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

2016 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
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12/2/2020 - jaxpaj wrote: 97 points

I had to go back and review the label. Making sure I didn't open a Missouri hopper. Exactly what I look for in a great napa wine.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    2/14/2021 8:46:00 AM - Right? Best qpr wine. Bought 12 of the 2018.
Red

2016 Realm Cellars The Bard

 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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12/31/2020 - Crunge wrote: 96 points

As bad as 2020 was, I wanted to send it out the door while drinking a good bottle, and this didn't disappoint. Decanted for 2.5 hours and consumed over 90 minutes, every sip was delicious. Blackberry, cocoa, and a touch of tea with silky tannins. The tea was a bit more prominent at the end, but no complaints. This is fantastic and my wife said we need to buy more.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    1/17/2021 3:31:00 PM - The 12 and 13 rock. Probably the best Bards but won’t be duplicated. 16 is solid and I’m having one tonight.
Red

2017 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Three Twins Vineyard

 Napa Valley more
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11/22/2020 - Rktekt3 wrote: 95 points

Yup, it’s just that darn good.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    11/23/2020 6:37:00 PM - Yes, but stone the crows is not as good as this Myriad three twins.
Red

2013 Realm Cellars The Bard

 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/29/2019 - msuwine wrote: 93 points

This reminds me a bit of Michael Jordan during the Wizards era: same guy and same number, but less precision, energy, and power. This wine, too, seems like a shadow of its old self, a decline that is especially pronounced in the four years since I rated it last (10/15 - 98 points). This still has incredible fruit, but the mouthfeel has deadened a bit, driven primarily by its lack of acidity. This is still a flavorful (and good) wine, but it's no longer an energetic (or great) one.

Dark purple, almost inky black in color; thick in body (think half and half); nose of cocoa beans, stewed blueberry, charred wood, and rosemary. Tastes of plum, milk chocolate, baked herbs, and pencil shavings, with a finish that coats the mouth like a milkshake (creamy, but not refreshing - almost stagnant). 14.6% alcohol. Blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot. Decant two hours. 93+ at the moment.

And now onto the color commentary...

I understand my assessment of this wine coincides with the familiar Old World critique of California Cabernet: "sure, it tastes great early on, but it can’t age!" I think this critique is silly, since many Old World wines taste like crap early on and, maybe just maybe, if you store / open / decant / drink them in the right way, at the right time, with the right mindset, they will taste good... maybe, someday. Call me American, but I’ll enjoy my wine in this lifetime, thank you very much. Without apology, I loved this particular vintage of the Bard in 2015 and 2016, and I enjoyed it, albeit somewhat less, in the several times I tasted it in 2017 and 2018, while it seemed to be becoming more top-heavy and disjointed.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Bard is less impressive in 2019 than it was in 2015, and this kind of wine should have lasted longer. To call it “unresolved” would imply a future when it comes together, but I suspect the opposite is happening here: this wine is unwinding. Of course, this could be seen as a morality play: a blend made to be enjoyed in the short-term, without enough tannins or acidity, has its comeuppance ("Out out brief candle!," all that). But this mistakes the ending of the story for the whole of it. While recognizing this wine's decline, I think it's fair to appreciate that it had a certain greatness in the early going... but now it's time to batten down the hatches, and drink sooner rather than later!

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    5/9/2020 2:17:00 PM - We must have not had the same wine. Yes, it’s different from a few years back but for me, it has mellowed into a very good spot. All the flavors were right there.
Red

2018 Bedrock Wine Co. Oakville Farmhouse

 Red Blend more
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2/8/2020 - mattstolz11 wrote: NR

learn from my mistake. hide this from yourself for at least 5 years. you'll be happy you did. too wound up to give anything at this point. needs time.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    2/20/2020 6:31:00 PM - I haven’t opened a single bottle of this since vintage 2013 and still holding off.
Red

2014 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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8/19/2018 - Rktekt3 wrote: 93 points

Wish I had ordered more of these.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    8/19/2018 9:56:00 AM - Yup. $65 for these and $80 for the three twins. Great QPR wines. Still have two three twins left of the 2014.
Red

2015 Realm Cellars The Bard

 Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend more
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3/3/2018 - csimm wrote: 91 points

Realm - The Riddle of the Sphinx: Previous notes apply. Sweet blackberry liqueur, blueberry smoothie, dark chocolate chunk, vanilla bean, bread dough, mocha, clove, and anise. Still exhibiting a bit of a clumsy profile, with a fat, all thumbs, ham-fisted thump to my Daffy Duck palate by Hugo The Abominable Snow Man..."I will name him George and I will hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him..."

It's certainly a mouthful of notable flavor (so it gains points there), but there isn't much focus. The heavy saccharine-laced pawing of the palate becomes fairly cloying and mushy. The Sumo chassis slaps the burlesque flavors around like a fat pimp with a sloppy stripper. Are we Caymus-bound with this particular wine?? ...hoping to appeal to the piles of Miley Cyrus cronies pouring themselves out of undulating party busses, all the while clenching close to the allotments of Cranes and To Kalons of the lineup which are better served for hobnobbing with the Hong Kong bankers and Warren Buffetts of the world? Jesus I hope not.......

