Two hour decant. Deep dark brick red magenta color. Blackberry, blueberry, toffee, mushroom, white fondant, and graphite. Dry, satiny palate, with fine, lingering acidity. Firm, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
Very rich and showing some maturity. This really only needs a splash decant. It was a bit flat due to over-aeration.
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90-minute decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta core. Nestle Crunch bar, blackberry, boysenberry, tangerine bitters, raw coconut, clove, and subtle Worcestershire sauce. Dry, full bodied palate. Firm, satiny tannins on the longish finish.
Another bottle I enjoyed more than I expected. Complex decadence, with some aged notes balancing things very nicely.
Drank alongside a 2016 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf, it was preferred by 3 of the 4 drinkers: 97, 97, 97, 96. A beautiful CA Cab, loaded with flavor but still smooth as silk. A big one for those like us who like a smack in the teeth.
Two and a half hour decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Blackberry, plum, baker’s chocolate, Chinese five-spice, and subtle wild strawberry jam. Smooth, dry, plush, spicy palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
The nose kept improving over an hour drinking. There was an overall meaty, Syrah-like quality to this wine.
90 min decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie, cooked blackberry, granite, black walnut, and subtle toffee on the nose. Smooth, dry palate, with fine, tongue coating acidity. Very firm tannins on the longish finish.
This is more brooding/dark/serious than I was expecting. It’s got terrific structure and richness, but lacks brightness or flamboyance that I expect from a Bevan CS. I think it’s going through a phase.
This is way too young. Don’t get lazy like I did and open it I double decanted and let open for 1.5 hours before dinner. Was still tight, so corked it. Drinking it day 3 now and it’s fully open. Great wine but shows it was way too early. I’d sit on this for another 2-3 years minimum.
Decanted for 2 hours then poured back in to the bottle and consumed over another 3 hours. Paired with a Flannery 60 day dry aged NY Strip and consumed out of Sensory stems.
The nose was big and filled with blue/black fruits and earth tones. The palate was of blue berries, black berries and acia berries with brown spices, cocoa and earth tones. The tannins were fine grained with medium acidity. The body was initially full but lost a little weight and texture over time with air. The wine became slightly muted and medium bodied on the final glass
Initially, my score was 96 but it lost a point for losing a little bit of body and texture over a few hours. Its in a good drinking window with a short decant. I suggest consuming over a total of 4 hours or less from decant, as the best glasses were the first glasses. Typically, my experience is opposite with the best glass being rhe last but not in this case. It was consumed on a Fruit/Flower day so this shouldn't have contributed to this bottle declining every so slightly by the final glass.
All in all, a very nice showing for Tench and Russell but is a slight step behind a a few other 2016s have tried.
Two hour decant. Opaque ruby magenta color. Toffee, blackberry, sage, nutmeg, molasses, and subtle black pepper on the nose. Smooth, dry, full bodied palate, with vibrant, pixelated acidity. Firm, full tannins on the long finish. Classic Bevan CS.
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90 min decant. Very deep dark ruby magenta color. Black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon stick, yellow pound cake, and burnt toast on the rich, decadent nose. Dry, velvety, full bodied palate, with a floral and strawberry cotton candy note. Voluptuous tannins on the longish finish.
This is not for the faint of heart. It’s muscular and over the top, but also shows real finesse. The cotton candy (could also be angel food cake) on the palate and finish imparts a lighter/ethereal quality.
PNP at Jo's American Bistro on Newport, RI, deep ruby, dark fruit on the nose, black cherries on the palate, med tannins, long finish; outstanding & beginning to drink, but still primary. I suspect there is plenty of room for improvement, drink with a good decant or preferably hold
Dark ruby, long legs, on the 👃 very balanced notes of ripe cherries, orange peels, cashew, old leather belt, dry forest floor. Very dry, full body, super acidic, strong frontal tannins, sweet cherry finish. More in fragrance as we let the bottle open slowly. This should age well a few more years at least.
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Big and bold wine, inky dark. Fragrant nose with Nice structure, lots of plums, black currants, blackberries with hints of licorice, spice, coffee grounds; very good acidity - medium tannins. Long ending with hints of vanilla.
