I was blown away by this wine. Initially very soft but builds in richness and complexity as it opens. What stood out was the smooth and rich palette with no heaviness or overextraction. The flavors are of blackberry, raspberry cream, tobacco and caramel are delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A soft wine now, young in vine age, young in the team with their first vintage yet the only direction to go is up. High expectations of future vintages.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The '18 Bella Oaks is a very promising young wine that is in need of a long time in the cellar. That said, it's already quite drinkable because it is relatively well balanced, showing a combination of Napa exuberance/richness and classic acidity.
On the nose, I found rich red raspberry and blackberry fruits, cassis, red floral aromas, sweet spices, herbal tones like anise/licorice, and a hint of mocha. On the palate, I found a similar mix of fresh and liqueur-like red and black fruit tones, with red raspberry being the most dominant, along with espresso and sweet spices, and ending on a more savory expression of anise, grilled herbs, earth, and black fruit. The wine is richly textured on the palate, with a slightly creamy texture, but high acidity keeps it in balance. The tannins are finely textured, but hit hard as the wine moves towards the finish, along with a touch of alcoholic heat. I found the wine enters relatively smoothly, but the texture is a bit harsh towards the finish, which hopefully mellows out with age.
My primary "concern" with the '18 Bella Oaks, and the reason for knocking the score a point or two, is the finish which I found a bit harsh; it drinks a bit high octane today. If this mellows out a bit and the wine is more seamless from start to finish, it would be a top notch wine in my opinion.
Flavors of dark, rich fruits with amazing swiftness, pure flavors of fruit, rich earth, nicely fruited minerals, graceful intensity with lovely richness. There is this nice sprinkling of earthy minerals that add to intrigue.
Loved the swift energy and tension this provides, such a lively play of all the flavors. This hits a lot of the right spots. Will be fun to see how this unfolds down the line. 98+
Like others, I rolled the dice on this offering last year based on the (dream?) team that put it together and Galloni's recommendation. Those who bought chose wisely. So much has already been said, I'll only add that after experimenting, 6-8 hours of air was where it really hit its' stride. Nice and open, bright and energetic with a lot of verve. Fantastic! Of course it will last years, but surprisingly and thankfully, with proper air this is drinking beautifully today.
This is a fantastic wine - and I'll eventually tell you why - but first I have a confession to make about Rutherford. I know that, as with the children in Lake Wobegon, all the appellations in Napa are above average... but I've never quite been sure about Rutherford. Quintessa, Staglin, Inglenook, Georges III, Hewitt - all, um, a little diffuse and (to me) a little boring. It’s OK to be "dusty," but it's not OK to be generic. True, Scarecrow and Sloan are exceptional (and crazy expensive) wines, but I confess to approaching a Rutherford Cabernet more with suspicion than excitement.
Enter me (Bella Oaks says in parenthesis). This is an exceptional wine that leaps to the top of the appellation (and by that I mean wines two times the price) in its first go-around. I had high hopes for this wine - Nigel Kinsman, David Abreu, all that - and it exceeded them. To be sure, this is a wine of integration: flavors of fruit, earth, and herbs, supported by ample tannins and acidity, forging a Cabernet that will go the distance, turning drinking windows into "guidelines" (as they almost always are - pirates' code, be damned). So, yes, this wine is great in a conventional sense of balance and harmony.
But this wine is also great in a less conventional sense. In defining the virtue of a hero, Jean-Jacques Rousseau ruled out the typical descriptors of justice, wisdom, or moderation - yes, these are all good, but not all of them are necessary: achieving greatness sometimes requires neglecting each of these things. Instead, Rousseau observed that "there has never been a hero without strength of soul.” As Teddy Roosevelt would explain centuries later, to "strive valiantly," whatever the result, is necessary for the "triumph of high achievement."