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    5/24/2018 6:40:00 PM - NOOOOooooooooo, please tell me the past 45 posts were just a cruel joke.

    Yes their pricing has gone steroidal the last two years but they always had great customer relations. I have not been to their new place in the stags leap district yet.
Red

2012 Jones Family Cabernet Sauvignon The Sisters

 Napa Valley more
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10/21/2016 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 points

Looking back I am surprised at the lower scores in my past notes. I had 2 cases of this and only have 4 left. This is a wonderful wine that is drinking beautifully. Excellent QPR

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    7/12/2017 5:42:00 AM - Just had a similar experience. during 2016 I rated this wine significantly lower at 89 my last bottle I drank last night was great. I even passed on my 2013 allocation because of the scores I gave it in 2016. Now I am bummed.
Red

2013 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District

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2/4/2017 - Rktekt3 wrote: 99 points

Took a hit for the club here.

This is clearly not ready to drink. Very muted. Fruit not able to be coaxed out. PNP and drank over four hours with no noticeable change.

Rating this a 99 to make up for the guy posting a 51.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    5/17/2017 4:42:00 AM - I can still see it about three posts below my 99 score so......

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    5/19/2017 5:25:00 AM - I don't see any comments yet on Fastrow23's posting of a 51 rating and others complaining that it isn't a legitimate score. So....... when he/she revises that score, I will consider revising my score. That 51 has not been stripped out as far as I can tell. Still there as of today.
Red

2014 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

 Napa Valley more
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3/2/2017 - heythatslife Does not like this wine: 78 points

Most of the time I can take wines that are not necessarily made in my preferred style but appreciate them for what they are. Here, I'm just going to put my foot down and say no. This is one confected mess of a wine. A jammy, port-like nose with some weird burning rubber, orange marmalade, and caramel going on. Cloying and sickly-sweet on the palate, not enough acidity, and an overly oaky finish. Could not finish the single glass that I was given. I was tasting this side by side with other California cabernets but felt Caymus to be uniquely unpleasant and far overmanipulated in comparison.

Funny thing is, I remember tasting Caymus toward the beginning of my wine drinking career and liking it. Tastes change, I guess.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    4/5/2017 7:16:00 AM - Sometimes it isn't a changing palate but a changing wine maker. This wine morphed in 2012.
Red

2014 Turley Zinfandel Pesenti Vineyard

 Paso Robles more
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3/22/2017 - Rktekt3 wrote: 87 points

There is no way this wine is ever going to come together. Ever.

Usually my go to wine which is why I ordered so much of it. Clearly other people knew something because this wine is a disjointed mess. PNP on first night was crazy not right. 2 days later and I am getting bath soap flavor on the palate. Not a good sign. Great color though.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    3/23/2017 7:37:00 AM - Some people are on a 100 point rating system. Some use Parkers 50 point system. I'm on about a 30 point system between 70-100. So.......
Red

2015 Bedrock Wine Co. The Bedrock Heritage

 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel more
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2/12/2017 - Rktekt3 wrote: NR

Jeezaloo I can not believe that I opened this bottle. Seriously a bottle that is not nor will be ready to drink for several years. No rating here. I should have known better. Heritage is one of my favorite bedrock wines and I just screwed up by opening this. This is just such a raw wine right now. Tons of structure but that's it.

DO NOT OPEN til 2020

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    2/13/2017 5:14:00 AM - I should not have used the word "terrible" in my review. I will edit that out, but this wine is not "together" which for me makes it not very drinkable/enjoyable in this stage.
Red

2012 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

 Oakville more
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6/14/2016 - Rktekt3 wrote: 95 points

Really nice wine but for me the Beckstoffer is better as a Bdx blend such as Realm has done with the Bard. I pnp this bottle and drank it over several hours. It opened up a wee bit so i will decant the next bottle for at a min. Four hours. Its a big red wine, smooth, low tannic structure with some dust, chocolate and nice fruit but it needs some time to open up.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    6/15/2016 5:13:00 AM - I would have to say that it was a bit monolithic, or maybe just linear, hard to say. Enjoyable though. But it is pure BTK cabernet. I happen to like pure cabernet from various vineyards but find that this "sweet spot" in Napa, for me, can be too much. This was a 2012 and is accessible now but i will wait a few more years to open my next bottle. When i open my first bottle of a vintage i generally do not decant it but enjoy it over several hours to watch it develope. Others on this wine have mentioned long decants and i think i would agree with this.
Red

2014 Bedrock Wine Co. The Bedrock Heritage

 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Blend, Zinfandel more
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11/22/2015 - The Wine Hawk wrote: flawed

This was recommended as a really special Zin. This was as good as promised. It had old world balance of fruit and dryness. A little heat on long finish.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    1/18/2016 12:35:00 PM - Yea! What he said.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

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1/7/2016 - CultCabKing wrote: flawed

Still terrific

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    1/16/2016 3:01:00 PM - Its not flawed, its 2012 Caymus 40th.
Red

2012 Jones Family Cabernet Sauvignon The Sisters

 Napa Valley more
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8/31/2015 - jaxpaj wrote: NR

This will be a polarizing wine. This either tiptoes right up to the edge of indulgence. Huge, thick, and powerful wine. I think this is what Caymus 40th wanted to be. I am still torn but glad I purchased a couple of cases, this will give me plenty of opportunity to develop my opinion. 90-96pts.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    9/15/2015 4:32:00 PM - Jeezaloo, a couple cases? Man. I wish i could taste the development over that length of time. Good luck.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 Napa Valley more
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1/28/2015 - Maleko wrote: NR

Saw the bottle on the shelf at Safeway. Read through some of your comments and have decided it may not be worth the risk.
They are asking $74.99, is that too high?

