The 2012 Cappella, probably has less Cabernet Franc than his other cuvées but at least 25-30%. This wine has closed down since I had it from barrel last year, but that probably reflects more on its post-bottling dormancy. A wine... 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
The 2012 Pinot Noir Cix Estate was made from suitcase clones from Vosne-Romanee. It exhibits abundant notes of forest floor, blackberries, blueberries and spicy oak along with dry tannins in the finish. The wine is multi-dimensional... Read More
No tasting note for this wine. Mark Aubert is one of the contenders for California's finest practitioner of Burgundian-styled, yet classic, California Chardonnays. His offerings are all made like grand cru Burgundies with... Read More
No tasting note for this wine. Mark Aubert is one of the contenders for California's finest practitioner of Burgundian-styled, yet classic, California Chardonnays. His offerings are all made like grand cru Burgundies with... Read More
An exceptional perfume of rose petals, loamy soil, raspberries, blueberries and spring flowers jumps from the glass of the 212 Pinot Noir UV-SL. Primarily Calera clonal material with some Vosne-Romanee suitcase clones, it was... Read More
Made from the Calera clone, the 212 Pinot Noir Ritchie Vineyard offers up plenty of cola and root beer notes intermixed with black cherry, dusty, loamy soil and foresty nuances. Deep and medium to full-bodied with fresh, lively... Read More
No tasting note for this wine. Mark Aubert is one of the contenders for California's finest practitioner of Burgundian-styled, yet classic, California Chardonnays. His offerings are all made like grand cru Burgundies with... Read More
Aged in Taransaud (75%) and Darnajou (25%) oak, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Tin Box is more backward than the perfect 2011 was last year, but it reveals similar decadence, opulence and velvety texture. Its opaque blue/black/purple... Read More
For the 2012 Pinot Noir The Coast, the winemaking team went for muscle, structure and density with the Calera, Mt. Eden and Swan clones. It exhibits a dense ruby/purple-tinged color as well as a sweet bouquet of raspberries, black... Read More
Bryant's 2012 DB4 is rich, round and silky in the glass, with plenty of the vintage's trademark silkiness and suppleness. Pliant and expressive, the 2012 offers gorgeous depth in its dark, resonant fruit. Savory herbs,... Read More
A blend of 97% Zinfandel and 3% mixed blacks, the 2012 Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard offers briary, raspberry and black cherry notes. This earthy, peppery, spicy, medium to full-bodied Zinfandel possesses good acidity and headiness.... Read More
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is a very pleasant, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon. The modern-day Caymus style of sweetness and glycerin richness is very much in evidence, but at the same time, the elements are well... Read More
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is a very pleasant, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon. The modern-day Caymus style of sweetness and glycerin richness is very much in evidence, but at the same time, the elements are well... Read More
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection is a very pleasant, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon. The modern-day Caymus style of sweetness and glycerin richness is very much in evidence, but at the same time, the elements are well... Read More
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection has a dense blackish/purple color and creamy, sweet crème de cassis fruit, blackberries, a touch of graphite and vanilla, This exuberant, boisterous, in-your-face style of Cabernet... Read More
The wine that probably gets ignored, but shouldn't be, is their small production of 350-400 cases of Syrah from their estate vineyard. The 2012 IX Syrah Estate blew me away, and I've said many times that it always tastes... Read More
A close second (and who knows how they might perform at different times and with different foods) is the 2012 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine, made from grapes grown by David Abreu at his estate vineyards in Napa. This blend of 53%... Read More
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is an absolutely profound wine, dense, bluish purple color to the rim with a stunning nose of acacia flowers, graphite, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit. The wine is full-bodied and displays... Read More