Staglin

At the Staglin's residence. A beautiful site to enjoy some surprisingly beautiful wines. The 2013 Staglin Estate totally stole the show. Both the whites and reds were good, but I certainly favored the flagship wine.

• 2014 Staglin Family Chardonnay Salus 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  A nice, round style exhibiting expected notes of lemon curd and yellow citrus, creamy vanilla, and subtle pineapple. Smooth and simple. The balance is noteworthy, as is the overall mouthfeel and texture of the wine; so it gets points there. This had more flavor than the 2014 Staglin Chardonnay, but the latter had more focus and precision in terms of the execution of it overall flavor profile. 88-89 points for the Salus. Drink now.

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• 2014 Staglin Family Chardonnay Estate 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Pure yellow citrus, lemon curd, pear, and subtle stone fruit. More focused and precise than the 2014 Salus served before it. This had a notable delivery of flavors across the palate; very deliberate and seamless. Displayed a little less overt and plush fruit flavors than the Salus, but this Staglin showed the more "expensive" side of Chardonnay in its overall profile (literally and figuratively). 89-91 points. Drink now and over the next 3 years.

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• 2013 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Salus 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Notes of red and black currant, plum, chocolate, and some spice. Hints of dust on the back end. The soft tannins crept up on the finish and gently provided grip. A softer, more round version of a 2013 Napa Cabernet. An inviting Cabernet, but one that wasn't necessarily displaying much drive or intensity; feminine in that regard, with the mid-palate coming across a bit light. Certainly less structured and packed than the 2013 Staglin Estate served beside it. 89-90 points. Hold until 2019 in hopes it will fill out a bit more.

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• 2010 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  This was an interesting addition to the lineup, providing a potential look at how the Staglin Cabernets stand to progress over time. Resolved in some respects (almost "over resolved"), with red and black currants, ripe plum, subtle saddle leather, and earth. A pleasant 2010 Cabernet, and one that would compliment most any red meat dish, but I didn't get a great deal of mid-palate depth. At times, a little bit plummy, as if it was about 5-10 years older than it actually was. This still had some energy and flavor behind it, but I'm not confident how much longer this will last over time. For my tastes, drink now and over the next 5 years. 91-92 points.

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• 2013 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  I was quite impressed with this wine. Not my preferred style in some respects, with a more reserved, classical profile on the attack. Yet, the delineation of flavors was extremely precise and ultra-focused. This had a laser-like cut that was beautifully balanced and silky smooth. Young indeed; in fact, leave this alone for another 5+ years minimum (7-9 years might even be more prudent). However, this wine showed huge potential in the way that it delivered its black currant, black raspberry, graphite, lead, dark bitter chocolate, and some really faint spice flavors.
  
  What was most notable was the utter balance, purity, and exactness how the flavors arrived on the palate. Not an attack, but more of a symmetrical march of tiered notes. This had a super expensive mouthfeel 95-96++ points (pushing 97+), with huge upside after 2023+.

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• 2014 Staglin Family Ineo 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Round, plush, fruit-forward, and indicative of the 2014 vintage. Not extraordinarily complex in terms of its delivery of any captivating, tiered flavors, the Ineo was a bit forgettable, especially amongst the other Staglin reds tasted alongside it. Black and dark red fruit, with a touch of chocolate covered blueberry. The attack was straightforward, with a medium weight on the mid-palate and a basic, round finish on the back end. Lacked some grip and frame. Good, but not especially attention-grabbing. Drink now and over the next 5-7 years.

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