A few days in Napa with fellow CT'r Cristal2000

Of course, the best way to start out any jaunt over to Napa for a few days is with a pre-game dinner the evening before at the house, where a small horde of half-empty wine bottles litter the table by the end of the night and the wine-geek chatter drones on and on until the wee hours. A special thanks to Alex Macdonald for dropping by with a look at the 2020 MACDONALD and Cristal2000 for kicking down that killer 2019 Colgin.

• 2016 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  The 2016 Cedric Bouchard Val Vilaine hasn’t changed much since my knocking back a previous bottle three years ago. This bottle was perhaps a bit more vibrant than I recall, where the grilled lemon rind and red apple flesh elements were complimented with more animated lemon juice, yellow and Anjou pear, and quince notes this go-around.
  
  This is a drink now or hold Champagne for me (can’t really lose either way), especially since after about a few hours of being open, there was still notable persistence and liveliness jumping from the glass, even on later pours toward the end of the bottle. Stylistically, I will say this has an overall broader feel to it when compared to Cedric’s other bottlings in his portfolio. 94 points.

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• 2019 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard 100 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Ok, so it has now gotten to the point where it infuriates me every time I have a Colgin. I mean, does every bottle always have to stomp on everything else around it due to its supreme awesomeness?! “Hey Colgin, try making a sucky wine once in a while so I cannot always have to comb the earth for your wine and take out a second on my home just to chase the dragon every vintage!” Dear lord in heaven I tell ya. It’s maddening to always have to write notes about amazing concentration, off-the-charts texture, the most wrap-around mouthfeel you’ve ever experienced, blah, ba-blah, ba-blah-blah-blah-blahhhhhhhhh. I could spit out a bunch of tasting references related to bitter chocolate, freshly tilled soil, deeply-pitched black raspberry, and intense tar and red pen ink notes, but really where would that get you. Just kiss off your kid’s college fund and buy a case of this. You may be divorced and sleeping under a box the rest of your life, but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve had one of the best Napa Cabs ever created.
  
  A special thanks to Cristal2000 for bringing this wine. Though, I will say that adds insult to injury. The fact that guy always has to bring a killer wine is even more exasperating. The only reason he even brought it was just to remind me I don’t have it. “Hey pal, check it out, here’s another awesome vintage you don’t have.” Ugh. Hate that dude. :) …..Can a brother catch a break over here?!
  
  100 points. That said, it’ll probably be even more 100-er points with a few years in bottle to even better evolve and integrate. Stupid good.

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• 2012 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  As before, I found this bottle compelling. I will say that it takes some time to come around, and with a fair amount of decant-type coaxing and swirling in the glass acrobatics, it starts to really sing. This was even more apparnt a few days later when another bottle of the 2012 was opening at Goose & Gander and did not have proper service. That was a pop-and-pour type of dealio into some goofy wanna be Bordeaux goblet (meant more for margaritas than anything else). The restaurant bottle came off sleepy and somewhat dull. It was good and all, but pretty must uninspiring and an “on to the next” kind of experience.
  
  All that said, the first bottle we had at the house was…eventually… a worthy performance that was sneakily better and better as the night marched on. Even with some palate fatigue (Thanks awesome Colgin), the Eisele showed it’s typical to tortoise its way to the finish line and take in the trophy. It truly is an old world-meets-new world profile, with dusty and earthy dry tannins providing just enough tension to beautifully corral the loamy blackberry, plum, and black cherry fruit. Incense and black licorice flaovrs add additional interest. The most level of heads would recommend holding for a handful of years. This is a long distance runner. With the proper service, this performs as advertised, but don’t make the mistake of just cracking the cork and guzzling it into your facehole. This ain’t that kind of animal.

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• 2020 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  (If you want the punchline, skip all the drivel and just go to the last sentence at the bottom of this lingual mess I’ve created here).
  
  Sure, you can talk about 2020 until you’re blue in the face. You can pick it apart and bust out your 2020 calendar (which of course I had handy in my jacket pocket) and go day by day leading up to the fires, asking where the smoke was (answer: every-where) and how the sun was barely discernible though the fumes for a month’s time. You can say, “But how?! How is it not tainted?!” Back and forth; back and forth. And we did. And I do. And it gets to the point where you dismiss that whole vintage and thank your lucky stars that you can actually afford to pay your electric bill (don’t even get me started on that whole thing!) because you thinned out your wine-spend so much this year that you start remembering what your finance life was like before you had to squander thousands of dollars away for this hobby you pretend to your family is an investment.
  
  Ok, enough of that… So, if there’s a wine to buy in the 2020 vintage, it is the MACDONALD. Period. Other wineries (as in, all other wineries), you’ll probably want to hit the ‘Pass’ button on (I know I’m gonna get grief for saying that since there is someone out there somewhere that somehow is giddy about some particular wine they hold allegiance to). Those of you who are savvy folks (and even those who aren’t) should know this by now. I’ve been tasting through a small handful of 2020 wines and many are ‘not ok’ in some way. From barrel, a few shined (or at least didn’t show any taint issues – masked by oak char perhaps). However, the 2020 MACDONALD is an exceptional wine for the vintage. Yes I know the final tag of “for the vintage” makes people nervous, as though it is somehow my secret code for subpar. Well, rest assured my fine friends, it is not subpar. No lies. No conspiracy. You know I can go on and on, so I’ll answer your questions quick and easy:
  
  - Any perception of detectible smoke taint? No (I’m not the science guy, so I’m going with what I taste – and yes of course, I was looking for any chance I could get to ask myself, “Is that it? Was that smoke taint?” Answer: still No.
  
  - Is it good? Yes. It’s great! (insert Tony the Tiger accentuation). The profile is completely along the same lines of previous vintages. A perfectly pitched black, gravely core with a judicious balance and tension that is signature MACDONALD. Olive, black asphalt, brambly blackberry and black cherry, dusty earth… What else do you want?
  
  - Should I buy it? What are you dumb? Um, Yes. If you don’t, send it my way right now.
  
  - What’s the difference compared to other vintages? I know people are looking for faults here, so I’ll appease ya’ll a bit just by saying that in its current state, the finish is a tad shorter at the moment and the body (more so in the mid-to-back palate) gentler than the previous big boy vintages of 2016, 2018, and 2019, for example. There is a notable finesse here as well. Toward the very end of the night, the expressive fruit elements started to shut down a bit and go back to sleep, but at the same time, the elegance remained steadfast. It’s a little hard to put a numeric here, but it’s easily in the 95-96+ point range for me at the moment.
  
  - Do I work for the Macdonalds? No… (though I did submit my forever pledge to their undying allegiance regardless of fact and circumstance – kidding… but I do still wonder where my 3L of 2010 Macdonald I asked for years ago is? Must’ve gotten lost in the mail…)
  
  For those who couldn’t stomach the above tasting note, here ya go: It’s good. It’s a buy. It’s the best 2020 out of Napa. Period. Exclamation point! Pinky swear. Absodefinitely. No backsies.

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• 2019 Château Trotanoy 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  I had been playing the Coravin game with this wine for a few months before finally opening the bottle tonight. It was a coiled-up beast with a super driven acid-tension thing going on that was ultra pura and chiseled, but did tread heavily on any true fruit expansion or expression. Once the cork was popped and the allowed to fully breathe, cherry and raspberry notes were injected with mineral-driven limestone notes, adding some breadth to the otherwise linear profile. Hours and hours of air gave it a daker profile (which I love), layering the fruit with some earth, currant, and black cherry flavors. Finishes with amazing persistence. Those of us not knocking on death’s door should probably hold these for 10-15 years. 95-96+ points.

