The 2008 Cappella bursts onto the palate with black cherries, smoke, menthol and licorice. This is a decidedly powerful, tannic Cappella that is going to need quite a bit of bottle age. Layers of fruit build effortlessly to the... Read More
The 2010 Cappella, ( 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot) reveals a dense purple color, and even greater aromatic and flavor dimensions than the 2009. Notes of sweet creme de cassis,... Read More
Dark and very reserved up front, with an espresso cream frame holding a dense core of steeped fig and black currant paste flavors in check for now. Slowly reveals roasted alder and smoldering tobacco notes at the end while the... Read More
The 2009 Proprietary Red Howell Mountain wraps around the palate with masses of blue and black fruit, smoke, tar, incense and licorice. A dense, resonant wine, the 2009 stands out for its extraordinarily vivid fruit and equally... Read More
While I am not surprised that the 2001 Thorevilos turned out to be perfect, the 2001 Madrona Ranch was more of an eye-opener in that it has become even more extraordinary than I predicted eight years ago. A prodigious wine, with... Read More
The 2008 Madrona Ranch opens with an incredibly expressive bouquet. Espresso, mocha and licorice meld into dark red fruit and sweet exotic spices in this superb wine. The 2008 is an extraordinarily polished, refined wine for the... Read More
On the brooding side at first glance, with a core of dark fig and black currant paste flavors, ensconced in cocoa and roasted alder notes. A warm, loamy underpinning emerges steadily through the muscular finish, gaining a creamy... Read More
The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Thorevilos is a monumental wine that is as brilliant as wine can possibly be. The wine has an inky purple color to the rim and an extraordinarily sweet, expansive nose of blueberries, licorice, acacia... Read More
The 2006 Thorevilos exhibits an extraordinary floral aroma backed up by scents of blueberries, blackberries, espresso roast, and an incredible liqueur of rocks-like component. The compelling floweriness, blue and black fruits,... Read More
The 2007 Thorevilos is monumental, and stands out as one of the most singular and greatest Napa red wines I have ever tasted. An expansive fragrance of subtle barbecue smoke intermixed with graphite, blueberries, espresso, white... Read More
As outstanding as all the Abreu wines are, if I had to choose one that stands apart from the others it would be Thorevilos. The 2008 Thorevilos is the most complete and deeply satisfying of Abreu's 2008s because the balance... Read More
The 2009 Thorevilos displays a stunningly blue/purple color along with an exceptional nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur intermixed with espresso, white chocolate and violets. With unbelievable intensity, a great, full-bodied... Read More
Once again, the 2012 Thorevilos struts its enormous potential. A deep purple color is accompanied by wonderfully sweet blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with notes of licorice, spring flowers and forest floor.... Read More
Only produced in top vintages (this is the first since 2012), the 2015 Cornas Vieilles Fontaines comes from 80-year-old vines within the La Fontaine lieu-dit. It's a tough wine to evaluate at this stage, as it's quite... Read More
There are 750 cases (which means good yields for John, although any normal person would call 1.5-1.75 tons per acre financial suicide) of the 2012 Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard, and it's a terrific vintage for this cuvee.... Read More
2020 was exceptionally dry, with 75% less rain than usual in the period between May and September, which resulted in an earlier harvest to produce a 2020 Almaviva with 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenère (from Peumo),... Read More
The 2016 Mourvèdre is composed of 89% Mourvedre, 9% Syrah and 2% Viognier coming from the Alta Mesa Vineyard in Santa Barbara County and Larner Vineyard in Ballard Canyon. Seventy percent whole cluster was employed, and the wine... Read More
The second release from Andremily's Jim Binns, the No 2 is an utterly profound blend of 85% Syrah, 11% Mourvèdre and 4% Viognier that saw a touch of whole cluster fermentation and 23 months in 62% new French oak barrels. Its... Read More
The 2015 No 4 is composed of 90% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre and 6% Viognier and saw 35% whole cluster, while spending around 22 months in French oak (70% new). Sporting a very deep purple-black color, it reveals vibrant black currants,... Read More
Blended of 91% Syrah, 6% Mourvedre and 3% Viognier and using 40% whole cluster, the Andremily 2016 No. 5 is sourced from White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke, Watch Hill and Alta Mesa Vineyards. It spent 22 months in French oak... Read More
Composed of 92% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 3% Viognier, using 40% whole cluster, the Andremily 2017 No. 6 is sourced from White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke, Watch Hill and Alta Mesa Vineyards. To be bottled mid-August 2019, it... Read More
The 2019 No. 8 is a blend of 88% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre and 3% Viognier, made with 45% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards including White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke and Alta Mesa. It was matured for 22 months in... Read More
Out of this world. Incredible aromas of crushed blackberries and cherries, with wet earth, mineral and mint. Full-bodied, with fantastically refined, silky tannins and a long, long finish. Terrific. Greatest Angelus I have ever... Read More
I had this wine from my cellar, as well as at a tasting in Zurich in February of 2015. It is one of the handful of 2003s I bought from the Right Bank of Bordeaux in this vintage. Angelus really nailed the vintage, and has produced... Read More
This wine brought to mind precise imagery of tailcoats, striped dress pants, wingtip collar shirts and other gentlemen's fashion choices from the Roaring Twenties. Sporting a retro but classic personality, the Marchesi Antinori... Read More