Reviews

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Between two BTKs: '15 Carter OG vs. '15 Purlieu BTK. The Purlieu displayed lovely black and dark red raspberry core fruit, dark chocolate, black soil, and clove. I favored the OG this go-around, but…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Between two BTKs: '15 Carter OG vs. '15 Purlieu BTK. The OG KILLED IT this go-around. A Coravin pour no less. The Purlieu was delicious no doubt, but the concentration and complex array of flavors on…

Cirq Pinot Noir Bootlegger's Hill

PnP was a touch thin and linear initially. Two hours was needed to really bring out much needed depth and concentration, especially mid-palate. Once this started to get out of second gear, it…

Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor

Man, do I really love the backstory to this wine, paying homage to the beloved canine Scout and all, but I unfortunately just can't get down with this wine. So fruity and wonky for me that I can't…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Same as my previous notes from last year. Much better than the '14 Kathryn tasted next to it. The Howell remains in the 91-93 point max range for me. A good bottle of wine with the usual "crowd…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall Napa Valley

Same as before. A fruit-brute that hits you with a monolithic blast of RIPE dark blue and black core fruit flavors and leaves you wondering what else is there. Answer: more fruit. Too sweet and…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Jack's Masterpiece

Previous notes apply. From two different bottles. The one opened yesterday and had 18+? hours of air was mostly alcohol and spice. The fruit took a definite back seat. Bitter on the back end. 80…

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld

Previous notes apply, but this was a little muted this time around. The fruit was there, but not displaying itself with its typical accessibility and friendly flavor profile. Good but reserved. Hold…

Keplinger Mars

Same notes as earlier this year. An hour+ decant brought out notable depth and concentration. Some nice bass purple and wild ripe raspberry core fruit flavors emerged as well. The evergreen and…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

Served alongside the 2014 Bone Ash. I favored this 2015 just a bit more, as its complexity, grip, and drive were more prominent. The fruit was a little more focused and the delineation of flavors…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Silencieux

A decent ground pounder, with signature (if not a bit pedestrian) notes of red and black currant, black raspberry, and some spice. A little hot, but not too distracting. Medium-bodied and somewhat…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve

A fistful of dark fruit, with a notable concentration that held interest from start to finish. Mid-palate was especially satisfying, with the enveloping fruit and spice really ratcheting-up the…

Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the 2015 Bone Ash. I favored the 2015 a bit more, but this held its own quite well. Deep, plush, and a hallmark representation of the 2014 vintage. Contained some nice power…

Venge Vineyards Syrah Block I-4 Stagecoach Vineyard

Somewhat unconventional and a bit of a sidewinder on the palate. Moments of Cote Rotie earthiness and barnyard funk that provided interest, but then wonky core fruit that wobbled in and had you…

Venge Vineyards Merlot Oakville Estate Vineyard

I'll say it like this: For Merlot, it's pretty good. It has some grip. It has some acidic cut. It has some energy and drive that enable the purple and red fruit flavors to push through to the back…

Venge Vineyards Zinfandel Signal Fire Vineyard

Not an entirely lost example of the varietal, and a significant improvement over the Scout's Honor served beside it. As others have noted, this was a little hot and lacking overall complexity (the…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard

Black cherry, cola, and spice box flavors dominated throughout consumption (total of 3 hours). Some faint herbal notes, but nothing that provided that much additional interest or lift. This had some…

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Well, please permit me to overhype a bit if I may...

Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Previous notes apply. This bottle seemed a little more mellow at first. It took a couple hours of air to deepen its flavor profile a bit more. It had a more beautiful delivery (as opposed to a…

Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

PnP with an initial rush of wild berry liqueur notes, with a decent amount of heat pushing through the back end. This took about two hours in the decanter to come to proper form. Once behaved, it was…

Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Teucer Vineyard

Same as a number of months ago. Give this a few hours in the decanter and be rewarded. PnP was a little hot, but some air time smoothed it out completely and deepened its overall flavor profile.…

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Same as before. 89-90 points. Simple overall but an easy wine with an even easier price point. Don't expect to be "wowed" here...instead, expect to be "fine." Some Pinots demand Riedel stemware,…

Aratas Petite Sirah

Previous notes apply. This paired fine with smoked beef brisket. Otherwise, it was a pretty simple expression of the varietal. Blasé in most ways. It's the girlfriend you had back in high…

L'Aventure Optimus

Similar to my previous note. This needed about two hours to open up and be...well...less stubborn and boring. It kinda reminded me of a pouty little snot kid sitting by himself on a stool in some…

Bevan Cellars Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills

As expected, this is a biggin' of a domestic Pinot. Dark and haunting core fruit notes of black cherry, black raspberry, and brambly blueberry. Spice box, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, mulch, and…