This wine was dazzling shortly after the release and probably the best vintage from this label back then, in my opinion. This was a good bottle of wine, but I believe is past it prime. It's still showing well, good fruit and extraction but lacking the intensity, the energy that was dominant with this wine at its prime. Still, it's a dense wine that's ruby/crimson in color, dark cherry and berry fruit, cassis, a hint of oak but showing tart now and it never opened up even after two days. This was my last bottle but I will always remember how this vintage showed at it's prime. 92+/93 Points.
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Just a brief note to say this is drinking at peak right now and, as the tannins are silky smooth, I see no further reason to hold it. It’s a delicious wine at a very fair price for a Mike Smith cab.
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Nose of crushed fresh red and black cherry and raspberry, tart cherry, hint of charred embers, with a matching palate. Nice on PnP but could use some air as the acid was fairly prominent. With air the acid laid down and let the bouquet of fruit shine through.
Didn’t want much, didn’t expect much, and this overdelivered!
This is a wine I keep wanting to dismiss, but it’s so damn good that I find and buy more every time I open a bottle.
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Drinking nicely here. Seems fairly mature with soft round tannins but nice balance of fruit and secondary notes that stretch the length of the palate. Finish is rewarding and supple. I don’t think age will help this much for my taste but I recognize tertiary elements will build. Acidity isn’t much so to me this will likely die off.
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Cherry, rhubarb, leather, vanilla. Low acidity with soft tannins. Drinking well, especially after an hour of decanting. Enjoyed. Would but more at this point.
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This needed a longer decant. Third of three recent bottles and each more closed than the last. First was velvety and stellar and the last two more muscular and shut. 91
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Almost a year since I’ve had this. Followed over three days. I’ve posted way too much in this wine as it is, but it’s worth saying that there is stuffing to last a number of years. Notable focus here. Drink now with a decant or hold for 3-5 years.
Great wine that is either on a movement or change to a different stage of it's existence, or has shut down, for now anyway. It's still really nice with a nose of purple violets. Palate wise, good extraction blackberry, blackcurrants, inky dark and full-bodied, but now a bit acidic and tart. This one in the beginning was a really big fruit bomb, quite exuberant, eventually settling into a really good place for my palate in my past tasting. At this stage, it will be interesting to see if this phase is only a pit stop. Time will tell.
This seems to have shed it's velvet and was showing a little more muscle tonight. Came in fourth of six at the tasting. Last time it was third of eleven. 92
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PnP and Wow! Followed an ‘07 Forman and what a contrast! This is in your face fruit without being over the top or overripe. On open some vanilla notes, but took 10 min to fade. This is a beauty.
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A delight. No formal notes, but it was ready to go from the pop n pour. Smooth and dark, generous without being, y'know, a jerk about it. Really good length. Intriguingly, after a couple hours, tannins started to arrive on the finish.
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In a nice spot right now. A little air with some swirling in the glass worked well. A good deal of energy and personality here, but certainly much more resolved than when I had it last year. This maintained nice traction to counterbalance the waves of fruit pumping out on the attack. Previous notes apply otherwise.
Drink now and over the next 5+ years.
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Dark red and black berry fruit, anise and suburb extraction, what a value. This Scarlett Cabernet is a top performer, an absolutely splendid wine. 95 Points, Robert Parker is spot on with his score.
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Beautiful label. The wine was even better. Plush entry. Perfectly ripe blackberry and dust. This was a treat and came in third of 11 at the tasting behind 1996 Opus One and 1985 Graham VP. Ahead of 1997 Opus One and other luminaries. This was my wife’s #1. 94
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Well, here I am back to awesome with the wine, experiencing some really nice black and red licorice and asphalt notes to cut through the massive core of red and black fruit. Previous notes apply, but I thoroughly enjoyed this round with the Scarlett. I'll hold for another 6-12 months, as I certainly feel like I drink these wines much too early. I'm just drawn to the flavor, flavor, flavor! But I think more time will help draw out more complexity and delineation of other specific notes otherwise lurking behind the fruit.
94+ points this go-around. I'll hold until mid-2018 if I can help it.
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This wine is a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed this Cabernet with a juicy, medium well (pink in the middle) New York steak, fresh green beans and potatoes. I'm thrilled that I purchased a sufficient amount of this vintage. The Best Scarlett NV ever, in my opinion.
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This was a crowd pleaser. PnP but left open until our other bottle was gone. It had some air for 90 minutes. Nice coloring, very fruity and sweet tannins. I actually purchased the '14 but this bottle was included in the shipment. A little too jammy for my taste, but my friends loved it. The label was awesome!
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PnP was a lesson in palate-dodging the initial hit of blasting alcohol and black cherry liqueur. It took over an hour in the decanter to chill out to the point where I could start identifying the flavors I have become more accustomed to with this wine.
This was a little rough and tumble overall, even after three hours in the decanter. Transitioning...again??
However, the final sips improved significantly. August 2016 was the last time I had this wine; I was hoping patience would yield more of a tame beast. Still, I feel like more time is needed.
I like this wine. I think it has more to offer. 2018++ will be my next attempt. 93+ points this time around.
One of my favorite Napa Cabs. For all of the entry level Cabernets produce by Mike Smith, the 2013 vintage, Scarlett seems to be at the top for me. 2013 Quivet and Myriad are a very close 2nd. What a rock solid vintage, I love this wine.
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This was a great bottle of wine. It's interesting how wine evolves and although this bottle didn't show as well as the others that I have enjoyed, it was very good none the less. I recall how sweet this vintage was upon release and how it has toned down considerably, really hitting a nice spot. The next phase of evolvement on this wine will be interesting. I am glad that there is more in the cellar.
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Mixed reviews at our dinner tonight. I thought tannins strong and needed a few years. My Father and my wife thought drinking well. Dark berry fruit, with leather and spices. Decanted for over an hour, and personally feel needs a few more years in the bottle. Will be awesome
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This is a big wine. Huge flavor and tannins. It's absolutely delicious but the tannins will wear you out. I'm going to wait a few years for my second bottle. This one is going to be a stunner once the tannins mellow.
