11/6/2023 - EasyLiving wrote:

A great wine delivering floral notes with strawberry and blackberry on the nose and smooth balanced strawberry, blackberry, and red plum on the palate. Nicely rounded, sweet tannins held this juice together through an enjoyable medium finish. Drinking excellent right now.

6/25/2023 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

The 2014 Frank Family Winston Hill shows garnet in color with medium legs. On the nose it has the bouquet of blackberry, gooseberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis) and flower blossom. The palate delivers blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, black currant (cassis), and strawberry jam flavors with a hint of that Rutherford dust and light toasty oak, clove and thyme. This full bodied and perfectly balanced wine has a smooth, silky texture ending in a long luscious finish.

8/14/2022 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

The 2015 Hall Jack’s Masterpiece presents a deeply intense, Ruby juice. On the very pronounced nose violet blossom, black currant, and black plum primarily show through with with wet stone, dried fruit, coconut and chocolate playing a lesser but enticing complimentary role. The palate held true to these sensations through to a long finish. A nicely complex and enchanting wine that will be paired tonight with homemade Sheppard’s Pie.

4/22/2022 - EasyLiving wrote:

Really well put together Pinot Noir. Nice balance throughout. On the nose, I picked up cherries, orange peel and wax. On the palate, this wine delivers a delicate balance of cherry, citrus peel (lemony/orange peel) and herbs. A nice Pinot to start the evening entertaining guests with appetizer’s.

4/11/2022 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

Slipped this one out through the use of my Coravin, so minimum decant on first taste and allowed to open in the glass over time. This is a beautiful wine; clear, energizing, and garnet in color. The bouquet presents blueberry, red currant, cherry, plum and lightly toasted oak. The nose and palate are closely aligned as flavors of red currant, strawberry, blueberry and cherry are most pronounced with other nuances of herbs (yet identified) and some toasty oak. This is a classic example of Del Dotto #silkjuice and what that family business delivers consistently.

3/4/2022 - EasyLiving wrote:

So I’m breaking this down in two tastings. Partly because this wine is notorious for needing some time to open and because, well…. I’m impatient. :-)

First Tasting - One hour after opening.

The wine presents brick colored juice with medium legs and sediment. I poured this through my Vinturi both to filter and try to kick start the opening process. The bouquet provides the taster with raspberry, strawberry, red currant, fragrances with some green olive, eucalyptus, hazelnut and just a hint of menthol. There is a constant background of smokiness to the nose of this wine (Maybe from heavy toasted barreling). On the palate, raspberry, red currant, and lychee are front and center with a a light stomp of petrol, a wash of mineral, and high toasted smoky oak.

Second Tasting (two hours after opening):

The smokiness on the nose has almost completely dissipated, the green olive is now absent, and the eucalyptus, hazelnut and menthol are just memories. On the palate, raspberry, red currant, and lychee are front and center but the petrol is now barely noticeable.

This is a very complex wine providing multiple layers of interest. I paired this with homemade pizza and found that my homemade sauce and fresh basil really compliments this wine well.

10/16/2021 - EasyLiving wrote:

This is one of the best bottles I have enjoyed in a long time. It literally brought tears to our eyes. Massive full-bodied wine opens with black currants, plums, blackberries, warm cooking spices and licorice on the nose. This is very densely concentrated juice that delivers ripe blackberries, black currant, and plum preserves with a dusting of herbs. The finish goes on forever! Wonderfully velvet texture and very sophisticated.

8/21/2021 - EasyLiving wrote:

Drinking well now. Subtle fruit and floral nose. On the palate bright red fruits such as cherry and red currant show through with a seasoning of herbs and light baking spice. This juice has a nice viscosity and coating mouth feel. Enjoy this wine with grilled meats such pork chops.

6/18/2021 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

The 2015 Del Dotto “The David” Howell Mountain is a beautiful wine. I do not think the 2015 vintage in Napa received a lot of notice as it was sandwiched between two great vintages of 2014 and 2016. But I have to say the 2015 vintage in Napa is a dark horse, this wine is developing very nicely in cellars around the world. If you get a chance to enjoy a 2015 take it! You will not be disappointed.

Lots of finesse and complexity. On the bouquet the taster is blasted with blackberry, raspberry, red fruits including cherry and strawberries complimented with dusty herbs. On the palate, this wine brings it! Wonderful blueberry, strawberry and a hint of cherry. The mid-palate is where this wine truly delivers. This is a well balanced wine with perfect cleansing acidity. I paired this wine with homemade Conchiglie Ripiene al Forno (Italian Stuffed Shells). It was an absolute perfect pairing.