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    3/20/2015 7:29:00 PM - $75 plus tax? Yeah, too high.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

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3/10/2015 - wineshaman wrote: 91 points

Popped another one last night, with a veggie pizza, it amazes me that vintage after vintage of Caymus you consistantly here the same moans, too much fruit, too much oak, too jammy, too sweeeeet, too much vanilla, too over the top, too extracted, too much of everything. does not taste like cab, taste manufactured, etc. etc. For me this is one damn good red wine, why are these people drinking this wine anyway, go figure!!

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    3/20/2015 7:26:00 PM - A lot of us like Caymus, just not the 2012. Worst vintage i have had from them.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 Napa Valley more
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3/15/2015 - 458jeff Likes this wine: 96 points

What a change. I first tried this wine and thought it was a 90. At times I didn't really like it as it seemed too sweet, somewhat syrupy, and synthetic. Not thrilled. So after months of avoiding it I tried it again. Suddenly, it's not the same wine. It has more depth, complexity, balance and the over-powering sweetness is gone. I did not trust myself as the transformation seemed too great. Well, I had a second bottle a week later and felt the same way. I strongly recommend retasting this wine as I believe you will likely be astonished. I just ordered two additional cases. This wine is now a screaming bargain. Will it get even better?

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    3/20/2015 7:24:00 PM - I have opened five or six of these and can tell you that they were all a mess. Having given it ratings from 86-89, i feel sometimes i may have not rated them correctly.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 Napa Valley more
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1/31/2015 - Rktekt3 wrote: 86 points

What the hell! Robert Parker revisited this wine and gave it another 96. He has clearly lost his ability to taste anything. I cant believe i bought a case of this stuff. Id prefer a case of Bogle at $20 per.

What is amazing about this wine is that you can use it to dye anything a deep purple, probably from too much use of that purple drank they used to enhance it. Its better that cherry coolaid in this regard. You really do have to brush your teeth, gums and tongue vigorously to remove the stains.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    2/1/2015 10:34:00 AM - I would be happy to trade my 2012 Caymus, PARKER rated 96, for a mixed lot of your 2008-2011 Caymus, rated 90-92. I have six bottles of 750ml. Im in the chicago burbs and happy do do a one for one trade.
Red

2011 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir

 Dundee Hills more
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3/16/2013 - jmcafee wrote: 87 points

Pleasant to drink now, but this will not improve much with age. Structurally it is a lightweight. Drink now through 2016. Tasted twice with similar results.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    9/17/2014 7:20:00 PM - I agree that this will not improve with age, but it wont get any worse either.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 Napa Valley more
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7/17/2014 - Just Grapes Does not like this wine: 86 points

I had this wine at Gram and Dun in KC. The wine is serviceable, at best, for a Napa Cab. I enjoy older Caymus Cabs and have them in my cellar and this wasn't even close. This is the Meiomi Pinot Noir (use that lightly since it is 25% something else) of Cabernet for 2012. I just don't get the reviews on this wine. This was such a fruit bomb that it almost tasted like Port. The bottle had only been open for 30 minutes or so. Thus, the wine in the bottle wasn't oxidized. I'm kind of scared to try the 2011 that I purchased and have in my cellar.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    7/24/2014 3:44:00 PM - So, are you saying that Caymus undersold the previous year or years? Or just that the 2012 was so mass produced even for Caymus which is saying even more because the Wagner family was fined for producing more than allowed recently?
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 Napa Valley more
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6/26/2014 - zinnut Does not like this wine: 89 points

This a syrupy, oaky, grape bomb. Very unpleasant. Reminds me of Apothic Red.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    6/27/2014 8:57:00 AM - But you rated it an 89? Apothic Red scores mid to low 80's. maybe averages an 84. And I am not certain how that is.
Red

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 Napa Valley more
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6/22/2014 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 90 points

As many have stated, you pretty much know what your are getting with Caymus, so..... If you don't like this style, don't drink it (no offense). I say, if you drink it now you should give it a long decant. There are certainly some very dominant quality / sensual aspects to this 2012 vintage, but I think it get better with some aging and the point score will ascend with time. 90 points for now.

  • Comment posted by Rktekt3:

    6/27/2014 8:43:00 AM - I am not trying to hack on Yack here, but I don't see how a couple hour decant is going to help this out. I had some the first night and based my score on that. If I had based it on my second nights tasting, where the bottle had obviously breathed for a bit, my score would be lower then the 87. I'm just saying.

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