Search Results - Save This Search

Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments Comment Date Community Score More...
Red

1989 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l'Olive

 Cabernet Franc more
Options

11/26/2015 - nortonnose wrote: 90 points

This was nice. But I was mildly disappointed, if only because I expected a lot. To be fair, this was served next to '02 Raffault Les Picasses, which showed better on the Thanksgiving table. This exhibited a wild forest nose, and very vegetal on the palate - all a good thing. Meaty and herbaceous. Yet also a touch medicinal, which I found distracting. I'm eager to try another one in a different context sometime soon.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    12/11/2015 6:43:00 AM - I have one more, and I know that Ian has been hiding some of the remaining stock for folks that want it. Definitely try this again. I suspect bottle variation, or perhaps a loose cork. Sounds a bit accelerated compared to the one I had.
Red

1996 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch

 Napa Valley more
Options

7/28/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 points

Guys Night Out - California Dreaming! (Joe's House): Splash double decant - Abreu is always a welcome treat! IMO, Brad Grimes (winemaker) is a master at his craft (even though he didn't craft these wines...which I recently learned!). This wine is drinking quite well! A very nice balance between fruit and tertiary flavors. As Galewskj noted, this wine got even better with some air, which tells me it should hold at this level for a while, so drink now or save for that special occasion in the not-to-distant future. Nose was floral, with dark fruit, tobacco and old leather. Palate showed plenty dark and red fruit, but with an equal amount of tertiary goodness consisting of a mixture of earth, bramble, tar and tobacco, and hints of blood/iodine. Truly a pleasure to drink! 95+ for me, and my number 2 wine of the night!

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    7/29/2022 9:26:00 PM - The first vintage that Brad made solo were the 2001's.

    He made the 2000 vintage with Ric's oversight, and that was the first vintage of Thorevilos. Madrona from the late 80's and 90's was made by Ric. There is an interview where Ric discusses aging the first vintages of Abreu in his bedroom!

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    7/29/2022 9:03:00 PM - 100% agreed on the talents of Brad Grimes, but the 1996 was made by Ric Forman. The mid-90's wines that he made in the early days for David are stellar and have longevity that only the top tier in CA have.
Red

2018 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Radio Silence

 Napa Valley more
Options

12/26/2020 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 points

Nose: beautiful, dark red plum, black cherry and fruit leather. Vanilla bean, toffee, graphite and floral notes that come in and out. Palate: complex high quality fruit, spice and dark ripe tannin. Issue here is a vein of alcohol here that can be quite distracting. Finish: lots of Oakville terroir, sweet black fruit and oak polish.

This begs for time in the cellar to knit together a bit more. I expect a dormant period here before a truly beautiful Oakville wine emerges. Upside from here.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    12/28/2020 2:59:00 PM - I think the Commission is the most ready to drink of all of the wines you mentioned. The 2018 Radio Silence needs time to develop, so I would give this 6-12 months to make another assessment. Even the 2016 Wolf Grade is much better w/long decant. Yesterday Howell Mtn is a long lived wine, yet delicious today if you can take the tannin. The Phoenix appears to be Dana Estate to me (Rutherford and Howell Mtn) and I ordered that too.

    Our tastes seem close. I tend to fall more on the classic side of Napa, but do enjoy the flashier wines now and then.

    This one is worth the px of admission, but be patient with it. Reminds me in the fruit of a Hobbs To Kalon with a lot of restraint. Ride high on the palate and has nuance that is just hiding a bit now.
Red

2018 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Commission

 Napa Valley more
Options

11/28/2020 - sean7711 wrote: 89 points

Drank over a few nights. This one never opened up behind a grippy, massive wall of tannins and over fruited concoction, and a bit of a jumbled mess in my opinion. Bought 6 bottles, but was not impressed from my 1st bottle. Hoping time will do the trick on this one. As a wine access reference point, the 2018 Yesterday bottling was miles ahead of this one, at least at this point in the wine's life.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    11/29/2020 10:14:00 PM - Philly NQ - check out my note. There is some harmony to be worked out here but the pieces are there. I gave mine 6 hrs of air and it really showed the character of the Bryant fruit. Fayard did quite well to my palate.
Red

2018 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Yesterday Oakville

 more
Options

9/1/2020 - KAT9 wrote: 92 points

Holy crap, the heat and acidity are completely uneven and overwhelming. On the nose, it was pleasant, vanilla, black fruits. Nothing outstanding, not even in the same level as the $100 Napa wine. On the palate, all I can taste is the heat and the strong acidity. The only good thing I can say about this wine is the finish is lingering and maybe a little longer than typical Napa. At this point, this is worse than most $75-100 Napa wines. It is the opposite of opulence. Taste like a $30 max kind of wine. PnP and first impression.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    9/5/2020 5:49:00 PM - Very glad it turned around for you. This does need quite a bit of air.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    9/1/2020 4:23:00 PM - PNP this will rip the enamel off of your teeth. Decant 4-6 hours and see what happens.
Red

