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(147 comments on 134 notes)

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Red
2013 Abreu Madrona Ranch Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
3/21/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:
97 points
Brought blind to tonight's event by JimAronson. I forget what his airtime was for this bottle. Lighter magenta in color when poured. Has a def look of aging to it. By color in the glass alone, I guessed it was an '08 or '10.

Nose of dandelion (just a hint), red fruit and lavender florals.

Palate of red/black fruit with nice depth and complexity. A hint of iron and oak. The wine is very resolved and very well integrated. There's a softness to it. Again, I never would have pegged this as a '13. It's the only bottle of this vintage I've ever tasted so I can't say for sure whether this is its standard presentation in looking and drinking 5 years older, and advising everyone to start drinking up their bottles......or whether it's a one off unusual bottle and you should keep storing yours? But it is very good and very fun......thanks for bringing Jim!
  • RockinCabs commented:

    3/23/24, 8:33 PM - The coferments that Brad does impart a different structure in these wines. Interesting observation about the accelerated age, as generally I have experienced his wines to go quite slowly on the cellar. I do know that by 2013 David was looking to dial in more elegance and refinement.

Red
2019 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Vocabulum Napa Valley
1/31/2024 - Jimaronson Likes this wine:
97 points
The wine is dense, full bodied, sweet blue and black fruit, silky, and a two minute finish. What a wine! The vineyard is one of my favorites and David Abreu did wonders with his version over the years. Now, it is being made by TRB under Maybach and that is just terrific. It is time to open one if you have a couple of bottles.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/31/24, 9:50 PM - Does not sound like a flawed wine ...

  • RockinCabs commented:

    2/1/24, 7:10 AM - Hi Jim, I am likely going to compare a few of these once the 2021 Vocabulum ships. I may also toss in the Impensata Merlot to look at that component. The real challenge is now the Bettinellis are selling the Ecotone fruit to many clients. It is getting spread out, and there are very few vineyard designates being made now. Accendo, Realm and others end up blending it.

    The new Abreu Thorevilos is on the old Arns site which is up Glass Mtn Rd from the old site higher on the same face of howell mtn.

Red
1996 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release Howell Mountain
1/1/2024 - Joealex Likes this wine:
97 points
Color is opaque black without of any sign of old wine fading.
Initally smell was shy and wine needed to be decanted 2 hours to open up buquet.
After 2 hs buquet became intense, sweet, fresh and was like smelling of fresh smashed blackberries, currants, cherries on palm completed with cigar tobacco, you immediately want to try the first sip.
There is sweet core of balck and red fruits which is unique seal/stamp for highest quality wines from Napa region. This sweet core is wrapped by a lot of silk like tannins. Amazing balance of sweet black/red friuts, silk tannins, accidity and structure. Simply WOW!
In aftertaste still there is "lion's claw" whis suggests that wine still remains in excellent condition a few more years.
Wine is concentrated, smooth like texture with silk like tannins, intense with long afterstate ( almost a minute). Elegant style as many top quality wines form legendary Napa period 1990-1997, not as heavy or clumsy or alcoholic as so many Napa caberntes form 2012 till present years.
This is true testament of greatness of Helen Turley winemaking from her prime career and legendary Napa period of 1990-1997.
One of the best wines of my life and probably the best wine of 2024 which has just started .
  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/15/24, 8:38 PM - One of the great wines of the 90s. The La Jota Anniv Cabs are simply tremendous wines that will prove to be some of the best from this period. Some of Helen's best work in my book over the Colgins and Bryant's of the era.

Red
2013 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate St. Helena
11/15/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
97 points
The complete Spottswoode package in its early maturity if you can say that about a 10 year old wine from this property. Huge nose of arrestingly beautiful fruit, tobacco, spice and herb de provence. Layer after layer of graphite, florals and dark fruit. Lovely.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/28/23, 8:33 PM - We decanted 4 hours on the 13 and it needed it. Excellent and will last many years

Red
2019 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
10/1/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
96 points
Beautiful wine from VHR that displays brilliant dark cherry, cassis, cocoa and graphite notes. Plush, elegant and classic cabernet with site expression in spades. Complex, layered and suave.

What separates VHR from other site in oakville for me is the deft balance of fruit, earth and graphite. Phillips family delivered another fantastic VHR that has it all.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    10/2/23, 7:25 AM - Decanted for 60-mins, consumed over about another 60-mins. This is a wine that could take quite a bit of air if you gave it the time. Evolved well in an hour + however.

Red
1951 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve Napa Valley
4/7/2023 - BradE wrote:
California Dreamin' and a Pair of Inaugural Corton Charlemagne: This beautiful wine stood out initially and for me remained red WOTN. Absolute class in the glass and it simply had no flaws. From the Singleton Cellar.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/27/23, 9:04 AM - Completely amazing that a 12-bottle case was sold at the Singleton Auction in 2000, and even more incredible that these are being enjoyed 23-years later.

    What a special case, and way to showcase these wines. On my bucket list if I can ever find a good bottle.