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Similar thoughts as earlier in the year. This is a big wine especially for the price point. Really nice depth, full flavors, long/deep finish, etc.. The tannins are strong/firm which I enjoy but the fruit is not closed, tight, or tart. However, I can understand how others would prefer to let the tannins soften and integrate a little more. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the decant. Drank next to a 2013 Alpha Omega Era cab and surprisingly I thought the Scarlett held its own - although the Era clearly needs some more time.
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Ok-I am going against the crowd. Hit me over the head with empty bottles. First-those people with palates that enjoy a higher toned wine this is perfect for them. The wine is wonderfully balanced with a great finish. Perfectly made for those that want this type of wine. Yes there is a slight dark vein running through the wine. But as prounounced as the gold veins in my gold stocks. Not much!
I like the drier aspects with deep flavors of earth, leather, brush-you get the idea. (Ok-I am going to get it for this remark-but I can take it) kind of like a child ordering a Shirley Temple instead of a dark, rich Cabernet. However everyone has different palates and this may be for you. Here we go again more humor--->maybe they should call this wine Shirley Temple Cabernet Sauvignon. Dave
Watching the NFL playoffs and I decided to put this against the 2014 vintage to see how they compared. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry and blackberry. Really smooth mid-palate with really nice depth especially for the price point. Long/deep finish. Decanted for two hours and drank over another three. Improved some with time but drinking quite well after the two hour decant. Great QPR. Just a notch above the 2014 vintage - a little deeper/fuller fruit. In my opinion, more or less in line with Parker's 95 point rating.
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Precision, concentrated dark berry fruit, and cassis. This is a big Cab, yet in the not overdone. It’s focused with ripe dark fruit, tar, tobacco notes with hints of black licorice and nice tannins… I love this Cab. I didn’t think that Scarlett would be the best of Mike Smith’s entry level Cabernets, but the 2013 Scarlett, Quivet and Myriad are a very close 1st 2nd and 3rd at this stage of the game. I love this wine. I am so happy that I have an adequate supply on hand.
What a difference a year has made. Bold, rich black currants, graphite and a wonderful mix of fruit & oak tannins. If I had more would love to see how this develops in the future but it is excellent right now.
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Way too bubblegum for me. Not a lot of depth or sophistication. But I get why a lot of people will like it. It started out interesting. Lots of depth at first but became very one dimensional. My wife just said boring. Some blackberry juice. Dark cherry. A slight hint of the Rutherford dust, but not much. Looking at the label I should have known better.
Awesome juice and QPR!! Decided to open a bottle while I prepared to watch the 1st Presidential Debate. Decanted for one hour and it was ready to go as others noted. Perfect classic cabernet nose (not too hot, fruity or oaky). This wine is very well integrated and balanced right now in evey way with such a beautiful plush and velvety mouth feel. Tannins are present, but softened and not overpowering. Perfect mix of black / red fruit with a lasting finish...just a sexy wine and not overpowing. Very enjoyable to drink on its own. Wow...just so enjoyable and well done for the price point. Bravo Mike!!
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Well, YACKMAN called it (no surprise). This wine has certainly continued to transition into something noteworthy over the last 4 months. I kept saying I was going to wait until the Fall, but hey, I made it til the end of August! Yeah me...!
Losing some of the overtly sweet and quasi-clunky heavy cassis and liqueur notes, this showed signs of moving into a more delineated and finessed flavor profile. Notes of anise and black and red currant were at the forefront, with deep blackberry, black raspberry, red and black licorice, black asphalt, and some vanillin notes. Taking a step back, I realized that this $65 wine filled in mid-palate the way some $200 Napa Cabernets can't compete with.
A wine that almost veers toward being too "fat," but manages to redirect toward refinement at the last minute. I actually loved the polarization between raw intensity and textural glide with this wine. I definitely had a good date with the Scarlett tonight!
Still an otherwise big and extracted wine (so Francofiles beware), but showing more cerebral intensity this go-around which really grabbed interest for me personally. Held up amazingly well to homemade enchiladas with spicy red sauce.
A splash decant helped somewhat, but it was otherwise ready to go shortly after PnP. I'll try to hold a few more months on remaining bottles, but it's really not necessary. Has a number of years left in it for sure, but is coming into a great consumption window right now.
DAY 2: From bottle gassed. Held up nicely; stronger licorice and alcohol, but still the core fruit prevailed. Still had some intensity. Had next to a PnP '13 Myriad GIII, which ironically, had less intensity than the second day Scarlett. McGah fruit trumps GIII fruit?! Interesting.....
This Cab is transitioning into a really beautiful place. When I first tried the 2013 it was more on the sweet side, yet very good. Now the wine is ageing nicely and it's not as sweet as in the beginning as all the elements are falling into place. Dark red burgundy color, ripe dark fruit, nice extraction, cassis, anise and subtle rubber on the nose. What a beauty. I'm so glad that I loaded up on this vintage. 95+ points and no more descriptive notes on this Scarlett, unless it gets better. Only time will tell.
Day 2: Remains deep, vibrant and intense. 96 Points.
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2013 could be the vintage of a lifetime for this style of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in my opinion. A very solid 95 points. Dark rich and lovely with great intensity, yet not overbearing. Dark ripe fruit, black cherry, black berry, tar, tobacco notes with hints of anise and nice tannins. The intensity for this wine is exquisite. This wine never disappoints, I love this stuff!
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Dark and rich without being the least bit jammy. There are subtle mineral and savory elements that add interest. Tannins are relatively soft though as one would expect from a wine this young, not much in the way of secondary notes. I think this will improve over the next 7-10 years but is quite delicious now. At it's price point, I can't imagine getting more satisfaction.
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Everything there for this to be a 94+ cab, but way too young. Everything still too primary, tannins, fruit, acid - a brooding adolescent that with 2+ years cellaring will be the belle of the ball.
