3/4/2021 - msuwine wrote:

Offering a prediction of the future of a wine is somewhat like describing philosophy as the search for truth - i.e., “a blind man in a dark room searching for a black hat that isn’t there.” I offer no credentials, clairvoyance, or even certainty, but I will assert against it all: this is a spellbinding wine that shows - however early - greatness. I cannot defend, even to myself, the decision to open this bottle tonight, but I do not regret it. Poetry aside, wait a few years to open this, but expect the real deal.

Dark red in color and full in body, the wine offers enveloping aromas of black cherry (freshly picked, stems still there, inches from your nose), along with graphite, fresh thyme, and cardamon. The flavors are distinct but integrated, with notes of blackberry, bay leaf, ground espresso, and anise, followed by a layered and lingering finish that needs time to calm down - but glides with a balance that should serve it well for many years to come. Blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Merlot. 14.5% alcohol. Decant at least two hours.

This is one of the most impressive (and most expensive) 2018s I have tasted so far, but it’s ridiculously good now - and should be better later. 96-97 at the moment, with upside - all the way to three digits - in 2023 or later. This is such a classy and delicious wine.

11/16/2023 - msuwine wrote:

Kinsman has done it again. This wine is exceptional: elegant, complex, and delicious. I wasn't entirely sure how Nigel's style would translate to the world of white wines, but it's safe to say that the kids are going to be all right: this wine is both sophisticated and drinkable - nuanced enough to reward attention, but balanced enough not to demand it.

And, now, we interrupt this tasting note for a story about speakers.

Compulsive types migrate to areas that involve lots of precision (along with intricate hierarchies, disposable income, and verbosity, but I digress); safe to say, the worlds of vinofiles and audiophiles overlap. But what makes a speaker good? It's not just the ability to pump up the volume. No, it's the ability to provide clarity and range - to translate the breath in the trumpet, the brush on the drums, and the fingers on the piano. (I'm not listening to Birth of the Cool; you're listening to it.)

For the past few years, I've started to think domestic whites resemble Bose speakers - lots of bass, lots of treble, not much mid-range. This has particularly been true with domestic Sauvignon Blanc, where the extremes seem to rule: either it's a pungent hipster Kiwi-wannabe that takes the enamel off your teeth, or (more likely) it's a blowsy mix of citrus, wet-grass, and wood, with the only question being whether you're tasting cedar, oak, or pine bark. Aside from a few exceptions (e.g., Accendo, Massican, Spottswoode), I've given up on domestic SB. In a sensation familiar to many middle-age wine lovers, I've even started to feel an inner Frenchman coming to the fore, asking me to don a beret and condescend to my country for offering so much noise - and so little nuance.

Enter Aisana. Light yellow in color and medium in body, the wine offers inviting aromas of lemon rind, orange clementine (a/k/a Cuties), and white flowers. The flavors are fresh and integrated, with notes of lime zest, dried mango, and quince, followed by a lively and open-knit finish that glides more than it bites (really, your teeth and esophagus are safe; there are no acidic edges here). The balance is just remarkable: it's hard for any wine to be both understated and original (much less a SB from eastern Oakville), but this is both. 13.7% alcohol.

This wine is an unexpected delight. My only concern is that my bottles may not last through the end of the year, but this (like audio quality) is a first-world problem. Here’s hoping that all our holiday concerns are so enjoyable!

5/10/2019 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and layered wine is magnificent, with a concentration and depth that are rare in the 2014 vintage. Dark purple in color and full in body, the wine offers aromas of blueberry, black cherry, black licorice, and graphite. The flavors are explosive but integrated, with notes of cherry pie, plum, milk chocolate, espresso, vanilla extract, and baking spices. The mouthfeel is pure silk, with integrated tannins and a finish that goes on and on. Blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 14.6% alcohol.

The Realm line-up is not full of wallflowers, but this wine stands out in its ripeness, concentration, and intensity, somewhat similar to a Revana Block 6. This seems to have entered its drinking window, since the wine didn't seem sugary or obvious. If you love modern Napa Cabernet, you will love this wine - it's completely delicious.

6/13/2023 - msuwine wrote:

If Napa appellations were a party, Dr. Crane would be where it's at. To Kalon would be for the lookie-loos: those who want to see and be seen, striking a pose for folks driving by on 128. Piedras would be for the nerds: those who snort the soil and debate the dirt, oblivious to the suburban surroundings. Maybe some other vineyards would be vying for hipster status (e.g., riper, cooler, whatever), but Crane would be for the fun people. Setting aside the school and playground nearby, it is a place for pleasure, for those who eat the fruit at its ripest, or at least go down the slide head first.

Even within that setting, this wine goes one more. It's the guest who never wants the party to end, who passes out on your couch or barfs in your backyard. In other words: this wine is too much of a good thing. Dark red in color and full in body, it offers brandy-like aromas of blueberry pie, cherry liqueur, and milk chocolate. The flavors are similarly boozy, with notes of sour cherry and mocha-chino-something (as long as it's sweet), followed by a pleasant and lifted finish - a redeeming end to a debaucherous wine. 15.1% alcohol.

So, thumbs down for me. I say this with some sadness, as I was an ardent fan of Mike's wines at his own label and Carter in the period leading up to this vintage. Maybe it's me, or him, or the fluid, or the vintage, or the stars - but this wine seems more like Caymus than Crane, and it just doesn't taste that good, at least to me. Drink whenever, but count me out.

