A week with Sue, others, restaurants, Napa and a rebirthday party
Various
Tasted Monday, April 6, 2026 - Monday, April 13, 2026 by sfwinelover1 with 68 views
Introduction
My sister and brother-in-law came out to celebrate the 5th anniversary of my SCT, and as on all of her visits, this meant lots of good eats (meals at Chez Maman, Solbar and Copra, among others, and throwing open the wine cellar, great wine visits in Napa (Bergman, Palisades Canyon, MacDonald and Beta [NB: I only wrote TNs for the ‘23 Mac and 3 Jasuds; I’ve written up the other wines previously, except for a few Betas which I omitted in the interest of not spending the entire week doing this], and a very rainy 5th rebirthday party. Now it’s time to get back to a primarily plant-based diet and 2-3 bottles of wine a week instead of a day!
Flight 1 (16 Notes)
Closing
Recology may be wondering about my drinking habits when they see my recycling bin this week, but it sure was fun and a great chance to give and get love from friends for the support over the past five years. Already looking forward to the 10th!
2015 MastroJanni Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
(4/6/2026)
Superb. Not much to add to my TN of 2 years ago, but this is now in the prime of its drinking window, although I concur with another writer that even if this is likely at or near to its high water mark, it’s not going into decline anytime soon. Really vibrant mix of red and darker fruit, tomato leaf, iron, cedar and spice. A pleasure to drink on its own and a rock star with red sauce pasta with chicken, sausage and vegetables. Stupid good value at my purchase price. 95++ If scoring.
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2015 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Terres Brulees 94 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
(4/7/2026)
Short TN here, 2nd of 3, 4 and half years after the first. Earlier bottle was highly promising, but mostly shut, ergo the 4 and a half year wait, but as a prior writer observed, very well worth it. Blueberry fields, plums, violets, tar and sous bois, among other things, with still present acidity and tannins giving great structure and length. Fabulous both on its own and a killer complement to steak frites and veal in a white wine sauce at Chez Maman. Opened and slow oxed for a couple of hours before being consumed over approximately another 90 minutes. Early drinking window, which I’m extending by 2 years, with incremental improvement possible. Easy 94+
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2020 Château Couhins Blanc 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(4/7/2026)
First of 2 from the big box wine store a couple of months ago. PnP’d at Chez Maman. On the nose and palate, vibrant notes of green apples, tart and sweet citrus, tart white stone fruit, white melon, river rocks, mint, jasmine and a touch of grassiness. Very distinct from Sancerres, Loires, NZ and CA sauv blancs I’ve had. Really bright acidity and great crispness. Although 6 years old, impressively fresh with seeming years to good drinking to go. Consistent notes during the 90 minutes it was open. Really nice on its own on a warm evening, but just wonderful with mussels and branzino (2 different dishes). Strong showing here, killer at its $29.99 price point. Glad to have another bottle, would buy this or another vintage again. First BDX blanc, full stop, in 1500 TNs, won’t be the last.
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2022 Beta Chardonnay Placida Vineyard 93 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
(4/9/2026)
Tasting at Beta. Ketan’s chardonnays are consistently VG+, and this was no exception. I largely agree with Floral that this skews lean and lithe, with lemon-lime, green apples and rocky minerality taking the lead. Crisp and refreshing, it will be interesting to see if this takes on additional depth. 93+
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2023 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon 99 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(4/9/2026)
From a tasting with Alex. Getting together with Alex is always a treat, both because he’s such a charming and gracious host, but also because, from my limited experience, the MacD cab is always among the top wines in every vintage. Having previously shared the complex and profound ‘19 and the more lilting and accessible ‘22, what would ‘23 offer? Alex’s aeration here was somewhere in the middle, a 6 hour double decant (on my watch, that was 4 a.m. when popped!), and this was singing, with dark berries and currants, ground spice, black olives, dark earth, and leather. Tannins are big, but after air, silky, although it does feel like they’re at least partially hiding the fruit. Acidity frames this beautifully. Just great now with Alex’s treatment, but with sideways time, pretty sure this will deepen, lengthen, and in the best sense, soften. On a short trip, for me, this fell just below Ketan’s ‘25 Jasud and ‘24 and ‘25 Own Rooteds and just in front of Bergman’s ‘23 Red, not written up here because, while it’s positively developed in the past 7 months, it was substantially similar to my 9/25 TN (Palisades ‘22, also not written up because already reviewed twice, excellent and one of the wines of that vintage, fell behind the big boys for me). Excited to buy these next fall, but hell, I’d probably buy dishwater from Alex. 99+ and a likely centenarian.
