1/17/24, 2:37 PM - Myriad specifically and the topic of Napa inflation is being discussed in detail in the berserker threads linked below. Whether fruit contracts are what is causing the increase or not, an over arching matter remains. At $300 a bottle there are world class wines both in Napa and in most wine making regions. Changes the equation and value proposition for sure. https://www.wineberserkers.com/t/what-s-going-on-with-napa-questions-and-concerns/308544/561https://www.wineberserkers.com/t/myriad-release/309320/39
11/19/23, 4:40 PM - Doing this off memory, but this most closely resembles the 2019. I’ve had 17-21 and my two favorite vintages of this are the 19 followed by this 21.
8/13/23, 7:35 AM - Had this on 8/12 and these notes are spot on
8/13/23, 3:34 PM - I meant specifically on your palate impressions. The nose I paid a bit less attention to this night. The 2020 I enjoyed quite a bit more than the 2021, but the 2021 still gets it done. For what it’s worth.
8/14/23, 11:24 AM - Yea, unfortunately I have had less luck finding the 2020, especially for under 30$, so I’m holding the half case I have left. The 2021, is available at preferred retailers that will ship to most state, so I’ve been drinking those first and restocking as needed. I like Thivin as a nice food friendly cellar defender.
3/15/23, 11:20 AM - I had anticipated waiting 10-15 years after vintage, but perhaps I have to revise my expectations on this one. Have been drinking a lot of the 16 Senejac and Cantemerle, they have been forgiving following a decant and make excellent cellar defenders. Although the Cantemerle arguably could also use a bit more time.
3/15/23, 11:34 AM - Appreciate the feedback. I started acquiring Bordeaux more so in the last couple years and am still tasting my way through the Chateau's. Main emphasis is on classically styled versus modern. Has been a nice journey so far.
3/16/23, 7:42 AM - Appreciate the feedback from you both and will check out some of these wines. I am on the earlier side of collecting, so I do have the time to let these bottles rest in to their drinking windows. I have been seeking deals mainly on the 2016 vintage given its strength and en premeur for more recent release vintages. I've noticed that, quite consistently, once benchmark wines, such as DdC hit the 15 year mark, they double in price. Making the prospect of cellaring seem more practical/worth it. In comparison to Napa wines, which typically don't see that kind of increase in the secondary and often have a tendency to go down or stay somewhat flat. Of course there are exceptions to that, such as Mayacamas, Dunn, Corison, Ridge and similar wines intended for extended aging. I have had good luck on WineBid getting deals on ready to drink wines, but specifically California wines. There are a handful of 90s-00s that I've managed to grab at far below current release price and so far the wines have been fantastic. This is simply not possible to do with Bordeaux.Alternatively, current release cru bojo, Nebbiolo, and Rioja have been great wines to ponder while the Bordeaux blends age. Adding this perspective in case there are other suggestions I have overlooked.
3/17/23, 8:32 AM - Thanks WineGuy and Hendmo for the suggestions and perspective. I am fortunate enough to have a canning cellar in my basement that I converted in to an insulated passive cellar a few years back. I have racking for around 400 bottles and can probably expand that to ~700 bottles. I don't have plans to go the third party storage route based on my rate of acquisition versus consumption, but I suppose that could change if my financial position does. I have grabbed some of your suggestions already, such as Pontet Canet, Poyferre, GPL, Canon La Gaffeliere , Lynch Bages, Brainare Ducru, Dame Montrose, Cantenac Brown, D'Issan and others. I feel like my biggest issue is really finding ready to drink examples that are available to purchase but aren't budget breakers. The best I have been able to come up with are the 16 Senejac and Cantemerle which are fairly approachable now. Otherwise, a lot of the older vintages are priced pretty high for even mid tier Bordeaux, but perhaps I am looking in the wrong place.
3/17/23, 9:22 AM - Pinot Noir I am hit or miss with. My favorite domestic Pinot so far has been from the School House Vineyard (Spring Mountain). I have some Rivers Marie on hand as well and have enjoyed those. I have been scratching the lighter body itch with Bojo (Thivin Cote De Brouilly and Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Griffe du Marquis) as well as Nebbiolo, Langhe or Barolo/Barbaresco from Viette and Produttori and obviously Roija. Those have generally been working for me more so than Pinot, but its more a matter of personal preference.One of my favorites were the wines produced by Paul Gordon at Halcon vineyards (primarily his syrahs), but he stopped producing wine in 2019 and sold the vineyard to Pax I believe. But man are those some of the best wines for the $$ I have had. Thankfully I have a nice stash and can't wait to see how they transform over the next decade or more.