5/7/2021 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

This Italian wine presents a violet colored juice with thin, fast legs and light sediment. It’s bouquet delivers red currant, raisin and cherry nuances. On the palate red currant, raisin and cherry coat the tongue with light viscosity. This wine finishes with a short, smooth texture and medium, but perfectly balanced, acidity. This wine was stored in a perfectly temperature controlled wine cellar and is ready to drink immediately. It may be past peak within a year, so drink now.

3/19/2021 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

The 2007 Nickel & Nickel Martin Stelling Cabernet Sauvignon presents a lightly sediment infused garnet colored juice with medium legs. The bouquet teases the taster with hints of jammy blueberry, blackberry, strawberry and cherry. True to the Martin Stelling vineyard the palate perfectly matches the nose as flavors of jammy blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, and cherry are dominant with just a hint of mineral and oak to make it interesting and informs that this wine could age another 3 to 5 more years. But why wait? Enjoy it now with a nice grilled dry-aged New York steak as I did. 😁 It was a perfect pairing where the flavors of the wine and steak truly elevated each other.

1/14/2021 - EasyLiving wrote:

The 2014 Cade Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Reserve shows ruby and purple in color when held up to the light. The medium legs are sediment free. The bouquet presents layers of blueberry, blackberry, and cherry, with a dash of mineral and light toast. Bold blackberry, blueberry, black currant (cassis), and cherry flavors fill the palate with a hint of mineral on the long finish. A very polished wine with balanced acidity. Drinking beautifully. Another great accomplishment by Danielle Cyrot and team.

11/20/2020 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

This juice presents a clear deep purple color with long, lingering legs when swirled in the glass. Creamy and deep blueberry, raspberry, plum, spring from the bouquet only to be tempered by the smokey, toasty oak. The bouquet perfectly informs the palate as smelt blueberry, raspberry and smokey oak flavors are accented by vanilla, orange and cherry. A smooth textured full bodied wine that is long and smooth on the finish.

7/24/2020 - EasyLiving wrote:

The 2012 Del Dotto “The Beast” Cabernet Sauvignon provides a beautiful inky-dark ruby color, with medium legs and very light sediment. The bouquet teases the taster with blueberry, black currant (cassis), blackberry, accented with mineral, very light oak, cedar, clove with just a hint of violet. Blackberry and blueberry explode on the palate with black currant (cassis) and strawberry showing up mid-palate all wrapped up in a full bodied, creamy textured, silky juice with a long finish that takes you all the way to the heavens. This wine is perfectly balanced between acidity and sweetness, there is not bitter note in the gorgeous wine. Drink now or over 20 years if can hold out that long.

7/11/2020 - EasyLiving wrote:

The 2016 Frank Family Winston Hill presents with a dark inky colored juice, with medium legs when lightly swirled in the glass. There was light sediment in the bottle and upon decanting some floaters can be seen in the glass. Aromas of cherry riding on top of plum accented by dusting of clove, floral violet and butterscotch. Cherry, plum, Rutherford dust and butterscotch danced along the palette, strawberry arriving mid-palette and lingering through the finish of this silky but full bodied wine. Great to enjoy now but save some of this vintage for the next 20 years.

5/9/2020 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours. Enjoyed half the bottle and then let rest another 24 hours before finishing. These tasting notes are a culmination of both days. As mentioned by other tasters, this wine rewards patience during decanting.

The bouquet of this wine reminds me of fresh blueberry, blackberry, cocoa powder, clove and brush. On the palate this wine presents a lush velvety (almost creamy) texture with sweet tannins and bright acidity. Flavors of boysenberry, blueberry pie, red cherry, chocolate truffles and vanilla bean. The finish on this wine is incredibly long and lush. Just a beautiful representation of the Howell Mountain appellation. Well done Danielle!

3/19/2020 - EasyLiving wrote:

The wine visually presents deep purple color with thin medium legs. There was no sediment in the bottle. The faint bouquet teases you with a ghostly hint of carnation, cranberry and blackberry complimenting a bright early harvest cherry. The initial honeysuckle flavor is quickly overcome by the bright youthful flavor of red currant, cranberry, cherry and mineral. This wine should age for a minimum of 4 years but no longer than 8 years.