Red
1979 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve Napa Valley
5/14/2023 - boillatm Likes this wine:
97 points
A nice dinner with friends: Magnum bought at an auction last December (photo uploaded). Opened 30 minutes before serving.
Very beautiful dark crimson color, almost no bricking. The nose didn't give much, but the palate blew me away: stewed plums and many things I wasn't able to identify. The most striking part was the way the wine coated one's mouth at the end. Stunning.
It was so good that we started drinking the bottle at the apero and finished it with steaks.

Older vintages from this wine are no so often available on the market in Switzerland but I have an opportunity I will jump on it. I am also considering buying some more recent vintages although I don't know if the wine-making is at the same level now.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/24/23, 1:33 PM - I am sure finding these 60's-70's BV in Switzerland is like finding pristine 50's Bordeaux in the USA (very difficult). Although they are beautiful masterpieces in many cases.

    That said, the winery transitioned winemaking away from Andre T. in the early 80's and by 1985 a new winemaker had taken over, and the style of wine began to go through some changes. By 1990 they had transitioned to French Oak, and the vineyard management had lost its way a bit.

    Farming changes in the 2010's started paying dividends, and a new winemaker named Trevor Durling is making some wines that should wine up among the classics from the BV estate. I highly recommend seeking out the current releases.

Red
2009 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
7/12/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
93 points
Nose: Dark berries, black cherry, cedar and a touch of heat.

Palate: Sumptuous dark cherry, cassis and date notes with well integrated spice and graphite. A bit of heat on the palate here, but a very strong modern styled wine.

There was a large presence in this wine, and it did OK maintaining balance. Delicious, a jolly fellow.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/12/23, 2:04 PM - We poured this PNP and it evolved in glass over about 3-hours. This was done to keep a fairly even playing field for each 09/10 pair.

Red
2009 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
7/12/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
Nose: Cassis, black berry and some briney seaweed notes. Touches of heat, and prune at moments.

Palate: This was a slow slow evolution in glass, and by the end of the night you could see the wine coming into its own. Layered with sweet fruit, crushed rock, violet and cedar notes. Anise and warm licorice. Vibrant black cherry and vanilla emerging towards the end of the night.

Finish: Varied between closed and tannic, and offering dried berry characteristic.

A wine that was slightly cranky tonight. Needing some time in the cellar still or a lengthy decant. Likely exceptional after 6-8 hours in decanter I would expect.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/12/23, 2:01 PM - Quite. It is not closed, but definitely less accessible than the 2010 next to it. Brooding would be a good description.

Red
2019 Blankiet Estate Rive Droite Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
6/10/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
97 points
Nose: Ripe plum, bruised strawberry, cedar, tobacco. There is a perfume of florals to this that suggests an airy sweet personality with a bit of burnt embers underneath.

Palate: Soft and suave with bright cherry, red plum and tobacco. An exceptional palate feel and elegance that suggests Pomerol

Just got a quick taste of this, but it sure made an impression. An outstanding CA merlot.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    6/11/23, 8:42 AM - Truely had the personality of Trotanoy from Napa. I loved this, and it was one of my highlights from two days tasting

Red
2018 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
6/10/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
97 points
Nose: Blackberry, dark cherry, sage, graphite, eucalyptus and crushed stone. There is a blue fruit element and floral nuance on the back end. Alc does poke through here a bit.

Palate: Big sweeping entry of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, graphite and crushed stone. A deep and brooding palate at the moment. Oak needs some added integration.

Finish: Goes on 90 seconds with blueberry, blackberry, cardamom, graphite and crushed tobacco. Very enjoyable as it lingers with a great inner mouth perfume.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    6/10/23, 6:34 PM - Tasted at Wheeler Farm. They decanted about an hour, and it opened in glass about 2 hours after that. Needed a lot of coaxing, but this was the best of the TOR lineup for me. Super expressive VHR

Red
1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
4/16/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
92 points
Green pepper, red berries, cherry gastrique, graphite, sweet vanilla oak and cedar. Still has strong tanin at 40 yrs, but it is true to the PLL profile. Nice mouthfeel and just a touch of rusticity.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    4/29/23, 7:10 PM - Start drinking them, but you should save 1-2 for its 50th.

