Fall Napa Adventure

If this was my last Napa trip of the year, the best year of Napa trips I’ve had, then it was a fantastic finish. Not that I ever need an occasion, but CT friend Geaux Tigers and Mrs. Geaux doing one of their frequent adventures gave me a chance to spend some time with these new friends, visit some familiar destinations (Bergman and Beta/Jasud), and learn about some other ones (Pezzato, Impensata and Adversity), enjoy a great dinner at Cook, stay at a charming Calistoga B&B, and hang out with Roy Piper. The wineries were uniformly excellent, the hospitality boundless, and the company and generosity of Geaux epic. Hoping we can do it again soon!

Our first stop, where I met GT, Mrs and our driver, Michael, whose knowledge of wine was a great match for ours. The Savianos were wonderful hosts at their home, where we tasted a great selection. Of ‘21 and ‘22 cabs and some ‘23 barrel samples. I knew this label only through CT friend cyclist’s enthusiastic TN, and this was a great introduction to their wines. High quality and super reasonable prices, especially the NV, which I bought, showing the Bevan influence. This producer will be one to watch, especially if they can expand their production.

• 2021 Pezzato Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  Short note here from a tasting which Michael and Andrea graciously hosted at their home, with CTer Geaux Tigers, a wonderful and knowledgeable tasting companion, and his lovely wife, MA. This was actually the last wine we tasted, as Andrea mentioned toward the end of the tasting that they still had a few stray bottles available. Profile leans toward modern and full bodied, with solid tannic structure which was already pretty well-integrated. Dark fruit, dark chocolate-mocha, graphite and anise. A bit more concentration than the ‘22 of this bottling (we got some ‘23 barrel samples, but I’m less confident of my memory about them), a bit less complexity than the i Nonni. This was a great starter to our 2 days of tasting, and if subsequent wines overshadowed these by a bit, their price points were well higher, making these delicious wines a more than solid qpr choice. Perhaps a small bit of upside here, but I think that this is good to go now, should last 5-10+, though. 94+

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• 2022 Pezzato Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  First wine poured by our gracious hosts, Michael and Andrea. Dark fruited, medium to full bodied (a half step behind the ‘21 in concentration), some tannic structure but already pretty accessible with the aeration our hosts gave it. Similar in profile to the ‘21, and a more than solid effort in a less than optimal vintage (although, as an aside, on this and my last trip, I’ve had quite a few excellent wines from it, so I’m feeling more optimistic, even if it’s below ‘21 and ‘23). May have some upside with some short term aging, but otherwise, a bit of air will be beneficial. More on the modern side and perhaps best on its own, but could probably work well with the usual Cab food matches. 93-94

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• 2022 Pezzato Cabernet Sauvignon I Nonni 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  From our tasting with Michael and Andrea at their home. This is the flagship wine, and it’s a small step above the NV. Similar mostly black fruit profile but some red notes and a more complex spice profile, with a modern, full body profile and good structure. There’s more depth here than the NV, and while it was drinking well with air, I’d lay this down for at least a couple of years, and it could no doubt take more, for a more optiimal drinking experience. Solid effort here, especially for this vintage, and both with time and a stronger vintage, I could see this wine being a point, perhaps 2, better. 94+

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AFter a quick pit stop at Gott’s, which is becoming a habit, it was off to a return visit at Bergman, where Roy Piper met us for the first time, and Pam did an almost entirely different tour and tasting than what she did when I was there 5 weeks before. The chance to taste the ‘18 and ‘19 Proprietary Red were particular pleasures, and these wines easily have the promise of the great ‘21, which just arrived here a few days ago. A true dream team of Napa talent has been involved at this magical location, and it really shows in all of their wines!

• 2021 Bergman Chardonnay 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  From another wonderful tasting at the estate with Pam, set up by Geaux Tigers, also attended by his wife MA and winemaker-producer Roy Piper. My great CT friend cyclist gives excellent background on this bottling, and indeed, this bottling fits better with white Burgs or Leeuwin Art Series than it does with most of its neighbors. I’m not sure how Nigel and the Bergmans have done it given its Napa location and adjacency to BDX plantings, but this retains wonderful structure and crispness, with a mix of stone and orchard fruit and minerality dominating, centered powerfully and delectably by lighter tart citrus and jasmine notes. Already drinking well, I concur with cyclist that this wine may have even better days ahead. Should excel with white fish and lighter poultry dishes as well on its own. Hasn’t been released or priced yet, but if it can stay around $100, I’m a buyer. 95-96+

