April 30, 2023 - Just took out of my cellar - was good yesterday and still great the next day. Excellent blue fruit, great mouthfeel , nice tannins, dark purple color. This hits all the marks- especially at the price point . 2017 was not the best year in my understanding so I am even more impressed ! Very solid effort.
November 20, 2021 - Started off a bit over extracted but tamed down to a nice, vibrant wine.
December 26, 2020 - Opened alongside a Mending Wall Oakville Ranch of the same year and a 15' Missouri Hopper from Becklyn - this definitely held it's own, but was 2nd in the lineup behind the Mending Wall.
This wine just smells like expensive oak right out of the gate, and it's tough to not imagine the visits to the cellars while you're sipping it - nostalgic for those of us missing Napa while not traveling due to covid.
The surprise of this wine was as delicious as it was, it didn't pair well with a seared filet with bordelaise sauce. B Cellars makes great food friendly wine, so I'm not quite sure what I screwed up in the pairing, but it just didn't work.
Everything else was great - enjoyed it the following day with a charcuterie plate and it vanished quickly;
August 26, 2020 - Still very young, but excellent cabernet made in the typical Venge style. Bold floral and red fruit aromas with flavors of red cherry, blueberry and black cherry. Also noted some oak and crushed rocks. A bit tannic at first but opened up nicely with time. After 2 hours, it was fantastic.
June 1, 2020 - I could not agree more with @mark1npt, I was totally shocked too! My neighbor brought over a bottle of 2016 & 2017 Oakville last weekend. Not even a question, the 2017 was more enjoyable. More fruit and well balanced without being overly sappy. The nose literally reminded me of the cellar tour through their cave; it's a very distinct smell. On the palate, layers of black fruit, cassis and smooth tannins. IMO, this is a perfect example of Napa cab for $100.
March 5, 2020 - Shocked! Shocked I tell you! Not at all like my previous bottles from '17. This had me fooled from the pnp, almost tasted and drank like their Missouri Hopper cab. Unmistakable B Cellars barrel treatment, nice lifted red fruit/acidity, not the monolithic cherry cough syrup so many of the '17s have been. Way better than bottles from 5-6 months ago. A very pleasant surprise.
February 16, 2020 - Like so many 2017 Napa Cabernets this wine has some issues that take away from what otherwise would be a very good wine. Had this after the 17 Star from the same maker. Both wines like many 17s seemed to taste of char - maybe ash that has been "juiced" with what tastes like a grape extract. The Star had more fruit popping thru to gain a point or two but the Oakville is way more subdued. The result is another Blah for me. 91 and maybe a point more with air.
July 8, 2019 - tasted pre-bottling at the winery - like last year it is big, rich and full of ripe black fruits and cassis. This should be amazing with some age.
June 29, 2019 - B Cellars Oakville Trek: Barrel sample. Obviously young but this is a quintessential Oakville cab. Will improve over time to 93-94+.