Red
2012 Ovid Red Wine Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Second of three from an auction lot about 3 and a half years ago. The first, enjoyed with CT friends csimm (the first time I met him), his partner, and CT friend WBW (the second time I met him) on the eve of the world shutting down just over 3 years ago. I was bowled over by this and have thought about it often since, particularly as I’ve bumped up my wine spend, wondering if I’d find this as transcendent as the earlier bottle; I did. Overall, a very similar tasting experience, with the wine roaring out of the bottle, yet not undrinkably so, with the fruit, tannins and acidity all jostling but more or less balanced, but after about 2 hours, this became absolutely stunning, swapping just a bit of intensity for depth, suppleness, balance and elegance. Other than not quaffing this at a Michelin starred restaurant, although it was just as awesome with my loin lamb chops as the fare at Aziza, the main difference was that I was able to enjoy this over 3 nights in a leisurely way at my house rather than at a 2 hour restaurant meal, and the wine held up immaculately, making me think that this is early peak drinking window at most, and is more likely to improve than decline over the next several years, then easily last a decade going strong thereafter (I’m extending my drinking window by 7 years). I had the ‘08, which was wonderful but just a step below this, a couple of years ago, and have since purchased a ‘10 and several ‘14s (and I may be about to purchase a ‘05 as well); if they’re close to as good, I’ll feel richly rewarded. This is sure to be a welcome guest at any setting, even one with wines far dearer. Great job, Andy Erickson. How apropos that this is my 700th TN. 99 if scoring.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    3/30/23, 7:29 AM - Andy and Austin have made some incredible wines up there. Th 2009 is not to be missed. Might be my favorite site on Prichard Hill in all honesty.

Red
2018 Di Costanzo Cabernet Sauvignon DI CO Napa Valley
2/18/2023 - RockinCabs wrote:
91 points
A great Napa cab that has an old school approach. Blue and black fruites, but not afraid of the greener leathery side of cabernet fruit, and has a sensibly measured level of oak. Best on day 2, so I recommend a long decant if drinking now.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    2/22/23, 5:49 AM - The point here is that this is a wine that sits in the old Napa / new Napa middle and is built for the long haul. There is structure and tannin density that is akin to Dunn with some of the flesh of the more modern styled wines from Melka.

    14.1 ABV too, so this is not going to have the supple appeal of many $50 Napa cabs that hit the sweet spot for immediate enjoyment.

Red
2019 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Yesterday Napa Valley
12/30/2022 - Goofienewfy Likes this wine:
95 points
Great value wine. PNP first glass tight lots of tannin. Put in fridge overnight and genie came out of bottle. Oak and dark fruit especially raspberry. Saline and beautiful finish. Well done.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/14/23, 7:51 PM - Agree 100% on the overnight opening. Slow oxed my most recent bottle 24 hrs and it really shines with a lot of air. Great flavor delineation.

Red
2018 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Yesterday Howell Mountain
12/7/2022 - Quiller wrote:
87 points
Opened, poured an dlet sit about 45 min. Then: Not much on the nose. Initial taste is maybe some red fruit, but low-key, not over-ripe; acidity OK; tannins OK, but maybe a little grip on the finish; softish mouthfeel; OK finish. Towards the end of the glass (about 45 min from 1st sip) the taste is a bit more reddish fruit, even sweetish, particularly on the finish. Unfortunately, the astringency has ramped up on the finish as well. Not what I was expecting based on other notes. Hard to tell where this is going or how it will end.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    12/8/22, 8:20 AM - Agreed. The evolution of this wine has been a bit perplexing. Early going it was super sharp and vividly terroir driven, however the astringency is worrisome.

    Others are speculating that this wine may actually be smoke tainted. Wine Access came out on a recent podcast to say that they test for smoke, but this particular release is a curious case. Interested to see where it goes.

Red
1987 Ravenswood Pickberry Sonoma Mountain Red Bordeaux Blend
11/6/2022 - Aparritz Likes this wine:
94 points
35 years young and still singing. The age was well defined but the color was somehow miraculously light purple — no major bricking or signs of fading. Good depth of flavor, savory and fruity, with a long finish. This bottle lasted for at least two hours, not fading fast like some other older bottles. Superb.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/6/22, 9:11 PM - These old Ravenswood Pickberry wines (esp. the 86, 87, 91, 92 and 95) remain huge bargains at auction. Definitely a site that put cabernet on the map in the mountains of Sonoma.

Red
1994 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release Howell Mountain
8/31/2022 - Mr T wrote:
drank at a belated Anniversary dinner with my bride who unfortunately was having a terrible GI evening. The wine remains remarkably dark and intense after all these years but still well balanced and more than adequate fruit. Some of the vibrancy is reduced but still deep and rich if slightly acidic. I thought it better and more beautiful the second night
  • RockinCabs commented:

    8/31/22, 7:26 AM - Gosh, I have had this dinner in the reverse scenario. It was our first date night in a long time (post COVID), and my GI was killing me. I toughed it out and got through dinner and a glass of wine nonetheless.

    Glad you got to enjoy this beauty. The longevity of these 90's La Jota wines is impressive, and to me they are right behind Dunn in the 90's on HM as the standout producers of the era in that appellation.

Red
2019 Phillips Family Farming Cabernet Sauvignon Baker & Hamilton Oakville
8/7/2022 - RockinCabs wrote:
93 points
Stunning aromatics of pencil, cherries, blueberry, sandalwood, florals and a bit of baking spices. Beautiful after an hour in the decanter with a seamless palate and direct delivery of layer after layer of fruit, graphite and crushed flowers.

As second wines go this is awesome. An easy deterrent to prevent me from popping VHR too young.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    8/7/22, 6:09 PM - This is a wine that is worth keeping in the cellar, and potentially worth holding a bottle or two for the very long haul. As I understand it this is young vine stock that is not "ready" for the VHR bottling, and in some cases closer to the flat parts of the vineyard.

