7/2/2022 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Epic. A merlot for cab lovers. A little spiciness on the palate along with the usual merlot cherrieness rounded out with some candy corn. Bouquet was the love child between brown sugar and butterscotch. A very dense - and very good - wine.

4/2/2022 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

This is the workhorse of the Realm lineup, increasingly an amalgam of vineyard sources in more recent vintages. A floral and hard candy parade on the nose with medium+ richness and concentration. Scored well with others at the table and deservedly so.

4/2/2022 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Drank along with Realm Cellars The Bard of the same vintage. Space and Time being less showy (and less sweet). Very elegant with any earthy character of clay and crushed gravel. Wonderful floral nose, very well balanced

3/25/2022 - Ecbatana wrote:

Drink now or forever hold your peace…or a bottle in decline. Drinking well now but can tell she’s getting tired

1/7/2022 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Regal purple color. Floral nose with some baked bread coming through. Rich fruit and fine tannins, decent acidity. Love this wine

12/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Though a fine effort from Va Piano, came across as somewhat dilute and stingy. Comparison to the other bottles on this evening is certainly partially to blame. Would have gravitated to the Cote Bonneville wines who use the same fruit (and own the vineyard), particularly their ethereal and rare 'red label' cabernet sauvignon.

12/16/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Very elegant, medium intensity. Not a heavyweight but brings with it a commanding palate presence with a nice balance between the oak and mature dark fruits. High quality effort here from Darioush from the high quality/low yield 2015 vintage

12/16/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

An incredible wine. Every bit as good as when tried at winery last month, couldn't keep my hands off of it. Decanted for ~90 min ahead of time. Rich, lush, velvety and wonderfully smooth. Big bouquet with the usual valley suspects. Dried tobacco leaf, glove leather, rich ripe dark fruits, cacao nibs. With the three in the lineup tonight, the win easily goes to Carter in what is a lopsided victory

12/8/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Got fooled by the CT drinking window on this one, thinking it might be in decline. Nothing could be further from the truth. Can easily see this drinking well five years from now. Rich, concentrated, vibrant fruit and very dark - all its Petit Sirah trademarks. Though not particularly complex, nice spiciness and a long finish. Heads up for the sediment

12/3/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Better experience than last time. Bouquet fights to make its way to the rim of the glass. When it does red twizzlers and jolly ranchers complemented with a little wet soil and green twiggery emerge. No component of this wine is a stand out, though all are awake and at attention and contributing at their pay grade. Nice ruby color, gaining some transparency. Past its apex, but see a year or two of quality drinking time left

11/30/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Luxardo cherries, some modeling clay and blackberry jam mark the shy introduction. Nice concentration and still hearty fruit, but a little drowsy now wandering on the palate. Agree that this wine is in the winter of its career

11/26/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Past its prime, maybe, but most certainly not past its drinking window.  A delightful, mature, delicate St. Emilion drinking wonderfully right now. Nose displays charred pork, raisins soaked in bacon fat and in time toffee pudding.  Fruit, tannins and delicate oak in symbiosis.  Peaks about 45 minutes in

11/26/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

This last bottle corked. Farewell '02 Monbousquet

11/25/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Stingy nose, when coaxed produces charcoal and burnt embers, sour cherry, and maybe a little wet hay. Unsweet and fruitless palate. Color attractive, very little bricking but don't think this has much more to offer. Last bottle, won’t miss it

11/24/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Another meeting with this little darling. Divine nose. Cherry cordials, sugar soaked oak, cassia flowers, rum raisin, a touch of iron ore. Palate dutifully follows suit. Supplants O'Shaughnessy's merlot as my new #2 merlot from the valley, behind only Realm Tempest

11/20/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): 2/3 cab, the rest your typical Napa valley varietals. Not sure if it was the company it was in or other factors but on this day was less impressed. A capable wine, but not its best showing

11/19/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Wonderful nose, similar to its Plumpjack stablemate showing brown sugar, some cola and root beer and maybe a little Asian dumpling sauce. Somewhat pruney and overcooked on the palate though. Tannic, but that is to be expected

