Give this some serious air. On night 1 and PnP this was borderline undrinkable. After a night under vacuum and 6+ hours this is really nice. coffee, menthol, cassis. Not overly done but ripe and lush like typical Bevan.
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This baby is drinking really good now, full body, high acidity and tannin concentration, dark notes, chocolate, Napa Valley floor, good and long finish.
It seems like this can be consume now before it shuts down, but by 2026 or so it should develop more complexity and get to the next level.
94+
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90-minute decant. Very deep dark intense purplish magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, white chocolate, charred blueberry, prailine, violet, and rye. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity. Full, slightly grippy tannins on the medium long+ finish.
This is deep, youthful, and somewhat brooding. It’s rich, but not nearly as sweet nosed as my descriptors may suggest. There’s an overall smoky, Syrah-like quality that many Bevan bottles from ‘18 and ‘19 seem to possess at this point in their life cycle.
Tannic and bitter on the first sip, but outstanding after a couple of hours in a decanter. I'm normally not a huge fan of these bigger CA Cabs, but Bevan manages to consistently pull them off in a way I find very enjoyable. Layers of red and black fruit, dark chocolate, and higher-toned tobacco and smoky notes, all conveyed with impressive power and richness but also a surprising spine of acidity. The alcohol's always kept in check and never overwhelming. Outstanding wine.
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One hour of air, then enjoyed over dinner and 2 more hours of air.
Dark purple in the glass, nose notes of sage/bay leaf and red fruit, vanilla and a hint of alc. Palate of highly acidic dark red fruit, tight and tannic at the beginning but that improves over 2 hours of air. The high acidic component remains in force. Kept waiting for the green of the sage and bay leaf to abate but it never completely did, making me think this one needs more time. It's a typical Bevan and it's quite good, just not performing at its peak right now. It's improved 1 point in the past 7-8 months but still not quite where it needs to be for me.
Drank this for my mom's 80th birthday. I was drinking with a newer wine drinker that wanted to learn about wine so I popped what I thought was a no brainer wine. This was a pnp and it was obvious when tasting this could have used some air.
On the palate, cassis, blueberry, cherry, cedar, and tobacco. Texturally this wine didn't have the typical Bevan plushness. Also, the fruit didn't have the same pop as usual. I wonder if this bottle was on its way to a slumber. I typically score the Ontogeny in the 93-95 point range so not quite as good as usual.
One hour decant. Deep purple. Fragrant. Black and red fruits, chocolate and cedar. Full bodied, layered and rich with a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Tamed tannins. Medium length finish. Paired well with meatloaf.
Pnp'd as we needed still yet another bottle (!) to get through the night with the HMCs after dinner and a good game of Spades.
Right from the pnp, this one exhibits a nose of green herbs, sage, etc. A black tinge to the fruit, too. A tad tarry, maybe? Over the course of 60-90 minutes and half the bottle the greenery begins to fade as does the black, tarry fruit. It turns maybe more toward the dark red spectrum, fruit wise. It is obviously well made, but as I am growing sensitive to it, maybe too much Tench fruit, in this blend, now? I am moving away from that vineyard and so may be also moving away from future purchases of Ontogeny, as well. A little less than half a bottle left, so cork back in, no gas, no vacuum and into the fridge to see where it is tomorrow....I'll report back with an addendum for the 2nd night.....in contrast to the '19 Bevan Dr. Crane from the other night which was fully open at the pnp and a good 4-5+ points better than this one, I'd take more of that Crane, if I could find it, at a reasonable price.....howeve there is a very good reason why it has skyrocketed from $195 on release to $350+/bottle now.
Addendum: 2nd night, less black, less greenery, feels more tame/resolved overall yet still scores the same for me.
