About 2 hrs after decanting theres a blend of dark red fruits, flowers and evergreen trees after a rainstorm on the nose. As noted in prior tastings, this is smooth, sweet and relatively light across the palate.
Although it took 30 minutes to open up and soften it's rough edges, this paired very well with tonight's chicken breast in a brandy/shallot reduction; It would also go very well with many seafood dishes, but I sense it's a tad sweet for moo-cow.
Easy to drink on its own or with softer foods as noted, this isnan easy crowd-pleaser and a reasonable QPR
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This wine is in a good spot, drinking nicely at this point. Dark crimson color with a sweet candy like nose. On the palate, dark cherry and berry fruits with some acidity. 92+/93 Points.
2018 is a vintage that was overhyped, maybe overrated by my estimation. Obviously that can’t be said for all of the 2018 Cabs, I have tried some good ones. The barrel samples that I tasted were very compelling. However, after bottling, a good number of them shut down, went into a dumb phase and failed to deliver the almost instant gratification experienced with some previous vintages. That was the case with a 2018 Scarlett in my opinion. As stated in a previous note, this wine is on a path to improvement. Although good, this bottle is still showing tight, suppressed, slightly tart and acidic. Nice fruit, intense dark ruby red garnet trending to a slightly purple color. Dark cherry slightly tart, dark red berries, currants and tobacco. Good now but better with extended decanting. Clearly, this one requires more cellaring like many of the 2018 Cabs. But 2018 Scarlett is slowly emerging into a good wine that’s on an improving course. 92+/93 points.
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2 hr decant. Not much to add to my last round of notes. Nose is like walking through late spring gardens. Great balance makes this extremely approachable, and very easy to pair with poultry or fish, though capable of standing up to beef.
I'd expect this could age another 5-7 years, but w the air provided its singing.
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This is a solid QPR for what I paid and is a good Tuesday wine. Will never get excited to drink but won’t say no if offered or looking to pull something inexpensive. I am a snob now and my family and wallet hate me. The reserve is much better offering.
This wine was enjoyed with Lyrical Lawyer, Papa33 and 2 others the night before the Super Bowl courtesy of the very generous LiteItOnFire.
The wine was decanted for approximately 30+ minutes and consumed over another 45 minutes out of a Reidel Performance Cabernet stem. The wine was paired with Filet Mignon.
Notes are very similar to my previous note on 2/12/22. The color was dark purple. The aromas were of darker fruits with a hint of brown spices. The flavors were mostly primary and fruit forward. The palate was of acai berries, minerality, brown spices and an undertone of cocoa. The acidity and tannins were well integrated and the wine was balanced. The body was full with a silky smooth mouthfeel.
The wine was a crowd pleaser that wasn't very complex but was very enjoyable, especially if you like full-bodied, fruit forward Napa cabernets. I'm not sure there is tremendous benefit to long term cellaring but it is drinking well now with a short decant and would probably have performed just as well as a PnP.
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I’d say, an amazing turnaround for this wine. It has really come around nicely. My only regret is that I didn’t take advantage of the discounted prices when this vintage when it was available. Good stuff 93+ Points. See previous notes.
Bit better than last time. Think these are just a decent Napa cab and probably priced appropriately. Was hoping for a bit of the Mike Smith magic at a discount but not coming through in this vintage and not sure if more time is the answer. Will hold my last bottle a bit longer.
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A Mike Smith wine made from the McGah family vineyards. Near black core to a solid crimson edge. Red cherry, lead pencil and vanilla pipe smoke. Wet slate with a slight green vegetal tinge to remind you it's Cabernet. Medium extraction but not over the top in any way.
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2.5 hrs slow ox. Bramble and Cherry wood or tea on the nose. As others commented this is doing very well at this early stage. The dark fruit seems more mature than it’s age, but I like that they’re selling the 18s today and letting the 19’s bottle age, when others have released the 19 vintage. Tannins are soft and well integrated with a faint sweetness to their approach.
First introduced to Scarlett this spring when Leah ran us through a tasting of many wines made by her husband, Mike Smith; appreciate the exposure to the broader “family”when I had first requested a tasting of the two wines that she and Mike own personally.
Given my lack of experience with this property I’m not sure if it’s longevity but I’d have no problem downing my 3 remaining bottles over the next 2 to 4 years, though I can see this lasting for 8-10.