This is a very nice wine - still young but in a great spot already. If I had another bottle I’d wait at least 3 years before opening it. Excellent example of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
P.S. - on day 2 this relaxed a bit, the alcohol tamed, and flavors of smoked meat, garrigue, and plums came out. It was still bold but more balanced. It really became beautiful and that raised my score from 93 to 94.
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One hour slow ox followed by a one hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color, with a nearly black core. Blueberry jelly, blackberry, black cherry, sunflower, rose petals, croissant, and subtle toffee on the rich nose. Smooth, dry, almost glossy palate, with nice, tongue coating acidity. Firm, full, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.
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I completely agree with the descriptions of this wine in the Jeb and AG reviews -- since when do those two guys agree that completely on the wine and the score!?! This is a wow wine in big-boy style that leaves nothing subtle but completely succeeds as everything compliments everything. Did integrate better and lost some excessive sweetness with air. The interesting question for me is how Carter Cellars wines' style will change in 2021 as Russell Bevan replaces Mike Smith. My basis is comparing the 2016 OG vs. this wine. While they are both wow wines, there is some sophistication and mouthfeel things I like better in the OG. Clearly, unless Mark Carter has a vision to ask RB to make wines differently than RB does, expectation that Carter wines will be even more exuberant than they are today. First world Napa cab issue but this will be interesting!
Pop and pour. I've been reluctant to open Napa 2016s because so many of them need more time but all the tasting notes on this are full speed ahead so I pulled it for steak night. Wow! This is one of the best Bevans I've ever tasted. Per usual, broad swaths of saturated flavor on the palate but this cuvee has the usual ripe fruit balanced with stunning earth. Just pure pleasure from start to finish. Will it get even better? Who knows? But it's fantastic now.
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Birthday wine, this never disappoints. Aromas of Warm Cassis, blueberry/ blackberry tart, sage, coffee, dark cacao and like smoke. The palate was rich, big with dark sexy lush blueberry fruit which filled the palate, mocha, crushed fine stones, velvety tannins yet compared to the Wildfoote from a couple of weeks ago, this had more focus and blue fruits. This is certainly my favourite Bevan wine, unfortunately my last bottle, but will certainly be buying 2018/2019. Top 3 wine from Napa hands down! 97+
Dark as night with a dark rose colored edges, just an absolute heavenly nose, roasted coffee beans, rose petals, floral perfume, freshly ground white pepper, crushed raspberries on the palate. Racy fruit —black cherry, black raspberry, Blood orange, dried cherry, still some structured tannins holding back the finish,!but oh my this is a delicious one. Lost a point due to the tannins holding back the finish.
This absolutely woodshedded a 2014 Outpost True Vineyard due to the tannins holding back the finish.
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Rolling Stones pre-concert party bus (Austin): Wanted a rock star wine for our pre-concert Rolling Stones party bus, and this delivered. As expected, big blue/black fruit, tobacco, tar, liqueur. Delicious after a one hour decant.
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Consumed side by side with a Saxum GSM, the Bevan almost isn’t boisterous. Nonetheless this is a big boy, but he’s maturing, subtlety, with age. Plenty of years left on this backbone, but the fruit isn’t what’s out expect from Bevan.
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14.9% abv. 100% Oakville cab. Maybe this bottle wasn't stored properly but I'm not sensing a wine deserving of the scores I'm seeing. It's tight with elevated acidity. Full bodied with plum, cedar and pepper notes. Lots of potential but it's a ways away.
Great aromatics, deep purple color. Super smooth tannins, nicely integrated. Full bodied wine and very powerful (thanks, Russell!!). Dark cherry, blackberry and blueberry. drinking beautifully now, but will be amazing for 15+ more.
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The highlight of my Christmas staycation so far. Even though this wine has 16.7% abv, it is well integrated to the outstanding dose of blueberries, blackberries and liqueur de Cassis. It's just jammed packed with fruits and a touch of toast on the palate! Rich, deep and with velvety high quality tannins. Long finish. Even though it's a lot of fun to drink now, my recommendation is to cellar this wine and start opening your bottles around 2026 - this will be fabulous. Decant for at least 3-4 hours to get more from it.
Decanted for 3 hours and the wine was perfectly balanced. Had with Rib Eyes and the pairing was fantastic. Glad I have two left to see how they evolve.
Celebrating my first Father’s Day with a worthy bottle!