Three hour slow ox. Opaque purple magenta color. Blackberry, mocha, angel food cake, violet, smoky baker’s chocolate, and pumpkin seed. Very smooth, dry, almost viscous palate, with fine, chalky acidity. Full, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is youthful and a bit choppy, but has nicely controlled decadence and good complexity for the price point. It improved significantly with air, so a one hour decant is ideal. My score may have a small bonus built in for value.
This is more seriously built and complex than Double Diamond or other “high end entry level” bottles at a similar price point. I can see why JD crowned it the best CS under $100.
Trying to be patient since most 2019 Napa cabs that I’ve had over the past couple months clearly need more time but I’ve been really curious in light of Dunnuck’s 98 rating. Purple fruit - currants, blackberry, dark cherry, and a little blueberry. As usual, fruit forward and fairly rich. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration. Nice rich flavors of cassis, cocoa, some spice, and a little graphite component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted during the day for around ten hours and drank over a couple hours. Improved a little with time. Enjoyable at this youthful stage with a nice decant but I would give it a couple more years to soften/integrate further. A nice wine but I personally believe the 94 rating from Galloni or 95 rating from WA makes more sense with some more time but hopefully more time proves me wrong and it approaches the 98 rating from Dunnuck. WA anticipated maturity 2023 to 2040.
Very approachable right now as a PnP. Cherry, cassis, blueberry, heavy on the toasted oak but is integrated well, almost like chocolate covered coffee beans. Great wine.
Two hour decant. Opaque purple color. Coffee bean, black currant, lychees, maple donut, and damp stone. Super smooth, dry, plush palate, with vibrant and slightly chalky acidity. Firm, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is very deep and rich. There was a bit more of a savory edge this time around. Looking forward to see how this evolves. It’s very youthful and still settling down.
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Probably opened the bottle too early. Needed a little more time. Still pretty tight. Deep burgundy color, syrup, berry, plum flavors. Buy another, open no sooner than 2025.
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Two hour decant. Opaque electric purple magenta color. Maple syrup, boysenberry, plum, blueberry, maple donut, and magnolia blossom on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with good, slightly cottony acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is deep, rich, and full bodied. Very accessibility for its youth. JD’s #1 value Cabernet for 2022. Likely to improve in the coming year or two.
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Drank side by side with a 2013 Schrader RBS, so it was a tough comparison . This baby needs at least 5 more years in the bottle before opening again. Aromatics we’re fantastic with bold balck and blue fruit, graphite and licorice. Even after a 2-hour decant, it was tight and tannic, too much so for my liking.
Had over a month via Coravin. Modern in style and needs time. Last half a bottle I splash and double decanted and became much more integrated. Enjoyable change after drinking more mature wines recently. Didn’t take detailed notes
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This is a quality wine, but a little one note of purple fruit. A little subdued. Stiff tannins. On its own would probably be quite good, but tasted next to three other single vineyard Bevan wines, it didn’t stand out
Tasted at Brasswood as part of a paired Bevan meal.
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Deep garnet. Moderate aromas of cherries and graphite. Dry, medium body, fresh acidity, low tannins, and good balance. Flavors of delicious red apples, graphite and a touch of greenery.
Napa day trip (VHR, Bevan, Lokoya) (Napa): Aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, fruited earth, green leafiness and soft graphite. Flavors of rich, dark red and purple fruit, deep dark earth, spiced tree bark and dark minerals. These never fail to impress me, always a good time with a bottle of Ontogeny. Don't hold onto these for too long.
Part of a mini wine night with friends. Did a quick double decant about an hour before drinking.
Very unique profile. Tons of coffee notes, dark dark purple, licorice, boozy, finish was almost port-like. I could see this drink best at this stage with chocolate cake. Will let my remaining bottles sit for at least a year to see how it settles down.
