The Cappella, which usually has at least 35-30% Cabernet Franc in it, looks absolutely fabulous now that the 2013 Cappella is finally in bottle. They only made about 206 cases of it, so it's a small cuvée from this vineyard... Read More
On solid footing, this is firm, tight, intense and focused, with a vibrant mix of zesty, earth-laced dark berry, cedar, crushed rock and subtle tobacco leaf notes. Best from 2020 through 2032.-JL
I tasted five Pinot Noirs from the two vintages, 2013 and 2014. The 2013 Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard displays that extra year of maturity, with its stemmy, earthy, slightly forest floor and underbrush notes intermixed with... 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
Lots of salted caramel and wildflower honey on the nose, together with dried lemon peel and some dried apple. Full-bodied and very spicy, with tangy acidity adding vibrancy and life to the full body. Linear and integrated blanc... Read More
The 2013 Chardonnay Cix Estate, also from a Montrachet clone planted on Goldridge soils, displays plenty of peach, apricot, caramelized apples, citrus blossom and wet stones in a full-bodied, powerful, rich and pure, precise style.... Read More
The 2013 Chardonnay Lauren Estate is made from 15-year-old vines from the old Wente and Mt. Eden clones of Chardonnay planted in Goldridge soils. This wine offers loads of nectarine, honeysuckle, liquefied rock, quince and white... Read More
The full-bodied, dense ruby-hued 2013 Pinot Noir Ritchie, which comes from the Calera clone of Pinot Noir, reveals plenty of beet root, forest floor, Asian hoisin sauce, plum, blackcurrant and cherry notes, as well as terrific... Read More
The 2013 Pinot Noir UV-SL, primarily made from Calera and Vosne-Romanée clonal material, boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of blackcurrants, black cherries, forest floor and beet root. The complex aromatics... Read More
The 2013 Pinot Noir UV-SL, primarily made from Calera and Vosne-Romanée clonal material, boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of blackcurrants, black cherries, forest floor and beet root. The complex aromatics... Read More
Probably the wine of the vintage, once again. Only 9,000 bottles of the 2013 Ausone were produced, as crop size was 50% of normal. However, proprietor Alain Vauthier and his daughter certainly have proven a truly great wine can... Read More
Probably the wine of the vintage, once again. Only 9,000 bottles of the 2013 Ausone were produced, as crop size was 50% of normal. However, proprietor Alain Vauthier and his daughter certainly have proven a truly great wine can... Read More
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Bouilland. The 2013 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes has quite an opulent bouquet, very "Charmes" in style you could say, with ample white peach, apricot and nectarine scents on the nose.... Read More
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Bouilland. The 2013 Meursault 1er Cru les Perrières was showing a faint reduction on the nose, but underneath there is a fine Perrieres here, sea spray and hazelnut notes beginning... Read More
The 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape is a beauty and has a rare level of concentration and depth in the vintage. Blueberry, crushed flowers, pepper, and violet aromas and flavors flow nicely to a medium to full-bodied, structured and... Read More
One of the great efforts of recent years, and not surprisingly so, is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, a blend of 81% from Howell Mountain, 11% from St. Helena and the rest Calistoga and Mount Veeder. It is a blend... Read More
The last two 2013s I tasted included the 2013 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain. This fabulous and exciting elixir is a equal-part blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot aged in equal parts Gamba and Darnajou, all new French oak.... Read More
Another proprietary red wine, in this case a blend of 55% Petit Verdot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, is the 2013 Two Dog Knoll, which comes from the Oakville site. Normally with this much Petit Verdot, I would be worried about rustic... Read More