This wine has gone round trip, showing beautify as a barrel sample, shutting down to reemerging back to life. Like the last bottle dense purple crimson color and a good nose. Dark ripe fruits, dark cherry, black and blueberry, cassis with nice extraction. This full bodied red is in a very good place right now. 94/ 94+ Points
The 2018 vintage came on like gang busters, but took a real de tour and shut down. I have been puzzled by this vintage but it is starting to come around. This was a very good bottle, it's shown some very nice improvement from my last experience over a year ago. Deep crimson and purplish color with nice aromatics. Nice fruit showing layers of black cherry, cassis, red fruits, and a hint of earth. This full bodied wine is beginning to open up for business and I think that it may still pick up some weight. Moving up! 93+/ 94 Points.
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Purchased direct form winery. 2 hour decant and poured back into the bottle for transport to a restaurant. Paired with rack of lamb.
The aromas were of red and dark fruits and some spice. The flavors were of more black fruits with some minerality and spice. Tannins were fine grained and well integrated. The acid was medium minus with a finish that was medium. Wine was well balanced.
It's a smooth easy drinker and it is open for business. It may gain a point with more time in the cellar but no harm in popping a cork now, as its ready to rock and roll!. It's a very nice wine with a good QPR.
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I love this wine. I just do. Such a powerful and enigmatic beauty. There's just something about this naughty little Napa temptress I really enjoy and consider a real treat. She's softened a bit since popping my 1st bottle 14 months ago. Still consistent is the purple black and dark red fruit heft and viscosity at the core. I think she has a pretty promising runway from here. Just ordered 6 more (direct from Scarlett of course :).
I had this wine first last November and it was tight, but it felt like with some time it would improve. My next bottle of this was a disaster (I did not rate) as like almost all my other 2018's it went on lock down. So I was so excited to FINALLY have a 2018 Napa Cab that is coming back around. I have be reluctant to open too many '18's at all since they have all been so closed. However, this bottle was great! Deep and dark red and black fruits. Fine integrated tannins. And medium finish. This bottle gives me great hope for the rest of the 2018 vintage (of which I have a lot!).
Drank rest of coravin’ed bottle over 2 nights. Impression similar to initial try. I guess decent for the price but was hoping for something more. Comes across to me as a bit plodding, maybe needs a bit more acidity.
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Coravin glass with dinner. Not overly tannic but think this needs a bit more time to mellow. Overall decent for the price but slightly underwhelming overall since I loved the 2015. Darker fruited but could have used a bit more brightness. Also got hit of black olive that's never my favorite. NR but call 90+ for now.
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Drinks singular if you will from PnP with nothing to get excited about but also nothing unappealing. Was only able to have one glass so no ability to see how it develops . Note to self to allow it to open up over time and see if it unravels or stays linear.
Nice medium bodied wine with blackberry, minerals and tobacco make for a nice reasonably priced wine. Not the best effort from this property but perhaps with another 1-2 years?
This opaque crimson Cabernet is loaded with black currants, Luxardo cherries, exotic spices, graphite and dried herbs. Full-bodied, fresh, judiciously oaked and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it wraps its flavors with plentiful silky-textured tannins, stays solid on the middle palate and finishes medium-to-long. This particular Vinturi-decanted bottle was subsequently aerated for an hour in decanter before it showed anything. Give it lots of air (at this point) and enjoy it throughout the decade. Drink now-2030.
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Deep dark reddish-purple in color. Full, forward & attractive aromas of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of earthy/dusty, floral & spice notes, mocha, herbs, dark cocoa, pepper, minerals & hints of oak & vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, cocoa, herbs, minerals & a hint of vanilla/oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing, but could use additional aging to develop further at which time, it may score higher (93+).Very good QPR when found at discount.
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It was so tight and closed for 3 hours. Almost disappointed (I know it’s so young) BUT Luckily it exploded with fruity intensity. I was patient with it. Got some amazing dried fruit notes. Anise and baking notes. Dusty tannins. Great balance. But it has many years to improve! Cheers 92-93
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92+ Points today. Great wine that remains on a path to improvement. Although good, this bottle is showing a bit awkward today. Great fruit source, intense dark ruby red garnet with a slightly purple color. Nice dark cherry slightly tart, dark red berries, cassis and tobacco. Good now but I believe this one will require some cellaring time like many of the 2018 Cabs. If this wine evolves anything like the 2018 Quivet Cab has, those with patience are in for a real treat.