And this wine merits such fancy words. Dark red in color and medium in body, it offers aromas of black cherry, espresso, baking spices, and dried herbs. The flavors are cascading and welcoming, with notes of boysenberry, cocoa beans, fresh leather, and trail dust, followed by a layered finish that goes on and on. 14.6% alcohol. "Class" doesn’t begin to describe this wine, but "strength of soul" just might. Decant at least two hours if drinking now, though ideally wait until 2024 or later. 97+ at the moment, but nothing but blue skies ahead. What a wine.
Let's just start with the mere fact that any Napa Cabernet that can power through a 90-degree afternoon at an outdoor swanky soiree served at an open bar while still maintaining an exacting sense of alterative poise, polish, and perfect posture is a wine of which to take heed. I mean, as you're sauntering around poolside with your salmon-tinged summer chinos slacks, extra sch'medium collar-popped Lacoste, and fedora Milan man-hat, and you glance across the travertine lanai to see a freshly concocted Aperol Spritz sitting right next to a dark crimson red wine, you are instinctively compelled to seize-hold of the Italian orange crush cocktail over the anticipatingly heavy red NyQuil Cab. Yet, you're a juice-trooper and here for the scarlet sizzurp (and after all, it is a Bella Oaks party, so you 'have to' have at least a sample of the wine to ensure, if nothing else, you'll be able to have a token compliment to offer in conversation should you run into the winemaker). So you grab a stem of the 2018 Bella Oaks and shuffle off to your small throng of like-minded wine geeks, in further hopes the waitstaff will circle back and offer you another one of those fabulous gazpacho shots!
Not really thinking about it, (cuz really all you're thinking about is that small bead of perspiration starting to form on your temple), you take a sip of whatever is in your hand. Suddenly..... Your mind jets off to Bordeaux; you're in a wine cave with Nigel Kinsman - but he's wearing a black beret, has a monocle, and is gnawing on a baguette as he thumbs through a well-worn copy of Tolstoy's War and Peace). You take another sip, now focusing more on the glory of the wine itself. Supple and luxurious black and red currant, blackberry, red and black cherry, red plum, a fascinating kiss of herbal fresh red licorice (more like anise or fennel), cocoa nibs, cassis, and the faintest wisp of terracotta. The texture and delivery is sensually polished, gliding into the most lustrous of mid-palate saturations, and rolling into a finish the cruises along with the perfect equilibrium among its flavors, weight, intensity, and concentration. The combination of focus and freshness keeps this wine in complete attentiveness. An absolute stunner. A serious core with enticingly plush contours.
Next to the more intense (but perhaps even more burnished and sleek) 2019, the 2018 was so steadfast in its execution, that we wine-goobers kept going back to it over the 2019. Again, it was a warm day; the fact that the 2018 could persevere and maintain our attention for what literally was hours in the afternoon outdoors is certainly saying something (not that we were in Namibia on Naked and Afraid or anything). But, you all know how the elements can jack up a wine experience pretty darn fast.
Ultimately, the 2018 will be one to lay down horizontally for a few years, but considering these bottles were getting popped right and left without any further babying made for extraordinary drinking even now. I'll keep mine chillin' in the cellar for a bit. Try again in 2025+ for no other reason because that seems like the preppy prudent thing to do. Both the 2019 and 2018 performed like champs, but the 2018 stole the show for me this go-around. 98-100 points.
