July 29, 2022 - Very big wine with overripe fresh fruit, but still seems very closed. Mostly blackberry aromas with smooth tannins in just the right amount to match the bigness of the wine. Hopefully gets more complex with a couple more years
February 25, 2021 - Really amazing full bodied. Made by Karen’s friend Chris. $150
September 15, 2020 - Vinous Learn with Antonio Galloni. Dark smoky violets, sweet black raspberry fruits. Firm medium fruit density level with very nice oily texture, some firmness but well integrated. Nice chewy texture. Some chocolate bitterness. Less in your face, well made, but perhaps a bit closed perhaps. Good length. More about the sleek texture today. Sleeping Lady vineyard. A place to watch per Antonio. 2 clones, 6 and 191. Early ripening clones. 100% cab, Chris Phelps owner, was at Dominus in early years. 92-93 potential for me. 2016 freshness comes from first vintage after drought.
August 8, 2020 - Vinous learn tasting with Antonio Galloni. Popped and poured for the tasting, and consumed the rest of the bottle that evening with dinner. Dark purple core, with heady notes of chocolate covered cherry, cassis, hints of tobacco, spice box, and earth. Medium to full bodied, fleshy texture, ripe tannins, and a long finish. Not as enjoyable as the Rhadamanthus.
August 6, 2020 - This dark and dense Cabernet is drinking impressively right now, with incredible fruit and an earthy undertone that suggests even better things are in the future. Dark red in color; full in body; nose of graphite, cocoa bean, boysenberry, and menthol. Flavors of blackberry, red plum (read: the energetic kind), cardamon, and gravel, with a sweet and layered finish that carries plenty of tannin. 14.7% alcohol.
This has a compelling amount of ripe and pure fruit (read: not a lot of woodsiness here), but it is the savory and spicy undertone that make the wine truly unique. It's kind of like a Dominus with more polish, but that same underlying class and restraint. 94-95 for now, with upside in 2022 or later.
July 31, 2020 - Side by side with the 2015 and 2017 vintages. This was easily my favorite of the three. It showed the most structure, purest fruit and best overall freshness and character. Not surprising, based on the vintage. Creme de cassis, violets, tobacco and earthy notions on the nose. Mostly black/blue fruit showing excellent tension and acidity. Concentrated, medium to full bodied and laced with mineral and earth driven flavors, this is classy and elegant. Relatively long and very pure finish. This should age very well.
July 19, 2020 - Good solid wine. Not distinctive but enjoyable
April 8, 2020 - An ok big California cab. Not worth money. Maybe I’m just pickier during pandemic.