Already smooth and elegant. Blue and black fruit on the nose, with great fruit, pepper, and fine tanin on the palate. No sharpness. Very cohesive. This will develop more character with time, but already lovely and ready to go! Very nice. 94 for me, 95 for my wife.
Get together with some friends for some good wine and music - hired the band Sponge for an acoustic show. Ended-up popping two bottles. The first bottle was from a shipment a couple days ago and it came across a little light, somewhat disjointed, and a little tannic/acidic. I had a similar issue with my first bottle of the 2018 Becklyn napa cab that didn’t show real well a couple days after shipment. However, the second bottle of Scarlett that was laying down in the cellar for around a month showed quite well - similar thoughts as the last bottle around a week ago. Once again, enjoyable at this stage (92/93 for me) but I believe another 3 to 6 months should be beneficial to let it soften/open-up some more. Drank next to the 2014 vintage and I would give a slight nod to the 2014 vintage (better integrated and longer finish) but they were pretty close. 98% cab and 2% petit verdot.
Opened this right after shipping, so take these impressions with a grain of salt. Followed over 2 days and got a bit better with time. This is a very different Scarlett from previous vintages. A lot more acid, not as extracted and just a bit all over the place at the moment.
Nice aromas of creme de cassis, new oak, blackberries and forest floor. Showing a bit high toned with relatively high levels of acidity and bite, the fruit is hiding behind some astringency at the moment. Since I've never tasted Scarlett like this, I don't know if it just needs time or if this will be a hallmark of the vintage for them. Shows a nice mouthfeel, blue fruit, hints of mineral driven flavors and a relatively long finish. Hopefully this will come together and be excellent, which it has a chance to do. Just an odd vintage from what is a historically super extracted and rich wine.
Thinking about buying more but wanted to see where this vintage is at first. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry, red & black currants, and blackberry. Really smooth with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a graphite component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep - it could use some more time to open-up on the back-end which isn’t a surprise in light of its youth. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time but drinking pretty well after the decant. Quite enjoyable at this stage but like the 2018 Becklyn Napa cab I believe another 3 to 6 months will be beneficial to let it soften and open-up some more. However, according to the Winery, allow two to three years for the tannins and fruit to come together. Nonetheless, a nice vintage of this wine - 92/93 for me at this stage. No surprise of Dunnuck’s 93 rating. 98% cab and 2% petit verdot.
This wine is on a good path to improvement when compared to the last bottle that I popped. The color is an intense dark ruby red garnet with a slightly purple blue effect. Palate wise, still youthful with energy that's a work in progress, gaining traction. The barrel sample was excellent and I'm certain that the path to improvement will continue. Dark cherry and berry fruits, black currants, some tobacco with some tannins. Bottle time should make this vintage a thing of beauty. 92+93 Points.
My long anticipated wait for the 2018 Scarlett Cabernet is over. Now bottled and available, I could hardly wait to try it. This was a pop and pour experiencer and unfortunately, it’s showing a bit awkward right now. The experience started out much like the barrel sample, nice nose and beautiful color, intense dark ruby red garnet with a slightly purple effect to it. On the palate, the youthful exuberance and energy that showed on the barrel sample had back off, only to show more acidity and the flavors were muted. This is probably a pause in its maturation process as it is very early. I experience the same kind of situation with the 2017 vintage, it started out suppressed, only to come back nicely. I expect a greater return from this 2018, it’s just a pause in development. Hold for now.
Mike Smith 2018s & 2017s - Myriad, Quivet, Scarlett, Becklyn, and others (Saint Helena): Super expressive! This version of Scarlett may be the best rendition of the standard McGah offering yet. Much like the 2015 in its infancy, this 2018 delivers a gushing attack of an array of fruit flavors. The 2018 raises the bar up a notch or two with a darker black/purple profile (the standard Scarlett I usually more associate with red/black fruit). An intense and flavorful mid-palate, with the blackberry and huckleberry notes reverberating on through the back end. Finishes as it starts, with an out-pouring of flavor rushing to the tail.