3/8/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

One off ($108) recent auction purchase. On the nose and palate, powerful notes of sweet red cherries and currants, black currants, semisweet blackberries, black plums and cassis; a mix of gravel, asphalt and graphite; dark chocolate, anise, violets, forest spice; rocky minerality, earthy minerality and deep char. Medium dark purple with a now slight browning, medium-full bodied, thick legs. Intense acidity and tannins, no heat. Tremendously complex, intense and persistent. Shortly after getting on CT, I read the note of csimm (with whom I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy some great pours with since) which I think is one of the best pieces of wine writing I’ve read and knew I had to beg, borrow or steal one of these guys. The fruit may be dialed down a half a notch since he wrote, but the structure remains unbowed, like the Rock of Gibraltar, a powerful and largely separate anchor, keeping the fruit taut, long and strong with intense savoriness and a dash of salinity. This fascinating wine came out of the bottle more balanced than he reported, but I still gave it a couple of hours of air, and it’s tasted a bit different every time I’ve had it over the last 3 nights, with the common denominator being that it’s never been less than completely compelling. Agree with csimm that you can taste a Ric Foreman flair here. While I can’t speak to the Carter OG (I haven’t, and am unlikely to, make that sort of spend on a Mike Smith wine), but what I get is a VV feeling of rocky, dark mocha icebergs floating down a frozen river. Cs and CT friend msu can speak to this infinitely better than I, but Petroski, at least at his best, seems to be trying to come up with a vernacular, in different ways and with differing amounts of success, like Melka, Carpenter and Erickson, combining the savoriness, subtlety, structure and depth of Bordeaux while celebrating the brightness and power of Napa fruit, and that’s pretty much my sweet spot in what I’m looking for in a Napa CS/Bordeaux blend. Equally outstanding on its own and with both red sauce pasta and a veal chop. Outstanding now, with varying amounts of aeration based on individual taste, but tastes to me like it still has a long and beautiful future. 96-97+

2/19/2023 - msuwine wrote:

This is easily the best bottle of wine I've opened in the last year. Generous and nuanced, it has everything I could ever want in a Napa Cabernet. I loved the Accendo 2016 when I opened it last year, but this operates at another level: more complex, more open-knit, more graceful, and just way too tasty. This is a master-class in balancing richness, power, freshness, and class, everywhere all at once.

The wine is medium in body and dark purple in color, with welcoming aromas of black cherry, espresso bean, anise, and dried oregano, recreating all the nuance and envelopment of a well-tended herb garden in a Northern California summer. The flavors are layered but so integrated as to be almost seamless, with notes of fresh blueberry, pomegranate, gravel, and thyme, followed by a finish that is just the right mixture of acid, tannin, and fruit. 14.8% alcohol. Decant at least an hour.

I haven't tasted the 2016 Kinsman Eades Rhadamanthus in a few years, but this has similar (that is to say exceptional) purity and originality. This is my third Accendo PNV I've opened in the past year or so (all bought from a retailer - Belmont Wine Exchange; this particular writer has never been to a wine auction) - and each one has been a revelation. Just remarkable.

10/22/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This ripe and saturated Cabernet blend has all of the swagger you expect from Colgin - ripe, extracted, unapolgetically high alcohol (15.2%) - along with an earthy, grainy, tannic undertone that makes you think this "cult" might have earned its followers. Garnet in color and full in body, the wine offers cool aromas of blueberry, pencil lead, and menthol (with the medicinal note predominating right now). The flavors are more buoyant, with notes of black cherry, boysenberry, coffee grinds, crushed rock, and ground rosemary, with a tannic and grainy finish that carries enough sweetness to make it go down easily. Decant at least two hours, but ideally wait another few years. 94-95 at the moment, this could be incredible in 2023 or later.

1/26/2023 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine:

I’m totally in love with this wine. Reddish magenta hue. Gorgeous mix of purple/black fruit with fine doses of earthy Sonoma/spring mountain terroir. Nose and palate adding notes of tobacco, cedarwood, sage brush, slate and black tea. Stupendous texture and density in the mouth, balanced acidity and ripe tannins on long finish. Controlled extraction! Can I get more of this ‘16?!!!?

5/3/2020 - msuwine wrote:

This savory and earthy wine needs another few years to put on weight, but it's balanced and tasty, if a bit brooding, at the moment. Cherry red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of dried blueberry, pencil lead, olive tapenade, and cedar. Flavors of sour cherry, ground rosemary, wet rock, and dried bay leaf, with a grainy and dry finish (read: very little sugar). Blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. 14.1% alcohol. Better on second day, with a real balance that some 2017s lack.

I wonder where some 2017s are going to be in 3-5 years, but not this one. Comfortable in its own skin, this wine will always be savory, but it has enough intensity, structure, and acidity to grow into something impressive. 92-93 as of now (predictions are tough to make, much less quantify), but I have high hopes for opening another bottle in 2022 or later.

4/4/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This young but gracious Cabernet is drinking impressively right now, with a combination of ripeness and elegance that make Realm's BTK one of my favorites from this vineyard. This wine is modern, to be sure, but it is unique in the sense that it provides deep fruit (more than, say, Mondavi, Opus, or Hobbs) with some restraint (more than, say, Carter or B Cellars) - it's a fresh and layered Cabernet, with nothing but good things ahead.

Crimson in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, blueberry skin, graphite, and rose bushes. Flavors of blackberry, gravel, anise, and espresso, with an energetic and lifted finish with unresolved tannins (read: plenty of acidity and structure). 14.6% alcohol. Decant at least two hours if drinking now, but ideally wait another few years. This had more finesse and polish than a 2019 Arkenstone Heimark tasted on the same night. Still going strong on second day, with a touch more cocoa and rhubarb. 95+ at the moment.

7/3/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This ripe and seamless Cabernet is drinking at - or perhaps somewhat past - its peak. Garnet in color and full in body, the wine offers aromas of blueberry, black licorice, plum, and pencil shavings. Flavors of black cherry, milk chocolate, blackened toast, and peppercorn, with an integrated and lifted, almost pulsating finish. Blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. 15% alcohol. Decant two hours.

As with most Dr. Crane productions, this wine is elevated by its fruit, which is lovely, dark and deep. I think the Realm wines really start to hit their stride in the 2012 vintage (with the arrival of Benoit Touquette), but Juan Mercado and Michel Rolland were no slouches, either. Drink this one soon, since I'm not sure how much longer it will last, but it's quite tasty now. 94+ at the moment.

3/21/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This round and layered Chardonnay is drinking well in the early going, though it should be better in another 6-12 months (yes, read no further if you prefer your whites at the 6-8 year mark, as my inclinations lean younger). Light yellow in color and full in body, the wine offers aromas of peach, lemon meringue, and shaved almond. Flavors of pear, golden delicious apple, brioche, and pralines with a round and nervy finish. 15% alcohol. These young vines apparently grow between the Lauren and CIX vineyards, but this bottle is more the latter than the former (read: more fruit, less nuance).

