply. This bested a '13 Carlisle Sonoma Syrah served next to it, as the Favia had a greater breadth overall, especially in regards to its complexity of flavors. Medium mid-palate,…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard

Black cherry, black/red plum, currant, earth, wet mulch and tobacco, and soil. Subtle spice. Round and straightforward. Decent depth, medium bodied. Not super complex. Notably satisfying but not…

Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Red and black currant, red and black cherry, spice, and some sweet cedar notes make up the 2012 SBR Reserve Cabernet. A fine wine all the way around, with a super smooth, polished entry as soon as…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld

Black/red fruit dominated, with a ripe, spicy, and chocolate-driven profile. With air, this became black fruited, with scorched earth and char rounding out the back end. Healthy hits of richness, but…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Kings Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Leading with gorgeous baking spice notes and a solid push of black, super dark red, and some purple core fruit flavors, this Three Kings was a healthy glass of youthful flavor fun, with just the…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Kaliholmanok Kicu'me

Surprisingly approachable, but still seems to be finding its way a little bit; showing primarily black cherry and plum notes. PnP was actually the preference for me frame-wise, with just a bit of air…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

A lot of kick-start-your-heart black cherry fruit gushing out of this Pinot. Unlike the Maxem Chardonnay, which carried some calculated and stately deliberation in its delivery, this Pinot showed…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A beautiful and poised example of BTK; medium bodied and seamless (almost gentle) on the finish. Pure fruit flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, cinnamon, and subtle bitter chocolate. A kiss of…

B Cellars Blend 24

A blend of primarily Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. A wine that seemingly should not work, the Blend 24 surprisingly manages to pull off a decent amount of flavor and body. Dark red core fruit, with a…