In terms of right-now satisfaction, this Scarlett can’t be beat in 2018. The Reserve will likely lap it in terms of longevity and overall completeness, but if you wanted to be the coolest kid on your block, you’d order a palette (different than ‘palate’ folks) of this juice and make it your house wine for the next 3-5+ years. 95-97+
The 2018 Scarlett is going to be a fabulous wine, hands down! Barrel sample: Expressive nose reminiscent of fresh morning violets and the color was intense, dark ruby red / garnet. On the pallet extremely young with just a hint of a green note, only because of its youth, this will pass. Dark extracted berry fruit, black cherry, anise along with really good fruit concentration. Upon release, there's a case, maybe more of this wine with my name on it. For the record, we tasted the number of 2017 and 2018 Myriad Cabernets along with some Pinot Noir's. They all ranged from very good to outstanding. The 2018 Elysian too. As for the 2017 vintage there was no discernible evidence of any smoke taint.
4/20/2024 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 92 Points
About 2 hrs after decanting theres a blend of dark red fruits, flowers and evergreen trees after a rainstorm on the nose. As noted in prior tastings, this is smooth, sweet and relatively light across the palate.
Although it took 30 minutes to open up and soften it's rough edges, this paired very well with tonight's chicken breast in a brandy/shallot reduction; It would also go very well with many seafood dishes, but I sense it's a tad sweet for moo-cow.
Easy to drink on its own or with softer foods as noted, this isnan easy crowd-pleaser and a reasonable QPR
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3/31/2024 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big fruit wine. Could have decanted for an hour longer to mellow this wine out. Still has a few years left int he tank. Cheers
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3/8/2024 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is in a good spot, drinking nicely at this point. Dark crimson color with a sweet candy like nose. On the palate, dark cherry and berry fruits with some acidity. 92+/93 Points.
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2/10/2024 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 92 Points
2018 is a vintage that was overhyped, maybe overrated by my estimation. Obviously that can’t be said for all of the 2018 Cabs, I have tried some good ones. The barrel samples that I tasted were very compelling. However, after bottling, a good number of them shut down, went into a dumb phase and failed to deliver the almost instant gratification experienced with some previous vintages. That was the case with a 2018 Scarlett in my opinion. As stated in a previous note, this wine is on a path to improvement. Although good, this bottle is still showing tight, suppressed, slightly tart and acidic. Nice fruit, intense dark ruby red garnet trending to a slightly purple color. Dark cherry slightly tart, dark red berries, currants and tobacco. Good now but better with extended decanting. Clearly, this one requires more cellaring like many of the 2018 Cabs. But 2018 Scarlett is slowly emerging into a good wine that’s on an improving course. 92+/93 points.
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8/31/2023 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
2 hr decant. Not much to add to my last round of notes. Nose is like walking through late spring gardens. Great balance makes this extremely approachable, and very easy to pair with poultry or fish, though capable of standing up to beef.
I'd expect this could age another 5-7 years, but w the air provided its singing.
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3/7/2023 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 88 Points
This is a solid QPR for what I paid and is a good Tuesday wine. Will never get excited to drink but won’t say no if offered or looking to pull something inexpensive. I am a snob now and my family and wallet hate me. The reserve is much better offering.
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2/22/2023 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Killer wine. This show very nice. has everything you wan tin a cab from this area. Cheers
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2/11/2023 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was enjoyed with Lyrical Lawyer, Papa33 and 2 others the night before the Super Bowl courtesy of the very generous LiteItOnFire.
The wine was decanted for approximately 30+ minutes and consumed over another 45 minutes out of a Reidel Performance Cabernet stem. The wine was paired with Filet Mignon.
Notes are very similar to my previous note on 2/12/22. The color was dark purple. The aromas were of darker fruits with a hint of brown spices. The flavors were mostly primary and fruit forward. The palate was of acai berries, minerality, brown spices and an undertone of cocoa. The acidity and tannins were well integrated and the wine was balanced. The body was full with a silky smooth mouthfeel.
The wine was a crowd pleaser that wasn't very complex but was very enjoyable, especially if you like full-bodied, fruit forward Napa cabernets. I'm not sure there is tremendous benefit to long term cellaring but it is drinking well now with a short decant and would probably have performed just as well as a PnP.