12/20/2019 - EasyLiving wrote:

The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, forest floor and bell pepper. It tastes like red currant, dust, oak and bell pepper. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long.

12/20/2019 - EasyLiving wrote:

The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, forest floor, mineral, dust, pine, bark, bell pepper and stems. It tastes like red currant, dust, forest floor, light toast, oak, tea and bell pepper. The body is medium/full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

11/8/2019 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

This wine presents a sediment-free ruby colored juice with medium legs. A wonderful bouquet of blackberry, raspberry and strawberry with hints of orange peel, toast, clove, tea and bell pepper. On the palate the raspberry and strawberry shine through this medium bodied wine with the lovely addition of cherry, plum and medium toast. This wine has a bright texture with a medium finish. This wine’s bouquet is so prominent, distinct and ever-lasting that it is almost worth it to just open the bottle and breathe in its generous bouquet. Cellaring the remainder I have of this vintage for 10 years before my next taste.

8/3/2019 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

This 2012 JC Sullenger Cabernet Sauvignon presented a deep garnet juice with a faint purple ring on the edge. This wine has medium legs with light sediment. The bouquet entices the taster with rich raspberry, strawberry, black currant (cassis) and a hint of blackberry at the end. The taste of this wine reminds me of blackberry, black currant (cassis), blueberry with a slight minerality. A medium/full body with a satin-like texture. The medium finish leaves the taster wanting more of the wonderful juice.

7/19/2019 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

Tasted this spirited ruby colored nectar during a rain storm with a friend. This wonderful wine presents with medium legs and minimal sediment.
It’s bouquet presents black currant, cassis, cherry, unctuous rose and fresh ground coffee. On the the palate black currant (cassis), blackberry, cherry come alive with a perfumey clove and rose accent. The body of this classy wine is medium/full with a leathery texture and leaving with a medium finish.

6/23/2019 - EasyLiving wrote:

This wine is brick colored in appearance. With long slow sediment-free legs. On the nose one picks up red currant, dust, light toast, dark strawberry and bramble stems. The pallet reminds us of plum, mineral, dust, cedar, oak, tobacco and butterscotch. This is a medium bodied coarse textured wine that needs at least 5 more years in the cellar to reach its full potential. Give this wine another taste in 2024. Good thing I have 6 more in the cellar to taste over its life time of development.

5/26/2019 - EasyLiving Likes this wine:

I decanted this beautiful purple juice for only 15 minutes before tasting. The medium legs of this wine presented with moderate sediment after filtering. The bouquet of blackberry, red currant, plum, cherry, oak, strawberry jam and light sawdust lept from the decanter as this wine was poured and the taster was not disappointed in their glass. Upon tasting this medium bodied beauty, one is reminded of the flavors of fresh strawberry, blackberry and juicy red plum. This satin-like wine had a medium length finish with medium acidity. This wine will pair perfectly with a dry aged steak.

5/3/2019 - EasyLiving wrote:

This wonderful wine presents brick colored sediment influenced juice with medium legs. The bouquet provides plenty of juicy late harvest plum and red raspberry with a dash of sandalwood and clove. The plum and red raspberry follows through on the pallet with a sprinkling of clove to remind you that this is a beautifully aged Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wonderful medium bodied wine is complemented with a smooth texture and moderate acidity. This wine was paired with a Linz Dry Aged Bone-in New York Strip. It was an amazing pairing of wonderfully aged artisanal creations.

9/28/2018 - EasyLiving wrote:

Beautiful wine with hints of red raspberry and floral on the nose. On the palate flavors of blackberry, raspberry carry through the pallet and open the door to a rich and creamy herbaceous finish.

5/5/2018 - EasyLiving wrote:

The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, coconut, almond and chocolate. It tastes like blueberry, raspberry, dust, coconut, clove, almond and chocolate. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity. A.K.A. "The Almond Joy Barrel"

5/5/2018 - EasyLiving wrote:

Beautiful garnet colored wine with medium
legs. There is light sediment in the bottle. The bouquet reminds me of red currant, raspberry, plum and butterscotch. On the palate raspberry, strawberry jam, mineral, oak, cedar and butterscotch burst forward through its medium body and coarse texture. This wine has a medium finish and low acidity.

We paired this wine with homemade tacos, burritos and guacamole. It was a delightful pairing for Cinco de Mayo with friends...