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• 2014 Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Huh. This was… initially pretty perplexing. Round and uber-plush. Displayed pretty yummy black and blue fruit that was indeed tasty, but lacked the extra frame and tension to keep things moving and in full focus. This was from Coravin and wasn’t given any air. I mention this because I tapped the bottle five days later again and gave it a bunch of air. Surprisingly, it gained better direction and energy as it unwound. It doesn’t carry the concentration, depth, and overall structure of other vintages (which is something I have experienced in other 2014s – making that vintage a good-not-superb vintage in Napa for me overall). It’s a little hard to know what to do here, but for those holding bottles, I’d continue to do so. Call it a little awkward now. Call it making excuses for a wine that should be performing well above what it did, on the first night especially. Call it a modern of modern wines to the point that I should expect this kind of behavior at certain stages of evolution. However you slice it, this particular bottle was not in any mood to be on stage.
  
  Note: I've been milking this bottle via Coravin a few times now and it continues to improve each time, especially with more and more air, which gives me a cautious sigh of relief that there is more potential lurking. Still, I do think 2014 is not as comparatively strong as others with this producer.

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• 2019 Château d'Yquem 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  A super-duper young pup that is all about acid and freshness. Higher register yellow citrus and stone fruits, but with the signature Yquem herbal and flowery notes that immediately add interest. The mid-palate hits just the right honey note, but then drives on to the acid-driven finish. Speedy Gonzales on the back end. You can certainly drink this now, but be prepared for a more “Bing, Bang, Boom” experience than some smoking jacket and cigar type of deal. Ideally, hold for another 20-50 years or something crazy like that.

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• 2019 Patrick Piuze Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte de Bouqueyreaux 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

  This was a bit sluggish on the first day. Lemon drop and yellow citrus notes slink around olive oil and grilled lemon rind flavors, making for a succulent but somewhat tensionless showing. Finishes medium everything, with a somewhat generous mouthfeel that fails to showcase freshness.
  
  Half of the bottle was re-corked and left alone for three days. Wouldn’t cha know it, this little monkey woke up and strutted a bit more energy and breadth. WAY better than its lunchtime appearance a few days before. I will say, however, that this was never a truly compelling showing for me. I liked it, but I wasn’t in love with it at any point in its journey. I have felt similarly about this producer in general. Sometimes it hits. Sometimes it just…doesn’t. Sealed with natural cork. I would recommend holding bottles for a few years. Low 90’s on Day 1. 93+ points on Day 2.

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• 2019 001 Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Ecotone Vineyard 98 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A new project by Jack Bittner, with Graeme Macdonald as winemaker, the 2019 001 (double-O[oh]-one) will be the inaugural wine from prime plots on the Ecotone site. Jack was gracious enough to meet us for lunch and bring along a bottle of this gem. It’s hard not to draw parallels to MACDONALD since knowing who is the consulting winemaker here, but the 001 has its own unique personality that I can only guess is an expression of the vineyard and Jack’s deft influence over the farming and ultimate production of the wine. It’s a stately and classically regal wine in the sense that it maintains outstanding poise and frame. The dark, asphalt-laced fruit is elevated and layered by flavors of purple plum skin, menthol, herbs de Provence, and gravel. This thing LOVES air, eating O2 like a 1-year-old in a face-full o’ mayonnaise. Allowing it to breathe is like allowing Elton John to play the piano. Expansiveness and succulence on the palate continues to unfold. The tune starts out unpretentious and austere, and then slowly builds and builds, bridging mineral with fruit, tension with accessibility, frame and body with weight and breadth. The finish is stoooopid long and especially refined.
  
  Some new project is the last thing I need in my life, but gosh darn it if I can’t help but jump on the bandwagon and see what adventures lie around the corner with this wine. I’d feel lucky to be part of it, and recommend aficionados try to snatch this up when it makes its rounds; but of course, I’m shooting myself in the foot with hopes of nabbing a decent allocation by recommending others pile on. So, in that vein, don’t buy it. Forget about it. I’ll take it from here :)
  
  In 5-7 (perhaps more like 10) years, this thing will be on fire. It is a wine for the patient indeed, but not without amazing promise right now with some coaxing. This is my kind of juice all day long and a wine that will likely earn an even higher score (perfect score?) down the road. 97-98+ points.
  
  NOTE #1: It’s worth mentioning that we had the 2018 Abreu Thorevilos a few days later; that wine does share some striking similarities with the 2019 001, especially in the minerality department. The dark and cool asphalt profile of the 001 is akin to the Abreu, if but a bit more restrained and chiseled than the 2018 Thorevilos.
  
  NOTE #2: Also worth mentioning, we had the 2019 Vice Versa Mysterons (Ecotone) a few days later as well (alongside the Abreu). To no surprise, Melka’s take on this site with Vice Versa is stylistically more flashy and opulent by comparison, but again, with a beautiful bead of minerality and black fruit that spoke a similar dialect to the Abreu and 001. The Mysterons is more party-ready than the others, so if you wanted to pop one of the three right now, the Vice Versa would be better suited in that regard.

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• 2013 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Teres 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Tight, linear, and a bit spicy, the 2013 Teres shows some of the stern hallmarks of the vintage. With air, red and black currants, herbs, unripe raspberries, and dusty earth emerge. Finishes with some rustic tannins that provide more frame upon the frame. I didn’t get the sense it was mad at me necessarily, but it’s got a furrowed brow that reminds me of Earl Lester, my 10th grade Poly Sci./Econ. teacher. Man, I sucked in that class.
  
  Provided that the fruit stomach of this wine is able to claw its way through its own spine, I’d say there is more benefit to be had by holding bottles for another few years. Cristal2000 disagrees with me here, but he is just wrong. So there’s that. :)

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• 2016 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Teres 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  The vintage here does the Teres all the favors in the world, with initially a tight front end, but with requisite power to throttle the fruit and push it forward so that it can compete with the frame. Here, the backbone is more curved, exposing black and red raspberry, red cherry, cedar, and dark dust and loam. The mid-palate fills in more than the 2013 by a long shot.

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• 2018 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Teres 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Along the same lines as the 2016, this 2018 has a fuller mouthfeel and some dark power to counterbalance the grainy frame. The 2018 displays some of the mineral-inflect tannic spine as the 2013, but is able to pour out some beautiful blackberry and dark soil elements that add purple/black flashiness to the profile. This was also the only Teres that showed a floral component for me.

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• 2014 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A noticeable step up from the Teres, the Quintvs (pronounced Quintus, by the way - this house uses the “v” as a “u” FYI. A helpful hint from your pal csimm so you don’t walk around saying “Adam-vs” like I did the first half of the day). This 2014 kicks out a plush entry that has me uttering the phrase, “…hallmark of the vintage!” Blackberry, tilled earth, black cherry, semi-sweet chocolate, and crushed flowers, this sample is firing on all cylinders and throws out a yummy gushing quality that beckons for another sip. Tension is solid as well, though I favored the 2016 and 2018 versions a bit more – mostly due to my current stylistic preferences for added tension and frame in my Napa Cabs. Score a point or so higher if you are drawn to a posher style.

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• 2015 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Well, I asked for some tension and I got some tension. The 2015 is tighter and more linear than the 2014. This is indeed a long-hauler, with quite the grippy frame. More herbal and exacting on the front end, with minerality that cuts across the palate with focus and seriousness. It’s not as grave as the 2013 Teres, but it’s got some coil to it that is just waiting to spring into action. Blackberry seed, crunchy river rock, and a healthy dollop of acid that katanas its way through the finish, the 2015 is serious business. This hovers in the 94-ish (95?) point range for me.
  