2/6/23, 8:47 AM - It's tough for me to say as this was my first Empyrean in a while and I have not opened a ton of 18's based on my other experiences with the vintage. I have also been spending more time in the old world recently as my palate has been preferring that style. The few 18-19s I have had recently from either Mike or from Lewelling have been too overwhelming for me in their youth.This however, was much more behaved in its youth, especially following the Panek which was a bruiser. I remember the Empyrean having a fuller fruit profile, which leads me to believe that one of two things happened. Either the Empyrean needed more time to develop in the decanter to allow everything to completely unfurl or the Panek, with its fuller body and tannic structure, made the Empyrean appear much more graceful. One thing is for sure, the Empyrean was definitely silkier and more polished than the Panek and overall, a better made wine. I do think waiting to drink this vintage is still the better approach, but not entirely sure if that number is 1-2 years or 3-5.
1/9/23, 5:40 PM - Hey Sean, sorry for the thread drift here, but you wouldn't happen to be Fairfield U. alumni? I feel like we have met but I can't quite place it.Also appreciate your notes. I have the 18 and 19 Greer and have patiently been waiting to open one. -Joe
2/26/22, 1:46 PM - With this last experience, on day 2, it was still quite primary and did not pick up a lot of secondary characteristics. Day 1 was also primary but the intensity and focus of the fruit was better, so felt day 1 had the edge. Overall I had hoped for a bit out of this wine.
2/17/22, 4:30 PM - I have enjoyed other vintages of red head and I enjoy the style of thomas brown, which I typically find to be a nice blend between classical and modern styling. This vintage, at present, has seemed a bit more one dimensional compared to what I’m used to. Have had a few of these with similar results, but it also comes down to preference.The eagle summit on the other hand takes come coaxing, but when it does come around I have found them to over deliver for the price.
2/18/22, 9:37 AM - It was a bit better the second day, but the fruit was still in your face. Not saying it is a bad wine by any stretch, just a little below what I prefer from TRB and the Saunter team. I will add, I don't mind a fruit dominant or modern style as I thought the 2016 Becklyn NV I had last week was stellar. That wine had it all going on, balance, structure, finish. It was excellent and considering the two wines are priced similar, the Becklyn was in a different league, in my opinion. Where as the last 2014 ESV I had, while stylistically a different wine, would compete more with Becklyn NV.
6/12/21, 10:48 AM - This sounds unusual and inconsistent with my experience with Halcon. When you say small bottle, is that from a tasting pack or something along those lines? Perhaps there’s an issue with the mini tasting bottles.
6/12/21, 7:33 PM - Seth, I won’t comment on how extracted the wine is as that is relative and everyone has a personal preference. However, these wines are aged in neutral French puncheons, so I don’t understand the over oaked comment. I find these to be classically styled but clearly California from the fruit profile. So the descriptors seems out of place for me based on the 6-7 bottling a from Halcon that I’ve had.
6/11/21, 12:38 PM - Haven’t had the Elevacion for 19 yet but the Alturas needed 3-4 days open to really come alive. I could see you being disappointed if you drank it within the first day or two.If that helps at all.
6/12/21, 6:30 AM - For me day 4 was when it was more in line with my expectations. So it doesn’t surprise me you didn’t like it in day 2. The 2018 vintage would have been worth trying as that was approachable in its youth and day 4 revealed a similar profile to the 2018, just more amplified. My two cents anyway
6/11/21, 12:31 PM - Mark, I’d open it on Tuesday, put the cork back in and drink it on Friday or Saturday. Maybe drink half Friday and half Saturday, if planning and time allow. The 2018 is a beautiful wine that can be enjoyed on day 1, but the 2019s have some serious ageability and need at least 5 years to start to settle. To OHNE’s point, waiting will yield some great dividends. Buy more if you only have 1 bottle.
6/12/21, 6:20 AM - Make sure it’s a tiny glass…you’ll want to have more later
3/26/21, 9:15 AM - Thanks for the note. Curious, did you slow ox or decant? If so, how long? Wondering if it improved with air time.