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Same as my notes from 3/19/2016. I keep saying I will wait until 2017, but I can't seem to help myself. It's good stuff, but wait another 6-12 months if you have more patience than me! 93++
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Specific tasting notes were pretty much the same except that this go-around on the PnP it was a little clunky. It reminded me that this is still a young 2013 Napa Cabernet that isn't 100% ready to drink right out of the gate necessarily. I was not able to decant during this tasting, which most likely led to my more marginal experience of it this time. It severely needed hours and hours of air.
Strong licorice and chalky, bitter, chunky chocolate notes. Texturally I noticed a syrupy quality that burdened the palate a bit and came off a heavy. Comments from others were that it was certainly good and seemed to be from quality fruit, but was still very disjointed and bruising. It blasted over the food (which even included a rib eye with a heavy béchamel sauce) and pummeled the palate.
I have to admit I was probably more optimistic about the early drinking window for this wine than I should have been. I'm certainly tolerant of big Cabernets that are too young but still fun to drink, especially this style (which I love), but this clearly needs some short term cellaring (a year seems about right - which is what most CT folks have been saying).
Still good. Still great QPR. Still needs time. 92-93 points this time. I'm going to try to refrain until 2017.
Dark inky, blackish ruby purple colored, immense, full bodied, rich, chewy, firm, structured, complex core of sweet blackberry was accented by a layer of black raspberry, cassis, hints of mocha, touch of vanilla and sweet spicy oak. Despite its huge gripping tannins it was sensual, smooth and polished on the long long finish.
89 on day one for me. One hour decant, consumed over another couple of hours. Round, plush, very sweet. Odd quality for a 2013. I've never said a Napa valley Cabernet of any vintage was too sweet before! Fruity but without the structure I look for.There was light tannin but it was a soft blob of a wine. My wife liked it more than me.
91 on day two. Some of the sweetness worked its way out, and there was more (but not significantly more) structure and backbone. Wife scored it a 93 on day two.
I bought four bottles (three remaining) and that's enough for me on this one. Look forward to trying another in a year or so.
Great Juice! A very solid Cabernet that is worth your attention and is still available. Big, ripe with good extraction The 2013 vintage, "It was a very good year"....
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Similar to my previous CT notes on this wine. PnP with rich and upfront purple, black, and red berry fruit; the black cherry liqueur, chocolate, and vanilla bean notes were especially prominent this go-around. The finish was much less chalky as well. Red and black licorice on the back end. Rich and a bit syrupy, but in a nicely hedonistic way.
A real crowd pleaser of course. WOTN. 94+.
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So I bought a couple of bottles of this, based in no small part on friends recommendations and the fact that my daughters name is Scarlett. I hope this bottle is an aberration as the wine I had in no way resembles the wine that has been written about in the notes below.
Nose of mocha/oak vanilla, red fruits and maybe a liqueur thing going on. HUGE wine on the palate. WAY to big and over extracted. Honestly i couldn't really concentrate on anything else as I was just floored at how overdone this was. I honestly got tired of drinking it after a glass. day 2 showed a little better but not amazing (and maybe that's the problem as I was expecting this to be brilliant.)
Mike Smith is obviously one of the most talented winemakers around and I really enjoy his wines. I'm going to chalk this up to some randomness and can't wait to try again.
PnP with youthfully big purple and black berry fruit, dark red and black cherry liqueur, dark plum, and some chocolate notes. A chalky finish, with some vanilla bean and licorice hinting on the back end. A viscous mouthfeel, with indeed a bit of a syrupy quality initially (as Cristal2000 had noted).
Decanted for a total of 4+ hours. More of the dark purple berry notes, with some additional dark chocolate and road tar flavors emerging briefly; but again, the fruit was clouded by the talc/chalk tannic clamp (which was not biting or astringent in the slightest, but still managed to clamp down on the back end and clip the finish a bit, almost the way a Petit Verdot can do to a BDX).
As others have noted, not ready for prime time yet, but shows telltale signs of becoming something special in the next year or two. I'm split down the middle in the 93-94 point range compared to some of the other CT notes, with definite upside potential reaching the 95-ish range. I concur with Yack Man that this can get to 95 points easily inside a couple of years. From a QPR standpoint, this is a no-brianer.
If drinking now, decant for at least half the day (but even that won't really be enough time), or better yet, wait a year and re-evaluate. Great stuff. Better than I thought it would be.
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If you can still get this one, buy it with both hands! The 2013 Mike Smith portfolio of napa cabs are truly unique and I wonder if they can be duplicated? The style is right up my alley, what's more, the 2013 Scarlett is going to get better! Can you believe it? CRISTAL2000, you are spot on and your rating will increase if you have the patience to allow this wine to age. But why wait when to is drinking beautify now. 95 Points!
Had this at McGah vineyard with Mattie. This is my 3rd or 4th bottle. What a great QPR wine. It really shouldn't be consumed so early, because it will clearly get better over the next several years, but with some air this is quite special. The immediate impression PnP is that it is too rich (syrupy even) and the oak is too dominant. Underlying that you can taste the potential however, with an impressive core of red and black fruit that really just takes over your pallet. After a number of hours (they let me take the bottle with me...) it begins to integrate and slowly the syrup like taste transforms into a more plush and structured offering, while still retaining the intensity of the core. I believe tomorrow it will be better and probably on the third day it will continue to improve (but who waits that long...?). Once again I will reiterate that other than perhaps the '13 Myriad Napa Valley, I haven't had anything approaching this from a value perspective. This will likely be much, much better in a few years. Parker score of 95 sounds about right down the line.
Interesting evolution of this wine. Had this over three nights. I had opened this for 12 hours prior to drinking. It was still a little tight and was obviously a young wine. Tart fruit, but medium length finish. Hints that there was more to come. On the second night the fruits integrated into something great. Medium blue and red fruits with hints of cocoa. On the third night the showing was special. Deep dark blue and black fruits with milk chocolate. Not exactly a Myriad cab, but for the price, as much band for the buck. I would let these sit for at least 1-3 years to enjoy potential of this wine. Will look to get some more.