    That said, some great wines that have been made from exceptionally young vines ... 2001 Forman (first vintage after replant took), 1974 Clos du Val (second harvest), 1992 Bryant (second harvest), 1969 Chappellet ...

    There is a long list of these out there. The only reason we know is because there are people who kept some of the wine in a dark cool corner of the cellar.

    Enjoy now, but you may be shocked by what you get by cellaring this.

Red
1996 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch Napa Valley
Guys Night Out - California Dreaming! (Joe's House): Splash double decant - Abreu is always a welcome treat! IMO, Brad Grimes (winemaker) is a master at his craft (even though he didn't craft these wines...which I recently learned!). This wine is drinking quite well! A very nice balance between fruit and tertiary flavors. As Galewskj noted, this wine got even better with some air, which tells me it should hold at this level for a while, so drink now or save for that special occasion in the not-to-distant future. Nose was floral, with dark fruit, tobacco and old leather. Palate showed plenty dark and red fruit, but with an equal amount of tertiary goodness consisting of a mixture of earth, bramble, tar and tobacco, and hints of blood/iodine. Truly a pleasure to drink! 95+ for me, and my number 2 wine of the night!
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/29/22, 9:03 PM - 100% agreed on the talents of Brad Grimes, but the 1996 was made by Ric Forman. The mid-90's wines that he made in the early days for David are stellar and have longevity that only the top tier in CA have.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/29/22, 9:26 PM - The first vintage that Brad made solo were the 2001's.

    He made the 2000 vintage with Ric's oversight, and that was the first vintage of Thorevilos. Madrona from the late 80's and 90's was made by Ric. There is an interview where Ric discusses aging the first vintages of Abreu in his bedroom!

Red
1995 Viader Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
7/12/2022 - Gr8penut Likes this wine:
95 points
In Vino Veritas (in wine there is truth; [people speak the truth when they are drunk]), a “milestone” bottle from my cellar sacrifices. It turns out, this was a very bittersweet sacrifice as it was the last bottle of Viader I have from the previous century. ☹️🍷 It was a 1995, which would make it about 27 years old, but it only drank like it was 10. This is definitely a tribute to Delia Viader, and her son, Alan Viader, who at the time, was probably just a snot-nosed kid (kidding Alan)! I feel very lucky to have tasted many of these wines over the years and will remember them fondly!

Since this is likely my last posting of theirs from the 19xx, it is worth repeating their story if you have never heard it. They are a really unique family and she is a really unique person!

Delia Viader was born in Argentina, but spent lots of time in France. She graduated with a PhD from Sarbonne (wow!) and moved to California as the single mother of four. She asked her dad for a loan to buy the land. He thought she was crazy because he had already paid for her degree and now she wanted to be a “farmer”! Anyway, she did buy the land and started a winery and went on to develop many firsts in Napa, with growing vertically instead of horizontally, mixing Cab Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon, and too many to list. She is respectfully known as the “Mother of Wine”. Her son, Alan, who helps her produce Viader, has also recently introduced his own label called Intentus, another fine winery that is worth getting on their mailing list!

As I said, bittersweet, but I will likely save this empty bottle to put on my wall when the tasting room is finished. Thanks Delia and Alan for making such memorable bottles of wine!!!🍷🍷🍷🍷👍👍👍👍 #wine #winelover #winelovers #redblend #redblendwine #viaderwinery #viader #alanviader #deliaviader #cabernetsauvignon #cabernetfranc #napawine #napa #napavalley #napacab
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/12/22, 8:35 PM - I too am down to a small handful of these bottles, and the wine has never been less than spectacular. The lengthy aging has only opened new gateways in this wine, and I believe that this site and others in the lower foothills of Howell Mountain represent some of the very best terroir in Napa Valley. Watching the fog burn off from Viader is truely special.

Red
2012 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Oakville
6/27/2022 - RockinCabs wrote:
96 points
Nose: Blueberry, Cassis, Cedar, Florals and a bit of sandalwood and spice. Deep perfumed nose that you can smell all around the table. As it opens more red notes begin to poke out and compliment the rich black fruit.

Palate: Dark berries, cedar, light wood smoke, cassis, and a dense earthy loom element. Texture is dense yet has an expansive breadth that allows this to fan out beautifully on the palate.

Finsih: Lengthy dark berry, cocoa, cedar and spice. A wonderful 50+ sec finish that is resonant. A beauty.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    6/28/22, 9:41 AM - I decanted 1 hour.

    Personally, I would say that there is quite a bit of life here. If you love the fruit out front this will be excellent for at least another 4-5 years. For more tertiary development I think 25 yrs will be a breeze for this.

Red
2018 Impensata Proprietary Red Wine Engelhard Vineyard Calistoga Red Bordeaux Blend
1/11/2022 - blarmston wrote:
This isn't a TN, but I just got the Save The Date Email.

Does anyone know the price point for these wines?