I tasted this on the same night as a Drouhin Premier Cru Chassagne Montrachet, which had a brightness and precision that left the Aubert feeling a bit cloudy and encumbered. That said, after a few hours of air, the Aubert gained its stride, offering a depth and generosity that - at least to me - offered a compelling alternative to the Burgundy. I still preferred the purity of the Old World (albeit at more than twice the price), but the fulness of the Aubert made for a worthy entry on behalf of the New.

P.S. Seeking to settle the debate, I opened a 2019 Kistler Cathleen tonight, and it blew away both wines. Both generous and precise, the Kistler is an incredible wine, nodding towards the fruit and viscosity of the Aubert while also incorporating the energy and purity of the Drouhin - golden mean, balance, all that.

3/30/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This is a tremendous second wine, with the earthy and precise notes I expect from VHR and Francoise Peschon - but also a generosity and ripeness that make early drinking a recommendation, as opposed to a crime (of the CT variety). Hats off to MJP, who nailed this review in many ways, and I'll just second the association with the 2014 VHR (probably my favorite), since this has an open-knit nature that welcomes you in and doesn't let go.

Cherry red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of boysenberry, anise, and gravel. If the aromas are floral, the flavors get your hands dirty, with notes of boysenberry, espresso, pencil lead, and bay leaf, with a fulsome but energetic finish (read: sweet, but not cloyingly so, with fine tannins that welcome early drinking). 14.8% alcohol. Maybe wait a year, but don't think too much about the calendar: this is beautiful just the way it is.

P.S. This wine had a purity that, to me, offers more early appeal than more expensive 2019 second blends, such as the DB4 and Prince of Hearts, but such wines might need more time to blossom (or at least one hopes that's the case). There is a generosity here that reminded me of my favorite value 2019, the DICO (clocking in at less than half the price!), though the Baker probably has more polish. Comparisons aside, this is a remarkable Cabernet worth trying, especially for those who - like me (and most other half-way sensible wine-lovers) - believe a $125 wine shouldn't be an afterthought.

3/4/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and layered wine is drinking incredibly well right now. I know that saying this wine is great is like rooting for the Yankees, but sometimes the Yankees are worth rooting for (true, you don't get the satisfaction of rooting for the victorious underdog, but you do get to be honest about recognizing greatness - like the closing innings with Mariano Rivera in the late 1990s, some things are both predicable and exceptional). I drank this on the same night as a 2012 Sloan Asterisk - a stunning Rutherford wine for the money, by the way - but the Scarecrow showed up as more nuanced and lifted: it is a stunning wine.

Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of blackberry, cocoa powder, fresh embers, and pine needles. The flavors are ripe but elegant, with notes of blueberry, black cherry, espresso, and raspberry, with a lifted and fulsome finish that is everything you want a Napa Cabernet to be. This doesn't have the heaviness of some wines from this vintage, so I think it has another 3-5 years left of development. 14.9% alcohol. Such an incredible wine.

1/27/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and layered Cabernet needs 2-3 hours of air at the moment, but it is just as classy and delicious as its predecessors (though I'd give the edge to the 2014 and 2015 at the present time). Look, I get it: a $350 "penultimate" a/k/a second-best Cabernet is the last thing Napa needs; "almost" is not what this price point demands. Still, there is a ripeness, wildness, and originality in this wine that are incredible (as is true with Promontory, perhaps at a greater octave) - and this wine should only get better with time.

Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of blackberry, graphite, and trial dust, along with fresh oregano, thyme, and violet (did I mention wild?). The flavors are fresh but full, with notes of black cherry, espresso, leather, and gravel, followed by a dusty and lifted finish that goes on and on. The oak is there but it is oh so integrated. 14.8% alcohol. I wish this were cheaper, but it is unique and delicious. 95+ at the moment, with upside in 2024 and later (by that I mean: way later). Decant a long time if drinking now.

1/28/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This ripe and woodsy Cabernet is tasty, but it lacks the depth and nuance I expect from this vineyard (much less Pritchard Hill, much less this price point). I tasted this next to a 2015 Realm To Kalon, and - setting aside all that terroir voodoo - the wines were more similar than different: both were rich, juicy, and chocolate-laden, with the BTK showing more lift and nuance, the Houyi more heavy and sweet - but both clearly made with the same hand. This makes me a little skeptical about Napa's current marketing ethic ("all 14 of my wines / sites / turf are unique, so buy all 14!"), but it's more disappointing since I think Pritchard Hill is lovely - deep fruit, yes, but also peppercorn, spice, and wildness (none of which are present here).

Dark red in color and full in body, the Houyi offers aromas of boysenberry, mocha, wood chips, and licorice. The flavors are similarly forward, with notes of black cherry, milk chocolate, cedar, and anise, followed by a sweet and lifted finish. 14.6% alcohol. I loved the 2018 Realm Houyi, but the 2015 is a more generic animal, falling behind the 2014 and 2016 (and, really, approaching interchangeability with a BTK, something that is an insult to both vineyards). As an alternative, I'd recommend a Nine Suns or Ovid in the same-ish price point, since this vintage was not what I hoped for - decent, but not very exciting.

1/24/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This is a solid Napa Cabernet for $70, which is no small feat in this day and age. Is it mind-blowing? Nope. Is it be worth twice this amount? Nope. Does it justify AG's 97 score? Nope, not even close. Still, within the topsy turvy world that is contemporary wine pricing, is it a solid wine for the money? Absolutely. This is a modern Napa wine, made in a balanced style, sold at a reasonable price - and that is something worth appreciating.

Purple in color and full in body, the wine offers aromas of boysenberry, raspberry, and asphalt. Flavors of mountain blueberry, black cherry, graphite, and peppercorn, with a prickly and grainy finish that gets softer (a bit) after a few hours of air. Blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 3% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. 14.8% alcohol. I'm giving this a one-point bump for the price, so 93-94 for at the moment, but wait to open until 2023 or later.

1/28/2022 - LiteItOnFire wrote:

First time with this winery/wine. NR as people I value their opinions realky like this wine And I am coming off COVID where my palate might still be impacted (had wines two days ago I know well and a couple were off from what I would have expected and everyone else was crazy over them).

Decanter in the glass with sips along the way for 4 hours.