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No doubt that this is California Cabernet Sauvignon. Seductive and delicious right of of the bottle. It's going to be hard to keep my hands off of this. $65 bottle which is very reasonable given the quality.
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Similar notes as last time. Interesting comparing this agains the 12c G3 I had last night. It's more dense and black, and you can also taste more oak. The wine has a more "plush" feel, but it also doesn't seem to be as far along in development as the G3. I'd give the edge to the G3 in complexity and definitely texture/mouthfeel, as well as overall purity. That said, still love this wine's QPR and it seemingly has terrific things ahead if I can keep my hands off the rest of them for a few years.
This wine seems to be improving. It's not as sweet as it was when I tried my first tasting of the 2013 vintage. Dark, rich and sumptuous in appearance and detail: Absolutely Superb!
Double decanted. Lots of baby fat here. This is one massive wine. Big deep dark rich fruit, plush viscous texture, lots of oak spice, mouth coating tannins. Been open 24 hours but it's not nearly enough time. I really need to learn some restraint.
No formal notes - had lots of wine earlier in the day, and this was not given much air at all. Will give next bottle better attention. This certainly disappeared quick - I didn't get much of it. Score is based on recollection of wines from earlier in the day and in comparison to the 2013 Myriad NV I popped next. The fruit here is not as dark, but this is nonetheless a big wine with a powerful back end. Tannins need to resolve a bit. Gun to my head, I would pick the Myriad NV right now, but ask me again after I've given both bottles proper attention and that may change.
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If you didn't get to try 2013 Myriad Napa Cabernet, this one comes as close as you could wish to get. An excellent value for the money and still in its youth. Put a few away, you will not regret it. Thanks Mike Smith.
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I was surprised by the quality of this wine for this price point. Rich almost syrupy texture with deep purple coloring. Intense palate and nose of blueberry compote, cassis liqueur, cedar, and blackberry. It's a really massive wine that retains its freshness and does not come off feeling overly manufactured.
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Bought this wine based on a few recommendations (Bluegoose most recent), Mike Smith winemaking, and the fact that Bevan makes a McGah that has garnered massive critical acclaim (and 100pts from Parker). PnP at a terrific restaurant, which was clearly not fair to this wine. That said, in about 45min it came around, opened up and was exceptional. As mentioned previously on this site, it has a bit more "sweetness" and red fruit than I am accustomed to from Mike Smith. That said, it definitely wasn't terribly overt and it integrated into the entire profile very well. The wine is most notable for the extremely concentrated and powerful finish. It is plush, pallet enveloping and the signature of a great vintage from a great winemaker. If you can find a better value for $65 from Napa, I'm all ears. This seems to be one of the best QPR's of the year. Give it a few more years in the bottle and a proper decant, and I'd expect a 96+ rating.
The only slight negative to this wine is it might be a little on the sweet side (NOT Caymus like 2012 vintage), however with decanting, the sweetness seemed more toned down. I think WS gave it 93 points and l must say that l don't always with their scores (Example: 2012 Larkmead Cabernet-86 Points,?.... Unbelievable!), this one they got right. This 2013 Scarlett is very nice, I like it.
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Day 2: Dusty, velvety-like texture and mouth feel, smooth tannins. Deep blue violet color. Ripe and fruity, robust, showing crème de cassis, dark cocoa, licorice, and multi layers. I detect cedarwood and a hint of oak. There is a lot going on with this Cabernet. It's concentrated yet not heavy, a decadent wine. A little sweet which I will attribute to the elevated % alcohol content. Thumbs up!
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2/27/2024 - Mr T wrote:
excellent final bottle...give it air or more years....not remotely out of gas
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9/6/2023 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great age for this wine. My last bottle. A pity I rushed the case!
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7/17/2022 - Yack Man wrote: 93 Points
This wine was dazzling shortly after the release and probably the best vintage from this label back then, in my opinion. This was a good bottle of wine, but I believe is past it prime. It's still showing well, good fruit and extraction but lacking the intensity, the energy that was dominant with this wine at its prime. Still, it's a dense wine that's ruby/crimson in color, dark cherry and berry fruit, cassis, a hint of oak but showing tart now and it never opened up even after two days. This was my last bottle but I will always remember how this vintage showed at it's prime. 92+/93 Points.
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4/19/2022 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
Just a brief note to say this is drinking at peak right now and, as the tannins are silky smooth, I see no further reason to hold it. It’s a delicious wine at a very fair price for a Mike Smith cab.
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1/1/2022 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 94 Points
Nose of crushed fresh red and black cherry and raspberry, tart cherry, hint of charred embers, with a matching palate. Nice on PnP but could use some air as the acid was fairly prominent. With air the acid laid down and let the bouquet of fruit shine through.
Didn’t want much, didn’t expect much, and this overdelivered!
This is a wine I keep wanting to dismiss, but it’s so damn good that I find and buy more every time I open a bottle.
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11/26/2021 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking nicely here. Seems fairly mature with soft round tannins but nice balance of fruit and secondary notes that stretch the length of the palate. Finish is rewarding and supple. I don’t think age will help this much for my taste but I recognize tertiary elements will build. Acidity isn’t much so to me this will likely die off.
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4/25/2021 - Mr T wrote:
PMP late in dinner... not best way to drink this but very good
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7/28/2020 - jaybird1234 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherry, rhubarb, leather, vanilla. Low acidity with soft tannins. Drinking well, especially after an hour of decanting. Enjoyed. Would but more at this point.
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12/29/2019 - mpsocal wrote: flawed
Corked. All fruit was completely faded and it had a hint of wet cardboard.
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12/7/2019 - swade wrote: 91 Points
This needed a longer decant. Third of three recent bottles and each more closed than the last. First was velvety and stellar and the last two more muscular and shut. 91
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9/22/2019 - ROrmand Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice wine, but if tasted blind I don't think I would identify it as Cabernet. Has fruit & structure but somewhat generic.