Enjoyed at the Garden Party. As CSIMM mentioned, it was pretty warm out there and it definitely had some effect on the wine. Since my buddy here wrote a book on the wines, I'll spend less time and just highlight few things. The first is that these are about the most polished, suave and sexy wines you could possibly make. They have gorgeous red licorice and dark cherry fruit that just wafts over your palate like silk, with so much flavor and depth. It's very impressive. As for 18 vs 19, the 18 is showing a bit more tension and precision at the moment, while the 19 just shows ridiculous intensity and opulence. The latter is so young that it's hard to say what it will look like with time, but I think these wines follow the vintages, where the 18 is cooler climate, shows immense poise and is possibly the more age worthy of the two. The 19 is a bit more of a "napa" vintage, with fabulous pure fruit in a regal package that brings a smile from ear to ear. It certainly is not lacking structure or acidity, but of the two, it's the more opulent. It is pretty much a toss up for me as to which is best. I'll take both! :)
From Coravin. I tasted side by side with Schrader T6 12’. What a gorgeous wine. Schrader T6 was a flavor dynamite after 10 years. It was balanced and complex. However, the Bella oaks 18’ didn’t surrender on the battle ground. Although I didn’t make a full cup, this tiny amount of wine changed all the time. The nose started with red fruits, graphite, and a touch of smokiness. Then, smokiness turned dominant and dressed with meat and mushrooms. There were so many things going on and on. Giving it some time, I bet the reward will be epic. So many thanks to Martin for making this happen on my table. They flew all the way to Taiwan, and I just can’t stop my hands to steal a bit. So good. Cheers!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa Trip - Trying new wines and meeting new people; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022 (Napa): New wine for me and what a stunner. Had this next to the '19, which took the lead initially, but this '18 caught up like no other. Flavors of fresh yet dark red fruits, amazing forest floor and graphite. This had an amazing energy to it, so refreshing yet serious with flavors. With just a little bit of time, this turns darker while maintaining swiftness. There was a touch of asphalt that added a nice complexity to the wine. Love the style of this, great tension and flavors now which keeps me curious as how this will develop. The only thing that sucked was being able to try something that you can't buy.. oh, the heartbreak.
Spring 2022 Dream Napa Trip; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022: Similar notes to my last tasting. Needs some air today but is going to be a stunner in 5-10 years. First tasting was slightly more impressive than the tasting here as the 19' in my opinion was showing better today. Hold for now and try in a couple more years.
This is a lovely, lovely, classic Rutherford red. It's got layers of fruit on the nose and on the palate, along with the inimitable Rutherford dust. The wine improved noticeably with air, becoming delicious on day 2.
By all accounts this is a young wine; to me this already compares favorably with the likes of Ovid. It's tasty now and I'm looking forward to coming back in another few years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
One of many bottles pulled for Spring Break in Sedona.
The Bella Oaks property is new to me. I know it has a storied history and is now in the hands of some of the best in the valley. With the team assembled it was a no brainer to take a flyer. With the backdrop of Sedona I could think of no better place outside of Rutherford to explore this wine. Not to mention it was open side by side with KE La Voleuse Du Chagrin.
Consumed over 24 hrs this bottles was best with extended ox. The last glass was the best.
Incredible structure and balance. Great tension and flavors this wine for my palate will need to cellared for another 6 years before I decide to check in again. Hopefully this year I'll taste the 19's in person.
Had the 18 and got to try the 19 with Martin. The 18 is magnificent and was better than when I tasted it in November. Glad I got a 3 pack and a Mag! The 19 was great as well out of the shiner. As with the 18, bottle age will help the 19 tremendously. However, out of the shiner the 19 was magnificent as well!
Tasted at Wheeler Farms. I was told this was decanted for about 5-6 hours prior to us arriving. Martin was a great host and we had the opportunity to see the Bella Oaks property afterwards, which is something I hope everyone has an opportunity to do because it helps tie in some of the influences of the property to the bottling. Back to the wine. This was probably tied for first with the 19' Abreu Madrona in barrel we had earlier in the day. Notes of dark fruits, fine grain tannins on the palate and wonderful floral note that filled the glass with every swirl. This is a baby monster that will need time in bottle to settle, but with some long decanting you can approach this wine. This is my kind of style wine. Clearly Napa but not Napa fruit bomb. There is a spice, olive, herbal note that I love and helps balance the wine out. I'm excited for this label and what it has in store for us in the future as the vines get some age on them and Nigel does his magic. Well done!
No specific tasting notes as this was over a month ago, but very solid wine. Goes great with meets and cheeses and stand alone as well. Somewhat savory element as well. Glad I got some!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
2021 Napa - June 9-12: What an opener, I’m buying this. There are wines you can smell and taste early in their development and just know you are going to have trouble waiting on them to develop into beauty queens. This is one of those. Darker fruit profile, structured and chalky tannins, not a very helpful description, but just know this was delicious. Put these away for 5-7 years (longer for me) and then decant.