Long time fan of Bevan Cellars wines, I had my first official tasting last year and was able to run through most of the bordeaux blends. My favorite of the tasting was the Tench EE (slightly more savory) but the Tench showed so elegant and beautifully that I had to pick some up.
For the most part, these wines can be so accessible early, so much so that it’s quite remarkable. At pop and pour this was good, but at 3hrs in the bottle it was superb. Purple in the glass with heady aromas of violet, potpourri, dark cocoa, espresso, nutmeg, baked mixed berry pie and eventually, a note of charcoal...even bacon fat, arrived. On the palate, it is decadent, plush and sexy. Fondue dipped dark fruits, baking spices, licorice and cherry smoked jerky. Creme de cassis at its finest. Flavor packed, but in total balance.
This wine is flickering on perfection. With addictive aromas of lush dark cherries, dark plums, blueberries, espresso, tobacco leaf, crushed stones and freshly cracked black pepper. The palate is medium-full bodied, deep and concentrated with firm but silky tannins. There is so much going on in this wine with waves of powerful dark plush fruit and spice this is wonderfully layered and is consistently involving with every sip. The finish is precise and extremely long. Drink now over the next 20+ years. Wow!
Delicious. 2 hour decant at wine tasting. Deep garnet. Blueberry & creme de cassis. Complex front with blueberry, black currants, a little cream, mellowing into cedar, oak, a little spice.
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Ok, this is a well crafted wine. I'm finding I'm not the biggest Bevan fan, especially Otogeny. But this is a big time release. Upon opening, a little green and vegetative. Really muted on the nose. But after 2 hour decant, this took off. Perfume fills the glass, dark blue fruit, blueberry pie, graphite, smooth tannin. A big wine, but well balanced. It resembles an Oakville version of Dan Petroski's and TRB's Olmo releases that are on Cortina gravel. This is very very good, and I think on some people's palate's way be a near perfect wine.
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Couldn't resist drinking a bottle. Far too young, but actually pretty open. Tannins are very firm, of course, fruit is muted. This has all the stuff of great wine, maybe 99 points at maturity. Into the cellar you go.
Lush but elegant. Rather red and blue berry type of fruit. Loads of spices (Christams spices),a bit earthy, and mineral notes of ash. Light, fruit forward and fresh on the palate. Soft tannins provide for a velvety texture. This is great stuff and already drank fantastically well even without a decant.
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That‘s how young Napa wines should taste like. Not dominated by thick ripe fruit but by its terroir. Precision, purity and freshness - not three words that you would use too often to describe a young Napa. But the 2016 vintage does it. Probably the best vintage of the decade, for sure the best to drink right now (2014 and 2012 drink well but have less depth, 2013 is not yet ready, 2015 shows fat and ripe). 96-97 points
TN: Lots of blue and black forest berries, earthy tones, a strong minerality expression, some spicy notes on the nose and palate. With time in the glass some sweeter cassis liquor and later sweet red strawberries pop up. Very well delineated, medium+ complexity, medium intensity, the wine stays light and fresh, medium bodied with very fine and only slightly noticeable tannins, very good freshness. Overall so well balanced and harmonious with a medium length.
Decanting: Not decanted, interesting and ready from the go but revealed more aromas with time in the glass. One or two hours in the decanter would not hurt.
Tasted with Bevan at Brasswood. It's almost difficult to drink this many great wines at one sitting and try to write notes. The notes are so similar across all the wines, but the tiny nuances make the difference. This is great producer! Plums, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, chocolate, tobacco, and hints of spice and herbs. A rich, concentrated wine, full bodied, and a long, lingering finish.
Similar to my tasting note on 1/12/19. If you could ever say Bevan made a "restrained" or a bit more "earthy" wine this would be it - especially when consumed next to some of his other offerings.
Showing blackberry, scorched earth, black pepper, asian spices and spring flowers. Medium+ bodied, it is showing some rustic and savory characteristics, with loamy soil intermixed with dark fruit layering on the pallet. As usual with Bevan, this is concentrated and showing great potential. Finish is long, but a bit astringent presently.
Bevan 2016 Cab blends: As versions of the various Bevan wines offered up from this site go, this Tench Cabernet Sauvignon is bit more of a front-end downshift from the EE or Calixtro in terms of the initial push of intensity and concentration. It’s a 2016 Bevan, so continue to still expect a full bodied experience, but perhaps more medium-ish+ mid-palate complexity and depth-wise compared to the EE and Calixtros of the world. The delivery does some skipping over the mid and makes for a flatter plane of flavor distribution.