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5/3/2019 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Almost a year since I’ve had this. Followed over three days. I’ve posted way too much in this wine as it is, but it’s worth saying that there is stuffing to last a number of years. Notable focus here. Drink now with a decant or hold for 3-5 years.
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1/1/2019 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine that is either on a movement or change to a different stage of it's existence, or has shut down, for now anyway. It's still really nice with a nose of purple violets. Palate wise, good extraction blackberry, blackcurrants, inky dark and full-bodied, but now a bit acidic and tart. This one in the beginning was a really big fruit bomb, quite exuberant, eventually settling into a really good place for my palate in my past tasting. At this stage, it will be interesting to see if this phase is only a pit stop. Time will tell.
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12/15/2018 - swade wrote: 92 Points
This seems to have shed it's velvet and was showing a little more muscle tonight. Came in fourth of six at the tasting. Last time it was third of eleven. 92
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9/14/2018 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
PnP and Wow! Followed an ‘07 Forman and what a contrast! This is in your face fruit without being over the top or overripe. On open some vanilla notes, but took 10 min to fade. This is a beauty.
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8/31/2018 - ledocq Likes this wine:
A delight. No formal notes, but it was ready to go from the pop n pour. Smooth and dark, generous without being, y'know, a jerk about it. Really good length. Intriguingly, after a couple hours, tannins started to arrive on the finish.
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8/13/2018 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
In a nice spot right now. A little air with some swirling in the glass worked well. A good deal of energy and personality here, but certainly much more resolved than when I had it last year. This maintained nice traction to counterbalance the waves of fruit pumping out on the attack. Previous notes apply otherwise.
Drink now and over the next 5+ years.
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8/13/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark red and black berry fruit, anise and suburb extraction, what a value. This Scarlett Cabernet is a top performer, an absolutely splendid wine. 95 Points, Robert Parker is spot on with his score.
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6/24/2018 - swade wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful label. The wine was even better. Plush entry. Perfectly ripe blackberry and dust. This was a treat and came in third of 11 at the tasting behind 1996 Opus One and 1985 Graham VP. Ahead of 1997 Opus One and other luminaries. This was my wife’s #1. 94
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6/2/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 96 Points
I adore this label and I love this vintage, see previous notes. I'm so happy that I backed up the truck on this 2013 vintage.
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4/6/2018 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Suggest a long decant or hold as this was pretty tight. Wonderful fruit, dust, and a long finish, but its best years are ahead. Hold.
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10/6/2017 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Well, here I am back to awesome with the wine, experiencing some really nice black and red licorice and asphalt notes to cut through the massive core of red and black fruit. Previous notes apply, but I thoroughly enjoyed this round with the Scarlett. I'll hold for another 6-12 months, as I certainly feel like I drink these wines much too early. I'm just drawn to the flavor, flavor, flavor! But I think more time will help draw out more complexity and delineation of other specific notes otherwise lurking behind the fruit.
94+ points this go-around. I'll hold until mid-2018 if I can help it.
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9/25/2017 - Mr T wrote:
Big ripe and young but actually pretty well balanced and essentially open for biz despite the vintage. Fun to drink...no clue how/if this develops
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8/10/2017 - Yack Man wrote: 95 Points
Deep, vibrant and intense, I'm so happy that I loaded up on this vintage. Can one get too much of a good thing?
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7/14/2017 - Yack Man wrote: 95 Points
This wine is a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed this Cabernet with a juicy, medium well (pink in the middle) New York steak, fresh green beans and potatoes. I'm thrilled that I purchased a sufficient amount of this vintage. The Best Scarlett NV ever, in my opinion.
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5/21/2017 - #1Winelover wrote: 92 Points
This was a crowd pleaser. PnP but left open until our other bottle was gone. It had some air for 90 minutes. Nice coloring, very fruity and sweet tannins. I actually purchased the '14 but this bottle was included in the shipment. A little too jammy for my taste, but my friends loved it. The label was awesome!
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5/7/2017 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
After climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, perhaps there a little palate fatigue? Still, this 2013 Scarlett is good stuff.
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4/26/2017 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
PnP was a lesson in palate-dodging the initial hit of blasting alcohol and black cherry liqueur. It took over an hour in the decanter to chill out to the point where I could start identifying the flavors I have become more accustomed to with this wine.
This was a little rough and tumble overall, even after three hours in the decanter. Transitioning...again??
However, the final sips improved significantly. August 2016 was the last time I had this wine; I was hoping patience would yield more of a tame beast. Still, I feel like more time is needed.
I like this wine. I think it has more to offer. 2018++ will be my next attempt. 93+ points this time around.
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4/26/2017 - Yack Man wrote: 95 Points
One of my favorite Napa Cabs. For all of the entry level Cabernets produce by Mike Smith, the 2013 vintage, Scarlett seems to be at the top for me. 2013 Quivet and Myriad are a very close 2nd. What a rock solid vintage, I love this wine.
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3/4/2017 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a great bottle of wine. It's interesting how wine evolves and although this bottle didn't show as well as the others that I have enjoyed, it was very good none the less. I recall how sweet this vintage was upon release and how it has toned down considerably, really hitting a nice spot. The next phase of evolvement on this wine will be interesting. I am glad that there is more in the cellar.
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2/26/2017 - jaybird1234 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mixed reviews at our dinner tonight. I thought tannins strong and needed a few years. My Father and my wife thought drinking well. Dark berry fruit, with leather and spices. Decanted for over an hour, and personally feel needs a few more years in the bottle. Will be awesome
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2/18/2017 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a big wine. Huge flavor and tannins. It's absolutely delicious but the tannins will wear you out. I'm going to wait a few years for my second bottle. This one is going to be a stunner once the tannins mellow.
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2/11/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 94 Points
Similar thoughts as earlier in the year. This is a big wine especially for the price point. Really nice depth, full flavors, long/deep finish, etc.. The tannins are strong/firm which I enjoy but the fruit is not closed, tight, or tart. However, I can understand how others would prefer to let the tannins soften and integrate a little more. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but drinking well after the decant. Drank next to a 2013 Alpha Omega Era cab and surprisingly I thought the Scarlett held its own - although the Era clearly needs some more time.