Napa - All my COVID finds; 4/29/2021-5/5/2021 (Napa): Not much to add that hasn't been said in other notes. I definitely second the dark cherry/plum notes mixed with scorched earth on the mid palate. I found this wine really fun to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
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.
Fortunate to get an early preview of this wine. Obviously Bella Oaks has a storied history with Heitz and then Staglin, so I was super curious to see what Nigel and company was able to produce. Despite making some wine in 2016 and 2017, this was the first vintage that met the high standard necessary for release, and it's a knockout.
I was able to follow this over two days, and it kept getting better and better with more air. Clearly the sign of a very good wine. A blend of mostly cabernet with little parts cab franc and petit verdot, the nose shows red cherries, violets, tobacco and loamy soil. Showing bright acidity and seamless freshness, this rides a bit higher on the palate than the Kinsman wines, but over time continues to put on weight and shows compelling levels of concentration and depth of flavor. The fruit is mostly blue and red, and the acidity and structure really shine. There's a nice mineral driven streak that shows on a long finish. This is another crazy good first vintage like Kinsman La Voleuse.
9/29/2022 - beau11 wrote: 99 Points
I was blown away by this wine. Initially very soft but builds in richness and complexity as it opens. What stood out was the smooth and rich palette with no heaviness or overextraction. The flavors are of blackberry, raspberry cream, tobacco and caramel are delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2022 - beau11 wrote: 98 Points
This was a very interesting wine. Initially soft but remarkable depth to the fruit. The finish was very long and built with time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2022 - rylanreynolds wrote: 95 Points
A soft wine now, young in vine age, young in the team with their first vintage yet the only direction to go is up. High expectations of future vintages.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2022 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The '18 Bella Oaks is a very promising young wine that is in need of a long time in the cellar. That said, it's already quite drinkable because it is relatively well balanced, showing a combination of Napa exuberance/richness and classic acidity.
On the nose, I found rich red raspberry and blackberry fruits, cassis, red floral aromas, sweet spices, herbal tones like anise/licorice, and a hint of mocha. On the palate, I found a similar mix of fresh and liqueur-like red and black fruit tones, with red raspberry being the most dominant, along with espresso and sweet spices, and ending on a more savory expression of anise, grilled herbs, earth, and black fruit. The wine is richly textured on the palate, with a slightly creamy texture, but high acidity keeps it in balance. The tannins are finely textured, but hit hard as the wine moves towards the finish, along with a touch of alcoholic heat. I found the wine enters relatively smoothly, but the texture is a bit harsh towards the finish, which hopefully mellows out with age.
My primary "concern" with the '18 Bella Oaks, and the reason for knocking the score a point or two, is the finish which I found a bit harsh; it drinks a bit high octane today. If this mellows out a bit and the wine is more seamless from start to finish, it would be a top notch wine in my opinion.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/31/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 98 Points
Speakeasy /w FermentedBeast & Co. (Diamond Heights, San Francisco): Aromas of pure, fresh fruit, clean and intense berries with white and blue flowers. Nice intensity from both fruit and flowers.
Flavors of dark, rich fruits with amazing swiftness, pure flavors of fruit, rich earth, nicely fruited minerals, graceful intensity with lovely richness. There is this nice sprinkling of earthy minerals that add to intrigue.
Loved the swift energy and tension this provides, such a lively play of all the flavors. This hits a lot of the right spots. Will be fun to see how this unfolds down the line. 98+
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (12)
7/30/2022 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Like others, I rolled the dice on this offering last year based on the (dream?) team that put it together and Galloni's recommendation.
Those who bought chose wisely.
So much has already been said, I'll only add that after experimenting, 6-8 hours of air was where it really hit its' stride. Nice and open, bright and energetic with a lot of verve. Fantastic!