2016 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Vaso

 Napa Valley more
Options

3/14/2021 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 96 points

Absolutely brilliant. I wasn’t quite sure after my first two tastings, but this is why it’s so important to assess a wine where it should be consume...around a meal in good company. The first two tasting were from samples and against beasts like Dana Lotus 2017, Dalla Valle Cab 2016 and Bevan Tench 2016...absolutely unfair.

This time around, it was by itself and I decanted it 2 hours prior to dinner. It peaked and remained there after 2.5 hours. The coulour is youthful and the nose is really pronounced. Already showing some complexity with blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, mixed with vanilla, dark chocolate...reminding me of a black forest cake. Pretty similar on the palate with a polished tannic structure, balance and quite some length. Great aromatic finish. This can be enjoyed now or cellared for another 7 years.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    5/6/2021 9:09:00 PM - Agree 100%. This is a superstar at the dinner table. We all loved this.
Red

2017 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

 St. Helena more
Options

8/30/2020 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 points

I had this blind alongside the 12 and 13 vintages. Wanted to get rid of any bias I might have against the 17 vintage. I had previously doubled decanted this bottle and it received about 4 hours or air before the first sip. The evolution from hour 4 to hour 7 was pretty amazing. Blind, it was more muted on the nose than the other two. Gorgeous deep purple in the glass, it displayed floral notes intermixed with lots of earthy notions, black fruit, menthol and tobacco. Not surprisingly, it tasted really young. There was good freshness but it was a bit austere and the mid palate had not developed while the fruit was still hiding behind tannins. It was pretty clear this was the 17. I felt it was the least interesting of the three wines, but still was very good with upside potential.

Now fast forward a few hours and wow, the fruit really started to emerge, showing beautifully pure and ripe, with excellent concentration and youthful exuberance. The mid palate had filled in completely, and it was a totally different animal. Very expressive and easily one of the best 2017's I've had to date. In the end, this was just as good if not better than the other two vintages. As usual, Spottswoode made a great wine irrespective of the challenges of the growing season. This wine is always a winner.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    4/5/2021 8:07:00 AM - I bought a 17/18 6 pack under the free shipping deadline and mixed in some Lyndenhurst and SB. The bundling is BS just means I will acquire most of my 18s at retail.
Red

2016 BRAND Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon "BRIO"

 more
Options

2/25/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 91 points

Virtual tasting with proprietor Jim Bean. Awash with sweet spices of ginger bread, anise and Asian spice surrounding a red currant fruit . Excessively sweet for my taste. Rather soft texture with lots of acidity and lighter bodied than I would have expected. Easy to find pleasure here if you‘re a sweet mouth, but you won't find much "terroir" or unique character here.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    3/1/2021 7:20:00 PM - What was your overall impression of the estate after this tasting? I have had a few bottles, and am considering buying the 18s, but I just get the sense they could do better. Too many on Pritchard Hill that hired Melka and he does not lead the pack for me.
Red

2016 Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
Options

1/28/2021 - msuwine wrote: 96 points

This rich and dense wine will improve with time, but it is singular and stunning right now. This reminded me of one of my favorite wines of the 2016 vintage so far - the Kinsman Eades Rhadamanthus (from Diamond Mountain) - which also involved one Nigel Kinsman. The Accendo is a bit more prickly, but this wine is just as dense, classy, and delicious.

Dark red in color and full in body, the wine offers incredible aromas of boysenberry, cardamon, graphite, eucalyptus, and fresh oregano, with a hint of orange rind. The flavors are generous but precise, with notes of black cherry, espresso, gravel, and dried thyme, with a grainy finish that has enough balance of fruit, acidity, and tannin to last for ages (to infinity and beyond). Blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Decant at least two hours. 14.8% alcohol. 96+ for now, with even more upside in 2023 or later.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    2/5/2021 6:29:00 AM - Thanks for the detailed review. Sounds like the Araujo family is now making the most of these top notch sources. Just grabbed a late release 3 pack based on this.
Red

1994 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release

 Howell Mountain more
Options

8/31/2022 - Mr T wrote: NR

drank at a belated Anniversary dinner with my bride who unfortunately was having a terrible GI evening. The wine remains remarkably dark and intense after all these years but still well balanced and more than adequate fruit. Some of the vibrancy is reduced but still deep and rich if slightly acidic. I thought it better and more beautiful the second night

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    8/31/2022 7:26:00 AM - Gosh, I have had this dinner in the reverse scenario. It was our first date night in a long time (post COVID), and my GI was killing me. I toughed it out and got through dinner and a glass of wine nonetheless.