Given its made by Nigel, I am thinking $225++, but was curious because I'm trying to budget out some big upcoming wine purchases.

Thanks in advance...
  • RockinCabs commented:

    2/2/22, 3:59 AM - The release yesterday was a hard pass. A $325 merlot for your first wine out??? Up to $200 I was in on a Thorevilos merlor, but when I can buy Trotanoy, VCC and Eglise Clinet cheaper there is a problem.

    Hope the cab makes more sense when it releases.

Red
2019 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon The Big Ticket Napa Valley
1/29/2022 - Rbhan12 Does not like this wine:
86 points
Opened in the glass for 2 hours.

The color is deep red/ruby but it's more transparent than I expected. Nose is pretty faint, but I would say dark red berries and cherries, maybe some oak support but nothing distinctly identifiable. Palate is medium full body, same dark red fruits, little bit of acid, no tannin to speak of. Finish is pretty lackluster but mimics the palate. Tails off quickly with dark red fruit and maybe a little bit of crushed rock over time.

Are you guys sure we're drinking the same wine? This isn't very good. Doesn't hold a candle to the other WineAccess NDAs like Yesterday 18, Concept Album 16, Radio Silence 17/18, Editorial 18, or even Phoenix 17. Reminds me a lot of the disastrous Ringer 19 but without as much residual sugar. Maybe I had an off bottle but I haven't had much bottle variation with the WA NDAs.

Drink now, I have no reason to believe there is cellaring potential here.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/29/22, 9:23 PM - Must be variation here based on the dispersion notes developing. I agree that variation like this is not something I have experienced before in the WA NDA range.

    I also thought that 2019 Ringer is a residual sugar mess, but Big Ticket was a success for me. Not as good as 18 Yesterday Oakville, but not a JLohr shelf wine by any means.

    Curious data point. May have to open another soon.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/30/22, 6:55 AM - I am a pretty objective taster, but feel like a competitive blind is in order here. I standby this one not being generic junk wine.

Red
2019 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon The Big Ticket Napa Valley
1/24/2022 - iamandyc wrote:
Tried a bottle from a recent shipment. Drank over 2 days. Seems young as expected. nothing too serious or memorable at this stage. Hope it develops some over the next months or so.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/24/22, 12:47 PM - Ouch. I had high expectations, but am giving it a week after UPS to chill in the cellar.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/25/22, 11:02 AM - Philly I am in the same boat. 2 cases at home, plus 1 case sent to inlaws. Going to feel really burned if this is not a top level NDA wine, but my hopes are getting lower by the day.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/25/22, 7:25 PM - Happy to report I am very pleased with these. Every single signature of Harlan (in miniature) is in this bottle. Slow ox one of these and just sip over a few hours. Ill be curious in time to compare with 19 Maiden or 19s from To Kalon / VHR and other elite west Oakville sites. Maybe I need to blind it with some higher end wines, but I expect it holds its own even if the oak/extraction are toned back.

Red
2016 Apriori Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley Red Blend
1/19/2022 - iamandyc wrote:
89 points
Last bottle was finally good (other 4 were disappointing). Mostly used this to make stew but what was left drank well with dinner. Nothing memorable but complemented the hearty beef stew.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    1/21/22, 1:12 PM - AGREE 100% most disappointing value wine of 2021 for me

Red
2017 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets Syrah
11/30/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
88 points
Agree with others on air for this right now. Second half of bottle left over night was much easier going. Great wine for daily drinking stash that can go a while in the cellar.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    12/6/21, 6:27 PM - Excellent. We need to get together and catch up. I'll ping you to see it up. Enjoy the Jaboulet!

Red
1996 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Anniversary Release Howell Mountain
11/19/2021 - WineDoc1955 Likes this wine:
96 points
Tasted as part of a vertical spanning 1993-2002 vintages. It was the consensus winner. Tannins are integrated, wine is balanced. Wine is still vibrant with lots of fruit.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/20/21, 12:05 PM - Would love your thoughts on other vintages in this range. I love this era of La Jota myself.

Red
1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Having just had a bottle of this that I really loved, this was a disappointment owing to its fecal, unclean notes. They blew off somewhat, but this wasn’t great.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/16/21, 8:10 PM - This is my #1 knock on dominus. Wild variability when you get off bottles. In the 90s my experience has been 1/4 corked or off.

Red
1979 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley
11/11/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
95 points
Nose: Beautiful concentrated dark berries, cherry tart,, cassis and pencil. Mint, bell pepper and cedar. This is well focused and and has great depth. Palate: berry staining entry, cherry skin, loamy earth and just a touch of menthol. Really nice. Finish: Complete and complex. Great dark cabernet fruit and freshvfloral notes and sweet cedar.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/16/21, 7:19 PM - 79 is quickly coming up the list of my favorite mature napa vintages. The ripe tannins are so nice.