This came off as having a nice mouthfeel, some purposeful manipulation (not in a bad way rather trying to make the same wine each year like in the way a Cade would for their non-reseve) Vs a bad way like an Austin Hope/Caymus if that makes sense), black cherry, wood (not in an un-integrated barrel/bitterness just wood), red cherries, fig, and a shorter finish then I would have liked. Structure seemed to be breaking down but not in a limp or flabby way. If I was to rate today I would give it an 88. I saved half for tomorrow and have one more bottle from this vintage to try later this year (plus others).

Also two days ago drank BMF wine but I doubt that has anything to do with it but post COVID I am just not 100%.

1/24/2022 - msuwine wrote:

This is the best 2018 I have tasted to date, with an integration, density, and class that are unbelievable in such a young (and powerful) wine. My score is as of now - no predicting the future here - but this wine has a balance and intensity that are thrilling. Three things, to me, at this moment, take this wine to another level: (a) the flavors are lovely, dark and deep, with an incredible combination of ripe and savory notes; (b) the texture is open-knit without being flabby, offering a high wire act that is both expansive and lifted (i.e., it coats the mouth but, after the finish, doesn’t leave a trace); and (c) the profile is dynamic, layered like one of those improbable Charleston coconut cakes or French Napolean pastries, where you discover something new each time it touches your lips - so much so that you never want the experience to end. Pick your adjective or rationale or analogy, but I have no doubt: this is a singular and beautiful wine.

Cherry red in color and medium in body, the wine offers pungent aromas of boysenberry, espresso, gravel, and most of the herb garden, whether fresh or dried (e.g., rosemary, oregano, and bay leaf). The flavors are plush but wild, with notes of blueberry, cocoa bean, cardamon, and pencil lead, with a soft and grainy finish that belies its youth - like some kind of precocious and gifted child (as we want all our kids to be!), there are flashes of brilliance to be savored now, along with incredible potential to look forward to in the future (and time, please grant us time, to witness it all). Decant 2-3 hours, but this wine opens up quickly. 14.5% alcohol. Although I didn’t taste these side-by-side (an expensive but tempting proposition, to be sure), this seems more open-knit than Kinsmans' other wines, while being just as original and memorable. 98-99 at the moment, but - in another few years - this wine will fly as close to perfection as our world allows, Icarus be damned. A stunning wine.

1/23/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Successful evening of luring friends to the dark side of wine: '16 & '18 Ontogeny and '17 Rhadamanthus

Aromas of dark blue and purple plums (very fruit forward), deep earthiness and soft bark. Flavors of black and purple fruits but like the nose, more in the plums realm. There is also earthen minerals with some graphite. Heavy feel on the palate with a bit of heat on the mid-end palate.

I miss this but something about this still makes me think this is more of a "drink soon-ish" versus cellaring away for years.

12/2/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This ripe and powerful Cabernet shows real promise at times, but it needs another year or so to integrate and calm down (read: it's tasty, but a little raw, right now). Recent vintages of the Mascot clearly place it, for me, among the contenders in the $100-ish Napa wine category (e.g., Bard, Ontogeny), and the 2016 is a more than worthy entrant. Even if I didn't love it as much as the 2015 in the early going, the 2016 has greater fullness (and perhaps better longevity) - all boding well for years to come.

Dark purple in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of blackberry, camphor, spice cake, and dried herbs. The flavors are more forward, with notes of blueberry, black cherry, espresso, bay leaf, and pencil lead, with a sweet but gravelly finish (with a little heat poking out, depending on which way the wind blows). 14.8% alcohol. Decant at least two hours, but ideally wait another year. I guess these Harlan folks might know a thing or two. 93-94 for now, with upside in 2023 or later.

8/30/2021 - msuwine wrote:

Midnight in Oakville: This wine shows what a restrained hand can do in a generous vintage - and the results are remarkable. Similarly purple in color and full in body to the Carter OG, the Maiden offers more pure aromas of black cherry, fresh embers, anise, and bay leaf. The flavors are similarly generous without being sweet (read: unencumbered by oak or extraction), including notes of boysenberry, camphor, peppercorn, and trail dust, with a silky and integrated finish. 14.8% alcohol.

This is even better than when I tasted it 18 months ago (2/20 - 95 points), with more class and integration. This was in the same realm as a 2016 Abreu Madrona I had a few nights ago, with less intensity but just the same amount of class. 96+ at the moment, with upside in 2023 or later. The best Maiden I've tasted since the 2013, this wine is only going to get better.

11/8/2021 - msuwine wrote:

Are you kidding me? I've been a fan of this wine since its inception, but the 2019 reaches another level, in ways both expected and (wonderfully) new. Spoiled that I am, I expected that this wine would over-deliver for the price, and it does: fresh, pure, and original for $65 in Napa. I shouldn't need to say more, but I will (if CT or I have a virtue, brevity is not it!). The unexpected part of this wine is its intensity and precision, which are beguiling. Whatever the reason (e.g., a fortunate year, the experience of several vintages, or the way the wind blows), this is the real deal. I can be too enthusiastic at times, but life is too short for timid souls: the 2019 is a fantastic wine and, at the price, a wonder in the world of Napa Cabernet.

Cherry red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, rose petals, cardamon, and wet rock (think smelling pencil lead and drinking fresh pomegranate at the same time - maybe a little bit of odd, but definitely a whole lot of awesome). The flavors are dialed-in but generous, with notes of boysenberry, orange peel, peppercorn, and trail dust, with a plush and tannic finish that bears almost no trace of oak. This is Veeder with a dash of Oakville (fitting for the Rafael vineyard on the foothills of the Mayacamas) - wild freshness, round edges, and unreal delineation for a wine of this age and price. Decant at least two hours. 14.3% alcohol. I adored the 2016 and 2018 at similar stages in their life cycle, but the 2019 is in a league of its own. (And I second LEDOCQ's observations about trucks and such; I bought the last of my allocation tonight.) 94-95 for now, with nothing but blue skies ahead.

7/12/2020 - msuwine wrote:

This stunning and layered Cabernet is drinking beautifully in the early going, with incredible intensity and class. Dark red in color and full in body (teardrops on glass), the wine offers captivating aromas of black cherry, olive, fresh peppercorn, cocoa powder, and rhubarb (it just goes on and on). The flavors are still catching up with the nose, with notes of black currant, raspberry, charcoal, espresso, and underbrush, with an earthy and silky finish that still carries some tannic bite. Blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot. 14.5% alcohol. 95+ for now, and it should be even better in another few years.

