Manursing Memorial

Friday: Taco Fiesta

• 2016 Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus - USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga (5/27/2022)
  After a several hour slow ox, the 2016 Turnbull Amoenus offered up moderately strong aromas of black fruit, cacao, and savory grilled herbs. On the palate, the "wild strawberry note" AGELVIS mentioned provided nice balance to the otherwise darker profile. The oak's now well integrated, the tannins are plump yet still pleasantly dry on the finish, and all that leaves me thinking that it's time to drink up now and over the next 7-10 years (though I am personally curious to see how this might evolve over the longer term). (94 pts.)
• 2013 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cœur de Vallée - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (5/27/2022)
  The 2013 Cœur de Vallée (75% CS & 25% CF) has all the hallmarks of a great wine: a massive nose, precise, deep flavors, balanced acids and oak, and a persistent finish. But as usual with Morlet, it is just too ripe, too extracted, and far, far too sweet for my palate. Each sip tasted increasingly like a hangover in the making. Still, I have to admit to repeatedly coming back to my glass for another whiff. Aromas of black fruit and chocolate blended harmoniously with fresh green herbs to create a complex, beguiling bouquet. If you can handle the sugar, this is a rewarding wine to drink now and over the next 10+ years with minimal need for decanting. How many 2013s can you say that about? (93 pts.)

Saturday: NoMad Chicken

• 2012 Futo OV/SL - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/28/2022)
  My recent tasting of the 2012 OV/SL was full of surprises. First, in disappointing news, it didn't have the aromatic or flavor intensity I'm used to from Futo. The black and red fruits were rather indistinct; little else stood out. On the other hand, the wine was shockingly well balanced. I'm sensitive to high alcohol levels, and through some crazy Exposto magic, the 14.7% ABV barely even registered. Ditto the sweetness often found in bottles from Oakville and Stags Leap. Tannins and acid were present in just the right amount to keep the wine from feeling flabby without being cloying. So all in all, a smooth, very pleasant if not super interesting drinking experience. I'd recommend a slightly longer decant than we gave it (maybe 1-2 hours?) and drinking over the next five years while there's still enough fruit to keep the other elements in check. (92 pts.)
• 2015 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (5/28/2022)
  The 2015 CCS To Kalon impresses with a pronounced nose, a silky palate with just the right amount of tannic grip, and a more elegant, balanced, integrated profile than I've experienced in any other Schrader. It stumbles on the finish, where an otherwise long and joyful experience is cut short by the heat of the 14.5% ABV, and on complexity. If you really look, you can find hints of chocolate and minerals hiding behind all the cassis, plum, and blueberry, but it'll likely be another 3-5 years before they move into the foreground. No matter; these bottles have at least two more decades of life in them. If drinking now, decant for a minimum of three hours. (94 pts.)

Sunday Smoke: Brisket & Ribs

• 2014 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (5/29/2022)
  Hands down, the 2014 Coliseum Block was the most interesting bottle of the weekend. Savory, meaty, balanced, smooth, and long. My only regret is slow ox'ing in bottle for just a few hours; a proper decant might have helped the black fruits sing a little more and provided some "oomph" to this mid-weight wine. At any rate, the post-release prices on these are a great value, so buy up and enjoy over the next 10 years—a mercifully or disappointingly short timeline, depending on your point of view, compared to most vintages for this powerful mountain wine. (94 pts.)
• 2018 Realm Cellars The Bard - USA, California, Napa Valley (5/29/2022)
  I'll admit: I've been a bit whiny of late about the high price and disappointing quality of Napa's second wines. Realm's 2018 Bard ranks among the rare exceptions that prove the rule. It has so much more going on than most bottlings in its range. A powerful nose with floral top notes, dark black fruits, chocolate, and spice. Notable energy on the palate. Voluminous yet already softening tannins, which could see this wine through at least another decade-and-a-half. An insanely long finish. Put simply, this is multi-site blending at its best. I should have bought more at list price when I had the chance! (95 pts.)