  While the 2014 is playing on the jungle gym and enjoying its day on the tanbark, the 2015 comes along and smacks the 2014 right in the face with the tetherball. Hold the 2015 for a few more years until it learns being bully usually means growing up and working the register at the Dollar Store.

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• 2016 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Hands-down my favorite Quintvs of the lineup, with a depth and purity that truly delivers all the goods with one gorgeous gulp. The 2016s at this address are phenomenal, and the Quintvs showcases it perfectly, especially with both mountain fruit masculinity in conjunction with a slightly feminine focus that is brought about by a flawlessly honed grip and earthy finish. The nose is like pushing a fistful of violets up your nose, with flavors of blackberry, black soil, bitter chocolate, wet rock, flowers, and loam. It’s not funky by any means (there is remarkable purity here), but it carries a serious mid-palate with dark (DARK) fruit that is encapsulated with minerals and top soil. It’s Howell Mountain on full display. A lot going complexity-wise as well, with a layer effect that keeps the momentum in a constant state of energy and pulsating flavor-reverberation.
  
  The only wine to rival the 2016 Qunitvs in my opinion is perhaps its 2016 Adamvs big brother. Again, for my palate, I appreciated this wine’s persistence and frame and finesse. The 2016 Adamvs is a monster, and much more opulent and gushing than the Quintvs. You can’t lose with either one. 96-97 points.

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• 2018 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Quintvs 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  The 2018 is a somewhat softer version of the 2016 Quintvs, which really just means it wasn’t as much of a powerhouse as the 2016. The 2018 is rounder in the mouth, with more succulent blackberry and black cherry elements. Finishes with signature rock elements, which provides solid frame and length. The 2016 has better persistence indeed, but the 2018 keeps-on-keepin’-on with dusty tannins on the back end. I did note a slightly bitterly herbaceous-laced tail on this sample. It wasn’t overly distracting by any means and didn’t take away from the overall delivery of flavor, but it slightly clipped the fruit expansion, despite the overall successful persistence on the finish.

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• 2015 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  The front end on the 2015 Adamvs shows quite a bit of plush and deep fruit flavor as it immediately gushes over the palate and forms a wave of mixed berry and dark earth elements. A half second later, it clenches up and becomes exceedingly linear on the back end, finishing with a honed and slightly clenched tail. The richness is duly counterbalanced by the frame, but the scaffolding puts up a wall rather quickly on delivery. A powerhouse to be sure. This is a wine that will continue to require time in bottle. Revisit in 3-5+ years.

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• 2016 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 98 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Arguably the best wine in the lineup (though the 2016 Quintvs was stylistically more in my wheelhouse), the 2016 Adamvs is a stallion of a wine. Massive dark berry and meaty flavors are interplay with earthy and mulch notes. This is a huge wine, and it takes the stage amongst its peers as soon as it hits the palate. Chewy and rich, the yum factor is turned up to 11 here.
  
  This was sampled during the tasting and again (different bottle) a couple of days later. Both times, this wine consistently captivated the crowd, even amongst some other heavy hitters on the second go-around. Just know that it is a big boy, so if that’s your jam, open now and party on bro. If not, either veer toward the 2016 Quintvs, and/or hold the 2016 Adamvs for 5+ years longer to give it a chance to settle down – and by settle down, I mean just be a hurricane of a wine and not the Sharknado it is now.
  
  A kick you in the pants kind of wine indeed. I can see why folks would consider this a perfect Howell Mountain wine. 97-98 points.

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• 2018 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  After having the earth-shattering 2016 Adamvs, it is admittedly a tad more difficult to “academically” assess its 2018 sibling. Ironically, I catch a little old school profile here, with grandpa’s leather Barcalounger and old spice (NOT the deodorant) notes making an appearance along with the mountain-typical earthy dark berry flavors. Like the 2016, this is a massive wine, but not so much that it is overpowering or a brute. It simply just gushes with flavor and fruit. Luckily, there is sufficient frame to hold the core together and keep it from clunking you upside the jaw.
  
  All of the Adamvs and Quintvs wines that were poured were especially beautiful representations of Howell Mountain and should be on anyone’s “check it out” list. For me, 2016 is THE compelling vintage at this address.

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• 2014 Fleur de Fonplégade 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Poured alongside the Adamvs wines just for a fun comparison. The Fonplégade is of course a bit of a different animal, both in terroir and price point (most vintages of Fonplégade can be had for around $45-50 bucks). Additionally, 2014 wasn’t the most stellar of vintages for Bordeaux. That said, this offers affable notes of plum, raspberry, and mushroom, finishing exceptionally dry (arid, in fact, when next to the Adamvs wines), with some funk encircling the nose and the palate on the back end. Medium bodied and comparatively light next to the humongo Napa wines.

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Martin is the man! Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to check these two beauties out!

• NV Hervieux-Dumez Champagne Les Grains Blancs Nature 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Though this checks in as a zero dosage Champagne, there is a touch of sweetness (from full malo perhaps) that launches off the front end and makes for a more party house bubbly, which of course – all geeking-out aside – isn’t a bad way to start off dinner. Candied lemon drop, vanillin froth, and pumice. Lacks some cut and acidity, finishing full and round with medium tension. Drink now.

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• 2017 Bella Oaks Vineyard Proprietary Red 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  I don’t want to fall in love with 2017s. I don’t even want to fall in like with 2017. In fact, I want to love 2017s as much as I love 2020s, or even 2011s for that matter. If I have to hear one more winemaker or proprietor tell me how their 2011s are drinking beautifully now, I’m going to start eating tinfoil as a palate cleanser. Stop calling 2011 a “winemaker’s vintage.” I get it; there were some who ended up the phoenix[es] that rose from the ashes (literally, especially in 2020. …What? Too soon?!). And there were those who are simply trying to sell a phoenix when it’s more like a chicken whose diet consists of poblano chiles, green peppercorns, and wet portabella mushrooms. They weren’t good vintages. They just weren’t. And I know there is a handful of beautiful people on Cellar Tracker that will tell me otherwise. I love you all, but if you are specifically targeting 2011 and 2017 Napa Cabs as your primary holdings in your cellar, then I’d simply ask why do you even drink Napa Cab?
  
  Sure, I’ve had some 2017s that were fine. They were ok. They were forgettable, which sometimes isn’t a bad thing when sampling vintages that were “challenging” for most. But more to the point here (and I’m sure you might be able to sense the buildup), I am confident in stating that the 2017 Bella Oaks, slated to be released in the Fall, is one of the best, if not the best, 2017 I’ve had out of Napa. The nose is effusively floral, fooling me into believing this is going to deliver in high register fashion. Not so, as the black fruit on entry comes in swiftly and with vibrant energy. Red and black licorice, purple plum, cassis, black cherry, violets, bitter chocolate, loam, and a slightly bitter spice note all add to the complexity of this elegant specimen. The mid-palate is perfectly balanced, finishing slightly linear as it tapers off on the exacting tail. Balance and classiness reign here.
  
