Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery - Aubert, Shafer, Bevan, Sea Smoke, Togni, and more... (Calistoga): From magnum. This wine was showing much more power and intensity than when I last had it back in September 2017. I can only assume the magnum effect is what was potentially preserving this wine much better than the .750 bottle I had a number of months back. I thought this was showing spectacularly well, with concentrated but deceptively smooth notes of black and red berry fruit notes, plum, currant, unsmoked cigar, and subtle earth. A solid mid-palate, with a medium-to-full length finish. Drinking at its peak right now (again, considering it was from magnum). 95-96 points.
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Bevan Tasting - 750 Wines (Saint Helena): A special treat to be able to try this wine. Tasted with "Danger D" himself - a remarkable man indeed. Beautifully integrated tannins with resolved flavors of deep black and red fruit, black and red currant, quality tobacco leaf, and a little earth. An excellent example of a wine working itself seamlessly through the aging process. In a great place right now. This will continue to reward over the next 5+ years.
This wine made me want to grab a seat in an oversized soft leather chair, don a cheesy crimson velour smoking jacket, and hang out fireside with my hunting hounds Bullet and Abercrombie.
--- COLOR: Deep garnet/purple, opaque NOTE: My third time with this wine in 3 months, thanks to Coravin. Nose was just full of ripe mulberry/blackberry, vanilla and ash, then mouth was opulent and it persisted into the finish. So much fruit, so much structure. Yikes. Only 50 cases produced. I can't believe I scored a bottle. Laube was right, this is very much in the Schrader spectrum.
DECANT: 1-3 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.4 (as high as 9.6 on first tasting) COST: (see other note) VALUE: TRY AGAIN: CORAVIN'D: Yes, twice prior PRE-POUR LEVEL: 40% PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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--- COLOR: Opaque purple with ruby-purple rim NOTE: This smells almost identical to the 2008 Schrader Old Sparky. Same lovely berry liqueur notes, mixed with minerals and leather, hints of Mexican sage, but with a hint of sweetness that forebodes what's in store. Mouth is rich, velvety, full of sweet glycerin and this makes it more immediately appealing than the 2008 Old Sparky. I really love how it rolls around on the tongue and just evokes tremendous pleasure with its pure black/blue/red fruits. As it creeps into the finish it retains a strong fruit-driven profile, which I really enjoy. The finish takes on some structure with leather and baking spices, but the fruit still sails on for 45 seconds. The mouth and finish really set this above the Old Sparky in a significant way, but I'm rating them the same overall. Well-balanced and ready to enjoy at pop-n-pour now or with several hour decant.
DECANT: 1-3 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.6- COST: 205 VALUE: 6.0 TRY AGAIN: now-2018 CORAVIN'D: Yes PRE-POUR LEVEL: 100 PAIRING: n/a Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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10/8/2021 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big broad fruit bomb with succulent textures and good concentration. No rush to drink up.
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11/25/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Awesome wine, a big red fruit driven Napa Cab, super crowd pleaser. No hurry to drink up.
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8/4/2018 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Sine Qua Non (SQN) Magnum Extravaganza + Bevan, Mike Smith, Sparkling/Champagne, and others (Calistoga): From .750. While the David’s Cuvée was noticeably less intense in .750 than from magnum the day before, the Danger D was fairly similar between the two bottling sizes. Possibly a hair less concentrated than the powerful juice out of magnum. Previous note from yesterday otherwise applies.
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8/3/2018 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery - Aubert, Shafer, Bevan, Sea Smoke, Togni, and more... (Calistoga): From magnum. This wine was showing much more power and intensity than when I last had it back in September 2017. I can only assume the magnum effect is what was potentially preserving this wine much better than the .750 bottle I had a number of months back. I thought this was showing spectacularly well, with concentrated but deceptively smooth notes of black and red berry fruit notes, plum, currant, unsmoked cigar, and subtle earth. A solid mid-palate, with a medium-to-full length finish. Drinking at its peak right now (again, considering it was from magnum). 95-96 points.
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9/1/2017 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Bevan Tasting - 750 Wines (Saint Helena): A special treat to be able to try this wine. Tasted with "Danger D" himself - a remarkable man indeed. Beautifully integrated tannins with resolved flavors of deep black and red fruit, black and red currant, quality tobacco leaf, and a little earth. An excellent example of a wine working itself seamlessly through the aging process. In a great place right now. This will continue to reward over the next 5+ years.
This wine made me want to grab a seat in an oversized soft leather chair, don a cheesy crimson velour smoking jacket, and hang out fireside with my hunting hounds Bullet and Abercrombie.
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9/26/2016 - ledwards wrote: 93 Points
Incredibly soft and supple layers of black fruit. Tannins totally integrated.
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1/9/2015 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 94 Points
---
COLOR: Deep garnet/purple, opaque
NOTE: My third time with this wine in 3 months, thanks to Coravin. Nose was just full of ripe mulberry/blackberry, vanilla and ash, then mouth was opulent and it persisted into the finish. So much fruit, so much structure. Yikes. Only 50 cases produced. I can't believe I scored a bottle. Laube was right, this is very much in the Schrader spectrum.
DECANT: 1-3 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.4 (as high as 9.6 on first tasting)
COST: (see other note)
VALUE:
TRY AGAIN:
CORAVIN'D: Yes, twice prior
PRE-POUR LEVEL: 40%
PAIRING:
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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11/1/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 96 Points
---
COLOR: Opaque purple with ruby-purple rim
NOTE: This smells almost identical to the 2008 Schrader Old Sparky. Same lovely berry liqueur notes, mixed with minerals and leather, hints of Mexican sage, but with a hint of sweetness that forebodes what's in store.
Mouth is rich, velvety, full of sweet glycerin and this makes it more immediately appealing than the 2008 Old Sparky. I really love how it rolls around on the tongue and just evokes tremendous pleasure with its pure black/blue/red fruits. As it creeps into the finish it retains a strong fruit-driven profile, which I really enjoy. The finish takes on some structure with leather and baking spices, but the fruit still sails on for 45 seconds. The mouth and finish really set this above the Old Sparky in a significant way, but I'm rating them the same overall.
Well-balanced and ready to enjoy at pop-n-pour now or with several hour decant.
DECANT: 1-3 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.6-
COST: 205
VALUE: 6.0
TRY AGAIN: now-2018
CORAVIN'D: Yes
PRE-POUR LEVEL: 100
PAIRING: n/a
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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3/25/2011 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Huge nose; Cigar box; Big wine; Very rich; Heavy long finish
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