3/8/21, 9:45 PM - Nice notes. I finished reading this note in my head like the ending of one from AG, “in a word, spectacular.”
10/27/20, 1:01 PM - Cristal, Thank you. What is your plan for future consumption based on how this bottle handled? Holding a couple years?Seems like there is a pretty tight drinking window until it shuts down, so wondering what kind of timing you were alluding to regarding the 16 vs. 18.
10/27/20, 1:33 PM - Thanks Cristal. I unfortunately only have the 17 in my cellar in addition to 18. I drank all my 17 standard Crane's up already as it was it doing well with a short decant. I still have not opened a 17 Elysian yet. So was trying to get a sense of the vintage without having the sacrifice a bottle (only have 3 of each vintage). I have had a few random 18's already and have found them to all be pretty coiled up in the early goings, perhaps something more akin to how 13 and 15 were upon release.
10/27/20, 1:48 PM - I get ya, I frequent CT and Berserkers, so I am familiar with the scene. I was tempted to open a bottle now and basically used your response to suppress the urge, so thank you for that. I have other 16 Mike Smith wines I can always default to if the urge persists.
10/28/20, 3:05 PM - NapaCab, I had a 17 Empyrean, but it was back on 1/1/2020. Thought it needed some years in bottle to better integrate, regardless of decanting. Lots of oak and very tight back in January. I am personally avoiding opening my other two bottles for a couple years, unless there are prevailing reviews that suggest otherwise.
11/11/20, 5:07 PM - Dave, others are more experienced on the reasons why you should consider a bottle, but I thought it worth mentioning that the winemaker, Mike smith, just sent an email to the allocation list with left overs from his 2018 release. If you are interested in trying to get a bottle, I’d suggest you email Leah Smith as soon as possible to see if there is something you could work out. Otherwise I suspect you’ll find a premium on this in the secondary market. Hope this helps.
1/17/21, 9:46 AM - I know most you folks are pretty set on your perspectives of the 2019 vintage, but figured I’d share the link below for some further insight. Roy Piper and Russel Bevan chimed in on their views of the vintage and some other helpful comments from board. I have to imagine there will be some compelling wines out there in 19 and it is always helpful to be selective. I for one grabbed Myriads Dr. Crane offerings because it’s my favorite from their line up and also my wedding year, so seemed appropriate to have some. I will also be buying from other regions on the West Coast, such as wines from Halcon as I’ve heard the weather was favorable in the Yorkville Highlands and the grapes had extended hang time. Overall my goal is to spend less on Cab this year, but not because of the vintage, more because of my cellar which is seemingly lopsided and cab heavy at the moment. I hope this helps and apologize if this was a bit of a monkey wrench for some. -Joehttps://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3153011#p3153011
12/16/20, 11:39 AM - Wine Folly posted on "hyper decanting" aka, throwing wine in to a blender. I think it unfortunately pulverizes the wine to a point where it is flat.Interesting read/watch nonetheless. https://winefolly.com/episode/3-ways-to-decant-wine-hyper-decanting/
12/16/20, 1:16 PM - I have been having some decent luck with mid-day slow ox for evening consumption. Have done that more recently for the 16-18 napa cabs and have been enjoying the results. Still haven't had the stomach to do it with the 18 bard yet, based on the other reviews.
11/20/20, 11:08 AM - Skipped the glasses altogether?? I like your style.
11/20/20, 7:10 AM - GSomers, glad I could help. I did receive the Cloud's Rest from the mystery pack on Last Bottle. It was a pretty busy buying season for the 2018's for me and I needed some cellar defenders and figured the mystery pack could have something interesting. So far it has been ok, but I guess the mystery is part of the allure. I opted out of the Sleeper. There are a tremendous amount of white label wines floating around the market in 2018 due to the abundance of quality fruit at harvest. I live near one of the larger retailers on the East Coast and he already has 6 white label wines in 2018 (at varying price points), with more on the way I'm sure. So can always grab some same day if I want to give one a shot.