  Comparatively speaking, certainly this does not have the sheer sultry oomph and relative opulence that 2019 displays, nor the equal depth and weight of the 2018, but it’s simply not built that way. Sure, if you want a 19% (marked 14.9%) Caymus cocktail that your 21-year-old frat brother drinks with crushed ice and pairs with pot pie and pancakes, then best run down to the local Liquor Locker and grab yerself a jug o’ some of that brain hemorrhage hootch. But you’re not going to find those shenanigans here (thank God). Instead, this reminded me of a Sade smooth operator Pomerol the likes of which would pair perfectly with some of thems grass-fed beef tartare and farm egg yolk type dishes popping up on menus across the Valley.
  
  I wanted to dismiss this wine, but it was undeniably excellent, not just for a 2017 Napa red, but as standalone juice from what is quickly becoming a standalone winery. How this wine continues to evolve will be another fun exercise in wine consumption. 96-97 points. I may even be underscoring this because there is that gremlin in the back of my brain that still haunts me when it comes to this vintage. Score higher if you’re not otherwise traumatized by the systematic numbers 2-0-1-1, 2-0-1-7, or 2-0-2-0.

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• 2021 Bella Oaks Vineyard Proprietary Red 99 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Quick math question for you. What’s 2018+2019? If you answered 4037, then you should definitely think about taking another stab at community college and reapplying for that cashier position at Dunkin’ so your mom doesn’t have to keep shelling out payments on your 2003 Kia Sorento. However, if you were savvy enough to pull out your Bella Oaks vintage tasting profile calendar calculator and promptly answered 2021, well now, you my friend are a savant indeed. Do not pass ‘Go,’ do not collect $200, but instead make your way straight to the Master Sommelier Wine Whisperer Illuminati graduation ceremony and pick yourself up your well-earned degree in Winestein & Wineocology. Indeed, the 2021 Bella Oaks is a bodacious barrel sample hybrid of the 2018 and 2019 Bella Oaks, and is a must have addition in the 2018, 2019, 2021 benevolent Purple Triad of empirical awesomeness.
  
  The 2021 is a Jackson Pollock of flavor expressionism, with free-associative essences of rose pedals, electric black and purple licorice, black cherry, fresh soil, and Indian spices. How a sample is able to marry such purity with such density is beyond me, especially when you add in a weightlessness resulting from a vibrant acidic lift that permeates through the profile and prolongs the entire execution. The endurance is unreal, as is the concentration of core fruit, making for a wine that kills it in profundity as well as persistence. It’s obviously pretty flashy right now in its current form, but the control and focus set the stage for a wine that is going to be even more compelling once it hits bottle. This wine is gonna be better than sniffing a fresh pack of tennis balls at Wimbledon. 98-99+ points.

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• 2021 Keplinger Eldorado 92 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills

  85% Viognier/15% Chardonnay. Strong grapefruit, lemon juice, and rock notes. A vibrant and high-riding yellow citrus white, finishing with a slight pucker factor but also incredible purity. Previous vintages of this used to see Roussanne, which I do feel would add a dollop of depth and reach here. This is otherwise a fun summer sipper that make any freshy shucked oyster happy. Well… I mean, the oyster won’t be especially happy about it, but you will.

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• 2020 Keplinger Syrah Gratus Amico Bien Nacido 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  100% Syrah from Block 45 of the Bien Nacido vineyard, the Gratus Amico leads with a bouquet of roses and a red berry fruit basket, followed by red raspberry, red and black cherry, and faint stone notes. This sample rides much higher than the Donna’s Block (also from Bien Nacido) and is much more floral. Though it presents well now, it will benefit from 3+ years minimum in bottle to gain some weight.

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• 2020 Keplinger Syrah Gratus Amico Melville Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

  The Donna’s is much more of a Funky Cold Medina compared to its fraternal twin Block 45 sibling. Less floral as well, the Donna’s smells more like a 2011 Napa Cabernet (or maybe a 2011 Cornas) than a Syrah from Santa Maria Valley, with poblano pepper and barnyard on the nose. On the palate, it presents initially as quite stemmy (whole cluster inclusion is center stage), but comes to full fold with black raspberry, blackberry, bramble, plum, green peppercorns, and bark. A completely different animal than the Block 45. Pick your poison here, as both are very interesting expressions of Syrah that speak completely different languages. Fun to try both side by side.

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• 2019 Keplinger Cabernet Sauvignon RBK 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  75% Cabernet Sauvignon/25% Cabernet Franc. A burst of floral, iron, and bright red berry elements rocket across the palate, but are quickly tamed by riper expressions of black cherry and red and black raspberry flavors that present as ultra-pure and fresh. There is an instant charm that the RBK echoes; seemingly, the CF provides exceptional lift, energizing the entire mouth while the darker flavors form depth and body to the profile. Finishes with grippy and acid driven backbone that still is able to carry finesse and elegance, seems to be a hallmark of Keplinger’s artistry. Comparatively a bit stiffer than its Oakville counterpart. Hold for 5 years if you’re looking to truly reap the benefits from this wine.

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• 2019 Keplinger Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  95% Cabernet Sauvignon/4%Cabernet Franc/1% Petit Verdot. More earth and darker fruit mark the Oakville relative to the RBK served beside it. Once again, the elegance and purity of fruit are on full display here. I slightly favored the Oakville for its extra layer of depth and accessibility at the moment compared to the more strung-up RBK. The Oakville finishes with . The are some of the most refined and classy Cabernet Sauvignons that can be found in the Valley.

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• 2019 Keplinger Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  I’ve ripped through a number of versions of VHR from most of those producing wine from this site and have found them to vary quite a bit depending much upon what I believe to be the winemaker’s select style. Of course, certain plots influence the overall effect of the ultimate manifestation of the wine produced, but it’s clear to me that there are notable differences between various producers’ interpretations of the fruit coming from VHR. In this case, the VHR is not surprisingly a more dialed back version, with tight, unripe cherry and plum skin notes marking a linear execution of flavor, but (as usual) a hyper clean and pure expression. Fantastic momentum and persistence, with just a hint of booze rising up on the finish, this wine is for the cellar. A decade from now, I’d be happy to pop the cork on this a see what’s doin’. Superb potential with this VHR.
  
  Just to note, if you’re used to more flamboyant and powerful versions of this site, Keplinger may be a bit of a left turn for you. Just fair warning for those who expect to be wooed by more deltoid-driven versions of VHR. This is more about class and chiseled focus than it is about meaty opulence.

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• 2014 Keplinger Mars 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District

  I used to drink the 2013 vintage of this wine back when it was an inaugural release. I loved it then and I find it just as interesting now. The 2014 is a more rounded delivery and less intense than I remember the 2013, though I was drinking the 2013 younger and with less bottle age back then than this 2014 has now had. That said, there is again a kaleidoscopic array of red, blue, black, and purple berry fruit comingling with iron and topsoil, undulating alluringly on the palate. It has great vigor and complexity but also shows a bit of age, which does well for its depth and distribution of weight in the mouth. Drink now through the next 7-10 years. Unfortunately, this unique site on Moon Mountain is no longer part of the Keplinger portfolio.

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• 2015 Keplinger Caldera 93 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County

  Iron, earth, black raspberry, muddled red raspberry, and plum notes fill the mouth with superb purity. The bit of age the Caldera has received in bottle has helped broaden the span of flavor. This is where Keplinger’s wines become more interesting. They all need time, otherwise consumers risk missing the true potential of these wines and what complexities they can bring to the table. They are more cerebral wines than they are party rockin’ juice pounders.

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• 2015 Keplinger Sumo 92 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County

  The one thing I was curious about with this sample was the integration of the Viognier element. Past infant Sumos have been overridden by the floral component put out by the Viognier, masking what would be the attractive core fruit expression from the Petite Sirah. Being that this 2015 has had some time to absorb its dollop of Viognier, I found it to be wonderfully lifted but also pushing out beautiful blue and black fruit. More time is needed in my opinion, but the 2015 Sumo is on a great path to excellence inside of a few years more in bottle.

