Community Tasting Note
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msuwine wrote: 95 points
December 9, 2019 - This rich and concentrated Cabernet reminds me of the first time I tasted a Russ Bevan production: there is so much fruit, so much flavor, but it pulls back the reins just enough to prevent the excess from becoming too much (read: there is acidity, there is tannin, it is not just bottled grape jelly). This wine is a mouthful, but it's a heck of a ride.
Dark red in color and full in body, the wine offers pronounced aromas of black cherry, menthol, red licorice, and milk chocolate. The tastes are similarly round and luscious, with notes of blueberry pie, boysenberry tart, graphite, and vanilla, with a sweet and lingering finish ("hedonistic" would have been the word from Parker back in the day). 15.4% alcohol. Decant at least an hour, if not two. Still going strong on the second day, with a little more plum but also a spicy, mocha undertone.
I have to give the hat tip to #1Winelover, based on his description of this fantastic Napa Cabernet at the $100-ish price point - not an easy thing to find. I understand Kirk Venge consults, but this is less grainy and extracted than many of his efforts - and even more round and plush than a B Cellars. 94-95 for now, with upside in another year or two.3 people found this helpful 3,044 views
11 Comments
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GQG commented:
12/10/19, 5:54 AM - Nice review! I always appreciate your perspective. This time it caused me to eliminate the word "elegant" from my review as you're quite right that this Trespass is wonderfully hedonistic. I've been exploring a lot of hedonistic wines lately... I need to pull an AFWE selection once in a while to trim my sails.
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#1Winelover commented:
12/10/19, 6:05 AM - thanks MSUWright! Just wait until you try the '16. It really is either at another level, or, the '15 needs more time. A great find indeed.
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WineBurrowingWombat commented:
12/10/19, 10:17 AM - Great note as always! Did you purchase from the winery or from a retailer? I'm trying to find a bottle myself but having a hard time.
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msuwine commented:
12/10/19, 12:23 PM - Thanks for the feedback, guys. I purchased direct from the winery, Wombat - it was relatively easy.
Yeah, GQG, it was funny that we opened it on the same night. Even if this isn't "elegant," it was pretty seamless (while being crazy rich).
#1Winelover - I'm curious how the 2016 is different than the 2015. In other words, are all Trespass Cabs this rich, or was this just the vintage? -
WineBurrowingWombat commented:
12/10/19, 1:37 PM - Thank you! It's like I gotta try one now :P
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GQG commented:
12/10/19, 3:24 PM - MSU -- Surprised me, too. I got a letter from Trespass a few days ago that put it in my mind, maybe you did too. My review of the 2016 actually got the hedonistic part right! I've bought a lot (for me) of the 2016s as I've tried a few already and they contain a deeply satisfying mineral streak (Dr. Crane level, not quite to LPV) and purity of fruit. I Hope #1 will check in here or post a review of the 2016s. My take is they are deeper and sweeter than the 2015s and that baby fat will take some time to resolve but man are they delicious, even now.
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#1Winelover commented:
12/10/19, 3:55 PM - Hi folks. I have posted a review on the '16 Trespass. A couple of thoughts. First, the vineyard is near Dr. Crane, and I find it similar to some of the fruit from the good ole doc. Every vintage is a little different, which appeals to me. Tasting the '13 continues to show me how this can evolve -- and for the better.
The '16 is a big wine and it needs a healthy decant, which helps blow off some of its baby fat. Donny (the proprietor) told me to serve the wine on the cooler side to tame it and that worked. Finally, I am in Salt Lake City with a client and I am bringing a bottle of the '16 Trespass with me to dinner. If I have any additional notes, I will post them tomorrow. I don't want to part with one of these, but they asked me what one of my favorites were, and I mentioned this. -
WineBurrowingWombat commented:
12/10/19, 4:56 PM - I need to get on that level where I can tell which vineyard the grapes are from based on the taste profiles. I also appreciate this discussion you guys are having, this really helps me learn. I wonder am I the type to like this baby fat in wine.. I'm not even sure if I understand what baby fat is.
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msuwine commented:
12/10/19, 5:12 PM - Hi Wombat - Glad you're finding this useful! Those are really good questions.
In terms of vineyards, I'd recommend doing some form of tasting side-by-side. This can be hard to do with some of the fanciest labels, but there are a number of producers that offer tastings of most / all of the Beckstoffer lineup: Carter, Stewart, Alpha Omega, B Cellars, probably others. For me, it was tasting the Piedras, Crane, and To Kalon side-by-side at Stewart a few years ago that really underlined the differences (and, spoiler alert, those three are all great, just in different ways).
In terms of "baby fat," I agree it's a strange way to describe a liquid (like so many descriptors really - I mean, who drinks pencil lead?). Anyway, I take it to mean a plummy, jammy, sweet quality in a young wine that still has structure (read: acidity and tannin) underneath. There's a wine in there, but it's under a lot of buoyant and creamy fruit (think: fresh blueberry).
I had issues with a lot of the 2016s because they came across as too jammy in the early going, but I think this will burn off with time in bottle (or decanting). You may want to try a 2016 and a 2015 of the same wine side-by-side, in order to see what you think. It obviously depends on the producer, etc., but my guess is that the 2016 will come across as rounder ("fatter").
Anyway, I love reading your notes, so keep up the great work (I should probably put "work" in quotations). Cheers! -
WineBurrowingWombat commented:
12/10/19, 6:34 PM - Mmmm thanks for the info. So I guess that confirms it.. I do enjoy the baby fat very much.
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Mark1npt commented:
9/29/20, 3:14 PM - MSU....you are dead band on, with this one. Not as extracted as the normal Venge wine. I absolutely loved this.......