9/22/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and dense Pritchard Hill Cabernet has nothing but good things ahead of it, with an intensity and freshness that are beguiling. Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers a medley of aromas, including sour cherry, espresso grounds, ground cinnamon, and bay leaf. The flavors are fulsome but savory, with notes of boysenberry, trail dust, tapenade, graphite, and rosemary, with a tannic and somewhat combative finish. Blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. 14.8% alcohol. Better on second day, with a fuller mouthfeel and enticing cocoa powder flavor.

Compared to its neighbors on Pritchard Hill in 2018, this is more ripe than the Continuum but less open-knit than Realm's Houyi. That said, I suspect the Ovid may walk the line (at least over time), with that compelling mixture of fruit and earth that the best winemakers chase. This is a bit more generous than the 2016 was at this point in time, with a backbone I find promising. Decant 2-3 hours if drinking now, but ideally wait until 2023 or later. 94-95 at the moment.

9/16/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This Chardonnay currently tastes like a Russian River Valley Chardonnay that wants to be a Chablis: it’s both ripe and tangy (doing neither very well), but perhaps it just needs more time in bottle. Light yellow in color and medium in body, the wine smells like a pleasant walk on the ocean, with aromas of lemon peel, green apple, and saltwater. The flavors include nectarine, lime, and quartz, with a briny and steely finish. 14.5% alcohol.

Cards on the table, this has a distracting touch of the spritz, something that I also picked up in the 2015 a few years ago. I don't know if this is a feature or a bug, but it made me think the wine was, at least, unsettled (or, at worst, imbalanced). Give this another 6-18 months in bottle, or perhaps decant for more than the hour I gave it. 91 at the moment.

9/11/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This subdued and leathery Cabernet blend tastes past its prime, suggesting - as any wine that pushes the two decade mark risks doing - that good things don't last forever. This has that Abreu density and complexity, but it all tastes a bit faded, less fresh - still tasty, but less alive. Garnet in color; medium in body; aromas of sandalwood, boysenberry, trail dust, and rhubarb. Flavors of black cherry, leather, tobacco leaf, and pencil lead, with a chalky and somewhat brief finish. The 2003 Madrona was one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted, but the 2001 is decent, but not exciting. Blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. 14.8% alcohol. Decant two hours. Drink soon.

5/1/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and delicious Cabernet blend is the best 2016 I have tasted so far, with a density, nuance, and class that are second to none. This might break the scale in a few years time, but the score is as of now - and, right now, this is a wine to behold. Dark red in color and full in body, the aromas go on and on, with pungent notes of pencil lead, cocoa powder, and peppercorn that pair with softer notes of blueberry, spice, and mulberry. The flavors are similarly symphonic, with notes of blackberry, anise, leather, and trail dust, with a tannic and sweet finish that carries a grainy, cocoa-inflected finish. Blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 17% Petit Verdot, and 11% Merlot. 14.5% alcohol. Decant two hours.

Discovering Abreu’s wines in general - and Thorevilos in particular - count among the more significant developments in my time tasting Napa Cabernet. Over the past few years, I have loved the Thorevilos wines - particularly the 2005, 2009, and 2010 - but I’m tempted to say the 2016 is in a league of its own. Regardless, this offers the two things that, to me, make Thorevilos a singular wine. First, it has a raw density, with each drop offering something in terms of flavor, texture, and energy; this isn’t just generic fruit, but flavor across the spectrum, including sweet, savory, earthy, acidic, and just damn original. (Ask yourself: have you tasted this before? If the answer is no, you’re in unique territory.) Second, it has a class and integration that are magnificent. This is not the propriety of the wallflower (so much restraint, not much risk); no, this wine is of a bolder ilk, with intensity, energy, and ambition, each part supporting the whole, complex but unified - and absolutely delicious.

I went and looked at my tasting notes of the other 2016s I have rated highly, since I think comparison is one of the only ways to talk real in the world of wine (and, yup, I’m going to name names, since CT is strictly a volunteer gig!). The wine that immediately came to mind was Kinsman’s Rhadamanthus, which offers a similar earthy and original flair (which is saying something for an inaugural vintage!). If I had unlimited bottles, I’d try the two side-by-side, but the Abreu had a generosity that I couldn’t argue with tonight. The other two wines that I rated 98 were Memento Mori Crane and Realm Moonracer, two more modern wines that (at least in 2019) were offering a depth of fruit that was fantastic. I imagine they are still great now, but the Abreu offers a touch more character through a touch less polish. Why not perfect? To call a virtue a fault, this wine has youthful roughness around the edges, but I have no doubt it will get to three digits (if it hasn’t already… eye of the beholder… all that).

Enough said: this is an epic wine. Open now if you have a few of them; open in 2023 or later if you are a sensible person and/or only have a bottle or two; but open sometime, since it ain't no sin to be glad you’re alive.

9/8/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and open-knit Pritchard Hill Cabernet is “welcoming” in almost every sense of the world - ripe fruit, grainy tannin, polished mouthfeel - but I'm unsure if it's "impressive," at least at this early moment. Made with the assistance of Lloyd Matthews of Nine Suns, this is a well-made and intense wine... but opening this bottle now isn't the lightning-bolt experience that I had when I first tasted the 2016 Kinsman Rhadamanthus (cheaper!) or other exciting wines that were new to me at the time (e.g, 2013 Realm Bard, 2015 Carter OG). In other words, I'm curious how this holds up, especially in the rarefied air (and pricing situation) that is Pritchard Hill. Tasty? Yes. Better than its similarly-priced neighbors (e.g., Realm Houyi, Continuum, Nine Suns)? Not sure. Worth it? Only time will tell.

Dark purple in color and full in body, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of boysenberry, espresso, pencil lead, and menthol. Flavors of grilled blueberry (read: picking up plenty o' oak), leather, bay leaf, and gravel, with a grainy and balanced finish. 15.3% alcohol. I'm not willing to jump on the bus just yet, but I'll open my other bottle in another few years. 93+ for now, with upside in 2023 or later. Decant at least two hours. Better on second day, when it developed a cocoa powder undercurrent that seemed to hold the wine together.