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Maayan is the winemaker to look out for. The La Pelle lineup was absolutely fantastic and totally aligned with my style.

• 2016 La Pelle Sauvignon Blanc 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Ok, so I’m gonna own up to the fact that I rarely find pleasure in aged Sauvignon Blanc of any style from anywhere. Be it Sancerre, New Zealand, or here in the states, I want my Sauv. Blanc full of life and vigor, fragrant as the day is long, and pumping out energy and vibrant citrus, greenery, herbs, and floral notes, like hurling a blossoming Meyer lemon tree at my face until I pass out in a field of Citronella grass (Ya, that's a thing). Chardonnay and some Rhone white blends can get pretty interesting at times, (and BdB Champagne is a different story), but even then, I generally prefer my whites to invigorate over contemplate. Both states of mind are great, but one usually is sacrificed for the other. Anyway, I understand and appreciate the academic exercise of drinking Sauv. Blanc with some time under its belt, and I’ve had a handful that were… fine… but I’d just assume throw together a gin and tonic for the most part before I reach for a SB that looks like apple juice. And not that 2016 is so far in the rearview mirror that I should consider this “aged” necessarily, but you get the point.
  
  All that said, if anyone has any question about whether or not Maayan Koschitzky is building his portfolio of wines with the ability to age, you really have to look no further than his Sauvignon Blanc (not that you should stop there, because his other wines are bangin’ as well!). Ok. Brass tacks on this wine: It’s stellar. It’s unique (and NOT in that weird curio unique way that makes you glad you tried it but never need to try it again). It’s savory, with elements of tropical and deeper stone fruit, lemon curd, and olive oil, but also keenly hits the higher index with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, fresh yellow apple, white rocks, and acacia. A lot of layering on the palate here. Super complex, and something to drink now if you’re lucky enough to still have a bottle or two you forgot about in the cellar. This will undoubtedly continue to age further, but for me, it’s time to check this out. What a fun wine!

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• 2020 La Pelle Sauvignon Blanc 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Though I’m sure this 2020 will age in similar fashion at its four-year-older sibling, it was admittedly difficult to go from the captivating 2016 to this spritely 2020. True enough, this shows a similar profile as the 2016, but this latest rendition is cranked up on the woohoo meter, showing its youthful energy and freshness that I love to see in my Sauvignon Blancs. Grapefruit, grass, lemon, rock, and a burst of saline. Bright and luminous, this 2020 is a great wine to load up on with summer around the corner. Drink or hold (since holding seems to be a truly viable option based on the 2016's awesome performance).

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• 2021 La Pelle Chardonnay Bien Nacido - Block 1 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  I’m tellin’ ya, Maayan is just destroying it with these whites, and this Chardonnay, which I’ve had a number of times from the previous couple of vintages, is totally my style all the way around. Lemon juice, unripe stone fruit, yellow pear, white rock, lemon-lime Squirt, and white flower flavor invigorate and energize the palate. Balanced and lively.
  
  If you are a marshmallow masher who plans on naming your firstborn Sweetums and much rather your Chardonnay taste like vanilla extract and canned Reddi Wip whipped cream, then best venture elsewhere. Have fun with your Butter Chardonnay from JaM Cellars (the fact that’s a real thing is just…. silly). Oh, and hey, they even have ButterCans now. If your version of Burgundy is Bakersfield, then stick with your box of Franzia.
  
  The La Pelle 2021 comes from the Bien Nacido Block I (letter “I” - though it seems to be listed in Cellar Tracker as Block #1), with 10 months in barrel being just the right amount of élevage to maintain wonderful freshness and purity. We shall see if this can catch up to the mega-awesome 2019 version (my favorite). This 2021 certainly seems to be on the right trajectory. One of the best examples of pure, unadulterated California Chardonnay that hasn’t been slathered with confection and vanillin oak.

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• 2021 La Pelle Syrah Bien Nacido Block X 96 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

  Salty and funky on the nose, with an instant cool climate aura that makes you wanna stick your face further into the glass and pretend you tripped and fell in a blackberry field off the coast of Patagonia (what with all the blackberry fields in Patagonia). Well, this is more like a St. Joseph lookalike, with smoke, black sea salt, brambly blackberry, pine needles, muddled plum, rainbow peppercorns, and bark flavors making for an old school profile that also presents as clean, pure, and fresh (a neat trick to be sure). There is a stemmy quality here without the bitterness (another neat trick), adding a savory-meets-old world classicism contour.
  
  Give it a few years to develop some additional weight and complexity, but I’d say there’s merit in trying one of these early, too. It’s nice to find a cooler climate Syrah out of California that doesn’t instantly lead with booze and brawn on the front end. This 2021 La Pelle is a Syrah for those who own smoking jackets and Vizslas.

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• 2019 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  If you have $85 burning a hole in your corduroys and don’t know what to spend it on, might I suggest the La Pelle Napa Valley. This is a total bang for your buck wine. You can drink this now and not feel like you just sold off one of your kidneys, while you wait for your SVDs or the Reserve to sleep a while longer. Accessible, flavorful, and downright mouthwatering, it’s more than just some entry level Cabernet or a simple gateway into the rest of the La Pelle portfolio. The plum, black raspberry, black cherry, and subtle earth flavors all balance-out into a wonderfully giving wine, with no hard edges and a nicely focused finish. This clocks in at 14.1% ABV and sees 50% new oak. Like all the wines in this roster, the Napa Valley Cabernet carries a back end that displays a frame that is thoughtfully dry and focused. Hard to find another wine sub-$100 that’ll fit the bill (literally). 93-94 points.

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• 2019 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hen Vineyard 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District

  Dark and deep, with ripe blackberry, purple plum, and red and black raspberry notes almost immediately landing on the mid-palate with a perfect dollop of savory goodness, but also with red currant and iron notes that completely elevate the execution and transport the flavors through the persistent finish. The back end displays a lovely violet note that adds even more appeal. I found this to be the most interesting of the three SVDs in terms of complexity. It carries just a bit less breadth and depth than the Alluvium (St, Helena) and Ceniza (Coombsville), but this Red Hen (Oak Knoll) impresses for it medley of fun flavorings and exquisitely evocative texture. There is delightful lift here. A wine I kept revisiting and tasting new elements popping around different corners of the mouth. 96-97 points.

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• 2019 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Ceniza 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville

  Comparatively darker and chewier than the Red Hen, The Ceniza rolls out the blackberry, ash, bitter chocolate, pulverized granite, pencil lead, and wet cave flavors with a gothic and semi-serious presence that is cool and haunting. Jack Skellington Spoooooooky! There are some barky herbs and wilted flower notes that add to the stylish Siouxsie and the Banshees kinda thing going on here. There is a bit more oomph here than the Red Hen, filling the mouth with its dark core in a way that adds intensity and concentration. 96-97 points.

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• 2019 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  The powerhouse of the three SVDs, the Alluvium elbows past the partygoers and shows its upfront opulence and swanky luxury. Ripe blackberry is encircled with a bit of booze on the initial cascade of flavors across the palate. There is the hallmark savory and dry elements that keep everything in proper check, with a captivating acidic spine ta’ boot. But, know going into it that this purple-black Clubber Lang is built to “Pity the Fool!” Although this can certainly be popped right out da’ gate with pure enjoyment, I’d recommend lying these down for a few years to best let some of the brawn soften off the edges of its deltoids and allow for more nuance to develop. Take another hit come 2025 - minimum.