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2/7/2017 - vintage1949 wrote: 91 Points
Ok-I am going against the crowd. Hit me over the head with empty bottles. First-those people with palates that enjoy a higher toned wine this is perfect for them. The wine is wonderfully balanced with a great finish. Perfectly made for those that want this type of wine. Yes there is a slight dark vein running through the wine. But as prounounced as the gold veins in my gold stocks. Not much!
I like the drier aspects with deep flavors of earth, leather, brush-you get the idea. (Ok-I am going to get it for this remark-but I can take it) kind of like a child ordering a Shirley Temple instead of a dark, rich Cabernet. However everyone has different palates and this may be for you. Here we go again more humor--->maybe they should call this wine Shirley Temple Cabernet Sauvignon. Dave
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1/15/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 95 Points
Watching the NFL playoffs and I decided to put this against the 2014 vintage to see how they compared. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry and blackberry. Really smooth mid-palate with really nice depth especially for the price point. Long/deep finish. Decanted for two hours and drank over another three. Improved some with time but drinking quite well after the two hour decant. Great QPR. Just a notch above the 2014 vintage - a little deeper/fuller fruit. In my opinion, more or less in line with Parker's 95 point rating.
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12/19/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is a very solid Napa Cab, I love it!
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11/5/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 96 Points
Precision, concentrated dark berry fruit, and cassis. This is a big Cab, yet in the not overdone. It’s focused with ripe dark fruit, tar, tobacco notes with hints of black licorice and nice tannins… I love this Cab. I didn’t think that Scarlett would be the best of Mike Smith’s entry level Cabernets, but the 2013 Scarlett, Quivet and Myriad are a very close 1st 2nd and 3rd at this stage of the game. I love this wine. I am so happy that I have an adequate supply on hand.
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10/24/2016 - PerfectVintage Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a difference a year has made. Bold, rich black currants, graphite and a wonderful mix of fruit & oak tannins. If I had more would love to see how this develops in the future but it is excellent right now.
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10/23/2016 - happytom wrote: 87 Points
Way too bubblegum for me. Not a lot of depth or sophistication. But I get why a lot of people will like it. It started out interesting. Lots of depth at first but became very one dimensional. My wife just said boring. Some blackberry juice. Dark cherry. A slight hint of the Rutherford dust, but not much. Looking at the label I should have known better.
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9/26/2016 - City Squirrel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome juice and QPR!! Decided to open a bottle while I prepared to watch the 1st Presidential Debate. Decanted for one hour and it was ready to go as others noted. Perfect classic cabernet nose (not too hot, fruity or oaky). This wine is very well integrated and balanced right now in evey way with such a beautiful plush and velvety mouth feel. Tannins are present, but softened and not overpowering. Perfect mix of black / red fruit with a lasting finish...just a sexy wine and not overpowing. Very enjoyable to drink on its own. Wow...just so enjoyable and well done for the price point. Bravo Mike!!
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9/24/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nice Juice, love it!
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8/29/2016 - csimm wrote: 95 Points
Well, YACKMAN called it (no surprise). This wine has certainly continued to transition into something noteworthy over the last 4 months. I kept saying I was going to wait until the Fall, but hey, I made it til the end of August! Yeah me...!
Losing some of the overtly sweet and quasi-clunky heavy cassis and liqueur notes, this showed signs of moving into a more delineated and finessed flavor profile. Notes of anise and black and red currant were at the forefront, with deep blackberry, black raspberry, red and black licorice, black asphalt, and some vanillin notes. Taking a step back, I realized that this $65 wine filled in mid-palate the way some $200 Napa Cabernets can't compete with.
A wine that almost veers toward being too "fat," but manages to redirect toward refinement at the last minute. I actually loved the polarization between raw intensity and textural glide with this wine. I definitely had a good date with the Scarlett tonight!
Still an otherwise big and extracted wine (so Francofiles beware), but showing more cerebral intensity this go-around which really grabbed interest for me personally. Held up amazingly well to homemade enchiladas with spicy red sauce.
A splash decant helped somewhat, but it was otherwise ready to go shortly after PnP. I'll try to hold a few more months on remaining bottles, but it's really not necessary. Has a number of years left in it for sure, but is coming into a great consumption window right now.
DAY 2: From bottle gassed. Held up nicely; stronger licorice and alcohol, but still the core fruit prevailed. Still had some intensity. Had next to a PnP '13 Myriad GIII, which ironically, had less intensity than the second day Scarlett. McGah fruit trumps GIII fruit?! Interesting.....
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8/16/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 96 Points
This Cab is transitioning into a really beautiful place. When I first tried the 2013 it was more on the sweet side, yet very good. Now the wine is ageing nicely and it's not as sweet as in the beginning as all the elements are falling into place. Dark red burgundy color, ripe dark fruit, nice extraction, cassis, anise and subtle rubber on the nose. What a beauty. I'm so glad that I loaded up on this vintage. 95+ points and no more descriptive notes on this Scarlett, unless it gets better. Only time will tell.
Day 2: Remains deep, vibrant and intense. 96 Points.
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7/23/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 95 Points
2013 could be the vintage of a lifetime for this style of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in my opinion. A very solid 95 points. Dark rich and lovely with great intensity, yet not overbearing. Dark ripe fruit, black cherry, black berry, tar, tobacco notes with hints of anise and nice tannins. The intensity for this wine is exquisite. This wine never disappoints, I love this stuff!
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7/4/2016 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first Scarlett. WOW! Did not disappoint. Mike Smith for President!!
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6/16/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
I hope that the 2014 vintage is just close in similarity to the 2013 vintage. If so, we have a lot to anticipate with this label. Love it!
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6/4/2016 - winopops3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark and rich without being the least bit jammy. There are subtle mineral and savory elements that add interest. Tannins are relatively soft though as one would expect from a wine this young, not much in the way of secondary notes. I think this will improve over the next 7-10 years but is quite delicious now. At it's price point, I can't imagine getting more satisfaction.