8/28/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This raw and layered Cabernet still needs a few more years to settle down, but it has the density and balance to be something special (even in a vintage that produced very few special wines). I've never tasted such density and character from this vineyard, but this bottle needs a lot of air if opening now (i.e., double-decanted 12 hours beforehand, followed by two hours of traditional decanting).

Dark red in color and full in body, the wine offers aromas of sour cherry, anise, and spice cake. Flavors of boysenberry, gravel, and graphite, with a layered and grainy finish. 14.8% alcohol. 94 on the first day, and 95 on the second, when it seemed to improve on every front: more floral in aromas, more silky in mouthfeel, and more integrated in flavor, with new notes of pie cherry, leather, and eucalyptus. This has tremendous upside in 2024 or later, with the greatest potential of any Napa 2017 I've tasted.

This wine had far more class and balance than two 2017 LPVs tasted at the same time (Fait-Main and Memento Mori), wines that came across as sweet and empty in comparison. To elevate this vineyard in this vintage is a tremendous accomplishment, which is one of the many reasons why Kinsman Eades is the most exciting young project I've come across in the last few years in Napa.

8/26/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and grainy Cabernet needs another few years to settle down, since right now it comes across as a bit raw and extracted (even after several hours of air). Dark purple in color; full in body; heady aromas of blueberry liqueur, pencil lead, and sour cherry. Flavors of boysenberry, cocoa powder, and pie cherry, with a sweet finish. 15.3% alcohol.

I've been a fan of MM for a long time, but both the 2016 and 2018 vintages have seemed a bit juicy in the early going (at least to me, with the caveat that I may be getting old, sugar-intolerant, and/or grumpy). I enjoyed a lot of 2018s earlier this year (e.g., Bulgheroni Crane, Realm Houyi, Futo Oakville), but this particular wine needs a few years. 93-94 at the moment, with near certain upside in 2023 or later.

8/15/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

First of 2 purchased at auction ($145@) a couple of years ago. On the initial 1 oz pour, extraordinary aromatics led by ripe, rich fruit (mixed dark berries, black cherries, cassis and perhaps rhubarb(?)) and tobacco, followed by dark florals, anise, chocolate (these last 3 eventually overtook the tobacco as the most prominent secondary TNs), an almost incense-like spice note, foresty notes of pine and truffles, and on the palate, graphite and dark roast coffee, and less welcome notes of wood (I'd have thought oak, but msu's note makes me wonder if it was cedar), alcohol (the 15.5% abv was very noticeable on opening) and sweetness. Deep, dark purple, medium to full-bodied, thick legs. Medium+ tannins and acidity, heat on the opening which integrated well with the 3 hours of air before we began drinking. Excellent complexity, persistence and intensity. While it's been a while since I've had one of these, this has always been a go to high end, at least for me, Bordeaux blend, one which drinks fairly well young but which really develops with aging (this was definitely toward the younger end of when I've usually consumed these). My experience out of the bottle with this was different than some others, as I found this really complex but unfortunately unbalanced, but air made it integrated and superb. While others have commented on this being more medium bodied and less fruit driven than recent LPs, I remember LPs being closer to the Bordeaux than modern Napa side of the ledger than this. But this wine unfolded beautifully, continuing to develop during the 2+ hours we consumed it, with the fulsome fruit pairing beautifully with the powerful structure and diverse secondary notes. We had it with preserved meats and cheeses, which it complemented beautifully, but I think that this would be wonderful with a thick, fatty steak or rack of lamb. Without wishing to be the dog in the manger, which I often end up being in these things, I'm going to quibble with CT friends msu and LioF and say that I think that the best days remain ahead for this particular bottling, and while, if you have more than one, there's nothing wrong popping one now with plenty of air, this is far more likely to be better than worse in 5 years, and will last a long while after that. Even if not a screaming value, more than holds its own in this price range, was a close competitor to the dearer La Violette we drank it against, and competed about equally, at least in my memory, with the Chapellet Pritchard Hill and Merryvale Profile I had recently. Great stuff, and glad to be able to share with good friends.

8/17/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This is my first time tasting a birth year wine, and it’s a strange experience: a bit trippy - realizing that the grapes fermented here were maturing the same summer I did - but also a bit sad - realizing that this is a wine past its moment (never a good feeling when applied, even allegorically, to oneself!).

Light cherry in color and light in body, the wine offers aromas of baked prune, rosemary, and dried motor oil. Straightforward and somewhat diluted tastes of sour cherry, raspberry, and anise, with a wispy and brief finish. 13.5% alcohol. This wine offers a taste of history - but it's a taste of history that time has passed by. Here’s to life of the real (not bottled) sort!

8/24/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc has a generosity and precision that are exceptional (as is the price), but this is plainly one of the best of its varietal coming out of Napa (or, for that matter, America). Light yellow, almost silver in color; medium in body (at least at the moment, with more weight coming with age); aromas of grapefruit, green apple, salt water, and crushed rock. Flavors of quince, gooseberry, under-ripe pear, and quartz, with a zippy finish that has enough body to be both refreshing and intriguing. 14.4% alcohol. Decant an hour if drinking now.

I tasted this on the same night as two other (and way cheaper) 2019 Napa SBs - an Hourglass and a Peter Michael L'Apres-Midi - and the Lail ran laps around both of them, offering more freshness, viscosity, and energy (Man on the Wire, all that). Aged in 100% French oak for 18 months. With the caveat that I prefer these kinds of wines on the younger side: 95+ at the moment, with upside in another 6-18 months.

8/24/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This is a solid Sauvignon Blanc for the money (about $40), though the style is more lemony than grassy. (To be clear, I'm down for all of it, but just know which way the wind blows.) Light yellow in color; medium in body; aromas of lemon peel, grapefruit, and saline. Flavors of apricot, lime, and poached pear (read: flavor, but not intensely so), with a briny and lifted finish. Blend of 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon. 14.1% alcohol. Drinking window really opens in about six months, but I wouldn't push this much past 2023.

5/12/2021 - msuwine wrote:

Aristotle offered advice, albeit indirectly, about opening a wine too early. In the Nichomachean Ethics, he argued that courage resided at the median of recklessness (one who fears nothing cannot truly be brave) and cowardice (one who fears everything cannot ever act). As with most things Aristotle, the lesson is to be sensible: don’t act too early, don’t act too late, but act in the right way at the right time. (See, super clear, right?) When it comes to this wine, I admit that popping this cork now is an act of recklessness, moderation be damned. Still, as any teenage boy knows (as many of us once were!), sometimes doing stupid s--t turns out, with good stories to come with it. Opening this bottle now is such an insensible, but joyous, event.