    Glad you got to enjoy this beauty. The longevity of these 90's La Jota wines is impressive, and to me they are right behind Dunn in the 90's on HM as the standout producers of the era in that appellation.
Red

2016 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon

 Spring Mountain District more
Options

10/1/2020 - RockinCabs Likes this wine: 94 points

Nose: blackberry, cassis, coffee beans, espresso and chocolate shavings. Palate: deftly balanced middle weight structure with a beam of ripe tannin. Blackberry, plum, tobacco and mocha notes on the palate.

This will be a very long lived wine that reminds me a bit of the 2005 Mouton.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    10/4/2020 11:00:00 AM - Double decanted then back into bottle before dinner. Put in decanter for 3 hrs before serving.

    It is classic. Not inaccessible, but very young. I am looking in on lower abv wines for cellaring. This was one of the great wines.
Red

2014 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon

 Rutherford more
Options

1/25/2019 - AEROSMITH wrote: 97 points

just amazing! thats it

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    1/26/2019 6:48:00 AM - ... and I'm say'n a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight!
Red

1996 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release

 Howell Mountain more
Options

11/19/2021 - WineDoc1955 Likes this wine: 96 points

Tasted as part of a vertical spanning 1993-2002 vintages. It was the consensus winner. Tannins are integrated, wine is balanced. Wine is still vibrant with lots of fruit.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    11/20/2021 12:05:00 PM - Would love your thoughts on other vintages in this range. I love this era of La Jota myself.
Red

2011 Corra Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
Options

12/10/2015 - Superjack29 wrote: 92 points

This is showing much better than it did a year ago, a lot less green and a lot more of the Celia Welch style that I love. Not quite the weight of her other vintages but that is to be expected when drinking any 2011.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    12/10/2015 6:45:00 AM - Thanks for checking in on this for the Corra fan base. I was very concerned upon trying my first bottle last year and decided to give them time as well. Glad to see that the pieces are coming together.
Red

2010 Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
Options

3/29/2020 - Mark1npt Does not like this wine: 84 points

I'm not feeling it with this bottle......picked up at auction from winebid. Just a bunch of stewed fruit. In fact, it's not even stewed, it's nose is that spoiled, rotted fruit stink you get when you leave a piece of fruit sitting in the basket in the window in the kitchen for a week too long. The actual wine is drinking older than a 2010, maybe more like a 2000 if that helps you to get a feeling for it. On this bottle the cork was a bit crumbly which makes me think this bottle was not stored properly to begin with and that I was very lucky onthe first bottle. Such a difference from the last bottle in this lot. Another great winebid experience......not. Seems more and more they are offering a mixed bag of wines when you buy multiples...a mix of good and bad. Buyer beware.

Addendum: 3 more hours in and the spoiled fruit stench leaves, replaced by just old fruit. Prunes, plums, and so on......it's actually a few points better but still not something I would buy again. I originally gave this an 84.....now it may be an 89....I won't buy this again, even if it's at $50/bottle.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    8/11/2020 8:36:00 PM - was your bottle in March from the same batch? Sounds like you may have just gotten a cooked bottle .... Winebid sees more lesser provenance consignments than I may like.
Red

1996 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release

 Howell Mountain more
Options

1/1/2024 - Joealex Likes this wine: 97 points

Color is opaque black without of any sign of old wine fading.
Initally smell was shy and wine needed to be decanted 2 hours to open up buquet.
After 2 hs buquet became intense, sweet, fresh and was like smelling of fresh smashed blackberries, currants, cherries on palm completed with cigar tobacco, you immediately want to try the first sip.
There is sweet core of balck and red fruits which is unique seal/stamp for highest quality wines from Napa region. This sweet core is wrapped by a lot of silk like tannins. Amazing balance of sweet black/red friuts, silk tannins, accidity and structure. Simply WOW!
In aftertaste still there is "lion's claw" whis suggests that wine still remains in excellent condition a few more years.
Wine is concentrated, smooth like texture with silk like tannins, intense with long afterstate ( almost a minute). Elegant style as many top quality wines form legendary Napa period 1990-1997, not as heavy or clumsy or alcoholic as so many Napa caberntes form 2012 till present years.
This is true testament of greatness of Helen Turley winemaking from her prime career and legendary Napa period of 1990-1997.
One of the best wines of my life and probably the best wine of 2024 which has just started .