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• 2022 Bergman Chardonnay 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  See my TN from the same day for the ‘21 about general profile and tasting background. I found this a bit less complex but probably more open. If I had both, would probably pop this first, although there could be upside, and should at least hold through decade end. Will likewise excel on its own and with usual chard accompaniments. Even if ‘22 isn’t ‘21 or ‘23, wines like this show me that the vintage is anything but a train wreck. 95+

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• 2018 Bergman Proprietary Red Wine 99 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  At a Halloween tasting at the Estate with CT friend GT and wife, Roy Piper and Pam that was all treats, no tricks. Pam prepared a wonderful lineup of all of the Proprietary Reds (‘18-‘22) as well as the chards. Across vintages and super talented winemakers, there was a commonality of wines beautifully balanced between power and elegance, with more of a skew toward the savory than the sweet. Like the ‘20, this really showed off the Cab Sauv in the blend, with the CF lending some nice earthy herbality. Agree more with CT friend cyclist that I was tasting more dark than red fruit, particularly up front, but this fulsome wine shows a beautifully broad palate. Structure is profound but notably balanced, as GT recounts, he kinda winked me at when we both drank this as in, this is already something really special, isn’t it, and I couldn’t have concurred more. For whatever coincidental reason, Bergman’s even numbered vintages are drinking with more openness than the odds, but conversely, there’s nothing inhospitable in any of them, and all will likely be better in 5-10 years than they are today. Wonderful with the Estate’s charcuterie, likely exceptional with red meat, but also sipped impeccably without food. If I had to pop one now, this would be it, and depending on how these wines are sold next year, if it’s the price of the ‘21, I’ll be a buyer if I can get my hands on it. 98-99

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• 2019 Bergman Proprietary Red Wine 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  See my notes of the same date for general notes on the flight of Bergman PRs. Agree again with GT that this had an extraordinary nose, and likewise, that on the palate, it was likely less open than any of the other wines in the flight. The tannins in particular are pretty formidable but not hostile, even if it does feel like they’re eclipsing the fruit at present. Hard to be definitive on scoring this at present, but should settle in the 96-98+ range, likely toward late decade, then last just about forever.

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• 2020 Bergman Proprietary Red Wine 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  See my notes for the ‘18 PR for general comments on the tasting and flight. I found this wine more open than GT, but less concentrated than the others. I found a bit more darkness here, perhaps from the unusually high (for this bottling) percentage of CS, but less depth, drinking really nicely at present, particularly in light of the vintage (I don’t think I asked Pam about timing of getting the grapes in, but I found no smoke taint whatsoever). One of the themes of the tastings on this trip, so different than the Spring trip which included Harlan, Bond and VHR, among others, was great winemakers making excellent wines in difficult vintages, and if this is a step or 2 behind the other vintages, this and the ‘22 acquit themselves really impressively under their respective circumstances. 95-96

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• 2021 Bergman Proprietary Red Wine

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  See my note for the ‘18 PR for notes on the tasting and PRs generally. This was consistent with TN for this from 9/25, but it was great to be able to put it into the context of the other vintages (on 9/25, I only had the ‘22 in addition to this). Not as accessible as the even vintages or as structured as the ‘19, the additional time on oak and presence of merlot gives this a slightly more rounded feel without ever seeming soft. Already super enjoyable, the best seems absolutely to come, and it could approach the ‘18, my current favorite, with time. 97+ if scoring

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• 2022 Bergman Proprietary Red Wine 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  See my TN for the ‘18 for general comments about the tasting and the PRs. A bit more acidity and less tannins here, with more of a feeling of a classic LB BDX than a CS (making sense, since this vintage has the lowest % CS). Sleek and pretty open for business, this wine is a wonderful advertisement for good winemakers overcoming difficult vintages. May not have as much upside as some of the others, but outstanding nonetheless. 95-96+

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Another winery I knew by name only. When Geaux and I were putting together our itinerary, I asked him if he had any connections at any NIgel wineries (other than Bergman), and he was able to pull this out of his hat. The wines were excellent, even if they were drinking a bit young, and the trip up Howell Mountain, where I’d never been stunning. Thanks, Geaux, for getting this on our agenda!

