A few days in Napa with fellow CT'r Cristal2000: A noticeable step up from the Teres, the Quintvs (pronounced Quintus, by the way - this house uses the “v” as a “u” FYI. A helpful hint from your pal csimm so you don’t walk around saying “Adam-vs” like I did the first half of the day). This 2014 kicks out a plush entry that has me uttering the phrase, “…hallmark of the vintage!” Blackberry, tilled earth, black cherry, semi-sweet chocolate, and crushed flowers, this sample is firing on all cylinders and throws out a yummy gushing quality that beckons for another sip. Tension is solid as well, though I favored the 2016 and 2018 versions a bit more – mostly due to my current stylistic preferences for added tension and frame in my Napa Cabs. Score a point or so higher if you are drawn to a posher style.
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ADAMVS Verticals (w/CSIMM1161) (ADAMVS Vineyard and Winery): Of all the wines I tasted at ADAMVS, this was the most ready to drink. It opened beautifully, with lovely notes of cassis, dark chocolate, and rose petals. It fans out on the palate with sumptuous contours and brings home mineral driven complexity with impressive savory character. Displaying a deep core of fruit, fresh acidity, and a long finish, this is a winner.
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Beautifully integrated wine that certainly has Melka’s fingerprints on it. Bold Howell mountain fruit but not in your face or overwhelming. This is a smooth wine that has quite a bit of structure and finesse. I think this has some time left on it for sure but sure is drinking well now.
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From previous night, not in the cellar but fridge with a replaced cork. Curious with the additional air time vs coravin or repour what day two would be like. Came off a little flat, sweetness is drastically reduced predominantly cassis. Preffered the first night over the second so if I did this over again I would have done a 2hr decant. First night with less air 93. With too much air, 90.
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Wow I owe this winery a due over. The wine speaks to many of the things I like while the tasting on property was the opposite. Gulpable Big bold fruit forward, cassis, sweet black cherry, alcohol, black licorice, low acid and light plus tannins. Missing a mineral streak and a bit of complexity at this stage (has some so not fully linear) but perhaps with a longer decant more complexity would come out. Will give this another shot.
After the first hour, the sweetness tames a bit becoming a bit more complex. Bumped to a 93.
Another favorite for most in a crazy wine afternoon! This wine coat your mouth in a superb way. Bold, concentrated, complex, multidimensional and hard to forget finish. This baby will obviously evolve with time but I don’t see it getting much better!
Drink or hold.
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This rich and savory mountain Cabernet offers deep fruit and impeccable balance. It is a touch more savory than the Teres, which I tasted at the same time, but it has an originality and depth that are hard to beat. I am generally a fan of Howell Mountain (e.g., La Jota, Arkenstone), and this wines manages to reflect the warm rawness of the location while taming its tannins and broadening its mouthfeel. In other words: this is really, really good.
Dark red in color and full in body, this wines offers compelling and pure aromas of boysenberry, graphite, cocoa beans, and roasted herbs. Tastes of black cherry, mountain blueberry, milk chocolate, and rosemary, with an intense and layered finish that goes on and on (and includes enough tannins to recommend more time in bottle). This is an incredible interpretation of Howell Mountain, and I can't wait to open another bottle in another 6-12 months. Even better on second day, when it developed a more earthy undertone to pair with the incredible fruit. 14.8% alcohol. 95-96 for now, with upside in a year or two.
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6/9/2023 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big, gulpable wine. Black cherry goodness just hitting its stride at year 9. Had at Illata Byob in Philly - decanted 3 hours before dinner.
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4/7/2023 - csimm wrote: 93 Points
A few days in Napa with fellow CT'r Cristal2000: A noticeable step up from the Teres, the Quintvs (pronounced Quintus, by the way - this house uses the “v” as a “u” FYI. A helpful hint from your pal csimm so you don’t walk around saying “Adam-vs” like I did the first half of the day). This 2014 kicks out a plush entry that has me uttering the phrase, “…hallmark of the vintage!” Blackberry, tilled earth, black cherry, semi-sweet chocolate, and crushed flowers, this sample is firing on all cylinders and throws out a yummy gushing quality that beckons for another sip. Tension is solid as well, though I favored the 2016 and 2018 versions a bit more – mostly due to my current stylistic preferences for added tension and frame in my Napa Cabs. Score a point or so higher if you are drawn to a posher style.
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3/30/2023 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
ADAMVS Verticals (w/CSIMM1161) (ADAMVS Vineyard and Winery): Of all the wines I tasted at ADAMVS, this was the most ready to drink. It opened beautifully, with lovely notes of cassis, dark chocolate, and rose petals. It fans out on the palate with sumptuous contours and brings home mineral driven complexity with impressive savory character. Displaying a deep core of fruit, fresh acidity, and a long finish, this is a winner.
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8/8/2022 - Tri Wine wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully integrated wine that certainly has Melka’s fingerprints on it. Bold Howell mountain fruit but not in your face or overwhelming. This is a smooth wine that has quite a bit of structure and finesse. I think this has some time left on it for sure but sure is drinking well now.
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1/15/2021 - LiteItOnFire wrote:
From previous night, not in the cellar but fridge with a replaced cork. Curious with the additional air time vs coravin or repour what day two would be like. Came off a little flat, sweetness is drastically reduced predominantly cassis. Preffered the first night over the second so if I did this over again I would have done a 2hr decant. First night with less air 93. With too much air, 90.
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1/14/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow I owe this winery a due over. The wine speaks to many of the things I like while the tasting on property was the opposite. Gulpable Big bold fruit forward, cassis, sweet black cherry, alcohol, black licorice, low acid and light plus tannins. Missing a mineral streak and a bit of complexity at this stage (has some so not fully linear) but perhaps with a longer decant more complexity would come out. Will give this another shot.
After the first hour, the sweetness tames a bit becoming a bit more complex. Bumped to a 93.
Very cool winery visit.
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11/4/2020 - Four Skulls Likes this wine: 98 Points
FANTASTIC
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9/28/2020 - Four Skulls Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow
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8/2/2020 - MLwine wrote: 89 Points
Disappointing. Lacked complexity as well as a significant fruit profile. Reasonably nice, but not what one expects, or deserves, for the money.
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3/8/2020 - TOB63 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Excellent. Can drink immediately
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3/8/2020 - TOB63 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Excellent wine. Could drink immediately
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1/26/2020 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Another favorite for most in a crazy wine afternoon! This wine coat your mouth in a superb way. Bold, concentrated, complex, multidimensional and hard to forget finish. This baby will obviously evolve with time but I don’t see it getting much better!
Drink or hold.
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11/19/2019 - msuwine wrote: 96 Points
This rich and savory mountain Cabernet offers deep fruit and impeccable balance. It is a touch more savory than the Teres, which I tasted at the same time, but it has an originality and depth that are hard to beat. I am generally a fan of Howell Mountain (e.g., La Jota, Arkenstone), and this wines manages to reflect the warm rawness of the location while taming its tannins and broadening its mouthfeel. In other words: this is really, really good.
Dark red in color and full in body, this wines offers compelling and pure aromas of boysenberry, graphite, cocoa beans, and roasted herbs. Tastes of black cherry, mountain blueberry, milk chocolate, and rosemary, with an intense and layered finish that goes on and on (and includes enough tannins to recommend more time in bottle). This is an incredible interpretation of Howell Mountain, and I can't wait to open another bottle in another 6-12 months. Even better on second day, when it developed a more earthy undertone to pair with the incredible fruit. 14.8% alcohol. 95-96 for now, with upside in a year or two.
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