Floral and higher register red berry notes compete with the deeper black fruit and subtle embers and earth elements in a way that keeps the fulfillment of a complete execution at bay for the moment. Finishes medium, with red currant and somewhat bitter powdered spice notes clipping the back end slightly.
A wine to sit on for a few years. Revisit in 2022. 93-94+ points with upside.
Spring flowers, smoked meat, spice box, embers, char, blackberry and deep earthy notions on a very fragrant nose. On the pallet, full bodied, very concentrated, but not quite a forward as what I've come to expect from Bevan wines. Lots of really deep earth driven flavors, backed up by great layers of mostly black fruit and a lot of that LPV-like scorched earth. Energetic and pallet enveloping, this continues to build from mid pallet through to a very long finish. This is very good.
3/16/2024 - Thomas D Likes this wine: 96 Points
deep ruby color; red fruit and incense nose;
full bodied; cassis , tobacco, cocoa flavors
long finish drinking very nicely mow with a one hour decant.
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2/3/2024 - Jmac56 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tannic leathery nose. Big wine with many years left but a bit tannic and I question whether it will become more balanced.
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11/17/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
Two hour decant. Deep dark brick red magenta color. Blackberry, blueberry, toffee, mushroom, white fondant, and graphite. Dry, satiny palate, with fine, lingering acidity. Firm, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
Very rich and showing some maturity. This really only needs a splash decant. It was a bit flat due to over-aeration.
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9/28/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
90-minute decant. Nearly opaque electric magenta core. Nestle Crunch bar, blackberry, boysenberry, tangerine bitters, raw coconut, clove, and subtle Worcestershire sauce. Dry, full bodied palate. Firm, satiny tannins on the longish finish.
Another bottle I enjoyed more than I expected. Complex decadence, with some aged notes balancing things very nicely.
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7/22/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank alongside a 2016 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf, it was preferred by 3 of the 4 drinkers: 97, 97, 97, 96. A beautiful CA Cab, loaded with flavor but still smooth as silk. A big one for those like us who like a smack in the teeth.
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5/15/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Two and a half hour decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Blackberry, plum, baker’s chocolate, Chinese five-spice, and subtle wild strawberry jam. Smooth, dry, plush, spicy palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
The nose kept improving over an hour drinking. There was an overall meaty, Syrah-like quality to this wine.
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11/28/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
90 min decant. Deep dark ruby magenta color. Dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie, cooked blackberry, granite, black walnut, and subtle toffee on the nose. Smooth, dry palate, with fine, tongue coating acidity. Very firm tannins on the longish finish.
This is more brooding/dark/serious than I was expecting. It’s got terrific structure and richness, but lacks brightness or flamboyance that I expect from a Bevan CS. I think it’s going through a phase.
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9/19/2022 - MDvino Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is way too young. Don’t get lazy like I did and open it I double decanted and let open for 1.5 hours before dinner. Was still tight, so corked it. Drinking it day 3 now and it’s fully open. Great wine but shows it was way too early. I’d sit on this for another 2-3 years minimum.
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9/18/2022 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours then poured back in to the bottle and consumed over another 3 hours. Paired with a Flannery 60 day dry aged NY Strip and consumed out of Sensory stems.
The nose was big and filled with blue/black fruits and earth tones. The palate was of blue berries, black berries and acia berries with brown spices, cocoa and earth tones. The tannins were fine grained with medium acidity. The body was initially full but lost a little weight and texture over time with air. The wine became slightly muted and medium bodied on the final glass
Initially, my score was 96 but it lost a point for losing a little bit of body and texture over a few hours. Its in a good drinking window with a short decant. I suggest consuming over a total of 4 hours or less from decant, as the best glasses were the first glasses. Typically, my experience is opposite with the best glass being rhe last but not in this case. It was consumed on a Fruit/Flower day so this shouldn't have contributed to this bottle declining every so slightly by the final glass.
All in all, a very nice showing for Tench and Russell but is a slight step behind a a few other 2016s have tried.
