Attempted to finish the rest of this Coravin’d bottle. Decanted, aerated, swirled, coaxed, massaged, heavy-petted, counseled, read a goodnight sorry to, given a Millennial honorable mention trophy, told it could be the President if it tried hard enough, and handed it a blanket in case it needed to go to the crying closet ........ but even with all that effort..... this gave back NOTHING in return....
...Shut down, ungrateful, and closed for business. Try this beeotch after 2021 and hope it’s not such a pill in a few years.
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Previous notes apply. Against the competiton of other Napa Cabs, this was the middle of the pack. Likely one of the most focused of the wines at the table, but a little linear across the board. Some higher register red toned fruit circling the red-black core.
More accessible on day 2. This is a wine to hold for another couple of years. Try again in 2021. A conservative 93+ points now, with a couple of points upside in 2+ years.
Similar to previous notes. By itself, this is a fine wine. However, comparatively with the others, this fell behind the leaders in the pack. Toward the middle/rear in terms of overall performance. One of the simpler and lighter bodied of the wines (which was still a solid medium-bodied wine).
Holding for another year may allow for some deepening of flavors, but it’ll never have the drive and concentration of some of the others in the competition. QPR is “meh.” Hold until after 2020.
Previous notes from last month apply. Medium bodied and middle of the pack amongst other wines at the table. Nice black and some blue core fruit. Similar profile to a ‘14 Buoncristiani Cab. Drink now and over the next few years.
Previous notes from two months ago apply. Good, solid core fruit, great body and drive, and notable complexity that continues to amaze given its QPR.
This came in around fourth place or so out of 12+ wines, behind a ‘13 Venge Bone Ash, ‘14 Bevan Ontogeny, and a ‘15 Bevan EE (that wasn’t really fair since the EE was twice the price of all the wines there).
Drink the Scarlett now and over the next few years.
Previous notes apply. Though this could use 6-12 months to settle in a bit more, it’s starting to operate on a solid level. I bumped this up a point from 93 because the body of the core fruit is really starting to come together. I found it very enjoyable and it was drinking toe-to-toe with the Scarlett. Perhaps a little less complexity then the Scarlett at this moment, but still a fun drink with great flavor. Ideally, hold until after 2019.
A last minute pull and a bit of a rushed service this time around. Still fantastic. All previous notes apply.
Served side-by-side with a ‘14 Bevan Ontogeny. The EE is clearly a superior wine, but I’ll tell ya, that Ontogeny was firing on all cylinders and was much more open for business. A great showing for the Ontogeny; some preferred its uber-flavorful black/blue profile to the EE’s more red/black fruit core.
A great showing with this wine. Open for business and displaying wonderfully focused and flavorful blue and black fruit, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, black asphalt, tar, black currant, obsidian, and black soil.
I know some have recently noted that this could use more time in the bottle to better come together. That may be so, but for me this was notably accessible and giving throughout consumption. It was the first bottle that was empty among a dozen other wines in a similar league.
The Ontogeny was directly served side-by-side with a ‘15 Bevan EE, which was clearly a more sophisticated animal. But the Ontogeny stood its ground and was remarkably more user-friendly than the EE in its current state. Some preferred the Ontogeny for that exact reason.
Hold for another 6-12 months, but if it continues on its trajectory, it’s more than fine now. Ideally, hold until 2019+.
This wine wiped the floor over the other wines at the table. In its class, it and a ‘14 Bevan Ontogeny were the WOTN. Powerful and concentrated, awesome black core fruit flavors, with black rock and minerality that elevated this wine beyond all of its competition. Outstanding grip and scaffolding. The finish went on for over a minute.
Venge’s style is often (and correctly) associated with big, ripe wines, with extraction limits sometimes pushing the line. In this case, the ‘13 Bone Ash takes the structure and intensity of the 2013 vintage and works it beautifully into the immensely flavorful core fruit. It’s ripe, but there’s so much minerality and grip to keep it all in place.
It was the best showing I’ve had of any Bone Ash. I have a few more bottles that I’ll try to hold into 2019. 95-96+ points.
Same notes as last year. One of the top wines of the night. Even better on day 2, which leads me to believe a couple of years will suit this wine even better. Great black/blue/red fruit. Some nice black rock and spice as well. Just a tad linear on the tail end on day one. A richer back end on day 2.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley
1.5 years since I last had this wine. Very good focus and delineation of flavor. More of a straight shot in terms of delivery, with wonderful underbrush and rosemary notes drilling though the black cherry core fruit. Earthy pine needle flavors also finding their ways in-between the cherry and subtle spice. This is NOT a fruit driven Pinot, but still is able to carry a beautiful profile throughout the entire course of consumption.
A point up from last year. This is a wine that I believe is starting to come into its primary drinking window. Drink now and over the next few years.
This was served next to a Wren Hop Daughters of Earth, which was a much more fruit-driven and spicy wine. Both were great for different reasons.
