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
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
The 2009 Roussanne comes across as quite rich and textured, with plenty of overt fruit, but less aromatic complexity and overall minerality. The vintage was the third in a series of drought years and the low - perhaps excessively... Read More
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is one of the great wines of the vintage. It brings together gorgeous aromatics, juicy, expressive red fruit and silky tannins. Now seemingly past a period of closure post-bottling,... Read More
The 2009 Bettina Bryant is a striking wine graced with exquisite aromatics and beautifully delineated fruit. It is a bit darker, firmer and more inward than the Bryant Cabernet Sauvignon. Espresso, spices, black cherries, tobacco,... Read More
The fabulous 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill displays the tell-tale floral character that routinely emerges from this vineyard, along with blueberry and black currant liqueur intermixed with hints of oak, camphor and incense.... Read More
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour has closed down since bottling, but it is clearly well-made with an attractive deep ruby/plum/purple color, sweet toasty oak, hints of jammy black cherries and black... Read More
Deep ruby-red. Musky, complex nose combines redcurrant, flowers, cocoa powder, sweet tobacco and spices. Then wonderfully intense and voluptuous, saturating the entire palate with dark fruit, spice and saline mineral flavors.... Read More
The 2009 Syrah Cardiac Hill is a gorgeous, thrilling wine laced with bacon fat, tapenade, savory herbs and plums. It possesses gorgeous aromatic delineation and fabulous length. The intense, mineral-drenched finish argues for... Read More
Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection comes wafting out of the glass with drop-dead gorgeous scents of Christmas cake, Chinese five spice, sandalwood and dried roses over a core of warm cassis, dried... Read More
Like the 2009 Cailloux, the 2009 Syrah Bionic Frog was closed aromatically, yet offered incredible depth, richness and purity on the palate. Reluctantly giving up lots of dark fruits, chocolate, mineral and roasted herbs, as well... Read More
Composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2009 IX Estate exhibits a flowery bouquet with notes of subtle smoke, blackberries, black currants, kirsch and baking spices. Rich, deep... Read More
Production was tiny in 2009. From a 2.5-acre site, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard offers lots of black currant, black cherry, plum, licorice and toasty oak characteristics along with beautiful purity and balance.... Read More
The 2009 Maya (67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc) has opened-up considerably and is much more showy than I would have expected. It exhibits notes of sweet creme de cassis, camphor, bouquet garni, spice box and a hint... Read More
Slightly reduced aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and graphite. Dense but lively, with blackcurrant and blackberry syrup flavors complicated and lifted by licorice, minerals and violet. The sweet, broad, long finish really perks... Read More
The 2009 Proprietary Blend Harlan Estate is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Cloves, dark plums, cherries, smoke and graphite add richness and resonance to this powerful, incisive wine. Juicy and exuberant,... Read More
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard gives up bold cherry cordial, blackberry pie, dried mulberries and plum preserves notions with nuances of violets and orange blossoms plus wafts of black... Read More
Pure sensuality in the glass, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard is going to be nearly impossible to resist in its youth. At the same time, the Kayli Morgan has a track record of developing beautifully in bottle,... Read More
WA 95 (12/2012): A gorgeous, totally voluptuous wine, the 2009 Insignia bursts from the glass with exuberant blue and black fruit, grilled herbs, cloves and cassis. In 2009, the Insignia is silky and polished, yet there is considerable... Read More