Of course it will last years, but surprisingly and thankfully, with proper air this is drinking beautifully today.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
6/20/2022 - msuwine wrote: 97 Points
This is a fantastic wine - and I'll eventually tell you why - but first I have a confession to make about Rutherford. I know that, as with the children in Lake Wobegon, all the appellations in Napa are above average... but I've never quite been sure about Rutherford. Quintessa, Staglin, Inglenook, Georges III, Hewitt - all, um, a little diffuse and (to me) a little boring. It’s OK to be "dusty," but it's not OK to be generic. True, Scarecrow and Sloan are exceptional (and crazy expensive) wines, but I confess to approaching a Rutherford Cabernet more with suspicion than excitement.
Enter me (Bella Oaks says in parenthesis). This is an exceptional wine that leaps to the top of the appellation (and by that I mean wines two times the price) in its first go-around. I had high hopes for this wine - Nigel Kinsman, David Abreu, all that - and it exceeded them. To be sure, this is a wine of integration: flavors of fruit, earth, and herbs, supported by ample tannins and acidity, forging a Cabernet that will go the distance, turning drinking windows into "guidelines" (as they almost always are - pirates' code, be damned). So, yes, this wine is great in a conventional sense of balance and harmony.
But this wine is also great in a less conventional sense. In defining the virtue of a hero, Jean-Jacques Rousseau ruled out the typical descriptors of justice, wisdom, or moderation - yes, these are all good, but not all of them are necessary: achieving greatness sometimes requires neglecting each of these things. Instead, Rousseau observed that "there has never been a hero without strength of soul.” As Teddy Roosevelt would explain centuries later, to "strive valiantly," whatever the result, is necessary for the "triumph of high achievement."
And this wine merits such fancy words. Dark red in color and medium in body, it offers aromas of black cherry, espresso, baking spices, and dried herbs. The flavors are cascading and welcoming, with notes of boysenberry, cocoa beans, fresh leather, and trail dust, followed by a layered finish that goes on and on. 14.6% alcohol. "Class" doesn’t begin to describe this wine, but "strength of soul" just might. Decant at least two hours if drinking now, though ideally wait until 2024 or later. 97+ at the moment, but nothing but blue skies ahead. What a wine.
12 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
6/19/2022 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 100 Points
Top cab of the year so far! Like our favorite Pomerol. No hard edges; great balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2022 - csimm wrote: 100 Points
2018/2019 Bella Oaks side-by-side @ Bella Oaks Garden Party.
Let's just start with the mere fact that any Napa Cabernet that can power through a 90-degree afternoon at an outdoor swanky soiree served at an open bar while still maintaining an exacting sense of alterative poise, polish, and perfect posture is a wine of which to take heed. I mean, as you're sauntering around poolside with your salmon-tinged summer chinos slacks, extra sch'medium collar-popped Lacoste, and fedora Milan man-hat, and you glance across the travertine lanai to see a freshly concocted Aperol Spritz sitting right next to a dark crimson red wine, you are instinctively compelled to seize-hold of the Italian orange crush cocktail over the anticipatingly heavy red NyQuil Cab. Yet, you're a juice-trooper and here for the scarlet sizzurp (and after all, it is a Bella Oaks party, so you 'have to' have at least a sample of the wine to ensure, if nothing else, you'll be able to have a token compliment to offer in conversation should you run into the winemaker). So you grab a stem of the 2018 Bella Oaks and shuffle off to your small throng of like-minded wine geeks, in further hopes the waitstaff will circle back and offer you another one of those fabulous gazpacho shots!
