KPB
Posts: 4663
Joined: 11/25/2012
From: Ithaca, New York
Status: offline
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If you know me, you know that I think Grant Long's Misc wines are one of those unknown treasures from Napa valley. Grant runs Aonaire and Blue Oak, but has various roles in a number of other wineries and is in a position to source some remarkable material in small quantities (he told me that he actually manages all aspects from vineyard management to blending for the wines he sells under the Misc label). Each Misc vintage is extremely limited: one or two barrels per wine, and that's it. To me the attraction is dual. First, Grant's style is very much to my taste: he eschews that heavy, overextracted, hot style and aims for wines that are midweight without ever overdoing anything. And second, his pricing is remarkable: at $95, you end up with bottles you could confidently put side by side with Napa's $300+ bottles (honestly, Napa's $500+ bottles -- and I say this because I've tasted many of those wines and it objectively is true: these are just as good!) So if you can find them, I highly recommend trying them. I buy directly from the winery (via a mailing list Aonaire manages).
My friend Natasha convinced me that I absolutely needed a Coravin, so I decided to try these on arrival. It was a fun tasting:
2018 Misc. Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (94 Points)
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Deeply colored. The nose on the Oakville Cabernet is floral and high-pitched, with sweet aromas of creme de cassis, acacia flowers, cherry pastilles. A midweight but richly-structured wine, the palate reveals a nice balance of soft tannins, a racy and rather lifted fruit structure, and a long mineral-inflected finish. Very impressive! 94-96pts, but for now I'll go with 94. I would drink this in the 2023-2038 period.
2018 Misc. Wines Cabernet Sauvignon (92 Points)
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
Deeply colored, the 2018 Rutherford Cabernet has an alluring, complex nose showing pomegranate fruit, rhubarb/strawberry tart, mint, floral notes. The fruit here has a lovely sweetness, and the palate brings a very soft, gentle tannic structure, with a bit less acidity at present than the other 2018 wines. Approachable soon. I would give this 92-95pts, but right now I'll go with 92; if you want more points, be patient! This will mature fairly early -- drink in the 2021-2028 timeframe.
2018 Misc. Wines Howell Mountain (93 Points)
USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
Deeply colored, the 2018 Howell is the most backwards of the new releases. The nose here runs to red plums, but I also find a forest loam aroma, menthol, walnuts, and a hint of beeswax. Richly flavored and mouthfilling, long, medium acidity and velvety but pronounced tannins. 93-94 but I'll go with 93 right this second. Will reward aging. I wouldn't open a bottle before 2023.
2018 Misc. Wines Cabernet Sauvignon (94 Points)
USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain
Deeply colored and very reticent, one has to work to coax the nose from the 2018 Diamond Mountain. With extended time to breath I find cassis and roast chestnuts, rosewater and beeswax on the elegant, long nose. A wine that manages to be powerful without being at all heavy, the Diamond Mountain shows just ripe fruit held in an iron fist of tannins that will need some time to relax. Perhaps the best of the 2018 Misc offerings, the Diamond Mountain really needs a few years to unwind. 94-96, but I'll go with 96 right now. Drink no sooner than 2026, but could age until 2040!
< Message edited by KPB -- 11/15/2020 6:02:17 PM >
_____________________________
Ken Birman
The Professor of Brettology
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The exceptional 2018 Misc Napa cabs - 
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