Medium-full body, lot of vanilla, licorice, some graphite on finish. Quite hot, I suspect would be better with some aging but definitely approachable now
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I had to revisit this wine given prior taster's notes. I'm not as high as I was the 1st bottle, even though that was only a few months go. Lots of alcohol upfront, as noted. Some blew off from the initial pours, but then blew in again. Bottle shock ATM? I'd have to say so. I'd give this wine 3-6 months more in bottle before a firm judgement. NR Could be a phenom or an epic let down. I'd bet on the prior though. Assessment - reserved
5/2 revisited with no improvement, even a decline with a very unbalanced, highly alcoholic. almost undrinkable and very unenjoyable. WTF?? Big time disappointment, revisit again in 6-12 months, miracles do happen, no??
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This was very hot and full of jet fuel -- I mean alcohol. Fruit was in the background. It improved slightly on day 2 but it either needs quite a bit of time or it's just not for me.
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PNP. Beyond opaque purple magenta color. Graphite, cardamom, and subtle nutmeg on the oak-dominated nose. Smooth, dry palate, with nice, lingering acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
Score is based on potential and will likely improve with time. The fruit is currently way in the background. Drank this with Mark1NPT and our friend Ryan in Russell Bevan’s living room. It was a truly epic tasting day in Napa.
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This is one of the best wines I've ever had in the 95-$100 price point. At such a young age, it really delivers. Quote a powerhouse that continues to get better even 4 hours later. Bold and Beautiful if you like this style.
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3/23/2024 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Give this some serious air. On night 1 and PnP this was borderline undrinkable. After a night under vacuum and 6+ hours this is really nice. coffee, menthol, cassis. Not overly done but ripe and lush like typical Bevan.
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2/13/2024 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This baby is drinking really good now, full body, high acidity and tannin concentration, dark notes, chocolate, Napa Valley floor, good and long finish.
It seems like this can be consume now before it shuts down, but by 2026 or so it should develop more complexity and get to the next level.
94+
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1/9/2024 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
90-minute decant. Very deep dark intense purplish magenta color. Blackberry, boysenberry, white chocolate, charred blueberry, prailine, violet, and rye. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity. Full, slightly grippy tannins on the medium long+ finish.
This is deep, youthful, and somewhat brooding. It’s rich, but not nearly as sweet nosed as my descriptors may suggest. There’s an overall smoky, Syrah-like quality that many Bevan bottles from ‘18 and ‘19 seem to possess at this point in their life cycle.
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1/6/2024 - Dr. Bee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nicely balanced and showy 2019. Server with carpiaco and mushroom pizza!
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1/1/2024 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Tannic and bitter on the first sip, but outstanding after a couple of hours in a decanter. I'm normally not a huge fan of these bigger CA Cabs, but Bevan manages to consistently pull them off in a way I find very enjoyable. Layers of red and black fruit, dark chocolate, and higher-toned tobacco and smoky notes, all conveyed with impressive power and richness but also a surprising spine of acidity. The alcohol's always kept in check and never overwhelming. Outstanding wine.
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12/6/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
One hour of air, then enjoyed over dinner and 2 more hours of air.
Dark purple in the glass, nose notes of sage/bay leaf and red fruit, vanilla and a hint of alc. Palate of highly acidic dark red fruit, tight and tannic at the beginning but that improves over 2 hours of air. The high acidic component remains in force. Kept waiting for the green of the sage and bay leaf to abate but it never completely did, making me think this one needs more time. It's a typical Bevan and it's quite good, just not performing at its peak right now. It's improved 1 point in the past 7-8 months but still not quite where it needs to be for me.
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11/19/2023 - RayT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank this for my mom's 80th birthday. I was drinking with a newer wine drinker that wanted to learn about wine so I popped what I thought was a no brainer wine. This was a pnp and it was obvious when tasting this could have used some air.
On the palate, cassis, blueberry, cherry, cedar, and tobacco. Texturally this wine didn't have the typical Bevan plushness. Also, the fruit didn't have the same pop as usual. I wonder if this bottle was on its way to a slumber. I typically score the Ontogeny in the 93-95 point range so not quite as good as usual.