Red
2005 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley
11/11/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
88 points
After the parade of high scores I was expecting a lot out of this wine, but it just never really came together. Oak, vanilla and wood smoke dominated. At 16 yrs is was just too oaky to enjoy. Did not represent the other wines from the vineyard.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/16/21, 7:17 PM - I hope so too. I have heard wonderful things about the 2005, and really want one that is a homerun quality bottle. I'll be seeking out more.

Red
2018 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia Napa Valley
11/12/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
90 points
Early look at this wine. Blueberry, pencil, leather and oak. Still tight. Many years of development and promise.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/11/21, 9:54 PM - This is a huge quality jump on prior vintages. Clearly making this a fully Estate wine is a big deal and deliberate choice by Artemis. We had this at the end of a big Eisele Veritical going back to 1976. No doubt this fits the archetype and for me was better than several vintages of t he first wine under Araujo.

Red
2016 Apriori Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley Red Blend
11/4/2021 - iamandyc Does not like this wine:
85 points
Still a mediocre bottle of wine. 3 of 5 consumed with no improvement. Mostly for cooking purposes.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    11/4/21, 2:20 PM - One of the few times I felt way oversold on a daily stinker ... this does not cut the mustard

Red
1983 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
9/10/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine:
96 points
Another unexpected surprise, (for myself 1983 has always been focused on Palmer and Margaux) i need to start exploring this under publicised vintage year. Firing on all cylinders this is the embodiment of mature Bordeaux.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    9/29/21, 6:29 PM - Could not agree more. I have enjoyed the Mouton, Gruaud Larose, and La Mission Haut Brion in the past few years.

Red
1976 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
11/1/2016 - AB16 Likes this wine:
100 points
As good as cab and any wine gets. Agree with comments that insignia has gotten overripe but this one amd most I’ve had prior to 2000 are beautiful examples of how great Napa Cab can be.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    9/27/21, 7:32 PM - The 76 is extra special however as it is mostly Eisele Vineyard. I would say that even among the older Insignia wines this is a standout. By the 90s this singularity was harder to find.

Red
2018 Bella Oaks Vineyard Proprietary Red Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend
Enjoyed with Shae Kinsman at Wheeler Farms. There is a lot of hype behind this wine and after tasting... it's well deserved. This is just a beautiful, delicate wine that amazingly has some drinkability in it's early youth, in fact it's what Shae used to lead off our tasting of this and the Kinsman Eades wines. Gorgeous expressive nose, with a soft mouthfeel. Tannins grip the tongue, but they're not aggressive. Beautiful black and red fruit. Structure is there to let this one go the distance, but I think in about 5 years this should be singing. Aged in french oak and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Petit Verdot (12%) and Cabernet Franc (8%). The $275 a bottle price tag is steep, but worth it. Sign up for this list now as the inaugural release will be first come, first served.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    9/23/21, 1:44 PM - The support group is "Moratorium" over on the CT boards. There are rules to the moratorium, but mostly everyone is there for a blessing and get thier sins justified.

Red
2018 Bella Oaks Vineyard Proprietary Red Rutherford Red Bordeaux Blend
4/30/2021 - csimm wrote:
95 points
3 days in Napa: Arkenstone, Memento Mori, Maxem, The French Laundry, Christopher Tynan, Kinsman, Harlan, Vice Versa, Accendo, Fairchild, Macdonald, and a truckload of others (Napa): This wine zips by the front end and rushes straight into mid-palate pleasure, with deep and dark plum and red and black cherry flavors complimented by earth and subtle spice notes. Stays ever-juicy until it hits the finish, drying up on the tail just enough to beautifully marry the tannins with the fruit into a crescendo that elongates the semi-serious finish. Again, a juxtaposition of sophistication and party-rockin’ flavor appear to be a hallmark of the winemaker here.

Give the Bella Oaks 3+ years of cellar time minimum before tearing into a bottle. Ideally, I’d hold this for even longer to really get a sense of where it’s headed (5-7 years), but really who’s waiting that long to try their first bottle?! 95+ points.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    5/5/21, 7:36 PM - Thanks for posting. I cannot wait for this release as this site deserves to be shown in the best possible light. Bella Oaks in the early Heitz era were great, but then you had the Brett tainted wines creep in. Then under Staglin wines seemed like an undercard to the estate wine. New beginning will be fantastic.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    5/6/21, 9:36 AM - David Abreu is managing the vineyard now. I expect this could really become one of the best sites in Rutherford.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    9/21/21, 10:40 AM - Bought my allocated 3 pack, and the 1.5L were already sold out. This will be gone quick.

Red
2018 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Wolfe Grade Diamond Mountain
9/17/2021 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Of all the WA NDA Cabs I've tried this is the most backward right now. Dark, brooding fruit, firm tannin, medicinal notes. No particular oak showing though, which is good. I think this could be quite nice in time, as there is ample material present, but I'd forget about it for a year. Several WA cabs have showed plush and easy from the outset, but this is not in that mold.

As a caveat, I opened this bottle now because it endured a serious odyssey in shipping, arriving hot to the touch with a slightly depressed cork, but no signs of seepage. It will be interesting to try one of the remaining two bottles in a year or two and compare to three bottles coming from another batch. Should serve as an interesting experiment in how resilient wine can be to high shipping temps over time.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    9/19/21, 6:33 AM - Send WA customer service a note. They should replace the entire shipment. They did this for me on a shipment that came hot in 2020.