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6/4/2016 - FlyPig Likes this wine:
Everything there for this to be a 94+ cab, but way too young. Everything still too primary, tannins, fruit, acid - a brooding adolescent that with 2+ years cellaring will be the belle of the ball.
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5/15/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great Wine...... Another one bites the dust! I'm so glad that I have more of this beauty. 93+ Points tonight. Better day 2, 94 Points. Good Stuff!
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5/2/2016 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Same as my notes from 3/19/2016. I keep saying I will wait until 2017, but I can't seem to help myself. It's good stuff, but wait another 6-12 months if you have more patience than me! 93++
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4/10/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
I don't like it, I love it! See previous notes.
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4/4/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
All that I can say is .......Yummy!
Previous note applies.
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3/19/2016 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
Specific tasting notes were pretty much the same except that this go-around on the PnP it was a little clunky. It reminded me that this is still a young 2013 Napa Cabernet that isn't 100% ready to drink right out of the gate necessarily. I was not able to decant during this tasting, which most likely led to my more marginal experience of it this time. It severely needed hours and hours of air.
Strong licorice and chalky, bitter, chunky chocolate notes. Texturally I noticed a syrupy quality that burdened the palate a bit and came off a heavy. Comments from others were that it was certainly good and seemed to be from quality fruit, but was still very disjointed and bruising. It blasted over the food (which even included a rib eye with a heavy béchamel sauce) and pummeled the palate.
I have to admit I was probably more optimistic about the early drinking window for this wine than I should have been. I'm certainly tolerant of big Cabernets that are too young but still fun to drink, especially this style (which I love), but this clearly needs some short term cellaring (a year seems about right - which is what most CT folks have been saying).
Still good. Still great QPR. Still needs time. 92-93 points this time. I'm going to try to refrain until 2017.
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3/8/2016 - conga523 wrote: 91 Points
A solid effort but missing the spark that makes the Quivet and Myriad wines so enthralling.
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3/8/2016 - conga523 wrote: 91 Points
A solid effort but missing a piece that makes the Quivet and Myriad wines so enthralling.
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3/6/2016 - ScottS wrote:
This wine is so delicious I purchased a case.
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3/5/2016 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
Highlight of tasting at Vin Chicago.
Dark inky, blackish ruby purple colored, immense, full bodied, rich, chewy, firm, structured, complex core of sweet blackberry was accented by a layer of black raspberry, cassis, hints of mocha, touch of vanilla and sweet spicy oak. Despite its huge gripping tannins it was sensual, smooth and polished on the long long finish.
http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/03/mcgah-family-vineyards-scarlet.html
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3/4/2016 - WineGold wrote: 91 Points
89 on day one for me. One hour decant, consumed over another couple of hours. Round, plush, very sweet. Odd quality for a 2013. I've never said a Napa valley Cabernet of any vintage was too sweet before! Fruity but without the structure I look for.There was light tannin but it was a soft blob of a wine. My wife liked it more than me.
91 on day two. Some of the sweetness worked its way out, and there was more (but not significantly more) structure and backbone. Wife scored it a 93 on day two.
I bought four bottles (three remaining) and that's enough for me on this one. Look forward to trying another in a year or so.
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3/2/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 94 Points
Great Juice! A very solid Cabernet that is worth your attention and is still available. Big, ripe with good extraction The 2013 vintage, "It was a very good year"....
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2/19/2016 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Similar to my previous CT notes on this wine. PnP with rich and upfront purple, black, and red berry fruit; the black cherry liqueur, chocolate, and vanilla bean notes were especially prominent this go-around. The finish was much less chalky as well. Red and black licorice on the back end. Rich and a bit syrupy, but in a nicely hedonistic way.
A real crowd pleaser of course. WOTN. 94+.
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2/7/2016 - yonster24 wrote:
So I bought a couple of bottles of this, based in no small part on friends recommendations and the fact that my daughters name is Scarlett. I hope this bottle is an aberration as the wine I had in no way resembles the wine that has been written about in the notes below.
Nose of mocha/oak vanilla, red fruits and maybe a liqueur thing going on. HUGE wine on the palate. WAY to big and over extracted. Honestly i couldn't really concentrate on anything else as I was just floored at how overdone this was. I honestly got tired of drinking it after a glass. day 2 showed a little better but not amazing (and maybe that's the problem as I was expecting this to be brilliant.)
Mike Smith is obviously one of the most talented winemakers around and I really enjoy his wines. I'm going to chalk this up to some randomness and can't wait to try again.
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2/4/2016 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
PnP with youthfully big purple and black berry fruit, dark red and black cherry liqueur, dark plum, and some chocolate notes. A chalky finish, with some vanilla bean and licorice hinting on the back end. A viscous mouthfeel, with indeed a bit of a syrupy quality initially (as Cristal2000 had noted).
Decanted for a total of 4+ hours. More of the dark purple berry notes, with some additional dark chocolate and road tar flavors emerging briefly; but again, the fruit was clouded by the talc/chalk tannic clamp (which was not biting or astringent in the slightest, but still managed to clamp down on the back end and clip the finish a bit, almost the way a Petit Verdot can do to a BDX).
As others have noted, not ready for prime time yet, but shows telltale signs of becoming something special in the next year or two. I'm split down the middle in the 93-94 point range compared to some of the other CT notes, with definite upside potential reaching the 95-ish range. I concur with Yack Man that this can get to 95 points easily inside a couple of years. From a QPR standpoint, this is a no-brianer.
If drinking now, decant for at least half the day (but even that won't really be enough time), or better yet, wait a year and re-evaluate. Great stuff. Better than I thought it would be.
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2/3/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 95 Points
If you can still get this one, buy it with both hands! The 2013 Mike Smith portfolio of napa cabs are truly unique and I wonder if they can be duplicated? The style is right up my alley, what's more, the 2013 Scarlett is going to get better! Can you believe it? CRISTAL2000, you are spot on and your rating will increase if you have the patience to allow this wine to age. But why wait when to is drinking beautify now. 95 Points!