Ruby red in color and medium in body, the wine offers an array of welcoming aromas, including blueberry, mulberry, trail dust, and white flowers. (I can just picture driving up Spring Mountain, sun shining, redwood trees, crazy views, and green vines all around, wonder in the air.) The flavors are just as plush and open-knit, with notes of blackberry, cocoa powder, dried oregano, and anise, with a tannic but sweet finish (read: plenty of structure, plenty of fruit... the patient will be rewarded). 15% alcohol. What an incredible wine, with the early generosity of the 2018 vintage but also the spicy, lifted, and floral notes of Spring Mountain. Decant at least two hours. 96 for now, with upside starting in 2023 and building for years.

7/18/2020 - msuwine wrote:

This extracted and gravelly Cabernet has a lot of potential, but it needs a few more years to blossom. Blackish purple in color; full in body (whole milk in mouthfeel); pungent aromas of boysenberry (with extra seeds), peppercorn, charred ribeye, and ground spices (e.g., rosemary, cumin). Burgeoning flavors of boysenberry, pencil lead, gravel, and wet ground espresso, with a prickly and somewhat bitter finish. Blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Malbec. 14.5% alcohol.

I love the story of this estate - a family with young kids pioneering wine on Pritchard Hill in the 1970s - but I always seem to open these too early. I think this is an example of tasting it way too early; it’s currently coiled and powerful wine that needs time to soften and integrate. 93+ for now, with upside in 2023 or later. More settled and less primary on second day.

7/11/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This is the greatest Carter I have tasted in years, with incredible richness and precision - adjectives that usually don't belong in the same sentence, but equally apply to this wine. Although this is my first GTO, I’ve followed the Carter wines long enough to know that this is supposed to be the biggest, baddest, most ripe and dense and delicious wine that Mike Smith can make from To Kalon fruit. And this wine is all that… but it offers far more restraint and class than I expected. I figured it would be big and tasty, but I had no idea it would be great.

Dark purple in color and full in body, the wine offers all-encompassing aromas (like surround-sound for your nose) of blackberry, freshly ground pencil lead (imagine opening a pencil sharpener container in your elementary school), espresso, and dried herbs (like, um, the whole spice rack - e.g., coriander, oregano, thyme, and on and on). The flavors are similarly layered, with notes of black cherry, mocha, gravel, and bay leaf, followed by a tannic and integrated finish that pulses with energy (read: acidity, sugar, tannin, all lingering in the mouth longer than anyone with a stopwatch and a sense of self-respect would dare to count). 14.9% alcohol. 99 for now, but this should reach perfection with another few years in bottle. Decant at least two hours. Still remarkable on second day.

Given the sheer uniqueness of the GTO (big bottle and all), we compared it with another wine we've enjoyed in the past - a 2014 Memento Mori, drawn from Weitz, Crane, and Piedras (6/20 - 95 points). And, yeah, it was no contest: the GTO offered a ripeness, intensity, depth, and lift that wiped the floor with the Memento. After a few hours, the Memento seemed to loosen and fade (consistent with the open-knit nature of the 2014 vintage), while the GTO just kept running up the score in terms of power and elegance. No doubt, the GTO is a modern wine of risk and ambition - not for those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat - but it succeeds, with grace and aplomb. What a marvelous wine.

7/5/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This light and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc is more tasty than intense - but it’s delicious all the same. Light yellow in color; light in body; aromas of grapefruit, gooseberry, and lemon verbena. Flavors of orange rind, lemon meringue, and crushed quartz, with a zippy finish that subsided after an hour. 13.5% alcohol.

This should be better in 6-12 months, so maybe you should wait for it… but then again, at $30 a bottle, there’s no reason to hesitate… After all, life doesn’t discriminate… we rise and we fall… OK, enough… just listen to the song, see the musical, drink the wine - it’s all very, very good (though, it must be said, the wine is way cheaper!).

7/13/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This layered and balanced Cabernet is drinking impressively, with an elegant mouthfeel, lively acidity, and savory flavors. Light garnet in color and medium in body, the wine looks like a Burgundy but smells like mature Bordeaux goodness - e.g., sandalwood, black cherry, pencil lead, and ground pepper. The flavors, seamless and subdued, include leather, gravel, and olive tapenade, followed by a graceful and layered finish with some dry tannin (i.e., bay leaf) and a hint of sweetness (i.e., pure California). 12.8% alcohol.

Madrona was the first of the Abreu sites, and this wine is still going strong as it approaches the three-decade mark. This was likely more powerful years ago, but it is still a balanced and delicious wine. Made by Ric Forman. Decant a few hours, but don't go overboard (i.e., it got plummy at the 5+ hour mark). Drink in next few years.

7/10/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

This bottle so much different and so much better than the bottle just a couple of days ago. What is it with bottle variation lately? Crazy! Enjoyed after a 1-2 hour decant in the cellar.......

Last bottle light red, oxidized look to it, pretty watered down nose. This bottle.....dark garnet right from the pnp and the nose is deep and elegant with cassis, rose petal and now graphite as it opens up at room temp. The palate follows with that great B Cellars acidic backbone. This is more like it fellas!!! Just rich MHopper red/dark red fruit, meaty balsamic almost quality to it, some would use umami. A classic cab finish to it. This bottle really floats my boat......

7/3/2021 - msuwine wrote:

Hundred Acre is, for me, the most difficult to understand of the $500+ Napa crowd (“cults” by another name). With Colgin, Bryant, Harlan, Abreu, and the rest, I have a sense of what I’m getting: dense, rich, balanced, ageable, eventually elegant, with a good measure of class and originality. The Hundred Acre wines surely have ripeness and extraction, but they come in such a light-bodied package that it can be disorienting. Sometimes they are spectacular (iron fist, velvet glove, all that), but sometimes not - and this wine is currently the latter.