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2025 Jasud Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Own Rooted
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
(4/9/2026)
Barrel sample from a tasting at the property with Ketan. Red fruits with some black backing, earthy minerality, red and darker florals, spice, fallen leaves. Elegant, precise and balanced yet with a feral intensity; just stunning already. God knows when these will be for sale or what I might have to do to get one, but not even a second mortgage is out of the question. So great that that, in the realm of angels dancing on the head of a pin, this and the ‘24 ever so slightly outpointed the ‘23 MacD for me. Almost Certain 100 when in the bottle.
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2024 Jasud Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Own Rooted
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
(4/9/2026)
Barrel sample from a tasting with Ketan. Having just written on the ‘25, I don’t have much to add other than that this might just have a bit more exuberance and thrust at this point, but like that wine, this seems to capture the terroir, and if I may say so, the man, as well as any wine in Napa does with its site and maker. Already so stunning, it’s hard to imagine this getting better, but I’m sure it somehow will. May cause a stampede when released. Probably the wine of the trip. Likely 100 when bottled.
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2008 Gosset Champagne Celebris Rosé 95 Points
France, Champagne
(4/11/2026)
My treat for myself for the 5th RB, bought from a large bubbles outfit in LA along with 3 ‘15 Millesimes from this producer; hadn’t had this before. Really rich, with black raspberries, cherries, red berries and orange peel leading the way along with marzipan, rocky minerality, dried white florals and pastry shop. All of this is held together with a beam of acidity giving it notable length and tension. Just great with Barry’s ahi sashimi as well on its own, and its richness would likely make it a standout with at least some of the desert carte. Super youthful with incremental upside possible, with its freshness contrasting notably with the days earlier Vueve Rose from the same vintage. Beautifully colored with a lovely mousse. To be sure, not the Selosse or the ‘13 Cristal, but for this bubbles non-connoisseur, it’s at least in the conversation for the group below that at a friendlier price. 95++, and if bubbles are your jam, maybe a bit better. NB to friend mj: color withstanding, this is a majority, strong majority in fact, chard-based champagne; I was wrong thinking it was mostly/all PN.
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NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve 92 Points
France, Champagne
(4/11/2026)
Second bubbles from the RB, was eager to try because I’ve had for some time, at least make sure I wasn’t giving my guests vinegar (or more likely, something flat). Brioche, green apples, lemon lime, nice minerality. Tough coming on the heels of the Celebris, but as a more or less entry level champagne, about a third the price of the Gosset, this is a solid entry in a crowded field, and I liked it as much as the far more expensive ‘08 Vueve a couple of days earlier. Nice entrant in Billecarte’s solid lineup. 91-92+
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2008 Ovid Red Wine
USA, California, Napa Valley
(4/11/2026)
Recent buy, along with a mag of this (!) to go with a winery 3 pack lying in wait. When I last had, 8 months ago, I noted that this vintage of this bottle was in danger of becoming house red at my domicile, yet even with all of the bottles in tow, it had been 9 months since the last bottle (and it may be a while before the next, since I have a couple of ‘11s and a ‘07 I just bought). Mostly writing here to say that this is still in super fine fettle almost as a PnP, drinking with notable depth, power and balance. Not enough for all, so I shared especially with mj and A_M, who’ve listened to me rave about this producer since our first acquaintance, and perhaps more notably, my BDX skewing sis and brother-in-law, never reserved about sharp words about most of my CA cabs but who loved this. Reiterate that if scoring, this is an easy 98+, my favorite, pending that ‘07, of the AE era, and at what I paid, absolutely value. Extending my window to 2032 also.
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2019 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Cherry Ridge Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
(4/11/2026)
At the RB party. Guessed that the chards weren’t going to be big among my winey friends, taking Aubert, Sphaerics, Morlet, PM, VV, etc off the table, and with the excellent of this vintage of this bottling (and this producer’s SVDs generally), this seemed a very good choice. Small taste of the RB, mostly finished by other guests, then a last glass on day 3, performing very well in both instances and generally consistently with my TN from 8 months ago. Still very fresh, seeming like it should have at least a couple-few years left at this level, even if upside seems doubtful. 92-93+ if scoring.