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    1/15/2024 8:38:00 PM - One of the great wines of the 90s. The La Jota Anniv Cabs are simply tremendous wines that will prove to be some of the best from this period. Some of Helen's best work in my book over the Colgins and Bryant's of the era.
Red

2008 Kristine Ashe Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Entre Nous

 Oakville more
Options

1/4/2016 - BCharlieG Likes this wine: 91 points

Seemed flat. Giving the next one more time. Elegant but didn't hold up to price point.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    1/4/2016 1:36:00 PM - Ouch. Lay it down a bit longer. I would have expected a better showing, but I am learning that lesson on some of the 07/08 Napa cabs. For me 7-10 years from vintage is not long enough anymore.
Red

1979 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve

 Napa Valley more
Options

5/14/2023 - boillatm Likes this wine: 97 points

A nice dinner with friends: Magnum bought at an auction last December (photo uploaded). Opened 30 minutes before serving.
Very beautiful dark crimson color, almost no bricking. The nose didn't give much, but the palate blew me away: stewed plums and many things I wasn't able to identify. The most striking part was the way the wine coated one's mouth at the end. Stunning.
It was so good that we started drinking the bottle at the apero and finished it with steaks.

Older vintages from this wine are no so often available on the market in Switzerland but I have an opportunity I will jump on it. I am also considering buying some more recent vintages although I don't know if the wine-making is at the same level now.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    7/24/2023 1:33:00 PM - I am sure finding these 60's-70's BV in Switzerland is like finding pristine 50's Bordeaux in the USA (very difficult). Although they are beautiful masterpieces in many cases.

    That said, the winery transitioned winemaking away from Andre T. in the early 80's and by 1985 a new winemaker had taken over, and the style of wine began to go through some changes. By 1990 they had transitioned to French Oak, and the vineyard management had lost its way a bit.

    Farming changes in the 2010's started paying dividends, and a new winemaker named Trevor Durling is making some wines that should wine up among the classics from the BV estate. I highly recommend seeking out the current releases.
Red

1979 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

 Napa Valley more
Options

11/11/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 points

Nose: Beautiful concentrated dark berries, cherry tart,, cassis and pencil. Mint, bell pepper and cedar. This is well focused and and has great depth. Palate: berry staining entry, cherry skin, loamy earth and just a touch of menthol. Really nice. Finish: Complete and complex. Great dark cabernet fruit and freshvfloral notes and sweet cedar.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    11/16/2021 7:19:00 PM - 79 is quickly coming up the list of my favorite mature napa vintages. The ripe tannins are so nice.
Red

1951 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve

 Napa Valley more
Options

4/7/2023 - BradE wrote: NR

California Dreamin' and a Pair of Inaugural Corton Charlemagne: This beautiful wine stood out initially and for me remained red WOTN. Absolute class in the glass and it simply had no flaws. From the Singleton Cellar.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    7/27/2023 9:04:00 AM - Completely amazing that a 12-bottle case was sold at the Singleton Auction in 2000, and even more incredible that these are being enjoyed 23-years later.

    What a special case, and way to showcase these wines. On my bucket list if I can ever find a good bottle.
Red

2005 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

 Napa Valley more
Options

11/11/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 88 points

After the parade of high scores I was expecting a lot out of this wine, but it just never really came together. Oak, vanilla and wood smoke dominated. At 16 yrs is was just too oaky to enjoy. Did not represent the other wines from the vineyard.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    11/16/2021 7:17:00 PM - I hope so too. I have heard wonderful things about the 2005, and really want one that is a homerun quality bottle. I'll be seeking out more.
Red

2003 Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
Options

2/5/2015 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 points

Big heavy chewy cab with fully integrated tannins, smooth, but not overly long berry finish; had 3 bottles with significant variation, this was heads above the rest, wish I had more like this one....hope 2005 is this good

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    2/6/2015 6:56:00 AM - Hey Ball Coach. In my opinion the 2005 consistently delivers above the level of the 2003. You need to decant it for about 2-3 hours still, but it is a great bottle to follow over the course of an evening with a good steak.
Red

2002 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

 more
Options

6/26/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: NR

Lambert's bottle; purchased 2nd hand at Wades Wines in So Cal. Too evolved and mature for an 02. No primary fruit, all end-phase secondary--brownish black color, tons of sediment. Must have been passively stored in its prior life. A shame--they charged him close to $200 each for these.

  • Comment posted by RockinCabs:

    6/26/2015 11:28:00 AM - I have had my bottles passively stored since release, and just checked on a bottle that still needs time in the cellar. This sounds more like heat damage to me, and I would contact Wades and get a refund for the cooked bottle. Maybe return the others as well.

Loading wine details...
loading

×
×