10/29/20, 8:38 AM - Appreciate everyone's feedback on the pedigree and vineyard composition of the Bards of past and present. I was a first time buyer for the 2018 vintage, which I purchased solely on reputation of delivering excellent QPR. For me personally, I have not been able to financially justify purchasing wines in excess of the $100 dollar range with a ceiling of $200. So I find it to be an advantage to have the ability to enjoy a well made wine, crafted in house style, that is still "affordable." Plus, if good fortune or obsession allow me to dip my feet in the pool of the SVD's, I know what I am getting in to.As for the non-wine "issue", Jen, don't be convinced you are the minority, but I guess we will find out for sure in less than a week, or a month, or hopefully maybe sometime this year?
10/20/20, 9:24 PM - Jen, I don’t have any magnums but I do have a few Elysians hanging around. Figured I’d drink the standard Crane’s and let the Elysians rest for a while. Might open my first of those during the holidays and go from there.
5/24/20, 6:18 PM - Thanks guys. Cablover, I wasn’t sure how the Carters would be after trying some 17 Myriads. I found that the Dr. Crane was pretty compelling and similarly delicious from a rating perspective, however the crane did not have the same unresolved oak. I do think the OG overall will be a better wine vs the Elysian for 2017, but to your point, it seems like it’ll take a little time to get there. Both are stunning for the vintage.
10/15/20, 7:53 AM - Dave, not sure I am the most qualified to answer, but for my liking, another 2-3 years of proper storage would seem to be ideal. I have had other 2017 Mike Smith cabs that were drinking fantastically well this year (notably the Myriad Dr. Crane). Tannins and oak were already somewhat integrated and drinking well. This Carter, back in May when I drank it, was still raw and untamed. For me, this is an easy hold until 2023. As far as the 2nd bottle, I am sure you will be able to re-evaluate when you pop the next one. If it still seems unresolved in a couple years, you know you have a long wait ahead.
10/15/20, 1:00 PM - Dave, age is as important a variable in life as it is in wine. I lost my dad a couple years ago to colon cancer, who would have turned 72 in December. Although I cannot see your cellar, I imagine with 200+ bottles, there has to be some good ones in there. May I recommend rather than waiting six years, why not have one sooner and slow ox it for 24 hours or give it an overnight decant? Life is too short.-Joe
10/15/20, 8:00 AM - Had the same experience a couple weeks ago and didn't get around to posting a note. Was a bit of a disappointment. Was planning to hold for 2-3 years.
10/15/20, 12:55 PM - Frank, never got the medicinal note you mention, although I recently did the other evening with a single quinta port. For me it was mainly red fruited/tart cherries and it never really showed a lot of complexity or that lushness Mike's wines can often have.
1/10/20, 11:19 PM - Not to rock the boat here too much, but I have had worse California wine that I paid more than $65 a bottle for, from vintages more highly regarded than 2017. Not that I am trying to be a huge advocate for the vintage and I can understand the economic argument you are making regarding the cost benefit of the wines coming from the vintage. But I have enjoyed a handful of the 17s quite a bit so far, and specifically the Myriad Dr. Crane and Becklyn NV/Hopper. Granted if I drank the 17 Crane next to a 16, I might have a different feeling, but so may be the case between a 16 and a 14. I am sure the 18 vintage will come around and kick every other vintage in the pants, but you can never have too much good wine and there are still some good 17s to be had. I even bought some left over Becklyn NVs the other day while they are still available.
1/2/20, 10:28 AM - Np Mark
1/2/20, 10:26 AM - Agreed Doc, would say it is on par with the value provided by the 16 Becklyn. I believe they still had some being offered to members over the holidays, but if not, could always shoot Leah Smith an email and see if they have anything left.
12/24/19, 9:30 AM - Added my update on Day 2, thankfully it was much better.
12/22/19, 2:49 PM - Sorry to deliver bad news. Was trying my best to give an assessment on where these wines are. On a positive note, I have found the 17s to be enjoyable so far, but my experience has been limited to wines produced by Mike Smith and TRB. At least when compared to the last “bad” vintage of Napa can (2011), these are superbly better. Hopefully you have some 2012 or 2014s laying around that you can kill off while waiting on the rest.
12/15/19, 11:36 PM - When drinking the wine tonight, I tried my best to ignore the vintage and moreover the negative view it has been getting thus far. It was easier than I thought it would be as this wine was still very dense and concentrated, packed with flavor. Nothing really stood out to me at all where this seemed like it would be lacking in the future. In 2011, I remember even the pedigree wineries had the same vegetable/bell pepper quality to them and it was hard to repeat the density and concentration of 09 and 10 before it. I remember not too long ago opening an 11 Fairchild Sigaro and while liking it, still feeling the same way about the vintage. Either way, it was promising to me that this tasting went well, so will continue to keep my fingers crossed on this vintage.