11/19/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Finally, the closer is brought to the mound. Beautiful nose of brown sugar, molasses, not overly sweet and mouth filling. Double the price, but double the wine among the tasting group

11/19/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): One dimensional, lacks complexity. Disheartened by the representation here and does not reflect previous - though limited - experience

11/19/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Noticeably unsweet nose, sharp acidic bite and fairly tannic. Dunno about this one

11/19/2021 - Ecbatana Does not like this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Did NOT do it for me. No oak, tart and astringent. No wood at all is the extreme in the other direction. Just a glass full of harshness

11/20/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): James Cole's franchise player. My experience has been hit or near miss. The 2018 is solid but not stellar, represents the property well. Merlot and Malbec make up the last 8% or so and add a little somethin', somethin'. Some chocolate covered espresso beans and stewed black fruits. A quality sub-$100 wine.

11/20/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Love wines whose dominant grape are of the lesser known varietals. In this case an 86% Petite Sirah with the rest Zin. Not the stately powerhouse a Napa cab delivers, but that's not always the point. Nor as tart or acidic as one would expect, also not as complex. A very approachable quaff I could see pairing well with lots of food options

11/20/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): 150 cases produced of this little wonder. Completely took me by surprise. Syrah with some viognier. Flat out strawberry parade on the nose. Bright acidity and peppery. Big palate presence but also light and lithe. Just a fun, easy drinker. Loved it

11/20/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Tropical fruits and Granny Smith apples, light use of oak but still there, refreshing acidity. Easy drinker with respectable finish. Not much more to say

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Adore this wine. Dialed in and hitting all the right notes. Rich cassis and Chambord, blackberry reduction, thick and lush, cinnamon apple pie, middle eastern spice and pipe tobacco. Enormous on the palate. As epic as I remember already, can only get better

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Igneous but older vines at ~30 years. More depth, more complexity and more weight. Bone Ash has always seemed (probably unfairly) a red headed step child to the Family Reserve

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Consistent with notes and score from a couple of weeks ago. Similar to the Venge Boneash cab but from younger 15 yr old vines with a tad less complexity and dimension. Tannins still pronounced and overshadowing at the moment. Couple years gestation will fix that. Long decant a must if drinking today.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): My favorite Silencieux to date, taking the honor from the excellent 2015. Have always thought this bottle punches way above its weight and at ~$50 is one of the best QPR in the valley. The 2019 manages to take it up a notch with depth, complexity and roundness usually found in labels well above $100

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Tend not to favor Syrah, score skewed accordingly. But like other entries from 2019 which offered stellar fruit coupled with Kirk's move to drier wines, this is a huge leap forward and my favorite of this label so far. Smells just like port, plum puree presents itself on the palate. Nice spiciness and acid kept it from coming across flabby.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): PB&J sandwich-in-a-glass. Not as sweet or jammy (or Caymus-like, thank god) as previous vintages...but still sweet. Best SH to date and solid daily drinker

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Refreshing, big time citrus, but not too big. Not my favorite white. Didn't have any other notes because, frankly, I was waiting for the reds

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Been a fan of Capiaux's merlot from this property for a while. This 2018 was no different. Tell-tale candied cherries. Some barnyard and straw on the nose, decent tannins. Easy drinker, complex but not a deep thinker, decent QPR

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Somewhat vegetal. Forest loam, crushed gravel, tart and tannic. Weirdly like some recent St. Emilion experiences if based on nose alone. A little thin on palate juxtaposed a still big, bold profile. A little less floral and drier than the Howell Mtn and Napa cab. Still accessible and drinkable now

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Austere, chalky tannins, muscular. Howell Mtn fruit needing more time than valley floor, and even fruit from Mt. Veeder. However, clear components of an excellent wine. Even though open for 60+ min, could have used more time for best showing, will play more nicely in a couple of years.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Love the amalgamation of multi-vineyard sources. Antithesis of the single vineyard, single clone, single block trend. A Hossfeld, Turnbull, Las Peidras, Weitz, 3 Kings combo. Some good barrels from some good vineyards. Doesn't always mean more complexity and depth, but in Mark’s hands it sure does