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2/3/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this at McGah vineyard with Mattie. This is my 3rd or 4th bottle. What a great QPR wine. It really shouldn't be consumed so early, because it will clearly get better over the next several years, but with some air this is quite special. The immediate impression PnP is that it is too rich (syrupy even) and the oak is too dominant. Underlying that you can taste the potential however, with an impressive core of red and black fruit that really just takes over your pallet. After a number of hours (they let me take the bottle with me...) it begins to integrate and slowly the syrup like taste transforms into a more plush and structured offering, while still retaining the intensity of the core. I believe tomorrow it will be better and probably on the third day it will continue to improve (but who waits that long...?). Once again I will reiterate that other than perhaps the '13 Myriad Napa Valley, I haven't had anything approaching this from a value perspective. This will likely be much, much better in a few years. Parker score of 95 sounds about right down the line.
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1/24/2016 - newkid17 Likes this wine:
Interesting evolution of this wine. Had this over three nights. I had opened this for 12 hours prior to drinking. It was still a little tight and was obviously a young wine. Tart fruit, but medium length finish. Hints that there was more to come. On the second night the fruits integrated into something great. Medium blue and red fruits with hints of cocoa. On the third night the showing was special. Deep dark blue and black fruits with milk chocolate. Not exactly a Myriad cab, but for the price, as much band for the buck. I would let these sit for at least 1-3 years to enjoy potential of this wine. Will look to get some more.
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1/23/2016 - ScottS wrote: 93 Points
No doubt that this is California Cabernet Sauvignon. Seductive and delicious right of of the bottle. It's going to be hard to keep my hands off of this. $65 bottle which is very reasonable given the quality.
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1/20/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
I may not be able to keep enough of this wine long enough to see what bottle age will do for it. What a nice mid week treat..... Yummy!
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1/16/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar notes as last time. Interesting comparing this agains the 12c G3 I had last night. It's more dense and black, and you can also taste more oak. The wine has a more "plush" feel, but it also doesn't seem to be as far along in development as the G3. I'd give the edge to the G3 in complexity and definitely texture/mouthfeel, as well as overall purity. That said, still love this wine's QPR and it seemingly has terrific things ahead if I can keep my hands off the rest of them for a few years.
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1/15/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine seems to be improving. It's not as sweet as it was when I tried my first tasting of the 2013 vintage. Dark, rich and sumptuous in appearance and detail: Absolutely Superb!
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1/10/2016 - River Rat Likes this wine:
Double decanted. Lots of baby fat here. This is one massive wine. Big deep dark rich fruit, plush viscous texture, lots of oak spice, mouth coating tannins. Been open 24 hours but it's not nearly enough time. I really need to learn some restraint.
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12/31/2015 - ageverett Likes this wine: 93 Points
NYE - Orange Bowl and Dinner (Our House): Drank on NYE following some fabulous wines consumed earlier in the day. This was popped while I was preparing dinner.
No formal notes - had lots of wine earlier in the day, and this was not given much air at all. Will give next bottle better attention. This certainly disappeared quick - I didn't get much of it. Score is based on recollection of wines from earlier in the day and in comparison to the 2013 Myriad NV I popped next. The fruit here is not as dark, but this is nonetheless a big wine with a powerful back end. Tannins need to resolve a bit. Gun to my head, I would pick the Myriad NV right now, but ask me again after I've given both bottles proper attention and that may change.
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12/27/2015 - Yack Man wrote: 94 Points
If you didn't get to try 2013 Myriad Napa Cabernet, this one comes as close as you could wish to get. An excellent value for the money and still in its youth. Put a few away, you will not regret it. Thanks Mike Smith.
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12/27/2015 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 95 Points
I was surprised by the quality of this wine for this price point. Rich almost syrupy texture with deep purple coloring. Intense palate and nose of blueberry compote, cassis liqueur, cedar, and blackberry. It's a really massive wine that retains its freshness and does not come off feeling overly manufactured.
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12/17/2015 - Yack Man wrote: 94 Points
This is strikingly gorgeous Cab! A Napa Cabernet vintage at its best. 93.6 Points. If you like big Cabs and a bang for your buck, try it.
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12/11/2015 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bought this wine based on a few recommendations (Bluegoose most recent), Mike Smith winemaking, and the fact that Bevan makes a
McGah that has garnered massive critical acclaim (and 100pts from Parker). PnP at a terrific restaurant, which was clearly not fair to this wine. That said, in about 45min it came around, opened up and was exceptional. As mentioned previously on this site, it has a bit more "sweetness" and red fruit than I am accustomed to from Mike Smith. That said, it definitely wasn't terribly overt and it integrated into the entire profile very well. The wine is most notable for the extremely concentrated and powerful finish. It is plush, pallet enveloping and the signature of a great vintage from a great winemaker. If you can find a better value for $65 from Napa, I'm all ears. This seems to be one of the best QPR's of the year. Give it a few more years in the bottle and a proper decant, and I'd expect a 96+ rating.
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12/4/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured, still excellent wine. With decant 94 Points, with bottle age... who knows?
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11/1/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
The only slight negative to this wine is it might be a little on the sweet side (NOT Caymus like 2012 vintage), however with decanting, the sweetness seemed more toned down. I think WS gave it 93 points and l must say that l don't always with their scores (Example: 2012 Larkmead Cabernet-86 Points,?.... Unbelievable!), this one they got right. This 2013 Scarlett is very nice, I like it.
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10/18/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Day 2: Dusty, velvety-like texture and mouth feel, smooth tannins. Deep blue violet color. Ripe and fruity, robust, showing crème de cassis, dark cocoa, licorice, and multi layers. I detect cedarwood and a hint of oak. There is a lot going on with this Cabernet. It's concentrated yet not heavy, a decadent wine. A little sweet which I will attribute to the elevated % alcohol content. Thumbs up!
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10/16/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is superb, very impressive! A baby and yet so approachable in its class. High 14 percentile in alcohol, but beautiful. More details to come.
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