Napa Valley

Hoyt did a great job selecting wines from Napa, from different grapes and different price points.

• 2017 Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford 86 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Served a touch too warm. This had grapefruit and minerals. It seemed crisp, almost sharp, and fresh with unripe fruit.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 Bread & Butter Chardonnay 79 Points

  USA, California

  They seem to know their chemistry, as the label says vanilla, toasted oak, and cream. There is significant oak here, way too much. Buttery oak, candied fruit and baking spices. This tastes like they're hiding something and trying to cover it up with oak and who knows what else.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  There is nice spice, a bit too much oak that will probably integrate with time, and it comes across more medium-bodied. To me, this very much drinks like a balanced California chardonnay, except for said oak that just needs time.
  
  Side note - Shafer, if you are charging $50 for a bottle of wine, use a real cork, not a cork composite. Or a screwcap.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 Miner Family Viognier 88 Points

  USA, California

  This was served a touch too warm. It tastes like viognier, with a lot of floral components and a touch of bubble gum mixed with acidity.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Slight alcohol is evident, even though this bottle was served plenty cool. The wine is red fruited, and there is black currant, earth and a bit of asphalt.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Twomey Merlot Napa Valley 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Served plenty cool. This had a bit of a green streek, which we surmised was caused by the use of American oak. This wine was dense with fruit, with a lot of vanilla, and the greenness seemed to build. Overall, this wasn't horrible, but given the price, I don't think it's punching at it's pay grade. 2016 Duckhorn Merlot seemed to best it.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2017 Goldschmidt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Yardstick Ruth's Reach 86 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Obviously it's difficult to make a napa cab at this price range, but that doesn't change the fact that this wine was quite unassuming. There's nothing wrong with it, and it would go well with a steak, but nothing much of interest. This doesn't meet my threshold for a happy median wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Family Napa Valley 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  For myself, this was the highlight of the tasting. The nose is rich and earthy. The palate is deep and smoky. The wine is dense. Overall, there is a lot going on with this wine right now, and I bet it will settle down a bit and gain complexity with time. It's refreshing to find such an enjoyable wine at this price.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I did enjoy the elegance here, but it also seemed quite fruity and a little too easy drinking. This wine seemed to lack concentration.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  No decant. This wine seemed to strike a great balance of rich fruit, tannin, earth, and acidity. This already seems to be in a good spot, and it feels like the tannin and acid give it some upside.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Mayacamas Range 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This wine seemed elegant and a little austere, for a zinfandel. Then, the finish is powerful and it lingers for 60+ seconds. This wine seems to need at least a couple years to calm down.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Orin Swift Papillon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Blueberry, significant tannin, good complexity but it desperately needs acid. The wine is extracted and concentrated, and has some of the characteristics of a young port. Unscored because this wine isn't my style, but I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue