A perfect wine is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Arc Vineyard from Woodbridge's property on Howell Mountain. This is an amazingly deep, rich, blueberry, blackberry and mulberry scented and flavored wine with skyscraper-like texture,... Read More
Concentrated as well as aromatic, the 2001 Cote Rotie offers up scents of wild game, roasted meats, animal fur, berry fruit, and mountain flowers. Full-bodied, thick, concentrated, and tannic, it cuts a broad swath across the... Read More
The impressive site of Backus Vineyard, right across from the Oakville Crossroads and the Screaming Eagle vineyard, is an extremely steep but magnificent site in Napa Valley. Production for this wine ranges from 1,200 to 1,600... Read More
The 1994 boasts an inky/purple color along with a glorious nose of black raspberries, blackberries and black currants that is still somewhat primary despite nearly 18 years in bottle. The Phelps team kept this cuvee in 100% new... Read More
Aromas of ripe cherries and cassis mingled with notions of licorice, anise, sweet spices, dark chocolate and peonies...full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine that's rich and velvety, with a broad-shouldered, textural profile... Read More
The 2015 Chardonnay Bootlegger's Hill is a powerful wine that shows a more phenolic expression of Chardonnay. Winemaker Nico Cueva gave the 2015 12 months in oak followed by 3 months in concrete. Even that longer aging has... Read More
Dark, succulent and inviting. The biggest and most powerful of the Sonoma Coast Pinots, the 2015 Pinot Noir Gap's Crown is ample and voluptuous, but it will also need time to be at its best. There is no shortage of drive to... Read More
The 2016 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was aged in 44% new French oak, 16% concrete tank and 2% wood tanks, ranging from 10-15 months depending on the vessel. Medium ruby, it's scented of cranberry sauce, woodsmoke, loamy earth... Read More
The Château l'Eglise-Clinet 2000 was the only vintage that Denis Durantou did not fine before bottling. It is blessed with a brilliant nose that possesses the intensity of the 1998, but I find this more focused and delineated.... Read More