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9/2/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Two hour decant. Opaque ruby magenta color. Toffee, blackberry, sage, nutmeg, molasses, and subtle black pepper on the nose. Smooth, dry, full bodied palate, with vibrant, pixelated acidity. Firm, full tannins on the long finish. Classic Bevan CS.
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7/29/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
90 min decant. Very deep dark ruby magenta color. Black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon stick, yellow pound cake, and burnt toast on the rich, decadent nose. Dry, velvety, full bodied palate, with a floral and strawberry cotton candy note. Voluptuous tannins on the longish finish.
This is not for the faint of heart. It’s muscular and over the top, but also shows real finesse. The cotton candy (could also be angel food cake) on the palate and finish imparts a lighter/ethereal quality.
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7/19/2022 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP at Jo's American Bistro on Newport, RI, deep ruby, dark fruit on the nose, black cherries on the palate, med tannins, long finish; outstanding & beginning to drink, but still primary. I suspect there is plenty of room for improvement, drink with a good decant or preferably hold
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7/2/2022 - bucktooth22 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby, long legs, on the 👃 very balanced notes of ripe cherries, orange peels, cashew, old leather belt, dry forest floor. Very dry, full body, super acidic, strong frontal tannins, sweet cherry finish. More in fragrance as we let the bottle open slowly. This should age well a few more years at least.
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7/2/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big and bold wine, inky dark. Fragrant nose with
Nice structure, lots of plums, black currants, blackberries with hints of licorice, spice, coffee grounds; very good acidity - medium tannins. Long ending with hints of vanilla.
This is a very nice wine - still young but in a great spot already. If I had another bottle I’d wait at least 3 years before opening it. Excellent example of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
P.S.
- on day 2 this relaxed a bit, the alcohol tamed, and flavors of smoked meat, garrigue, and plums came out. It was still bold but more balanced. It really became beautiful and that raised my score from 93 to 94.
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6/7/2022 - Waguespack wrote: 96 Points
One hour decant. Purple color, full bodied. Long finish. Drinking well now.
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5/4/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
One hour slow ox followed by a one hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color, with a nearly black core. Blueberry jelly, blackberry, black cherry, sunflower, rose petals, croissant, and subtle toffee on the rich nose. Smooth, dry, almost glossy palate, with nice, tongue coating acidity. Firm, full, medium intensity tannins on the long finish.
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3/30/2022 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 97 Points
I completely agree with the descriptions of this wine in the Jeb and AG reviews -- since when do those two guys agree that completely on the wine and the score!?! This is a wow wine in big-boy style that leaves nothing subtle but completely succeeds as everything compliments everything. Did integrate better and lost some excessive sweetness with air. The interesting question for me is how Carter Cellars wines' style will change in 2021 as Russell Bevan replaces Mike Smith. My basis is comparing the 2016 OG vs. this wine. While they are both wow wines, there is some sophistication and mouthfeel things I like better in the OG. Clearly, unless Mark Carter has a vision to ask RB to make wines differently than RB does, expectation that Carter wines will be even more exuberant than they are today. First world Napa cab issue but this will be interesting!
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2/14/2022 - Kdad Likes this wine: 96 Points
Damn that's good.
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1/27/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 97 Points
Pop and pour. I've been reluctant to open Napa 2016s because so many of them need more time but all the tasting notes on this are full speed ahead so I pulled it for steak night. Wow! This is one of the best Bevans I've ever tasted. Per usual, broad swaths of saturated flavor on the palate but this cuvee has the usual ripe fruit balanced with stunning earth. Just pure pleasure from start to finish. Will it get even better? Who knows? But it's fantastic now.
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1/7/2022 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 97 Points
Birthday wine, this never disappoints. Aromas of Warm Cassis, blueberry/ blackberry tart, sage, coffee, dark cacao and like smoke. The palate was rich, big with dark sexy lush blueberry fruit which filled the palate, mocha, crushed fine stones, velvety tannins yet compared to the Wildfoote from a couple of weeks ago, this had more focus and blue fruits. This is certainly my favourite Bevan wine, unfortunately my last bottle, but will certainly be buying 2018/2019. Top 3 wine from Napa hands down! 97+
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11/25/2021 - Kdad Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lots of fruit. Well balanced.