7/3/19, 10:23 PM - Mark, was this your first bottle/tasting of the 16 papera? I have had a few over the past 6-12 months and they have been enjoyable. I have not found them to be remotely harsh, even with 15%+ on the abv. As others mentioned, i am hoping that this is more of a timing issue or one off bottle. But not sure if this is a vintage you have already sampled a few times and have had consistent experiences.I will say that I did not find this wine sweet at all. That mixed with the orange rind and cranberry notes I’ve experienced, I can see how this wine might come off bitter, especially or amplified by bad timing or a bad bottle. Not sure that answers any questions, but seemed relevant.
6/5/19, 11:39 AM - Had a similar experience within the last month. First couple hours the alcohol dominated. It finally started drinking well towards the end, but there was barely anything left and it had been over 5 hours at that point. Seems like these need to sit for a while.
6/5/19, 7:22 PM - 2016 was the first year I acquired wines produced by Mike Smith, the Becklyn was by far the hottest of the NVs. I really enjoyed the Myriad 16 NV right out of the gate, although while fruit is pure, the youth still shows some sweetness and heavy hand of fruit. But it was quite hedonistic and tasty. Hopefully you have better luck with others. Cheers
12/5/18, 11:36 AM - May I ask what your decanting ritual was for this wine? Wondering whether this LPV of the La Verdad are more approachable in their youth. Wanted to try one of the two, but also don't want to waste a bottle.Thanks in advance.
12/5/18, 11:42 AM - Thank you, appreciate the feedback. Sounds like it is best to leave the Verdad alone for a little while.Would you say the same for the OG?
12/5/18, 12:04 PM - Thanks again
11/30/18, 8:01 AM - I added a brief note on the 2016 quivet, conclusions were the following: "The quivet seems to be a bit more temperamental compared to the 2016 Myriad. The quivet required careful concentration on the decanting prep, where as the Myriad was a tasty bruiser right away, and through the duration of consumption. The Myriad is a more bombastic, sweet dark core fruit flavor train with dark soil and dark chocolate, everything about it is dark. The quivet is more refined w/ red berry fruit, cassis, spicebox profile. I would probably drink the 2016 Myriads now and let the 2016 Quivet's resolve themselves for a little while."
11/29/18, 12:33 PM - Glad you decided to try it. It has been one of my favorite pick ups in the secondary market this year.
11/30/18, 7:44 AM - I have been able to acquire some for $150, but with some persuasion.
9/8/18, 6:31 PM - Thank you
9/2/18, 12:06 PM - I have been a fan since my first visit to the property a few years ago. Fiona Barnett is also an excellent host and is great with making accommodations and getting back to e-mail. The view from the property is also phenomenal which is what initially captivated my wife and I. I have recently been purchasing the 2014 Rattlesnake for around $125, which at that price I feel it is a good buy. I am hoping to get a taste of the 2015 Rattlesnake in the next couple months. I looked at your profile and noticed you liked some Melka wines. I tried the 2015 Perfect Season over the weekend (Melka made and vineyard managed by Jim Barbour). It was pretty fantastic and a seemingly great buy at around $125-130. Juice sourced from Knights Valley, so perhaps gets more quality fruit for less. Either way, worth checking out if you come across it.
9/2/18, 12:10 PM - My bad, I see you already have two bottles of Perfect Season in your cellar and are the only tasting note on the 2015 vintage, so it appears you have already beat me to it.
9/1/18, 12:34 PM - Thanks for your notes. I was at the winery last spring and tasted the 2014 lineup which did not leave me nearly as impressed as your notes on the 2015. I will try and grab some of these when hit my wine retailer this fall.
9/1/18, 3:46 PM - Yea, I have noticed it has also scored well with the critics with 100 from Parker's Mag and 99 from Jeb, wondering if my local retailer is going to add additional mark up. Typically the prices are fair because he has a direct relationship with them, but you never know. Overall, the Valley in 2015 has been knocking it out of the park so far.