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• 2019 La Pelle Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 98 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Surely the best of the bunch in terms of concentration and depth, the Reserve Cabernet offers that extra layer of density and breadth befitting a reserve designation. Powerful blackberry, black cherry, dark bitter chocolate, pencil lead, black salt, black earth, and tarry asphalt, it’s no surprise that the Reserve this vintage is stacked on the Coombsville side of the house, sharing much of its profile with its cooler marine-influenced SVD sibling. Less overt power than the Alluvium, the Reserve has an enhanced polish that permeates through the muscle and smooths out the otherwise decent flex on the delivery of showy flavors. A wine that’ll benefit from some time in bottle, but it’s pretty dang yummy right this instant. In 5-7+ years, this may likely inch its way to being a perfect wine. Target 2030, but there’s no way I’m waiting that long for my next bottle. Just sayin’… 98+ points.

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• 2012 Dom Pérignon Champagne 95 Points

  France, Champagne

  Who doesn’t love a glass of Dom right before you head off to the Promontory library to enjoy some of the best Cabernet in the Valley? Typically I gravitate toward Cristal and Krug when I’m reaching for a bottle of big house Champagne in this particular genre, but 2012 was especially kind to the beloved Dom, and I have to say that I was quite taken by this version of the “it’s everywhere and everyone seems to have this” producer. Truth be told, I’m loving Taittinger Comtes these days when it comes to the bigguns, but the Dom's pure lemon oil, yellow apple, lemon grass, wet limestone, and almond skin notes presented as remarkably pure and contoured. I kinda figured a 2012 Dom would be uber-bready, but the yeast was under control and barely discernible among the pristine citrus and mineral flavors. 94-95 points.

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• 2012 Promontory Penultimate 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I get that the idea is to drink this on the more ‘now’ side of things while your precious big daddy Promontory are resting peacefully in some dark corner of the world somewhere, but right out the gate I felt like the linear and somewhat primary presentation of the fruit on this wine could still use some time. Sure, you can drink this now with a healthy decant and not be the least bit displeased in your life. However, the tension merits even more time, with a grip that eases off just at the right places, but is certainly omnipresent throughout consumption. Comparatively, it is indeed chewier and “rounder” than its king colleagues; black cherry, plum skin, unripe blackberry, and a hint of spice. Though others may disagree here, I say give this to age 15 before cracking the next cork.

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• 2020 Promontory

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I didn’t get much of a read here. It was so linear and primary that any sort of logical assessment was lost between the pucker and the frame. Sour cherry and sour cherry and sour cherry. The finish was severely clipped. No smoke taint detected (for those asking that question with every 2020 from Napa – which, you’re not wrong to do). Beyond that, assigning any sort of numeric scoring range here would seem silly to me. Always fun to sample and see what's under the hood here, but it's a mystery to me right now in its current state. Wait and see.

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• 2010 Promontory 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  There is a simmering herbaceous energy that swarms around the black currant and unripe black cherry flavors, with menthol and forest floor rounding out the profile. The cooler vintage makes for a more serious demeanor here, but not without first giving up classic hits of red and black fruit square mid-palate.
  
  This ain’t no 2016 in terms of ripeness and ultimately “opulence” (a relative term when referencing Promontory), but the 2010 is a wine worth paying meaningful attention. It was at once old school as well as so young. It’s like seeing a baby with a receding hairline. Think Stewie on Family Guy. The whole thing honestly kinda trips me out. My own senseless orientations aside, I say check back on this in 2030. This is a long hauler with a great future ahead of it.

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• 2016 Promontory 100 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A perfect wine. And in 10 years it’ll be a perfect wine. And in 15 years it’ll be a perfect wine. And in 20 years it’ll….well, you get the picture. So, we all know that taro card reading wine is an effort in futility. This bottle with this service was perfect. The next bottle tomorrow? Who knows. I gave this 96 points a year-and-a-half ago, and I remember that bottle was a pop-and-pour, which was obvious sacrilege. This recent showing was less strict indeed, opening the doors for weighty, dare I say rich, flavors of blackberry, black cherry, menthol, and sweet earth. So, what makes this better than any other “blackberry, black cherry, menthol…” Cabernet across the Valley? Good question. And since you had to sell your grandpa’s stamp collection to afford this wine, you deserve a candid answer. Well…
  
  Ethereal is a word that comes to mind here. Also, it’s the absence of words that comes to mind (Boom. Mind. Blown. Eat that Aristotle!). There is an emotional activation that happens for me when a wine is “perfect,” whatever that even means exactly. I see a mix of scores on Cellar Tracker here, so I can only call it like I see it in this flash of the pan. As good as this is now, I would recommend holding at least until its ten year mark. It’ll go for two decades more I have little doubt, but this vintage is just so universally splendid that the Promontory definitely deserves a spot in the top wines of that vintage.

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• 2018 Promontory 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  So chiseled and linear that it almost seems like this thing is gonna stayed locked and loaded for the next 30 years. With air, air, air, and more air, blackberry seed, black cherry, and fresh herbs pop from the core. Focused, grippy, and the most honed frame I’ve likely ever seen on a young wine, the 2018 Promontory is in hyperdrive mode in terms of its quivering tension and acidic grasp. This thing is an iron fist in an iron fist. Wait 10 years before the velvet glove thing starts to actually happen.

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• 2019 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  This is still in the librarian zone. I should read my own previous notes more often and pay attention to my own advice to hold these puppies. Plus, it didn't help that it was served in a "Chardonnay" glass that was more like a margarita goblet. So, take that for what it is. Lame stemware aside, this presented as it did last year for me: Yellow citrus, stone and maybe some vanilla (not sweet). Beyond that, it was a very good Chardonnay that is missing personality; nothing better at the moment than the Petit Chablis from this producer. Hold 'em if ya got 'em. Sealed with natural cork.

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• 2018 Promontory Penultimate 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Black currant, unripe black cherry, and a hit of sour berry flavors lead off the charge on the 2018 Penultimate. It stayed tight and a bit wiry on the first pop of the cork, but it became much more giving after a couple of hours. Stemware was kinda cruddy, so it was a struggle at first for the wine to get into gear. However, it’s purity and chiseled frame shows that this wine is crafted with precision and assiduousness. The length on the back end becomes considerable, with the tannins clamping back down toward the final wag of the tail.
  
  Not surprisingly, this bottle of Penultimate was much less torqued up than it hyper-taut 2018 Promontory big brother. Consider holding these bottles for another 5-7+ years. Thanks to Cristal2000 for this generous contribution.

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• 2012 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This was a bottle purchased at the restaurant (Thanks again Bill!). It was very good and, with some time and air (two things that were kinda lacking at the time the bottle came to the table), it evolved into a more interesting creature. We had just opened a 2012 Eisele a couple of days ago and it just goes to show you that proper service – especially with this kind of wine that has some unfolding to do to really show its stuff – makes all the difference. At the restaurant, the stemware was not up to snuff and the 2018 Promontory Penultimate was peacocking a bit more than the Eisele at that time as well. Add palate fatigue from a day of 30+ wines sampled, blah, blah, blah, …and it was a bit of an unfortunate alignment of the stars. To be clear, this was very good, but it didn’t captivate me as much as the bottle we had two days prior (Refer to my previous note on that bottle).
  