• 2022 Impensata Sauvignon Blanc Ciminelli Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  (10/31/2024)

  Opening wine graciously poured for us (Geaux Tigers, his wife and me) for our tasting at the house atop Howell Mountain as we cruised through the vineyard in a golf cart like vehicle. This is definitely an entry in the Bordeaux Blanc style of Napa SBs (in fact, it barely ekes into SB territory with 25% Semillon), with a strong dose of SB grassiness accompanied by tropical and orchard fruit and just a light touch of Meyer Lemon on the back end. Oak and glycerine very present in the mouthfeel. Personally, I like a bit more snap to my SBs, and in the realm of similar blends, like Peter Michael’s Apres Midi at least comparably at about half the price, but if you’re a fan of the style and aren’t the sort to look at your charge bill when it comes back, it could easily merit another point or two. 93+

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• 2019 Impensata Merlot 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  First of the reds from the Impensata tasting. Not sure of the aeration ablutions for any of these wines; all of the reds were drinking very youthfully, of this probably being the most hospitable. Really nice mix of dark fruits on the front, red on the back, sweet (albeit not compared to your garden variety NV merlot) and savory, supple and pleasantly prickly. Interesting combination of some of the more traditional notes I think of in merlot, like dark chocolate, with others that are less so, like forest floor and cedar. Will be interesting to see how this evolves and what foods it pairs best with. My score here may be low based on the former and one’s fondness for this varietal (like my score for Impensata’s SB), but on the question of whether this is an impeccably made wine (as it should be at its price point), the answer is an unequivocal yes. CT score bang on. 95++

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• 2019 Impensata Las Posadas 97 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  (10/31/2024)

  From the Impensata tasting at the estate. Much more in accord with bsumoba and WBW’s TNs here than csimm. This is dark, brooding and tannic, with lots of black currants, olives, asphalt, tobacco and yet more spice. Dense and textural, this brings to mind Abreu’s wines from the same site, which have a similar composition (that’s to say, a bare majority of CS with lots of CF) or numerous LPVs, which I love. This needs horizontal time, but it’s tremendously promising. Again, wish I could have followed it over an extended period of aeration. My favorite wine of the tasting. 96-97

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• 2019 Impensata Proprietary Red Wine Engelhard Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

  (10/31/2024)

  From a tasting at the estate. More approachable than the Posadas, there’s a similar percentage of CS here (61 vs. 58), but a lot less CF (19 vs. 37, although the floral quality is probably here from that) but with 12% PV and 7% Malbec. Similar, if slightly dialed down, qualities of texturality and density here, giving the feeling that, while I’d enjoy drinking this anytime, anywhere starting now, it’s best days are in the future, if not quite so much as the LP. Another strong showing here, and I suspect that, if anything, I’m underrating this (pricing and it having to follow up Bergman, whose wines I found a bit more accessible at present, perhaps because of the higher % of CS or maybe just the different terroir, perhaps coming into play). 96++

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Delicious dinner at this restaurant I’d likewise heard of but never eaten at, with Roy coming by to join us again. Geaux brought Roy’s ‘14, and Roy brought his ‘22, both of which were great intros to his wine. And apparently the rest of the Bergman ‘22 Proprietary Red came, too, but through lack of attention, too much wine earlier or concentration on Roy’s wines, I didn’t even notice!

• 2014 Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  Generously brought to dinner at Cook by Geaux Tigers, and continuing the Roy Piper theme, was accompanied by Roy Piper. I’d not even heard of Roy until a recent trip with gymnastpro (significant overlap between that wonderful trip and this wonderful one), and this was my first time tasting his wine (he brought a ‘22 as well). See GT’s TN for aeration specs, but unlike Geaux, I thought that with the air he gave it, it was drinking really well, with powerful blue-black fruit and tannins being joined by spice, forest floor, medicine chest and incense notes. This wine was delicious but my only (small) criticism was that, after the Bergman and Impensata wines, this seemed slightly sweet, although the secondary notes kept that mostly in check. Different perception from GT, other than perhaps his having more perspective on Roy’s wines, is that after 2 days of tasting, while I think our palates are very similar (at least ex chardonnay, which I love and he doesn’t), I think he has a slight preference for concentration and power, and I have one a bit more for minerality, darkness and structure (so, for example, I’m a bigger fan of LPV than he is), so that I think that this is in a really good drinking spot now for me, albeit far closer to the start than the finish of its peak window. Will keep my eyes open for Roy’s wines. 95+