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12/27/2022 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and pour; Very floral nose. Great balance of sweet, ripe fruit and structure that shows ability to age.
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10/12/2022 - Justinwine wrote: 93 Points
Delicious , nice fruit.
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9/20/2022 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
I’d say, an amazing turnaround for this wine. It has really come around nicely. My only regret is that I didn’t take advantage of the discounted prices when this vintage when it was available. Good stuff 93+ Points. See previous notes.
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9/16/2022 - Icemn21 Likes this wine: 93 Points
No energy to take notes Very very good
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9/6/2022 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is coming arounnd nicely. It has steadily improved over last 2 years. Gives me hope for my other 2018 late blossomers!
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6/25/2022 - yeti575rider wrote: 91 Points
Bit better than last time. Think these are just a decent Napa cab and probably priced appropriately. Was hoping for a bit of the Mike Smith magic at a discount but not coming through in this vintage and not sure if more time is the answer. Will hold my last bottle a bit longer.
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6/20/2022 - seanucsb Likes this wine: 94 Points
A Mike Smith wine made from the McGah family vineyards. Near black core to a solid crimson edge. Red cherry, lead pencil and vanilla pipe smoke. Wet slate with a slight green vegetal tinge to remind you it's Cabernet. Medium extraction but not over the top in any way.
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5/30/2022 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
2.5 hrs slow ox. Bramble and Cherry wood or tea on the nose. As others commented this is doing very well at this early stage. The dark fruit seems more mature than it’s age, but I like that they’re selling the 18s today and letting the 19’s bottle age, when others have released the 19 vintage. Tannins are soft and well integrated with a faint sweetness to their approach.
First introduced to Scarlett this spring when Leah ran us through a tasting of many wines made by her husband, Mike Smith; appreciate the exposure to the broader “family”when I had first requested a tasting of the two wines that she and Mike own personally.
Given my lack of experience with this property I’m not sure if it’s longevity but I’d have no problem downing my 3 remaining bottles over the next 2 to 4 years, though I can see this lasting for 8-10.
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5/26/2022 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has gone round trip, showing beautify as a barrel sample, shutting down to reemerging back to life. Like the last bottle dense purple crimson color and a good nose. Dark ripe fruits, dark cherry, black and blueberry, cassis with nice extraction. This full bodied red is in a very good place right now. 94/ 94+ Points
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4/6/2022 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 2018 vintage came on like gang busters, but took a real de tour and shut down. I have been puzzled by this vintage but it is starting to come around. This was a very good bottle, it's shown some very nice improvement from my last experience over a year ago. Deep crimson and purplish color with nice aromatics. Nice fruit showing layers of black cherry, cassis, red fruits, and a hint of earth. This full bodied wine is beginning to open up for business and I think that it may still pick up some weight. Moving up! 93+/ 94 Points.
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3/18/2022 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Incredible bottle of wine. Good wine with food. should be good through 2026
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2/12/2022 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased direct form winery. 2 hour decant and poured back into the bottle for transport to a restaurant. Paired with rack of lamb.
The aromas were of red and dark fruits and some spice. The flavors were of more black fruits with some minerality and spice. Tannins were fine grained and well integrated. The acid was medium minus with a finish that was medium. Wine was well balanced.
It's a smooth easy drinker and it is open for business. It may gain a point with more time in the cellar but no harm in popping a cork now, as its ready to rock and roll!. It's a very nice wine with a good QPR.
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1/12/2022 - PIZZAandBAROLO wrote: 96 Points
I love this wine. I just do. Such a powerful and enigmatic beauty. There's just something about this naughty little Napa temptress I really enjoy and consider a real treat. She's softened a bit since popping my 1st bottle 14 months ago. Still consistent is the purple black and dark red fruit heft and viscosity at the core. I think she has a pretty promising runway from here. Just ordered 6 more (direct from Scarlett of course :).
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11/21/2021 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good young Mike Smith wine. Deep plum notes with pepper. Little bit of oak, vanilla and mint. Satin palate, juicy finish.
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10/27/2021 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 91 Points
I had this wine first last November and it was tight, but it felt like with some time it would improve. My next bottle of this was a disaster (I did not rate) as like almost all my other 2018's it went on lock down. So I was so excited to FINALLY have a 2018 Napa Cab that is coming back around. I have be reluctant to open too many '18's at all since they have all been so closed. However, this bottle was great! Deep and dark red and black fruits. Fine integrated tannins. And medium finish. This bottle gives me great hope for the rest of the 2018 vintage (of which I have a lot!).