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11/25/2021 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 97 Points
PNP with a quick shake decant to impart some air
Dark as night with a dark rose colored edges, just an absolute heavenly nose, roasted coffee beans, rose petals, floral perfume, freshly ground white pepper, crushed raspberries on the palate. Racy fruit —black cherry, black raspberry, Blood orange, dried cherry, still some structured tannins holding back the finish,!but oh my this is a delicious one. Lost a point due to the tannins holding back the finish.
This absolutely woodshedded a 2014 Outpost True Vineyard due to the tannins holding back the finish.
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11/21/2021 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rolling Stones pre-concert party bus (Austin): Wanted a rock star wine for our pre-concert Rolling Stones party bus, and this delivered. As expected, big blue/black fruit, tobacco, tar, liqueur. Delicious after a one hour decant.
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9/5/2021 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consumed side by side with a Saxum GSM, the Bevan almost isn’t boisterous. Nonetheless this is a big boy, but he’s maturing, subtlety, with age. Plenty of years left on this backbone, but the fruit isn’t what’s out expect from Bevan.
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7/7/2021 - mdvillaverde wrote: 93 Points
14.9% abv. 100% Oakville cab. Maybe this bottle wasn't stored properly but I'm not sensing a wine deserving of the scores I'm seeing. It's tight with elevated acidity. Full bodied with plum, cedar and pepper notes. Lots of potential but it's a ways away.
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5/29/2021 - Ryan3719 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Great aromatics, deep purple color. Super smooth tannins, nicely integrated. Full bodied wine and very powerful (thanks, Russell!!). Dark cherry, blackberry and blueberry. drinking beautifully now, but will be amazing for 15+ more.
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12/25/2020 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 96 Points
The highlight of my Christmas staycation so far. Even though this wine has 16.7% abv, it is well integrated to the outstanding dose of blueberries, blackberries and liqueur de Cassis. It's just jammed packed with fruits and a touch of toast on the palate! Rich, deep and with velvety high quality tannins. Long finish. Even though it's a lot of fun to drink now, my recommendation is to cellar this wine and start opening your bottles around 2026 - this will be fabulous. Decant for at least 3-4 hours to get more from it.
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11/10/2020 - Alexander Smith wrote: 97 Points
Similar to previous tasting note. Stunning
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7/8/2020 - PDXWineO Likes this wine: 98 Points
Decanted for 3 hours and the wine was perfectly balanced. Had with Rib Eyes and the pairing was fantastic. Glad I have two left to see how they evolve.
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6/22/2020 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 96 Points
Celebrating my first Father’s Day with a worthy bottle!
Long time fan of Bevan Cellars wines, I had my first official tasting last year and was able to run through most of the bordeaux blends. My favorite of the tasting was the Tench EE (slightly more savory) but the Tench showed so elegant and beautifully that I had to pick some up.
For the most part, these wines can be so accessible early, so much so that it’s quite remarkable. At pop and pour this was good, but at 3hrs in the bottle it was superb. Purple in the glass with heady aromas of violet, potpourri, dark cocoa, espresso, nutmeg, baked mixed berry pie and eventually, a note of charcoal...even bacon fat, arrived. On the palate, it is decadent, plush and sexy. Fondue dipped dark fruits, baking spices, licorice and cherry smoked jerky. Creme de cassis at its finest. Flavor packed, but in total balance.
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2/24/2020 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 99 Points
This wine is flickering on perfection. With addictive aromas of lush dark cherries, dark plums, blueberries, espresso, tobacco leaf, crushed stones and freshly cracked black pepper. The palate is medium-full bodied, deep and concentrated with firm but silky tannins. There is so much going on in this wine with waves of powerful dark plush fruit and spice this is wonderfully layered and is consistently involving with every sip. The finish is precise and extremely long. Drink now over the next 20+ years. Wow!
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11/30/2019 - novocane wrote: 95 Points
Delicious. 2 hour decant at wine tasting. Deep garnet. Blueberry & creme de cassis. Complex front with blueberry, black currants, a little cream, mellowing into cedar, oak, a little spice.
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11/13/2019 - lion@corewines.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just pure silk. The tannins are so soft and together with the dark berry taste and long finish this is an absolute beauty!
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11/13/2019 - lion@corewines.com wrote: 95 Points
So incredibly smooth and silky. I love this wine!