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• 2022 Roy Piper Cabernet Sauvignon 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  From dinner at Cook with Geaux Tigers, his wife and Roy, with this bottle brought by Roy. Drinking impressively for a young wine, especially from this vintage, this was pretty open with minimal air, not showing as imposing structure or quite the concentration of the ‘14. Agree with GT that this is probably an earlier drinker, although there could well be a step up coming here, and there’s certainly the stuffing here for it to drink well for at least the next decade. All this said, my recall was better for the ‘14, which I had more of, but my palate pretty blown out at this point and I was a bit buzzy (I didn’t even remember we still had some of the ‘22 Bergman open at that point), so you can take my notes here with even more than the usual grain of salt. 94-95

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A relatively new Bevan venture, which, not only had I not tried, I hadn’t even heard of. Heidi was a wonderful hostess, the Bevan chateau a stunning spot for a four star view of the Valley. Delicious wines, although perhaps a bit less structured than we were drinking elsewhere. The Weston sparkler Heidi poured was a real eye opener. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality!

• 2021 Adversity Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Catastrophe 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (11/1/2024)

  At a tasting at Chateau Bevan, arranged by Geaux Tigers and graciously hosted by Heidi Bevan. Mix of dark and red fruits with lots of spice giving this welcome savoriness. I typically like Russel’s SVDs a lot more than his blends (Ontogeny is the only wine of his I’m not particularly fond of), but this was really delicious, powerful but with booziness mostly held in check. Like all of the Adversity wines, drinking a lot more like a cocktail wine, at least at this point, than something I’d want to pair with a rib eye or rack of lamb. Give it plenty of air if drinking now, unless you like that whole drinking water out of the fire hose thing. Still, thoroughly enjoyed, and one of the highlights of the tasting. 95+

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• 2021 Adversity Cellars The Twin 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (11/1/2024)

  From a tasting at Chateau Bevan with Heidi and new CT friend Geaux Tigers. Agree with Geaux and csimm that this wine seems to be in a bit of an odd phase, with a big nose but an uneven and somewhat soft delivery emphasizing red fruit. Promise here for sure, but the least resolved of the wines in the tasting. 93+

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• 2022 Adversity Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (10/31/2024)

  From the tasting at Chateau Bevan with Geaux Tigers, hosted by Heidi Bevan. Classic Russell here, with a giant, fragrant nose, blue-black fruit up front with red fruit and spice notes on the back palate. Drinking well and successfully aerated to avoid excessive heat, this was super enjoyable now with notable concentration for the vintage although not a ton of structure, probably making it one of the earlier wines in this bunch to be consumed. Although I’d struggle to article a vineyard profile for Melanson after this and prior P-Ws and Tors, this seems a good representative. Like most Bevan wines, likely to work better on its own than as a food accompaniment. 94-95

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• 2022 Adversity Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon El Jefe Phelan Ranch Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (11/1/2024)

  From a tasting with Heidi at the Bevan Chateau. Keeping with a similar fruit profile as the other wines, but a bit more tannic backbone here. Could turn out to be the most interesting of the bunch, but a little less accessible at this tasting. As an aside, the Phelan wines, along with wines from this vineyard from Pezzato, were a nice introduction to this site for me, being my initial time tasting them. 94+

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• 2022 Adversity Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Elizabeth Phelan Ranch Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (11/1/2024)

  From a tasting at Chateau Bevan hosted by Heidi with Geaux Tigers. Find myself agreeing with GT here, as the mix of fruit tilted the most to the red, at least among the CS-based bottlings, and this seemed the most open, and, dare I say, feminine. Very enjoyable again, and perhaps, slightly more likely to be food friendly than the Melanson, Catastrophe and Jefe. 94-95+

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• NV Westborn Perpetual Reserve 01 95 Points

  USA, California, North Coast

  (11/1/2024)