I am not a strict adherent to the rules of typicity, but - broadly speaking - a Cabernet should taste like a Cabernet. If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed a Pinot from Santa Lucia Highlands (and not even a great one - think Lucia or Roar) - sweet, light, and easygoing. Medium red in color and light in body, this wine offered aromas of pie cherry, licorice, and crushed rock. The flavors were also Pinot-like, with notes of raspberry, black cherry, and anise, with a silky and lifted finish. 15.5% alcohol (?!). Wait on this for a few years, since it’s showing nothing special right now (or, “it’s shut down,” if I’m being polite).

This sure went down easy, but a wine this expensive should not be an afterthought. My guess is that this just needs time to develop more complexity, since I adored a 2008 Kayli Morgan and a 2012 Deep Time I had in the last year (but not a 2014 Kayli Morgan). That said, I’ve tasted a number of 2014 wines that run laps around this right now - some priced similarly (e.g., Promontory, Colgin Estate) and many priced way cheaper (e.g., Tynan, Futo Oakville). For what it’s worth, I had this on the same night as a 2007 Realm Crane, an imperfect wine but one with more body, complexity, and nuance than this one. Give the Hundred Acre time, I guess, but it’s a hard pass for me right now. Even without factoring in the price, 92 at the moment.

4/1/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and explosive mountain Cabernet blend needs more time to come into its own, but it has enough stuffing and energy to last a long time - and, perhaps earn its place among the worthy second (but not cheap!) wines of the so-called "cult" Napa wineries (e.g., Bond's Matriarch, Abreu's Rothwell Hyde).

Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of boysenberry, cocoa bean, leather, and dried rosemary. Flavors of grilled blueberry, espresso, gravel, and burnt toast, with a grainy and sweet finish. Blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cab Franc. 15.1% alcohol. 92-93 for now, especially after two hours of air, but upside in 2023 or later.

6/2/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This rich and meaty Cabernet needs another few years to unfold, since right now it is plenty powerful and polished - but it needs time to open up and show all it has to offer (which I think is a lot). As one might expect, the Stag's Leap is more peppery and dense than the 2012 Oakville, a wine I adored when I opened it a few months ago.

Dark red in color; full in body; aromas of boysenberry, fresh embers, mocha, and peppercorn. Flavors of grilled blueberry, espresso bean, pencil lead, and thyme, with a dense and coiled finish. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot. 14.5% alcohol. I think there is something special here, but it needs more time. 94+ at the moment, with upside in 2023 or later.

5/30/2021 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine:

This is definitely the most tropical expression of Kongsgaard’s Chardonnay I’ve ever had. Without getting in to all the nuances of vintages, I thought the 2016 had more lemon cream and the 2015 had a more bright profile. Lots of opulence here at an early stage.

Light golden hue in the decanter and so much tropical influence. The aromatics are really pretty...caramelized pineapple, marzipan (something I associate with Aubert), only a hint of lemon cream (something I ALWAYS get with Aubert), and powdered lemon bar. The complexity of Kongsgaard’s palate is always so intriguing to me...the depth and richness (14.1ABV) while still being able to flex a nervy and vibrant wine is hard to come across elsewhere. This is a full throttle chard up front before it turns quite elegant. The palate is loaded with lemon...grilled lemon, lemon cream, lemon scone, but has an orange marmalade and stony vibe down the middle. Obviously young, it’a delicious now with an hour or so in the decanter.

5/28/2021 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine:

Nose: [58°] Initially very perfumed with lots of fresh wild white and purple flowers, fresh red fruits, prickly brambles, damp tree bark, grass and wet earth. [64°] It doesn't take long for the fruit to somehow turn dark and almost black. There's also a bit of shiny dark chocolate and something like an empty cigar box.

Palate: [58°-64°] Firmly spiced oak, deep black earth, gentle rush of dark red and black fruits, slightly bright bitter minerals like graphite and a bit of ash. Spice and savory bitter minerals linger long on the finish.

Attributes: Dark medium ruby. Dry with medium-plus amounts of grippy, chewy tannin. Medium to medium-plus body with medium to medium-plus acidity. Great finish of at least 22-24 seconds.

Thoughts: Got really unlucky with my timing here, might be going through a phase. Really tight and coiled. This thing would not open up even after being in a decanter for over 8 hours and lots of swirling in the glass. Structure is there for the long haul. On the 5th sip of the 4th glass and last sips of last glass were the best (oddly specific, right?), and even then it just teased a bit of what this could be. Cellar at least 2-3 years, probably safer with 4-5.

Other notes: Bordeaux glass. Poured one glass, emptied rest of bottle into a decanter at cellar temp ~55° for the duration of consumption of 8.25 hours. Give this 3-5 years.

5/25/2021 - msuwine wrote:

This ripe and blowsy Cabernet blend strikes me as confected and over-priced, so please read no further if you're looking for affirmation on a purchase already made. I'm an unapologetic fan of modern Napa Valley, but this is the Valley at its high-end worst, with generic flavor (e.g., fruit, alcohol, tannin, and acidity...check!) but nothing more (e.g., originality, tension, um... no). Maybe this is in a jammy awkward phase, but this second wine tastes like a third one. Pick your adjective - ugh, yuck, sigh - I can't remember another wine that I've more resented the price tag.

Dark purple in color; full in body; nose of Baby Ruth, milk chocolate, and cherry liqueur. Flavors of blueberry pie, Hershey bar, and cherry cola, with a sweet and generic finish (read: if you tasted it in a $15 grocery store wine, you'd be fine; otherwise, no.) I enjoy many Melka wines, but this has way too much vanilla milkshake to be impressive (especially for a mountain wine). Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Decant long enough to drink some (a lot of) good wine first, but probably just wait a few years and hope for the best. 15.4% alcohol.

5/7/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

Long night no notes. This wine still needs time, didn’t have time to fully decant, but impression is more Bordeaux in style and needs more time or time in decanter.

5/7/2021 - AGELVIS Likes this wine:

Four hour decant. Deep dark magenta color. Chocolate covered black cherry, pencil lead, wild strawberry Jolly Rancher, cinnamon walnut, and juniper on the complex, elegant nose. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity. Firm tannins on the long finish.

Very good, but expected more at this price point. Enjoyed with my lady friend to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary.

5/6/2021 - #1Winelover wrote:

Has anyone had this yet? I am very excited to try it but I don't want to waste a bottle and I no longer have confidence in my Coravin!