Reviews

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Empyrean Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Followed over two days, with day one from PnP through the first hour being my favorite window. This is coming into a great drinking window folks, so ya might wanna see what's cookin' under the hood.

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Summit 1376'

Notes of earthy black cherry, dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary), and bark. I find this 1376 and the 2114 to be Bevan's best works with this varietal. The Petaluma Gap and Rita's can be huge…

Keplinger Mars

A fabulous showing, with totally enthralling garrigue and Herbes de Provence notes that perfectly maneuvered their ways through the earthy black raspberry, kirsch, and red and black cherry core.…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Old Vines

Served side-by-side with a 2014 Rivers Marie Kanzler Pinot, which was much fruitier and less complex by comparison. This Summa OV displayed wonderfully complex notes of black cherry, orange rind,…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

Served side-by-side with a 2013 Rivers Marie Summa OV Pinot, which was much more focused and complex by comparison. Beneath the Kanzler's rounded, fruity (but kinda furry) tannins lied a core of…

Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Exact same showing as when I last had this wine in December 2017. Indeed a more shorter term drinker, but delivering a gorgeous exhibition of hedonistic flavors; up front and ready to go, with some…

The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A captivating bottle of wine. Balanced and exquisitely focused, while still delivering a beautifully concentrated core of black fruit. Signature To Kalon, with powerfully mouth-couting waves of…

Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service Stagecoach Vineyard

Hallmark Pott. Notes of purple-red plum, black cherry, pomegranate, cedar, and earth. It has that old school meets new school vibe, with a good combination of restraint and structure, coupled with…

Martinelli Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa

Much more plum driven than the Jackass Zinfandel served beside it. Some notable wild blackberry flavors spit energy into the delivery of this plush and round wine, but it was certainly a tough act to…

Martinelli Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard

A powerful and spicy Zinfandel, with a decent push of power and tannic fortitude washing over the wild blackberry and black pepper notes. Thankfully, this steers away from being jammy or overly…

Martinelli Pinot Noir Lolita Ranch

Much more fruit-driven than the 2013 Bondi Pinot, with ripe red raspberry and cherry notes. A good delivery of flavor; a bit simple across the board, especially when compared to the more earthy and…

Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch Water Trough Vineyard

Earthy black and red cherry, citrus rind, mushroom, tree bark, smoke, black Darjeeling tea, and some sea salt. A complex and deliberate delivery, with medium weight mid-palate and agreeable intensity…

Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog

I'm just curious to know if the beef jerky in this wine is biodynamically farmed locally from Slim Jim, or if it is sourced from a Kangaroo salt farm somewhere near Ayers Rock...and at what stage of…

Saxum Booker Vineyard

So this dude acted like an adolescent 2013-year-old instead of a decade-old adult at first. Insert all the comic book quotes of "Pow," "Bam," and "Kablamiboom," all stampeding massive black fruit…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir The Fire Messenger

Initially served blind. Somewhat subdued fruit flavors of dark raspberry and woody black cherry. A strong herbal/evergreen note encompassed the core fruit, with some cardamom and cumin spice as well.…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Cautionary Tale

Previous notes apply. This showed more upfront hedonism and sappier black and red cherry and raspberry notes than the Shadow Voices or Three Wishes. Darker and a bit richer, the Cautionary Tale's…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Three Wishes

The 2016 Wren Hop Three Wishes is a 3 barrel "reserve" of the Shadow Voices. As advertised, this delivers exactly how one might expect a BBS version of an already amazing wine (Shadow Voices) to…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Shadow Voices Estate

A truly complex and layered Pinot Noir, expertly displaying what seems to be a signature level of focus and sophistication from this house. Exacting and methodical, but also exciting and flavorful,…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Flight Risk

The 2015 Flight Risk showed a fascinating interplay between strong rhubarb and black tea notes, as well as an alluring vegetal (almost garrigue) tinge that provided lift and cut for the bright red…

Martinelli Syrah Zio Tony Ranch "Gianna Marie"

A little bit of biting heat and some spice swirl around the red-purple core fruit. Clamped and linear in its current state. Some swirling in the glass helped, but it was showing some youthful tension…

Bevan Cellars Ontogeny

Same as 8 months ago. Drinking solid on PnP, with some slight acidic constriction on the back end with the initial pull. Improved/deepened more with some air in the glass. Good now, but I'll try to…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Mortal Coil Phendler

Consistent with my notes from a year ago. This is aging very nicely, with an enhanced, progressing profile that especially stands out for its deliberate and focused display of flavors. A beautiful…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Finished the remaining bottle after a Coravin pour a few days earlier. When allowed just a short time to open up in the glass, this really shines. Previous specific notes apply. Drinking great now,…

Aubert Pinot Noir CIX Estate Vineyard

Deep, dark red raspberry, ripe red and black cherry, forest floor, mushroom, and faint orange rind and evergreen notes. A fairly rich and ripe rendition, with gobs of sappy fruit coating the palate.…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Weitz Vineyard

Black and red raspberry, black cherry, cassis, sour cherry, dried red and black currant, blackberry seed, red licorice, cocoa powder, and just a faint hit of vanilla alcohol. My previous specific…