Red
2016 Arietta Variation One Napa Valley Syrah Blend, Syrah
8/29/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
95 points
There are a small handful of excellent expressions of Syrah in Napa Valley and this co-fermentation from Arietta is among the best. Rich layers of blackberry, boysenberry, cracked pepper, olive, cocoa and cherry. The tannins are a bit hard at this point, but you can see the layers of this fine wine with a few hours of decanting.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    9/1/21, 4:53 PM - Agreed. I thought in similar category to Eisele Syrah and better than relentless. I have not yet had a colgin syrah

Red
2008 Château Cos d'Estournel St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
7/16/2021 - LiteItOnFire wrote:
89 points
2021 Bordeaux Tasting Trip; 7/12/2021-7/16/2021 (Bordeaux): A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.

I was very much looking forward to my St Estephe tastings, with super high expectations for Cos. While unfair to discount St Estephe based on Cos and Calon Segur tastings, it has certainly made it take a back seat and won’t search it out until I get to taste a great vintage from one of the estates, from my inventory or elsewhere (finally I saved money by not having to double up previous orders after the fact).

Tasted at the chateau
2011 Cos gran vin
2008 Cos gran vin
2011 pagados
2017 Cos Blanc

I wish they were willing to open other vintages as I left more confused than before I arrived. If it wasn’t for the 2010 Pagados had a couple of years earlier, I would have written this Chateau off completely regardless of its pedigree as the wines I tasted this trip, vintages and top performers literally crushed this wine at half the price.

I will withhold final judgment until I taste a better vintage.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/24/21, 2:53 PM - Lite, the rating (97) on the 2008 does not seem to tell the whole story. The 2011s are not representative of what Cos can do and I am surprised they are showing them.

    Pop a 2003 and a 2009 to see Cos turned up in volume. I love the 1996 myself.

  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/27/21, 1:24 PM - Hahaha. My plan had been cutting futures off at 40 ... 2020 was going to be the end of future's for me as there are no more birth years and I won't likely see the top wines in 2080. I also hear consumption drops off after 75 ....

Red
2018 Good Decisions Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
7/15/2021 - chapulin Likes this wine:
94 points
This is a Wine Access NDA cabernet; these wines tend to be very hit or miss. The quality heavily depends on whether the wine was made by the NDA winemaker or by the Wine Access (or contracted) winemaker, and it's almost impossible to know which. The description suggests that this is a declassified wine from Kinsman Eades, though of course it's impossible to know for sure. But context aside, this Howell Mountain wine was pretty incredible. Blackberry-like fruits dominate at this early stage, and the oak is very prominent. Tannins are very fine-grained, and the wine shows little evolution after being open 24 hours. Given this was $40, it would be very difficult to think of a better AVA-labelled wine at this price. I bought 2 bottles and regret not buying more. Of all the Wine Access NDA Napa cabernets I've had, this is by far the best
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/15/21, 9:24 PM - CHAPULIN - Thanks for doing the hard work of opening this. I was so hopeful this would be another top tier NDA cab, and it looks like gold was struck.

    NQ Philly - I suspect this maybe from the Impensata project made by Nigel. The HM wine from them gets a first release in 2019 vintage and I suspect this cod be the declassified 2018.

Red
2019 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Yesterday Napa Valley
7/13/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
89 points
Nose: Red fruit, cherries, vanilla and smokey embers. Palate: Red berries, cherry,, plum and vanilla are polished and slightly glycerin laden. Beam of acidity midpalate and a bit of toasty oak. Finish: Moderate and full, but not showing a lot of tannin.

Very young and just shipped, but I had to pop one to see what this mysterious Rutherford cabernet might be. It is so red fruited that it must be from the eastern side of the AVA as it lacks the dark fruit and licorice tones of the Rutherford bench.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/15/21, 4:53 AM - 100% agreed Sean. My thoughts too.

Red
2016 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
6/26/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
95 points
Nose: Elegant perfumed nose of blackberry, cassis, violets and pencil. Great dark mountain fruit and fresh herb notes to balance. Palate: the rolls royce of HM this enters with brooding presence and elegant intensity. Blueberry, blackberry, pencil, pine tar, fig tart, and seamless edges. Striking acidity as always. Finish: perfumed and dark fruited with over 45 seconds of length.

Too young? Sure. However, I found this shockingly approachable. Years ahead and a clear reference point for HM canernet as always.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/14/21, 10:19 AM - Thanks! It needed 3-hrs in the decanter to open up, but really was accessible young. I remember opening the 2005 on release and it was a wall of tannin. 30yrs easy for this beast.

Red
2018 Wine Access Cabernet Sauvignon Yesterday Howell Mountain
7/12/2021 - Rbhan12 wrote:
Opened another bottle 4 months later. Similar impression to prior, but wow I did not recall just how powerful this was wine. Brooding is an understatement. The structure and tannic foundation is absolutely massive.