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11/18/2023 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine for the price point
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9/8/2023 - mvande21 Likes this wine: 95 Points
One hour decant. Deep purple. Fragrant. Black and red fruits, chocolate and cedar. Full bodied, layered and rich with a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Tamed tannins. Medium length finish. Paired well with meatloaf.
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6/24/2023 - cubswinws wrote: 88 Points
Dark as night. Thick and rather closed. Was expecting more
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6/9/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just a quick 5 min double decanted and consumed about one hour later.
Dark, bold, full of power and smoke. Lots of tannins and great finish. Excellent QPR!
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5/24/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pnp'd as we needed still yet another bottle (!) to get through the night with the HMCs after dinner and a good game of Spades.
Right from the pnp, this one exhibits a nose of green herbs, sage, etc. A black tinge to the fruit, too. A tad tarry, maybe? Over the course of 60-90 minutes and half the bottle the greenery begins to fade as does the black, tarry fruit. It turns maybe more toward the dark red spectrum, fruit wise. It is obviously well made, but as I am growing sensitive to it, maybe too much Tench fruit, in this blend, now? I am moving away from that vineyard and so may be also moving away from future purchases of Ontogeny, as well. A little less than half a bottle left, so cork back in, no gas, no vacuum and into the fridge to see where it is tomorrow....I'll report back with an addendum for the 2nd night.....in contrast to the '19 Bevan Dr. Crane from the other night which was fully open at the pnp and a good 4-5+ points better than this one, I'd take more of that Crane, if I could find it, at a reasonable price.....howeve there is a very good reason why it has skyrocketed from $195 on release to $350+/bottle now.
Addendum: 2nd night, less black, less greenery, feels more tame/resolved overall yet still scores the same for me.
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5/20/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Three hour slow ox. Opaque purple magenta color. Blackberry, mocha, angel food cake, violet, smoky baker’s chocolate, and pumpkin seed. Very smooth, dry, almost viscous palate, with fine, chalky acidity. Full, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is youthful and a bit choppy, but has nicely controlled decadence and good complexity for the price point. It improved significantly with air, so a one hour decant is ideal. My score may have a small bonus built in for value.
This is more seriously built and complex than Double Diamond or other “high end entry level” bottles at a similar price point. I can see why JD crowned it the best CS under $100.
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4/4/2023 - Badmonkey wrote: 93 Points
Trying to be patient since most 2019 Napa cabs that I’ve had over the past couple months clearly need more time but I’ve been really curious in light of Dunnuck’s 98 rating. Purple fruit - currants, blackberry, dark cherry, and a little blueberry. As usual, fruit forward and fairly rich. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration. Nice rich flavors of cassis, cocoa, some spice, and a little graphite component. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted during the day for around ten hours and drank over a couple hours. Improved a little with time. Enjoyable at this youthful stage with a nice decant but I would give it a couple more years to soften/integrate further. A nice wine but I personally believe the 94 rating from Galloni or 95 rating from WA makes more sense with some more time but hopefully more time proves me wrong and it approaches the 98 rating from Dunnuck. WA anticipated maturity 2023 to 2040.
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3/12/2023 - djs Does not like this wine:
Monolithic and OTT.
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3/11/2023 - Kdad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just a bit hot upon opening, but everything else is there.
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3/10/2023 - pakabear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very approachable right now as a PnP. Cherry, cassis, blueberry, heavy on the toasted oak but is integrated well, almost like chocolate covered coffee beans. Great wine.
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2/2/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
Two hour decant. Opaque purple color. Coffee bean, black currant, lychees, maple donut, and damp stone. Super smooth, dry, plush palate, with vibrant and slightly chalky acidity. Firm, lower intensity tannins on the longish finish.
This is very deep and rich. There was a bit more of a savory edge this time around. Looking forward to see how this evolves. It’s very youthful and still settling down.