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10/25/2021 - djs Likes this wine:
Give this more time in the cellar.
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10/10/2021 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Drank rest of coravin’ed bottle over 2 nights. Impression similar to initial try. I guess decent for the price but was hoping for something more. Comes across to me as a bit plodding, maybe needs a bit more acidity.
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9/18/2021 - yeti575rider wrote:
Coravin glass with dinner. Not overly tannic but think this needs a bit more time to mellow. Overall decent for the price but slightly underwhelming overall since I loved the 2015. Darker fruited but could have used a bit more brightness. Also got hit of black olive that's never my favorite. NR but call 90+ for now.
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8/15/2021 - djs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black and purple fruits. Good tannin structure. Aging potential.
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5/1/2021 - Grateful4Red Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs to breathe, delicious
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4/29/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinks singular if you will from PnP with nothing to get excited about but also nothing unappealing. Was only able to have one glass so no ability to see how it develops . Note to self to allow it to open up over time and see if it unravels or stays linear.
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4/7/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice medium bodied wine with blackberry, minerals and tobacco make for a nice reasonably priced wine. Not the best effort from this property but perhaps with another 1-2 years?
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3/29/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points
This opaque crimson Cabernet is loaded with black currants, Luxardo cherries, exotic spices, graphite and dried herbs. Full-bodied, fresh, judiciously oaked and with well-integrated alcohol (listed as 14.9%), it wraps its flavors with plentiful silky-textured tannins, stays solid on the middle palate and finishes medium-to-long. This particular Vinturi-decanted bottle was subsequently aerated for an hour in decanter before it showed anything. Give it lots of air (at this point) and enjoy it throughout the decade. Drink now-2030.
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3/21/2021 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark reddish-purple in color. Full, forward & attractive aromas of ripe fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with overtones of earthy/dusty, floral & spice notes, mocha, herbs, dark cocoa, pepper, minerals & hints of oak & vanilla in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & plums with spices, cocoa, herbs, minerals & a hint of vanilla/oak. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & extended airing, but could use additional aging to develop further at which time, it may score higher (93+).Very good QPR when found at discount.
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3/19/2021 - Cablover1982 Likes this wine: 93 Points
It was so tight and closed for 3 hours. Almost disappointed (I know it’s so young) BUT Luckily it exploded with fruity intensity. I was patient with it. Got some amazing dried fruit notes. Anise and baking notes. Dusty tannins. Great balance. But it has many years to improve! Cheers 92-93
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1/8/2021 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 92 Points
92+ Points today. Great wine that remains on a path to improvement. Although good, this bottle is showing a bit awkward today. Great fruit source, intense dark ruby red garnet with a slightly purple color. Nice dark cherry slightly tart, dark red berries, cassis and tobacco. Good now but I believe this one will require some cellaring time like many of the 2018 Cabs. If this wine evolves anything like the 2018 Quivet Cab has, those with patience are in for a real treat.
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12/26/2020 - WineGold wrote: 94 Points
Already smooth and elegant. Blue and black fruit on the nose, with great fruit, pepper, and fine tanin on the palate. No sharpness. Very cohesive. This will develop more character with time, but already lovely and ready to go! Very nice. 94 for me, 95 for my wife.
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12/6/2020 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Get together with some friends for some good wine and music - hired the band Sponge for an acoustic show. Ended-up popping two bottles. The first bottle was from a shipment a couple days ago and it came across a little light, somewhat disjointed, and a little tannic/acidic. I had a similar issue with my first bottle of the 2018 Becklyn napa cab that didn’t show real well a couple days after shipment. However, the second bottle of Scarlett that was laying down in the cellar for around a month showed quite well - similar thoughts as the last bottle around a week ago. Once again, enjoyable at this stage (92/93 for me) but I believe another 3 to 6 months should be beneficial to let it soften/open-up some more. Drank next to the 2014 vintage and I would give a slight nod to the 2014 vintage (better integrated and longer finish) but they were pretty close. 98% cab and 2% petit verdot.