This needs 3-5 years from now before opening.

Day 2: improved and more open, still very tight and brooding. There's a stellar "dark" wine under there, but won't show itself for a long while. Should easily 10+ years.

Have 4 left so will maybe try another in 2025.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/12/21, 9:14 PM - I think a decade is closer to the timeliness here. There is a ton of material in this bottle. I loved it, but have bunkered the rest of the case.

Red
1994 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend
Orlando CT & Friends Offline (Fishbones): Very similar to our last bottle and a real contender for WOTN. We served this next to a '94 Dunn and for no reason other than the difference in vintages I expected that wine to really outshine this one. But it really didn't. This was great. Vibrant and pretty. More floral than I remember. Lots of secondary notes. It's probably right in the sweet spot of drinking window and really drinking quite well.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    7/12/21, 8:47 PM - Great observation. The 94s I have had in the past year or so have been fantastic. Leo Barton, Evangile and Las Cases all great wines from 94 that are showing well now. Sell for a song too.

Red
1996 Château Léoville Barton St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend
5/29/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:
96 points
The 1996 Léoville Barton is drinking very well from 750, but from 6L it simply superb. What differs most between formats isn’t the aromatic components, by and large - you’re greeted with an absolutely classic St. Julien nose of cedar, pencil, mixed black berries, and leather. What really differs is the aromatic volume from large format. I had worried this might be slightly closed but it simply leaps from the glass; expressive, evocative, archetypal. What’s not to love? Bravo, Bartons.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    5/30/21, 2:33 PM - Perfect summary. So glad we could taste them in different formats a week apart.

Red
2016 BRAND Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon "BRIO"
5/24/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
88 points
Big and relatively generic high end Napa Cab. Very polished red and blue fruit, minerality, florals and dark spice notes. Higher abv apparent. Generous fruit,, expensive oak and a flashy finish. A good wine, awful QPR. Where will it be in 10yrs?
  • RockinCabs commented:

    5/27/21, 6:51 AM - I have a fairly high expectation when a entry level offering for a winery is $150. Input costs on Pritchard Hill are high, but the resulting product should shine. BRIO is at Napas most competitive price point and there are far better choices.

    The new ownership understands that they have a great asset and seem motivated to deliver at a higher level.

White
2001 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Pessac-Léognan Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend
5/9/2021 - RockinCabs wrote:
92 points
Outstanding notes of lanolin, beeswax, red apple, guava and almond. Tropical with just the right amount of oxidative notes at this point. Really nice example of this wine.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    5/11/21, 7:09 PM - Absolutely. 20yrs is kind of a sweet spot for me. Complexity is into the wine, but oxidation has not taken over. Fruit is still beautiful.

Red
2016 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Vaso Napa Valley
3/14/2021 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine:
96 points
Absolutely brilliant. I wasn’t quite sure after my first two tastings, but this is why it’s so important to assess a wine where it should be consume...around a meal in good company. The first two tasting were from samples and against beasts like Dana Lotus 2017, Dalla Valle Cab 2016 and Bevan Tench 2016...absolutely unfair.

This time around, it was by itself and I decanted it 2 hours prior to dinner. It peaked and remained there after 2.5 hours. The coulour is youthful and the nose is really pronounced. Already showing some complexity with blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, mixed with vanilla, dark chocolate...reminding me of a black forest cake. Pretty similar on the palate with a polished tannic structure, balance and quite some length. Great aromatic finish. This can be enjoyed now or cellared for another 7 years.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    5/6/21, 9:09 PM - Agree 100%. This is a superstar at the dinner table. We all loved this.

Red
2008 Abreu Thorevilos Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
4/9/2021 - msuwine wrote:
96 points
This integrated and elegant Cabernet blend is drinking beautifully right now, with the layered fruit and earthy structure that make this vineyard so special. Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of fresh boysenberry, charcoal, graphite, leather, peppercorn, and sage. Tilting more savory, the flavors include dried blueberry, cocoa powder, gravel, bay leaf, and crushed rosemary (stems and all), with a finish that goes on and on. Blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cab Franc, and 15% Petit Verdot. 14.5% alcohol.

This doesn’t reach the heights of the 2009 Thorevilos (one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted), but this is a quibble if ever there was one. The 2008's integration and balance are incredible for a Napa Cabernet, but do note that it needs at least two hours to really open up, as it becomes more lively and less grainy with air. Here’s hoping future wines from this vineyard (“Ecotone” starting in the 2019) can equal the glories of its past. 96+ for now, with upside in 2022 or later.
  • RockinCabs commented:

    4/9/21, 8:55 PM - Good to know! Love the 09 as well.

    It is going to be a number of years before the full potential of Ecotone is realized. Brad had such a unique relationship with the vineyard and the wines dazzle because he is so intuitive.

    Abreu clients never made 100% Thorevilos so I think there is a lot to learn. Also looks like Accendo and a few others are choosing to blend it in 2019.

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