  Poured for us by Heidi Bevan at the Adversity tasting at their home. As always, I’m behind the Napa (or perhaps Napa adjacent, as I’m not exactly sure where the vineyards/production is located in this case) curve, as I’d not heard of this project before (and indeed, hadn’t heard of Adversity). Opened by Heidi, this came out with a nice, tight mousse and really great freshness, led by orchard fruits with some brioche, lemon-lime, mixed nuttiness and brioche. Notable freshness here, of the sort which made me look around to see if there might be some brine dwelling bivalve which could accompany this, really closer to the mother ship than anything from these parts (yeah, I know that it gets really tiresome hearing some producer say for the umpteenth time, my chard/pinot/fill in the blank is more Burgundian/whatever other than Californian than Californian, but that really does seem to be the case here). I’m not exactly sure of Russell’s involvement in the project, but from his cabs, his palate wouldn’t seem to be an obvious match with a lithe sparkling wine, but, well, there it is. While I’m not great at pulling out the blends in sparklers, both in color and taste this seems to me to lean far more toward the chard rather than the pinot end of the scale. Really good now even without air but giving every impression that it can age well, if not indefinitely. I don’t know what the price point is here, but I’m guessing it’s above, perhaps well above, the level of very good French NV champs, but if it isn’t, I’d certainly be a buyer. 94-95+, and if you’re a bubblehead, maybe more.

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So, I’d not heard of this producer prior to my last Napa trip, when I saw it listed on gymnastpro’s list of places to be visited. Since I’d gone back from Napa after 2 days with him, I thought I was done, but in reading someone else’s TN and his comments, I thought, wow, this sounds like something really different and special, and was it ever! Ketan put on a tasting which has only been rivaled by Alex M in memorability in my Napa experiences. His Jasuds were right at the top of Napa bottlings I’ve experienced. We talked for hours, literally, that day, and the ever gracious Ketan encouraged me to come back. I told him to be careful what he wished for, as I had several out of state friends coming in in the next few months. Ketan reiterated his offer, and by sheer fortuity, it turned out GT was his 10th DtC customer yet, with all of his Napa trips, had never been, but that it was on his bucket list. He told me how happy he’d be if I could arrange, and luckily, our availability coincided with a window for Ketan, and we had an equally great tasting, and like Pam the day before, largely different than what I’d had in September. Another amazing steak lunch from Gabe, too! Only downside was, as GT mentions, just after we got there, a very cold, but luckily light, rain was falling, but I barely noticed.

• 2018 Beta Chardonnay Chuy Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District

  (11/1/2024)

  Opening wine from our tasting on the mountain. Lovely balance with a mix of orchard and citrus fruits, a light bit of jasmine/honey blossom for just a touch of sweetness, nicely balanced by saline and savory notes. Lithe, relatively lean but in no way austere, this mid spectrum chard seems a perfect white analog to Ketan’s cabs.Bang on in its drinking window with what should be several good years left. 93-94

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• 2012 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Moon Mountain District

  (11/1/2024)

  From a tasting on the mountain with Ketan, Gabe and new CT friend Geaux Tigers. Ketan had opened this the day before, and this was in a stunning place. As many have observed, the nose on this is something, somehow powerful ane subtle at the same time, with a beautiful mix of red and black fruit (I get the mix to be more even than many who’ve found most/all dark), earthy minerality, spice and florals. Medium+ tannins and really racy and largely separate, but in no way inhospitable, acidity giving this wine extraordinary length and etherality. That this wine was drinking with such openness could give perhaps a misconception of the accessibility of Ketan’s wines, as was shown in a wonderful contrast with a PnP of this as well as aerated versions of the ‘14 (94), ‘17 (95) and ‘21 (95), with generally similar profiles, each of which I found more open than GT but less open than this. One of the great things, after 2 tastings with Ketan, is the way his tastings are so tailored to the visitors; these were almost all different vintages than he poured for me 5 weeks earlier. Another appreciated aspect of his winemaking is his quality consistency across vintages; my favorite of the Montecillos at the last tasting was from the mostly scorned ‘11 vintage. I had several of the vintages of this bottling with our steak lunch prepared by Gabe, and they were all wonderfully food friendly (a nice contrast from our prior tasting at Adversity, where the wines were high quality but much more on the cocktail side). It’s easy for me to find Ketan’s lineage in Harlan in these regards, yet his wines are all the more impressive for pricing with the decimal point one step toward the left. All of these wines are, at most, at the start of their respective drinking windows and seem likely to outlast my time on the planet. Toward that end, I may be underrating them by a point or 2 over time, and they certainly weren’t helped on my scorecard by appearing at the same tasting as the ‘22 and ‘23 and own rooted ‘23 Jasuds, which were not just excellent but transcendent. Super thankful to Ketan and Gabe for their boundless hospitality, company and conversation, CTer gymnastpro for the intro and GT for the sanity check in assuring me that it wasn’t just the altitude affecting my mental faculties; these wines, and the man who made them, are extraordinary. 96+