  I like having wines at restaurants and all, but there really is something that robs you of the experience of getting to know a wine when compared to being at home. Even if you’re kickin’ it at the French Laundry, there are some distractions that can take away from a wine’s nuances at times. …And if you do happen to find yourself at the French Laundry, the Somm may pour your Promontory into the same glass as your Realm Crane, run away never to be seen again, and then do nothing about it, but not before some other dude drops a whole truffle into your soup, reaches in with his hairy fingers to take it out, and then walks away, again doing nothing more than offer you a passing “Please do enjoy your soup.” Whaaaaat?! STOO-PID!…A story for another day… Ask me how many times I’ve been back to TFL since then…

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• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Édition 168ème 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  A nice glass of 168 to start out before sampling a couple of Harlans at the estate. Who could complain?! I do prefer the 169 (base 2013) to this more rounded 168 (2012 base). Hey, look who’s complaining now?! What's wrong with me....

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• 2021 Harlan Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  As Cristal2000 covers thoroughly in his notes, this barrel sample highlights a chiseled restraint and wonderful purity. Beyond that, it rides high and tight, with bright red fruit popping on to the palate with drive and intensity. The acid elbows its way quickly through the execution of flavor, finishing with a solid pucker that gives you the first half of the Sour Patch Kids, but leaves the party before the sweet part comes to save you. “First they’re sour. Then they’re….” Well… that’s about it.
  
  I can understand why the whole picking in mid-August thing raises eyebrows. I get the dry-farming justification, but I can’t help but wonder what this is ultimately doing to the profile of the wine and if it really is the best-of-the-best type of decision when you are dealing with arguably one of the highest caliber of wines in Napa (and some would contend, the world). I’m not a winemaker, so I don’t know for certain. I also can sorta buy into the “leading from the front” and trailblazing stance, that Cory Epting is going for a more acid-driven beast that will age for eons. He apparently prefers more acid bombs than Bob Levy does. But then we still have to ask, “Is that the best wine?”When will it be at its best (a question for all high end wines to be sure). I mean, why restrict your pick time to August if it’s just not the right time that vintage? When asked about the influence of and concern about wildfires in relation to picking early, as a means to protect your investment before chancing the loss of your very pricey crop to the potential doom of a fire tearing through your property, the answer seemed to skirt that topic and redirect back to the dry-farming rationale to pick early. I’m personally am not looking for another “In the Pursuit of Balance” resurgence anytime soon, especially with these sorts of top producers. I beg you, no 11% Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa please!
  
  I certainly appreciate our lovely hostess taking the time to discuss the issues with us. I guess the proof will be in the pudding… 30 years from now when all I can eat is pudding. More questions than answers at this point.

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• 2018 Harlan Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  When I last had this a year ago, it was displaying all sorts of deep, ripe, and dare I say plush attributes that this go-around were absent for the most part. I can’t recall exactly what before-service acrobatics were performed on this wine before we were poured a sample, but it tasted like it needed a TON of air. I tried to swirl my glass as much as possible without looking like some idiot using the Shake Weight (remember that goofy thing?!). It actually helped to keep spinning my stem throughout the tasting, as slowly the flavors of blackberry seed, red and black cherry, pomegranate, gravel, rose pedals, and eucalyptus emerged. Pure and clean as the day is long, with the acid clenching the palate from beginning to end. Stayed relatively lithe and sinewy compared to the bottle I had last year.
  
  I believe the fruit for the 2018 was an earlier pick as well, so maybe there is hope…

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• NV Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  70/30 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir. Disgorged January 2020. LGC01-20-BT. 12.5%ABV. Brut. Bright and airy, with beautiful lemon and chalk notes caressing and invigorating the palate. The acid and effervescence play hopscotch with each other to elevate the core fruit and enliven the execution from beginning to end. Notable balance here. Drinks like a full BdB, with the lemon and bright citrus on the forefront, with quince and yellow pear bringing up the rear. Good stuff! $55-60 is a killer price point here.

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• 2019 Impensata Merlot 98 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Plush and opulent in the mouth, with blackberry, chocolate, dark spice, pink roses, fresh soil, and ripe red and black raspberry notes wasting no time in enveloping the palate and leaving a deep impression on the taste buds. This stops short of being overly gushing, with a welcomed frame and acidic speed swooping in and taking a handle on the pulsating fruit. A dark profile here, and one that saturates in a way that completely envelops the senses. The nose is 100 points-off-the-charts amazing, with a basket full of the freshest muddled mixed berries smashed in the middle of the floor of a See’s Candies store. You can guzzle this bad boy now, or better yet, hold for a few years and see what kind of nuances lie ahead. It’s got the backbone for it.
  
  96-98 points, depending on your threshold for Merlot and whatever stigmas might accompany that.

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• 2018 Impensata Proprietary Red Wine Engelhard Vineyard 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

  While the 2019 Impensata Ecotone Merlot is out at the clubs dancing the night away, the 2018 Engelhard is stuck at home studying for the LSAT. There is richness here, but it is corralled pretty darn hard by a formidable structure that keeps the core well under thumb. Still, there is underlying depth, with blackberry, black cherry, red and black raspberry, sour plum, and floral notes that push through spine, allowing enough savory characteristics to fill the mouth and leave a smile on your purple face. Finishes with fine-grained tannins that continue to keep the overall profile here more on the serious side.
  
  It's been two years since my last sample of this wine. Then, I thought it might be an earlier bloomer. This bottle, however, speaks to a bit longer maturation before stepping into prime time. Graduation day is probably another 5+ years out minimum. 96-97 point potential here.

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Patrice and Samantha are the best. Samantha was a machine at cranking out the best homemade pizza on the planet!

• 2019 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Spinning Plates 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  The polish and texture here is really something to take note. Accessible and giving, the Spinning Plates is more than just an introduction to the Vice Versa portfolio. It possesses a singular expression, one with a more pliable backbone that is instantly appealing and unpretentious. It doesn’t require a bunch of coddling or predicting. Black cherry and plum dominate. Fun and yummy, but with the layering and complexity required to stay in the cool kid’s club with the rest of the Vice Versa fraternity. It can indeed age, but why wait?!

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• 2021 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  The 2021 LPV and Crane especially lead with vanilla and chocolate notes, flaunting their baby fat like the happiest kid on the planet with a triple scoop ice cream cone in one hand and a pinwheel in the other. Flamboyant and rich, these wines are just happy to be alive in a vintage like 2021. Never too confection or saccharine-laced, even with the wood showing so much at the moment.
  
  Dark fruit and graphite come into the picture with the LPV, washing across the palate with undulating power. Blackberry, pulverized granite, and rocky soil emerge in the mouth and cascade through the finish. This is a huge wine without being huge. Balance and control are evident. It’s a young pup and will need a handful of years to shed its lumbar.
  
  96-97+ point potential.
  
  Note: The 2021s from Vice Versa were all composite barrel samples and not the final blends.

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• 2021 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  The 2021 LPV and Crane especially lead with vanilla and chocolate notes, flaunting their baby fat like the happiest kid on the planet with a triple scoop ice cream cone in one hand and a pinwheel in the other. Flamboyant and rich, these wines are just happy to be alive in a vintage like 2021. Never too confection or saccharine-laced, even with the wood showing so much at the moment.
  
  Sweet mixed berry fruit, vanilla, and chocolate chip cookie notes make for a super fleshy entry. A towering structure (even more so than I typically find from this site) races in to save the fruit from totally imploding (and exploding). It’s sultry the way you know Crane to be. At almost 16% ABV, there is no detectable heat, as the fruit just piles on over and over again on the palate. Purple licorice and blackberry pie crust surge on the finish. These 21s from Vice Versa are a serious laser light Rave show in your mouth.
  