Not really thinking about it, (cuz really all you're thinking about is that small bead of perspiration starting to form on your temple), you take a sip of whatever is in your hand. Suddenly..... Your mind jets off to Bordeaux; you're in a wine cave with Nigel Kinsman - but he's wearing a black beret, has a monocle, and is gnawing on a baguette as he thumbs through a well-worn copy of Tolstoy's War and Peace). You take another sip, now focusing more on the glory of the wine itself. Supple and luxurious black and red currant, blackberry, red and black cherry, red plum, a fascinating kiss of herbal fresh red licorice (more like anise or fennel), cocoa nibs, cassis, and the faintest wisp of terracotta. The texture and delivery is sensually polished, gliding into the most lustrous of mid-palate saturations, and rolling into a finish the cruises along with the perfect equilibrium among its flavors, weight, intensity, and concentration. The combination of focus and freshness keeps this wine in complete attentiveness. An absolute stunner. A serious core with enticingly plush contours.
Next to the more intense (but perhaps even more burnished and sleek) 2019, the 2018 was so steadfast in its execution, that we wine-goobers kept going back to it over the 2019. Again, it was a warm day; the fact that the 2018 could persevere and maintain our attention for what literally was hours in the afternoon outdoors is certainly saying something (not that we were in Namibia on Naked and Afraid or anything). But, you all know how the elements can jack up a wine experience pretty darn fast.
Ultimately, the 2018 will be one to lay down horizontally for a few years, but considering these bottles were getting popped right and left without any further babying made for extraordinary drinking even now. I'll keep mine chillin' in the cellar for a bit. Try again in 2025+ for no other reason because that seems like the preppy prudent thing to do. Both the 2019 and 2018 performed like champs, but the 2018 stole the show for me this go-around. 98-100 points.
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (12)
5/15/2022 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Enjoyed at the Garden Party. As CSIMM mentioned, it was pretty warm out there and it definitely had some effect on the wine. Since my buddy here wrote a book on the wines, I'll spend less time and just highlight few things. The first is that these are about the most polished, suave and sexy wines you could possibly make. They have gorgeous red licorice and dark cherry fruit that just wafts over your palate like silk, with so much flavor and depth. It's very impressive. As for 18 vs 19, the 18 is showing a bit more tension and precision at the moment, while the 19 just shows ridiculous intensity and opulence. The latter is so young that it's hard to say what it will look like with time, but I think these wines follow the vintages, where the 18 is cooler climate, shows immense poise and is possibly the more age worthy of the two. The 19 is a bit more of a "napa" vintage, with fabulous pure fruit in a regal package that brings a smile from ear to ear. It certainly is not lacking structure or acidity, but of the two, it's the more opulent. It is pretty much a toss up for me as to which is best. I'll take both! :)
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
4/20/2022 - RyanWu Likes this wine: 97 Points
From Coravin. I tasted side by side with Schrader T6 12’. What a gorgeous wine. Schrader T6 was a flavor dynamite after 10 years. It was balanced and complex. However, the Bella oaks 18’ didn’t surrender on the battle ground. Although I didn’t make a full cup, this tiny amount of wine changed all the time. The nose started with red fruits, graphite, and a touch of smokiness. Then, smokiness turned dominant and dressed with meat and mushrooms. There were so many things going on and on. Giving it some time, I bet the reward will be epic. So many thanks to Martin for making this happen on my table. They flew all the way to Taiwan, and I just can’t stop my hands to steal a bit. So good. Cheers!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 98 Points
Napa Trip - Trying new wines and meeting new people; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022 (Napa): New wine for me and what a stunner. Had this next to the '19, which took the lead initially, but this '18 caught up like no other. Flavors of fresh yet dark red fruits, amazing forest floor and graphite. This had an amazing energy to it, so refreshing yet serious with flavors. With just a little bit of time, this turns darker while maintaining swiftness. There was a touch of asphalt that added a nice complexity to the wine. Love the style of this, great tension and flavors now which keeps me curious as how this will develop. The only thing that sucked was being able to try something that you can't buy.. oh, the heartbreak.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (8)
4/11/2022 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spring 2022 Dream Napa Trip; 4/11/2022-4/12/2022: Similar notes to my last tasting. Needs some air today but is going to be a stunner in 5-10 years. First tasting was slightly more impressive than the tasting here as the 19' in my opinion was showing better today. Hold for now and try in a couple more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/5/2022 - bendb Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a lovely, lovely, classic Rutherford red. It's got layers of fruit on the nose and on the palate, along with the inimitable Rutherford dust. The wine improved noticeably with air, becoming delicious on day 2.