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Nice bright acidity, fruit forward but not a fruit bomb, floral bouquet. Identified Petit Verdot as the added varietal, almost bullseyed the percentage (off by half a percent). Figured I would gravitate to the To Kalon bottles - and I did, though this Fortuna presented itself very well, real joy to drink now. Very good QPR

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): 80% cab, the rest is merlot. Would have guessed a mix of varietals in the remaining 20%. Picked up more flora in this one than the others. Damp earth, some asphalt and a little spice. Not dominant, but there.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Bold vanilla, velvety, quality oak, custard and apple pie crust. Powerful tannins...and a little more oak. Baking spices on the nose then silk-like on the palate. Distinct from the other offerings (at least from the 6 tried today). New addition to the Carter Cellars stable.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Likely only reason to withhold more praise is due to placement in lineup next to Grand Daddy which overshadowed it... but not by much. Three Kings is also 100% clone 7 which seem to take a little longer to ramp up, so a little shy compared to his clone 4 brother on this day. Nonetheless, big floral bouquet, hits all corners on palate. Need to tuck this one a way for 3 or so years.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Candy corn, crème brule, butterscotch, sugar and spice and everything nice. Utterly smooth, utterly drinkable...just a lot of utters. Richness of unsmoked pipe tobacco, some new leather, autumn baking spices and epic fruit. Huge bouquet then just hits the palate singing. Grand Daddy is all clone 4 and more approachable early but will still go the distance. This will be a 99+ wine in a couple of years. My favorite pour on this trip and heir apparent to WOTY. Excellent!

11/20/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Have owned and tried pretty much all other James Cole offerings to date - except Suede - until now. 2016 is a great vintage to make the introduction. A worthy counterpart to Umbral. Rich stewed cherries with some plums, but not pruney, definitely a hint of port along with root beer essence and some Asian spice. Linear and focused, fingers crossed it will gain additional complexity. Pleasure to drink now though. Fruit sourced from Spring Mountain and Coombsville. A mere 128 cases produced.

11/18/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Fruit forward, big time cherry, chalky tannins (which characterized all three O'Shaughnessy cabs), lush and accessible though. Integration and better drinking to come in a few years

11/17/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Napa Fall 2021; 11/17/2021-11/21/2021 (Napa): Big surprise, and a big wine. No prejudice or bias coming in, as if tasting blind. Fruit sourced from a cornucopia of vineyards, brought together and galvanized into a stalwart, inky wine. Rich raspberry and blackberry coulis. Deserves time in cellar or a long decant if drinking now

11/10/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Couldn't wait to try this new entry from Venge so coravined a glass. Worthy addition to the already excellent stable of cabs. Interesting but not big bouquet. Middle eastern spice, cigar box, pie crust…and substantial oak when you drink it. Fruit playing tug-o-war with tannins for dominance. Pleasure now, imagine it will settle and grow up nicely

11/5/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

Super sharp and acidic, like pucker factor nearing 10 sharp. Unripened red berries, grape Otter pop along with some clawing vegetal action greets your palate. Rose petal and other flowers on the nose. Not an everyday wine

10/28/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Absolutely amazing and a real over achiever. A merlot for cab lovers…as over used as that phrase is. Viscous and velvety with characteristic candied cherries and decent spiciness. The concentration and heady bouquet are striking, practically jumping out of the glass. A wine of real presence and pleasure.

10/28/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Delightful wine. The nose is amazing…Sweet, powerful and boozy with brown sugar, molasses, some cola a little menthol and hoisin. Big chalky tannins and peppery. But strangely thin despite its palate presence

10/25/2021 - Ecbatana Likes this wine:

Heavy on palate at first pour. Nose a little astringent and sharp. Fruit has largely been put to bed but stewed rich cherry brine still in there along with some red Twizzlers. Nose came to life after an hour, but not as much as the palate, wow. Enveloping, rich and utterly drinkable. Still like Bob Foley's cab better though

8/8/2021 - Ecbatana wrote:

In the Venge portfolio, this is not my favorite. A little sweet, some red fruits (mainly cherry), but one dimensional and flat. Then again not all wines are meant to be deep thinkers