Same as 4 months ago. All previous notes apply. The front end is full of fruit and spice. Served next to a Wren Hop Witch's Ladder, which was much more herbal and "cooler" feeling in its delivery. I preferred the Daughters for my palate, but liked both for different reasons. 94-95 points for the Daughters. Drink now.
2013 Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
Attempted to finish the rest of this Coravin’d bottle. Decanted, aerated, swirled, coaxed, massaged, heavy-petted, counseled, read a goodnight sorry to, given a Millennial honorable mention trophy, told it could be the President if it tried hard enough, and handed it a blanket in case it needed to go to the crying closet ........ but even with all that effort..... this gave back NOTHING in return....
...Shut down, ungrateful, and closed for business. Try this beeotch after 2021 and hope it’s not such a pill in a few years.
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2012 Sarocka Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Previous notes apply. Against the competiton of other Napa Cabs, this was the middle of the pack. Likely one of the most focused of the wines at the table, but a little linear across the board. Some higher register red toned fruit circling the red-black core.
More accessible on day 2. This is a wine to hold for another couple of years. Try again in 2021. A conservative 93+ points now, with a couple of points upside in 2+ years.
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2014 Buoncristiani Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Similar to previous notes. By itself, this is a fine wine. However, comparatively with the others, this fell behind the leaders in the pack. Toward the middle/rear in terms of overall performance. One of the simpler and lighter bodied of the wines (which was still a solid medium-bodied wine).
Holding for another year may allow for some deepening of flavors, but it’ll never have the drive and concentration of some of the others in the competition. QPR is “meh.” Hold until after 2020.
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2014 The Grade Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
Previous notes from last month apply. Medium bodied and middle of the pack amongst other wines at the table. Nice black and some blue core fruit. Similar profile to a ‘14 Buoncristiani Cab. Drink now and over the next few years.
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2014 Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Previous notes from two months ago apply. Good, solid core fruit, great body and drive, and notable complexity that continues to amaze given its QPR.
This came in around fourth place or so out of 12+ wines, behind a ‘13 Venge Bone Ash, ‘14 Bevan Ontogeny, and a ‘15 Bevan EE (that wasn’t really fair since the EE was twice the price of all the wines there).
Drink the Scarlett now and over the next few years.
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2015 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Previous notes apply. Though this could use 6-12 months to settle in a bit more, it’s starting to operate on a solid level. I bumped this up a point from 93 because the body of the core fruit is really starting to come together. I found it very enjoyable and it was drinking toe-to-toe with the Scarlett. Perhaps a little less complexity then the Scarlett at this moment, but still a fun drink with great flavor. Ideally, hold until after 2019.
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2015 Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée Tench Vineyard 98 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
A last minute pull and a bit of a rushed service this time around. Still fantastic. All previous notes apply.
Served side-by-side with a ‘14 Bevan Ontogeny. The EE is clearly a superior wine, but I’ll tell ya, that Ontogeny was firing on all cylinders and was much more open for business. A great showing for the Ontogeny; some preferred its uber-flavorful black/blue profile to the EE’s more red/black fruit core.
Hold the EE for another year or two.
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2014 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
A great showing with this wine. Open for business and displaying wonderfully focused and flavorful blue and black fruit, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, black asphalt, tar, black currant, obsidian, and black soil.
I know some have recently noted that this could use more time in the bottle to better come together. That may be so, but for me this was notably accessible and giving throughout consumption. It was the first bottle that was empty among a dozen other wines in a similar league.
The Ontogeny was directly served side-by-side with a ‘15 Bevan EE, which was clearly a more sophisticated animal. But the Ontogeny stood its ground and was remarkably more user-friendly than the EE in its current state. Some preferred the Ontogeny for that exact reason.
Hold for another 6-12 months, but if it continues on its trajectory, it’s more than fine now. Ideally, hold until 2019+.
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2013 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard 96 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
This wine wiped the floor over the other wines at the table. In its class, it and a ‘14 Bevan Ontogeny were the WOTN. Powerful and concentrated, awesome black core fruit flavors, with black rock and minerality that elevated this wine beyond all of its competition. Outstanding grip and scaffolding. The finish went on for over a minute.
Venge’s style is often (and correctly) associated with big, ripe wines, with extraction limits sometimes pushing the line. In this case, the ‘13 Bone Ash takes the structure and intensity of the 2013 vintage and works it beautifully into the immensely flavorful core fruit. It’s ripe, but there’s so much minerality and grip to keep it all in place.
It was the best showing I’ve had of any Bone Ash. I have a few more bottles that I’ll try to hold into 2019. 95-96+ points.
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2014 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Same notes as last year. One of the top wines of the night. Even better on day 2, which leads me to believe a couple of years will suit this wine even better. Great black/blue/red fruit. Some nice black rock and spice as well. Just a tad linear on the tail end on day one. A richer back end on day 2.
94-95+ points, with upside after 2020.
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