By all accounts this is a young wine; to me this already compares favorably with the likes of Ovid. It's tasty now and I'm looking forward to coming back in another few years.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2022 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of many bottles pulled for Spring Break in Sedona.
The Bella Oaks property is new to me. I know it has a storied history and is now in the hands of some of the best in the valley. With the team assembled it was a no brainer to take a flyer. With the backdrop of Sedona I could think of no better place outside of Rutherford to explore this wine. Not to mention it was open side by side with KE La Voleuse Du Chagrin.
Consumed over 24 hrs this bottles was best with extended ox. The last glass was the best.
Incredible structure and balance. Great tension and flavors this wine for my palate will need to cellared for another 6 years before I decide to check in again. Hopefully this year I'll taste the 19's in person.
Hold 98
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
3/7/2022 - gymnastpro Likes this wine:
Had the 18 and got to try the 19 with Martin. The 18 is magnificent and was better than when I tasted it in November. Glad I got a 3 pack and a Mag! The 19 was great as well out of the shiner. As with the 18, bottle age will help the 19 tremendously. However, out of the shiner the 19 was magnificent as well!
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
12/7/2021 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted at Wheeler Farms. I was told this was decanted for about 5-6 hours prior to us arriving. Martin was a great host and we had the opportunity to see the Bella Oaks property afterwards, which is something I hope everyone has an opportunity to do because it helps tie in some of the influences of the property to the bottling. Back to the wine. This was probably tied for first with the 19' Abreu Madrona in barrel we had earlier in the day. Notes of dark fruits, fine grain tannins on the palate and wonderful floral note that filled the glass with every swirl. This is a baby monster that will need time in bottle to settle, but with some long decanting you can approach this wine. This is my kind of style wine. Clearly Napa but not Napa fruit bomb. There is a spice, olive, herbal note that I love and helps balance the wine out. I'm excited for this label and what it has in store for us in the future as the vines get some age on them and Nigel does his magic. Well done!
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (6)
11/18/2021 - gymnastpro Likes this wine: 95 Points
No specific tasting notes as this was over a month ago, but very solid wine. Goes great with meets and cheeses and stand alone as well. Somewhat savory element as well. Glad I got some!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2021 - boozebythecreek Likes this wine:
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.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (34)
6/14/2021 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine:
2021 Napa - June 9-12: What an opener, I’m buying this. There are wines you can smell and taste early in their development and just know you are going to have trouble waiting on them to develop into beauty queens. This is one of those. Darker fruit profile, structured and chalky tannins, not a very helpful description, but just know this was delicious. Put these away for 5-7 years (longer for me) and then decant.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (23)
5/4/2021 - Jbarryleonard Likes this wine: 95 Points
Napa - All my COVID finds; 4/29/2021-5/5/2021 (Napa): Not much to add that hasn't been said in other notes. I definitely second the dark cherry/plum notes mixed with scorched earth on the mid palate. I found this wine really fun to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
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.
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (27)
4/23/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fortunate to get an early preview of this wine. Obviously Bella Oaks has a storied history with Heitz and then Staglin, so I was super curious to see what Nigel and company was able to produce. Despite making some wine in 2016 and 2017, this was the first vintage that met the high standard necessary for release, and it's a knockout.
I was able to follow this over two days, and it kept getting better and better with more air. Clearly the sign of a very good wine. A blend of mostly cabernet with little parts cab franc and petit verdot, the nose shows red cherries, violets, tobacco and loamy soil. Showing bright acidity and seamless freshness, this rides a bit higher on the palate than the Kinsman wines, but over time continues to put on weight and shows compelling levels of concentration and depth of flavor. The fruit is mostly blue and red, and the acidity and structure really shine. There's a nice mineral driven streak that shows on a long finish. This is another crazy good first vintage like Kinsman La Voleuse.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (13)