  Note: The 2021s from Vice Versa were all composite barrel samples and not the final blends.

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• 2021 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 100 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  As much as the LPV and Crane are like eating a blackberry pie with the best fruit ever made on earth, the BTK is undeniably the leader of the SVD triad. The concentration is so insanely on-point, with a depth that lands in exactly the right mid of the mid of the mid-palate. It’s execution is flawless, and that’s saying something given what a baby it is right now. Gorgeous density, with blackberry, black soil, pure cassis, and black rock, the BTK is super chewy and at the same time layered with complexities that continue to blossom new flavors and textures. It’s got muscle and grip, so the waves of fruit don’t ever lose traction and break too soon before the persistent finish. For those who are looking for a big, modern expression of To Kalon, this is it without a doubt. Potential for a perfect score here. 97-100 points.
  
  Note: The 2021s from Vice Versa were all composite barrel samples and not the final blends. I'll say this though: Whatever that TK is, they better bottle that bad boy as-is!

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• 2019 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon The Magnificent Seven 99 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  What can you say? It’s M7. I’ve consistently given it 99 points the last few times I’ve had it. Why stop there? 99 it is. Always a bottle of crazy juice. If you haven’t had a enough superlatives from me by now, have fun reading all of my other notes on the 2019 M7 if you’re still wondering how I feel about it.

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• 2019 Vice Versa Cabernet Sauvignon Mysterons 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  The 2019 Mysterons (Ecotone) was served side-by-side with the 2018 Abreu Thorevilos. The vintages and stylistic differences between producers/winemakers was evident, with more throw-your-hands-in-the-air throwback in the Abreu and more modern flair and fantasticness in the Mysterons. This too was grippy at first, but it didn’t take long before the yummy black fruit was Miami Heat pumping in all different directions. Vanilla and chocolate pulse through the black fruit, finishing with power and saturation. Richer and more flamboyant than the Abreu, the Mysterons is a hedonistic Dracula kind of juice befitting a Halloween party with flying gargoyles and dancing satyrs. Hold bottles until October 31st, 2027.

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• 2018 Abreu Thorevilos 99 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  How many different versions of wine perfection can one consume in one sitting?! Well, if you’re gonna throw down with a 2018 Abreu Thorevilos, then the answer is +1 whatever other bottles of amazement you’re drinking that night (Prevost Champ., Soldera Vase Basse Sangio., Roulot Meursault, VV TK, VV M7…where does the madness end?!).
  
  The Abreu starts out grippy and gravely, with blackberry, strawberry seeds (is there such a thing as black strawberry?), unripe black raspberry, and a whole host of mineral elements washing around the mouth with the otherwise black fruit profile. Despite all the pebbly popping on the palate, the Thorevilos is shockingly smooth and balanced. It’s grippy without question, but as firm and focused as any top shelf wine can get, with an added polish and persistence that keeps the profile super clean and vibrant. There is the slightest bit of heat on the finish, but it quickly dissipates with a bit of swirling in the glass. This is MY kind of wine. Hold for 7+ years ideally.

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• 2016 Adamvs Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Another bottle of this got thrown into the mix courtesy of Cristal2000. This bottle OWNED the table in its own right. A Howell Mountain beauty that really outshined its other Adamvs peers all the way around during our earlier tasting (refer to that previous tasting note for specific details). This is perfect Howell Mountain and a darn near perfect wine from stem to stern.

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• 2020 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Clos des Bouchères 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  This is one of my favorite profiles in a Meursault: lemon-lime citrus fruit with a wet limestone frame that offers both juicy fruit and an acidic backbone that can keep it all from becoming too weighty. This has outstanding cut for a Meursault. The sticker shock is a bit to digest, but it is without a doubt one of the best I’ve had from this region. Roulot reminds me a bit of a more refined Mikulski.
  
  2020 is such a fantastic vintage and this bottle does everything right to prove it. Sealed with natural cork. Drink or hold.

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• NV Jérôme Prévost La Closerie Fac-Simile 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  Well I guess if the best Rose I’ve ever had has to be now, it might as well be from Jerome Prevost. The Fac-Simile LC18 is a stunner and is one of my favorite Roses I’ve had in recent memory. Fresh squeezed orange rind, grapefruit juice, dried ginger, lemon pulp, and chalk notes all intermingle to create a flawlessly balanced but lively medley of fruit and stone flavors, all wrapped up in the perfect, most elegant bead of effervescence. The orange rid and fresh grapefruit juice notes sing all the way through the dreamily delineated finish.
  
  These Champagne have jumped in price over the last few years, but there’s no denying their qualitative excellence. Prevost, Selosse, Cedric Bouchard, and a handful of others remain my top bubblies for 2023. Of course, they were even more attractive when they were half the price less than a few years ago. Stupid inflation…

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• 2017 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Sangiovese Toscana IGT 98 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  I first tried this wine six months ago under less-than-ideal conditions. It was fantastic then, and fooled me first into thinking it was some top notch Burgundy rather than a classy Sangio (Ya, I know, I’ve never been that smart). I gave it a 95-point numeric then. This second round with the Soldera gave me ample time to take in all of its glory, with perfect stemware (with a glass bigger than my face), opportunity to constantly revisit it over the course of multiple hours, and lots of geek-out conversation to help contextualize the experience (oh, and great homemade pizza to go with it – Thanks Samantha!).
  
  Ethereal like the best Burgundy on the planet, with a soft density akin to an properly aged CdP, the Soldera took ahold of my sense in every way and catapulted me to another dimension. Ya, ya I know, it sounds dramatic and corny, but I swear to the holy juice Gods of Endor as soon as I stick my schnoz in that glass, it was over for me. Super fresh and resonating, pulling at the back of the jaw with flawless tension. Both smooth and firm, with dusty black cherry and orange rind notes interwoven with red currant, mushroom, and earth flavors. Finishes with a hyper clean exit. This is one of the best Sangiovese experiences I’ve had to date. Love it!

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• 2019 Château La Fleur-Pétrus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This was a powerhouse, so much so that its brute and brawn overpowered its ability to capture finesse and nuance throughout consumption. This thing needs some serious sleepy time. Even then, it may always be a massively modern rendition of…Bordeaux? Napa? Australia? I’ll withhold scoring here. Suffice it to say that this is more Napa than Napa is at the moment. I would’ve never guessed this was from the other side of the Atlantic in my life. It wasn’t bad necessarily, with big and bold blackberry fruit chomping at the bit to explode in the mouth. Really, it is just massive and blocky right now…and stacked with power and heat. Lay off the horse juice already. This one will be an exercise in patience. Hold bottles until we colonize Jupiter.

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• 2020 Thibaud Boudignon Savennières Clos de la Hutte 94 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières

  The 2020 Savennières Clos de la Hutteis a stylish and somewhat understated expression of Chenin, unfolding gradually in the mouth with a deliberate and methodological sense about it. The back end picks up speed and softly clenches up, finishing dry and with amble cut. Lychee, lemon, grass, and pebbles make for a predictable profile, but it’s in the carriage of the flavors that really sets off the classiness and charming presentation of this wine. A subtle succulence here.

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• 2019 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay

  Light and “feminine” (though I typically don’t like using that word), with an elegance that easily rolls along the palate with black cherry water, cinnamon stick, and muddled strawberry flavors. Finishes full and round, with the same grace it begins. Picks up weight and body with air. Drinks fine now with just a bit of swirling in the glass.

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