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2007 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette 95 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
(4/11/2026)
At the RB party. From a mag, slow ox’d for a couple of hours+. Bought at LB’s going out of Elivette sale. Love mags, but always struggle how to drink them as someone living alone, so these parties are great for popping some. This one started out pretty funky, with dark soil, leather, dried flowers, mixed herbality, and blue-black berries increasing out with air as the funkiness subsided but never went completely away (it was appealing to me, fwiw). Deep magenta with still potent acidity and tannins, showing VG+ complexity, intensity and persistence but with a more BDX-like restraint and elegance. Great on its own and a really good match for the Med food. I bought over a dozen Elivettes from a wide variety of vintages, this being the oldest other than a couple of splits of the ‘04, which I already polished off. Those had some profile similarities, but whether because of the vintage or format, seemed at least a decade older, rather than the 3 actual years, than this, which was actually better on the second day/night (95-96) after 94-95+ on day 1, and a still strong 94+ on day 3. While I see a variety of opinions here on where this is in its drinking window, I think it’s in a great spot, closer to the start, at least in this format, than the end, with incremental upside possible and no falloff likely for at least several more years. Great effort here, and at my price ($80), just silly good value. 95++
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2017 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 95 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(4/11/2026)
From a mag. One off ($111.99) from the big box wine store a few years ago. Opened for the RB both because of the format and the Med food, even with some doubts since the ‘05, the only other vintage I’ve had, was a good bit better at 19 than at 16 (although bottle variation possible). Also apropos on this day as the first of those bottles was the last I had before going in for SCT and a 2+ month dry spell thereafter. This was pretty much singing off the pour, though, with sweet red cherries, dark berries, sous bois, pepper, smoked meats and a bit of chocolate making for a delicious and full-bodied wine already showing notable balance. Unsurprisingly great with the Med food but also a winner on its own. Probably at its best with an hour of air, 95 on day one, 94+ thereafter. May pick up some additional depth going forward and may not be the longest-lived Beaucastel, but this is already the start of what should be a solid drinking window. Highly recommended.
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2011 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(4/13/2026)
Brought to dinner at Copra by CT friend rjn as part of an ongoing conversation about pairing cabs with Indian food. See his notes on aeration. When opened, this opened with lots of up front acidity and red fruit, mixed ground spice, earthiness and some red florals, showing a lot of the signs of valley floor of that vintage (I’m one of the haters, at least for the Valley, rjn is referring to). We were sipping this alongside a ‘14 Keplinger Lithic and mixed drinks, and initially, I didn’t love it, but as the meal went on, it softened, with more dark present fruit coming through, and after not working for me with the first round of appetizers, it shone with the dosa and the lamb main course (although I’m still skeptical about pairing it with a particularly spicy Indian dish, like lamb vindaloo). Not as optimistic on aging as my friend, since, while there’s plenty of structure, the fruit is pretty lean. Always fun to try something new; thanks, rjn! 91+
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2014 Keplinger Lithic
USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
(4/13/2026)
2nd of 3, brought to Copra for dinner with rjn, sister and brother in law. Unsurprisingly, similar notes to my bottle 4 months ago, but I thought that this would pair well with the cuisine, and it did. I preferred it more consistently to the Knights Bridge cab, both on its own and with the food (although the KB’s showing was very solid with some of the dishes in the latter instance), but of the 3 Rhones of the week, I preferred the 2 from the mothership, the JLC Cornas and the Beaucastel CdP, to which it’s compositionally similar. Drinking at peak, I suspect, but solidly in its window. 93+ if scoring.
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2008 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut Rosé Vintage
France, Champagne
(4/11/2026)
Brought to dinner at Solbar to celebrate the 5th anniversary of my SCT, and rather apropos, since my prior bottle was just over 5 years ago, a week before I went in for the procedure. Concur with the last writer, even as I score more generously, that this seemed to have aged significantly in the interim (but alas, haven’t we all, even those lucky enough to avoid SCT?) with a slight oxidative note and a color more orange than pink. Still, far from unenjoyable with a crudo appetizer (the hilariously named “tuna in a can”) and 2 fish mains, showing red berries, tart plums, orange citrus, light vanilla, brioche and sweet spice. I see my drinking window from the earlier bottle ended last year, and at least in terms of peak enjoyment, I think I was bang on. 91-92+ here, and while still decent at my price, not at all at what I’m seeing it at now. Smoked by the Gosset Celebris of the same vintage 3 days later. 91-92+ if scoring.
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