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• 2023 Jasud Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Own Rooted 100 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  (11/1/2024)

  From a tasting on the mountain with Ketan & Gabe and CTer Geaux Tigers. GT’s TN is great, and I’m not sure that there’s much I can add, but as always, that won’t stop me from trying. I found this and the other Jasuds (‘22:97-98 and ‘23: 98++) more black than the Betas, with lots of forest floor and eucalyptus (with some commonality with a really good Heitz Martha’s) and an appealing overall tenor I can only describe, unsatisfactorily, as wildness, as if they came from some otherwise unknown vineyard in the middle of Corsica you needed to get to with some sort of Indiana Jones-ish route and a mysterious key like the one that dangled for most of Mulholland Dr. While there’s some of this in the more conventionally rooted Jasuds, the own rooted, the vines of which frankly looked scraggly, almost sickly compared to Ketan’s other vines, has it in spades. While immaculately structured, this is already super enjoyable, not hedonistic, but far from any sort of an intellectual exercise that someone tells you should try for your enological edification. These wines put Ketan and Jasud up there with my favorite Napa producers, Abreu (a comparison which flatters him, I believe) and Ovid (one which, alas, doesn’t). As is so often the case with great Napa producers, I’m late to this party which has a velvet rope and a line stretching to Clear Lake, but I’m hopeful that I may cadge a bottle or 2 of this, and even the more conventional Jasuds and some of the Betas, even in its mag only format and somewhat steep price. Really, one for the ages and among young wines, right there with the ‘19 MacDonald and Harlan for me. Hard to be definitive on scoring, but certainly no less than 98, more likely 100, and hey, that steak lunch and Ketan’s ever gracious company has to give him the benefit of the doubt, right? I think that the ‘21 regular was just released, so plan on hovering over your keyboards (for you oldsters like me) or phones if you want some. And yeah, this was pretty damned killer with that steak.While I’m an occasional dissenter from the CT echo chamber, wines like this and (the much larger) MacDonald show that I agree with it more often than not, after all.

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• 2021 Beta Cabernet Sauvignon Paratus 95 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder

  (11/1/2024)

  From a tasting on the mountain with Ketan, Gabe and CTer GEaux Tigers. Ok, I confess: if you give me enough good wines with relatively similar profiles and I’m talking away, they can run together and I lose track. I went over GT’s TNs before writing, and I must admit that I have little to no memory of the Maus (although I remember the name, probably because of the great Art Speigelman book) and Lupina, and while I remember the Vare from the prior September tasting, in part because Ketan graciously gave us the partial at the end of the tasting, I didn’t have a memory of it from this tasting (I hasten to add that everything I tasted was outstanding; I just don’t remember particular notes.). That said, this made a more indelible note, perhaps because the fruit leaned darkest and the structure skewed more toward tannins and acidity. But the structure, though considerable, was in no way inhospitable, and in some ways, this felt the most familiarly Napa of the bottlings. Great, and with Ketan’s aeration ablutions, accessible already, but as GT notes, likely to be better, perhaps much (best on the development of the multiple vintages of Montecillos) in the future. 95++

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• 2013 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor

  Chile, Maipo Valley, Puente Alto

  (11/1/2024)

  Brought up the mountain to share with Ketan on our visit after he and I had spoken at my prior tasting about non-CA, non-BDX cabs/blends I liked, with me having mentioned this and Guado, Ketan saying he’d had neither, and my offering to bring one. This is in a very similar spot from my note a couple of years ago, and while there were stylistic similarities with Ketan’s wines, this felt meatier, with notes of mushrooms, green pepper and a general fulsomeness, but lacking the litheness of Ketan’s wines. Not sure exactly where this is in its drinking window, and improvement is still possible, but it should, at least, hold this excellent level for years (sticking with my outer window of 2032). 94+ if scoring

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I can’t believe Geaux and Mrs were able to keep this up for 2 more days! Well, I was off to Davis for a grad school reunion, not that I was teetotaling there, either, but the libations were a lot less rarefied.