8/17/18, 2:49 PM - The producer of this wine is Alpha Omega. I know they only source Cabernet in Rutherford from two vineyards, GIII and Thomas Vineyard. I was told that it was from their single vineyard wines but not told the actual blend. It is possible that there is a new collaboration with Round Pond, but that hasn't been advertised on their site. Based on tasting other wines from GIII, it has a similar profile. But it is just a guess.Either way, the wine is very good for the $$, regardless of exactly the blend.
7/16/18, 8:45 PM - I would agree with your assessment. Punches above it’s weight class for the money. The 2016 Riesling is also quite good if you enjoy them dry. Also at a very reasonable price.
7/8/18, 9:35 PM - Thank you
6/27/18, 8:24 PM - Well, since you asked, I’ma go with “a unique representation of the terroir.”
6/27/18, 9:59 PM - Yea, that is unfortunate and always a bummer. The 2012 vintage has had the most let downs for me so far in post 2007 Napa. And I wouldn’t say they were bad, but I was just hoping for more and they just never got there. Perhaps my expectations are skewed from all the great wines coming out of Napa out of the 13, 14, 15 and 16 vintages.
6/28/18, 7:36 AM - Agreed, I have enjoyed some 2012's that Melka has produced that were very good (namely Fairchild and QTR). I had looked up the vintage chart from RP before I posted my last comment. Surprisingly he has the 2012 vintage (96E) rated above the 2014's (93R) and one point behind the 2015's (97E). Further, he has both the 12 and 15 vintage to be accessible early. I have found the 15's I have tried to be wound up pretty tight, reminds me more of the 13 vintage in that respect (and I guess also the balance between fruit/earth/minerality). Especially compared to the bodacious and fruity 14's, which for me have been drinking very well right out of the gate. Ultimately, I suppose it comes down to personal preference anyway.....
6/28/18, 2:44 PM - I think that is reasonable on the 2013's. I have been actively avoiding pulling those from my cellar since I did not have a lot to begin with. I have been grabbing the 2015's in the secondary market to the extent I can. I was fortunate enough to get on the Mike Smith mailing lists for the 16 go around (Carter and Quivet specifically) and nabbed up some OG and La Verdad, so I am hoping those shape up nicely and on par with 13/15. Will aim to grab some 16 LPV on the Quivet also, based on your glowing review, seems like a great QPR.Fingers crossed.
6/28/18, 5:12 PM - I have to say, based on your notes on the Quivet LPV, seems like you prefer that slightly over the Verdad for 2016. Is that a fair assessment? I wonder mainly because the Quivet is at a better price point.I also purchased less of the Verdad vs OG in anticipation of scooping up some Quivet LPV.
6/28/18, 6:54 PM - I look forward to trying them both, but unfortunately I doubt it will be side by side. I am curious to see what my allocation will look like on the Quivet LPV. I was surprised a bit on the Carter in that I had access to buy during the first round of the release. I had it marked on the calendar and got right in for the OG and Verdad. Not sure how they normally do things or if it is tied at all to my other Mike Smith purchases, but I’ll take it. A side note, more in line with our vintage discussion from earlier. I’ve been nursing a 16 round pond over the last three days via a simple recork. Definitely best on day 3 without question. I don’t recall being able to do so with the 14s.
6/29/18, 7:46 AM - It is hard to tell what the intention was on the Round Pond. Mainly because the bottle I consumed was a private label in a collaboration between Round Pond Estate and my local liquor store. The juice is from the Rutherford estate and somewhere in between their estate and reserve cab. I think the general rule on the private label wine that my buddy brings in, tends to spend a couple months less in barrel versus what the estate churns out (which I believe in the case of Round Pond, is 18 months 60/40), just to change up the flavor profile and blend a bit. Probably why I was surprised on the day 3 performance. Blackberry and black cherry on the entry transitioning to cocoa powder and what I would call twizzlers, towards the finish. Aromatics were also best on day 3. I was expecting it to be DOA when I pulled the cork that evening. The previous two days were ok, wine was just a lot more linear.
6/29/18, 10:27 AM - I appreciate the perspective on the drinking length for the Carters and all the other feedback. I had been wondering a bit about their ideal maturation. I guess the vintage dictates that a bit also. I am running in to that problem for one of my favorite wines to date (14 Barnett Rattlesnake). I had initially wanted to forget about them for a while, but I feel like they will loose some of that hedonistic purple and dark fruit profile I really enjoy about them. I may have to rethink my strategy.