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10/14/2019 - dmwilsondvm Likes this wine: 98 Points
Ok, this is a well crafted wine. I'm finding I'm not the biggest Bevan fan, especially Otogeny. But this is a big time release. Upon opening, a little green and vegetative. Really muted on the nose. But after 2 hour decant, this took off. Perfume fills the glass, dark blue fruit, blueberry pie, graphite, smooth tannin. A big wine, but well balanced. It resembles an Oakville version of Dan Petroski's and TRB's Olmo releases that are on Cortina gravel. This is very very good, and I think on some people's palate's way be a near perfect wine.
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10/10/2019 - Artbreadman Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of my favorites. Liquid velvet. All kinds of complexity and strength yet still retains subtlety.
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7/25/2019 - webbaker Likes this wine: 97 Points
Couldn't resist drinking a bottle. Far too young, but actually pretty open. Tannins are very firm, of course, fruit is muted. This has all the stuff of great wine, maybe 99 points at maturity. Into the cellar you go.
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7/2/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lush but elegant. Rather red and blue berry type of fruit. Loads of spices (Christams spices),a bit earthy, and mineral notes of ash. Light, fruit forward and fresh on the palate. Soft tannins provide for a velvety texture. This is great stuff and already drank fantastically well even without a decant.
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6/27/2019 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
That‘s how young Napa wines should taste like. Not dominated by thick ripe fruit but by its terroir. Precision, purity and freshness - not three words that you would use too often to describe a young Napa. But the 2016 vintage does it. Probably the best vintage of the decade, for sure the best to drink right now (2014 and 2012 drink well but have less depth, 2013 is not yet ready, 2015 shows fat and ripe). 96-97 points
TN: Lots of blue and black forest berries, earthy tones, a strong minerality expression, some spicy notes on the nose and palate. With time in the glass some sweeter cassis liquor and later sweet red strawberries pop up. Very well delineated, medium+ complexity, medium intensity, the wine stays light and fresh, medium bodied with very fine and only slightly noticeable tannins, very good freshness. Overall so well balanced and harmonious with a medium length.
Decanting: Not decanted, interesting and ready from the go but revealed more aromas with time in the glass. One or two hours in the decanter would not hurt.
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4/27/2019 - jonathan.salik wrote:
Drank at Firebox in Hartford, CT.
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3/22/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted with Bevan at Brasswood. It's almost difficult to drink this many great wines at one sitting and try to write notes. The notes are so similar across all the wines, but the tiny nuances make the difference. This is great producer! Plums, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, chocolate, tobacco, and hints of spice and herbs. A rich, concentrated wine, full bodied, and a long, lingering finish.
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2/7/2019 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to my tasting note on 1/12/19. If you could ever say Bevan made a "restrained" or a bit more "earthy" wine this would be it - especially when consumed next to some of his other offerings.
Showing blackberry, scorched earth, black pepper, asian spices and spring flowers. Medium+ bodied, it is showing some rustic and savory characteristics, with loamy soil intermixed with dark fruit layering on the pallet. As usual with Bevan, this is concentrated and showing great potential. Finish is long, but a bit astringent presently.
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2/7/2019 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Bevan 2016 Cab blends: As versions of the various Bevan wines offered up from this site go, this Tench Cabernet Sauvignon is bit more of a front-end downshift from the EE or Calixtro in terms of the initial push of intensity and concentration. It’s a 2016 Bevan, so continue to still expect a full bodied experience, but perhaps more medium-ish+ mid-palate complexity and depth-wise compared to the EE and Calixtros of the world. The delivery does some skipping over the mid and makes for a flatter plane of flavor distribution.
Floral and higher register red berry notes compete with the deeper black fruit and subtle embers and earth elements in a way that keeps the fulfillment of a complete execution at bay for the moment. Finishes medium, with red currant and somewhat bitter powdered spice notes clipping the back end slightly.
A wine to sit on for a few years. Revisit in 2022. 93-94+ points with upside.
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1/12/2019 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spring flowers, smoked meat, spice box, embers, char, blackberry and deep earthy notions on a very fragrant nose. On the pallet, full bodied, very concentrated, but not quite a forward as what I've come to expect from Bevan wines. Lots of really deep earth driven flavors, backed up by great layers of mostly black fruit and a lot of that LPV-like scorched earth. Energetic and pallet enveloping, this continues to build from mid pallet through to a very long finish. This is very good.
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