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12/3/2020 - Cristal2000 wrote: 91 Points
Opened this right after shipping, so take these impressions with a grain of salt. Followed over 2 days and got a bit better with time. This is a very different Scarlett from previous vintages. A lot more acid, not as extracted and just a bit all over the place at the moment.
Nice aromas of creme de cassis, new oak, blackberries and forest floor. Showing a bit high toned with relatively high levels of acidity and bite, the fruit is hiding behind some astringency at the moment. Since I've never tasted Scarlett like this, I don't know if it just needs time or if this will be a hallmark of the vintage for them. Shows a nice mouthfeel, blue fruit, hints of mineral driven flavors and a relatively long finish. Hopefully this will come together and be excellent, which it has a chance to do. Just an odd vintage from what is a historically super extracted and rich wine.
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11/30/2020 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Thinking about buying more but wanted to see where this vintage is at first. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry, red & black currants, and blackberry. Really smooth with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration. Nice rich flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a graphite component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep - it could use some more time to open-up on the back-end which isn’t a surprise in light of its youth. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved a little with time but drinking pretty well after the decant. Quite enjoyable at this stage but like the 2018 Becklyn Napa cab I believe another 3 to 6 months will be beneficial to let it soften and open-up some more. However, according to the Winery, allow two to three years for the tannins and fruit to come together. Nonetheless, a nice vintage of this wine - 92/93 for me at this stage. No surprise of Dunnuck’s 93 rating. 98% cab and 2% petit verdot.
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11/24/2020 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 90 Points
My first of the '18's. Think this will score even higher with ~6 mos in the bottle. Great bottle of wine at this price point.
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11/22/2020 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is on a good path to improvement when compared to the last bottle that I popped. The color is an intense dark ruby red garnet with a slightly purple blue effect. Palate wise, still youthful with energy that's a work in progress, gaining traction. The barrel sample was excellent and I'm certain that the path to improvement will continue. Dark cherry and berry fruits, black currants, some tobacco with some tannins. Bottle time should make this vintage a thing of beauty. 92+93 Points.
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10/27/2020 - Yack Man wrote:
My long anticipated wait for the 2018 Scarlett Cabernet is over. Now bottled and available, I could hardly wait to try it. This was a pop and pour experiencer and unfortunately, it’s showing a bit awkward right now. The experience started out much like the barrel sample, nice nose and beautiful color, intense dark ruby red garnet with a slightly purple effect to it. On the palate, the youthful exuberance and energy that showed on the barrel sample had back off, only to show more acidity and the flavors were muted. This is probably a pause in its maturation process as it is very early. I experience the same kind of situation with the 2017 vintage, it started out suppressed, only to come back nicely. I expect a greater return from this 2018, it’s just a pause in development. Hold for now.
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8/24/2019 - csimm wrote: 97 Points
Mike Smith 2018s & 2017s - Myriad, Quivet, Scarlett, Becklyn, and others (Saint Helena): Super expressive! This version of Scarlett may be the best rendition of the standard McGah offering yet. Much like the 2015 in its infancy, this 2018 delivers a gushing attack of an array of fruit flavors. The 2018 raises the bar up a notch or two with a darker black/purple profile (the standard Scarlett I usually more associate with red/black fruit). An intense and flavorful mid-palate, with the blackberry and huckleberry notes reverberating on through the back end. Finishes as it starts, with an out-pouring of flavor rushing to the tail.
In terms of right-now satisfaction, this Scarlett can’t be beat in 2018. The Reserve will likely lap it in terms of longevity and overall completeness, but if you wanted to be the coolest kid on your block, you’d order a palette (different than ‘palate’ folks) of this juice and make it your house wine for the next 3-5+ years. 95-97+
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4/27/2019 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 2018 Scarlett is going to be a fabulous wine, hands down! Barrel sample: Expressive nose reminiscent of fresh morning violets and the color was intense, dark ruby red / garnet. On the pallet extremely young with just a hint of a green note, only because of its youth, this will pass. Dark extracted berry fruit, black cherry, anise along with really good fruit concentration. Upon release, there's a case, maybe more of this wine with my name on it. For the record, we tasted the number of 2017 and 2018 Myriad Cabernets along with some Pinot Noir's. They all ranged from very good to outstanding. The 2018 Elysian too. As for the 2017 vintage there was no discernible evidence of any smoke taint.
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