6/4/18, 10:50 AM - Agreed. I had written a couple paragraph rant about my disappointment in the club and the smoke and mirror tactics being employed by Mr. Vaynerchuk on the delivered value of the club that I subsequently removed. It was a bit over the top and I figured people can figure it out for themselves. While there were some decent wines provided in the wine club, overall I found the club to be too gimmicky and Gary's video's on the wines too exaggerated, even before I had a chance to taste them myself. Then after tasting them, the video seemed even more ridiculous. I prefer a bit more honesty and realistic expectations from a wine club, even if it means I have to pay more. Not every wine under $20 can just "blow you away" every time, it is an expectation that can never be matched with reality.June will be my last shipment from the club as my CC has already been charged.
6/15/18, 10:30 AM - That is the entire point. I am exchanging $60 of monetary value in exchange for some combination of inventory and intangible value from GaryV/Winelibrary. If all he is going to do is send over wine that has the same, if not higher, margins on it compared to other wine stores within driving distance of the Winelibrary, what am I really paying for? If that is the case, then I am expecting value by means of delivering wine that tastes above its pay grade. That is not happening here. To add insult to injury, he also makes claims that the wine is expensive, when it in fact, is not. That to me, is the opposite of value and ultimately why I cancelled the club. There are better wine stores in the Northern NJ area that deliver more value and maintain great profit margins without trying to pretend a wine is $100 that we are just happening to sell for $24.99. Garys Wine and Marketplace (WineLibrary's biggest competitor) is a prime example. I would rather walk in there, explain my taste preferences, and get some random wines that I haven't had before. That to me, is adding value.You are obviously welcome to do whatever you want with your money. If the club works for you and you are happy with what you are getting, then that is great. I am sure it works for a lot of people for a variety of reasons. It just doesn't work for me.
8/15/17, 2:04 PM - This comment might be a little late to the show, but will add anyone in case it is helpful. We had a chance to visit the winery earlier this year and previewed the 2013 vintage in both the estate and Lyndenhurst. The bottles sampled were opened the day before to give you an idea of what kind of air they were subject to prior to consumption. We experienced a bit more concentration and complexity compared to your initial notes from March (which coincidentally is around the time we attended the tasting). That being said, it may have been a 92 vs a 90pt wine in our experience and I still feel that the wine is priced a bit high compared to what it delivers. The Lyndenhurst we did not particularly enjoy that much for the $$ as well. My only other experience with Spottswoode was with the 09 vintage that was consumed young and it was completely inaccessible 2 hours in to the decant. Overall, I have found that there better wines for less that easily outperform Spottswoode, such as the 13 or 14 Barnett Rattlesnake, 13 or 14 Kata, 13 Stone the Crows 3 twins, and earlier vintages of Fairchild Sigaro (08-10, after 2010 they started selling over $200, so no longer comparable).
8/15/17, 4:34 PM - Csimm, speaking of QPR, have you found any exceptional values in the $50-100 range that are worth mentioning and are currently available?
8/15/17, 8:13 PM - Csimm, thanks for the recommendations. Unfortunately, most of the wines you mentioned are not easily attainable in New Jersey unless I was part of a mailing list. My local shop did carry Pott through the 2012 vintage and I have had and still have the Stagecoach, Kicu Ma, and Actaeon. I thought the 2011 stagecoach was particularly good given the vintage. TRB is very talented and I have had his wine in other labels that are carried locally (TOR and Schrader), but both are very pricey, especially Schrader. Maybe on my next trip west I will leave room in my luggage for some wines to go.
6/7/18, 8:38 AM - Csimm, thanks for the helpful reply, as always. Already had the pleasure of trading emails with Leah, she was super nice and helpful. Ill keep a look out on the LPV/NV on the release. For the August Myriad release, have you had any experience with 16 Steltzner and the Round Pond? My local wine guy is a significant buyer of their inventory and PNV wines, so he gets all of their stuff in and I know there are big differences in the estate wines they offer, ranging from $50s for Rutherford estate up to $100 for the reserve and then well over that for the Gravel series. So not sure if you have any insight on the fruit source and what it may be comparable to.
5/25/18, 9:02 AM - Thanks for the nostalgia. I haven't reminisced on the smell of musty paper mixed with dust that only a library can provide, in some time. Perhaps this next comment is hypocritical since I am technically a millennial (or maybe I qualify as the very end of gen X), but I believe millennial's know a library today as Starbucks.