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1/9/2023 - J-Dizzle wrote: 93 Points
Probably opened the bottle too early. Needed a little more time. Still pretty tight. Deep burgundy color, syrup, berry, plum flavors. Buy another, open no sooner than 2025.
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12/23/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 95 Points
Two hour decant. Opaque electric purple magenta color. Maple syrup, boysenberry, plum, blueberry, maple donut, and magnolia blossom on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with good, slightly cottony acidity. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is deep, rich, and full bodied. Very accessibility for its youth. JD’s #1 value Cabernet for 2022. Likely to improve in the coming year or two.
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12/1/2022 - jcampano Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank side by side with a 2013 Schrader RBS, so it was a tough comparison . This baby needs at least 5 more years in the bottle before opening again. Aromatics we’re fantastic with bold balck and blue fruit, graphite and licorice. Even after a 2-hour decant, it was tight and tannic, too much so for my liking.
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11/26/2022 - niacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Had over a month via Coravin. Modern in style and needs time. Last half a bottle I splash and double decanted and became much more integrated. Enjoyable change after drinking more mature wines recently. Didn’t take detailed notes
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8/13/2022 - jonh1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a quality wine, but a little one note of purple fruit. A little subdued. Stiff tannins. On its own would probably be quite good, but tasted next to three other single vineyard Bevan wines, it didn’t stand out
Tasted at Brasswood as part of a paired Bevan meal.
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7/24/2022 - ColluraJ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet. Moderate aromas of cherries and graphite. Dry, medium body, fresh acidity, low tannins, and good balance. Flavors of delicious red apples, graphite and a touch of greenery.
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5/28/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Napa day trip (VHR, Bevan, Lokoya) (Napa): Aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, fruited earth, green leafiness and soft graphite. Flavors of rich, dark red and purple fruit, deep dark earth, spiced tree bark and dark minerals. These never fail to impress me, always a good time with a bottle of Ontogeny. Don't hold onto these for too long.
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5/14/2022 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Part of a mini wine night with friends. Did a quick double decant about an hour before drinking.
Very unique profile. Tons of coffee notes, dark dark purple, licorice, boozy, finish was almost port-like. I could see this drink best at this stage with chocolate cake. Will let my remaining bottles sit for at least a year to see how it settles down.
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3/2/2022 - Asull2k wrote: 90 Points
Medium-full body, lot of vanilla, licorice, some graphite on finish. Quite hot, I suspect would be better with some aging but definitely approachable now
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1/27/2022 - PIZZAandBAROLO Likes this wine:
I had to revisit this wine given prior taster's notes.
I'm not as high as I was the 1st bottle, even though that was only a few months go.
Lots of alcohol upfront, as noted.
Some blew off from the initial pours, but then blew in again.
Bottle shock ATM? I'd have to say so.
I'd give this wine 3-6 months more in bottle before a firm judgement.
NR
Could be a phenom or an epic let down. I'd bet on the prior though.
Assessment - reserved
5/2 revisited with no improvement, even a decline with a very unbalanced, highly alcoholic. almost undrinkable and very unenjoyable. WTF?? Big time disappointment,
revisit again in 6-12 months, miracles do happen, no??
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1/21/2022 - #1Winelover wrote: 90 Points
This was very hot and full of jet fuel -- I mean alcohol. Fruit was in the background. It improved slightly on day 2 but it either needs quite a bit of time or it's just not for me.
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1/10/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP. Beyond opaque purple magenta color. Graphite, cardamom, and subtle nutmeg on the oak-dominated nose. Smooth, dry palate, with nice, lingering acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
Score is based on potential and will likely improve with time. The fruit is currently way in the background. Drank this with Mark1NPT and our friend Ryan in Russell Bevan’s living room. It was a truly epic tasting day in Napa.
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12/31/2021 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is one of the best wines I've ever had in the 95-$100 price point. At such a young age, it really delivers. Quote a powerhouse that continues to get better even 4 hours later. Bold and Beautiful if you like this style.
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