5/26/18, 12:20 PM - It seems the baristas are too busy profiling minorities to have the kind of time required to read and post comments on the cellar tracker. If they do however, I am sure we will see a CNN "breaking news" article...."Starbucks to close stores nationwide for 3 hour ethics training on blogging."....but it's finals week, where am I supposed to study?!?!.....And now we have come full circle.
11/6/17, 1:05 PM - BadMonkey, how would you rank the 14 vs the 15 Rattlesnake?I have access to my 14s, but I think the 15s will be rather limited in quantity available.
11/6/17, 2:45 PM - Thank you for the feedback.
11/5/17, 6:15 PM - Sounds like it
10/15/17, 10:21 PM - The Barnett estate cab or the Rattlesnake was better compared to the hundred acre and pott? Sounds like you could be referring to the rattlesnake as it would compete with the other wines you mentioned.
10/16/17, 12:47 PM - Interesting. I have consumed and have both the 12 Pott Stagecoach and the 14 Barnett Estate, but never side by side. My overall impression on the 14 Barnett Estate was that the 13 was noticeably better for the $$. The separation on the 13 Estate and the Rattlesnake was slight (a point or two maybe). However, I will add that the 14 Rattlesnake is fantastic and may be my favorite wine tasted to date. It is hard to say since the 13 Rattlesnake needs some time in bottle, but the 14 Rattlesnake now, could beat the 13 in its prime....
5/18/17, 1:13 PM - Seems to be a bit of contradiction with the "declining yields." Production has been increasing over the last few years of released wine. In 2013, total production was 47 barrels, in 2014 total production was 69 barrels. Perhaps there will be a decline with 2015's production?
5/18/17, 1:32 PM - Interesting, could be a very concentrated year with smaller cluster sizes and continued drought at the time. Either way, 2014 was completely fantastic. Napa overall I felt 2013 has been showing the most promise, especially with age-ability, but the 2014 Rattlesnake is just so good. Large part might be due to it being a bit more approachable at a younger age. Even the 14 Merlot was very good and I don't typically gravitate towards Merlot.
12/28/16, 11:06 AM - Same here, this was one of my favorite QPR 2013's.
12/5/16, 12:25 PM - Thanks for the praise on my notes. Unfortunately I have not tasted much else from the 14 vintage to date. Also, I don't recall how long the Barnett's had the 14 Rattlesnake opened during the tasting before we had it in our glass. I will add they did keep it in the bottle versus pour in to a decanter, while other vintners had decanted their PNV wines. If I had to open a bottle this Holiday season, I would either decant a few hours ahead or slow ox 8+ hours. It was a big and grippy wine and the winemakers notes also suggest the same. I would think it would continue to evolve over the course of dinner/the evening. I hesitate to say open it even sooner in advance because the 14 did seem a bit more approachable than 13, and I'd hate for you to miss its sweet spot. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful on specifics.
10/26/16, 10:33 AM - I also paid around 140 for my bottles. Must be inflated pricing due to the high parker rating. When I purchased mine at $140, I remember coming to the conclusion that it was considerably better than any other 97+ parker rated wines for the $$. Also tasted the 14 Rattlesnake at a PNV tasting event with Round Pond, Aloft, Emerson Brown, Young Inglenook, Roy Estate, Barnett, etc, and the 14 Rattlesnake was voted wine of the night, which I myself agreed with. Keep in mind the PNV bottles were anywhere from $250-800, so I think that says something. That said, the 13 Estate cab is also very excellent, so I would not argue that getting a larger share of that cab vs. the rattlesnake would be a bad idea.
10/30/16, 3:51 PM - Agreed, we were there in May and the view, along with the wine, was fantastic. Best stop we had during our trip. Highly recommended.
10/30/16, 5:36 PM - Anytime. If your are ever in the Valley, Turnbull also has some tasty wines. Was our second favorite. If you enjoyed the Barnett estate cab it be worth seeking out the Oakville cab or any of the higher labeled cabs, specifically the 2013 vintage. I think the oakville retails for around the same price as the Barnett, somewhere around 60-70$.
8/17/16, 1:49 PM - Based on your scoring history, your suggesting you enjoyed the 2010 and 2012 standard Cabernet over the 2010 special selection?
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