Acumen 2021 Mountainside Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$85.00USD

Most wineries, like Acumen, love fruit grown on hilly terrain. The grapes have proper drainage, the addition of breezes keeps the leafy vines healthier and soils are richer in nutrients. Therefore, this Mountainside Cabernet has everything going for it. This wine requires a little bit of patience however, and decanting this for a few hours will be well worth your time. This shows the obvious black cherry, blueberry, boysenberry, and huckleberry notes that Cabernet typically has.

Cuvaison 2021 Pinot Noir, Spire

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

What begins as a soft and velvety Pinot Noir, light and delicate, turns to a beautifully structured wine that offers excellent fruit, acidity, light tannins and layers of flavor. Typical of many Pinots, this begins with noticeable strawberry, red raspberry and black cherry notes, but then delves into more complex, green tea leaf, cedar plank, wild grass, light earthiness, cola, rhubarb and a hint of resin. At first blush this seems like a lovely Pinot Noir to have with dinner, but upon spending time with it, you realize the various facets.

Cuvaison 2021 Estate Pinot Noir

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$42.00USD

This estate Pinot is a lively compilation of black cherry, strawberry, plum, blackberry compote, with back notes of rhubarb, huckleberry and black tea. The acidity drives the fruit. This is not a shy Pinot, but an overt celebration of expressive fruit. The wine spent 10 months aging in French oak, 33% of which was new, therefore the fruit is more dominant. Using a variety of Pinot Noir clones, winemaker Steve Rogstad, has decades of experience working with his vineyards, and knowing how best to use the excellent fruit that grows on their property. ORIGIN: Napa Valley, Los Carneros.

Duckhorn 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$80.00USD

More mature than past vintages, this has nice tight tannins and acidity to make the fruit work well for aging long-term. The dusty fruit of blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and huckleberry gives way to light vanilla from the oak influence and slight cocoa notes. The oak certainly plays a major influence here, but it does not detract from the beautiful fruit that has been harvested for this wine. Though this wine has a lot of production, the quality is still amazing for the number of cases it produces That takes control, and focus by the winemaking team at Duckhorn.

Cuvaison 2020 Chardonnay Hedon

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

Small lot Chardonnay. Not many people take the time to create small batches of wine, but Cuvaison does and it opens the door into wines that are specially cared for and you can taste that. This Chardonnay is a shy, subtle Chardonnay, and even though winemaker Steve Rogstag says it’s an “iconic California style,” it’s really more a respectful nod to Burgundy. Yes, this is 100% Chardonnay, aged in both French and American oak for 18 months, with full malolactic fermentation, but the acidity and light flavors veer away from California to France.

Cakebread 2019 Merlot

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

Soft and supple, there is a lovely viscosity to this Merlot. You’ll find notes of blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry and huckleberry surrounded by light cedar, raspberry compote and violets. The acidity allows for the fruit to shine through while maintaining structure for the wine. The tannins are fairly mild but this goes a long way on the palate. The judicious use of oak also helps to support the darker fruit of this wine. This is a soft, shy wine, not an aggressive over the top in your face Merlot.

Duckhorn 2019 Three Palms Merlot

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$115.00USD

Three Palms is unquestionably the most well-known and famous Merlot in the United States. That Duckhorn has made a commitment to Merlot for decades is to be applauded. This iteration beautifully spells out why they have made that commitment. The deftly handled balance of fruit, acidity, tannin and oak is simply marvelous. Black cherry, blackberry, boysenberry and huckleberry lead off, followed by back notes of black cherry, plum, anise, and cocoa powder. Aged for 18 months in predominately new French oak. ORIGIN: Napa Valley. ALCOHOL: 14.5%

2009 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, St. Helena, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A

Yowza!  This is drinking wonderfully right now.  Still a tad on the young side but oh, so good.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, anise, baking spices, cherries and leather.  Full bodied.  Lush texture but lots of precision.  Depth and complexity.  On the palate, plenty of cassis, some black cherries with underlying leather and slight char/earthiness.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work with bigger dishes of roasted meats or fowl.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  

2017 Detert Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Oakville, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

One of the great Cabernet Franc's in California or the world.  From the historic To Kalon vineyard in Napa.  Although 2017 was a difficult vintage in Napa, this wine is from the warmer valley floor and Cabernet Franc ripens a bit earlier.  No issues here.  Deep ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, slight cigar tobacco, hints of roasted bell pepper and baking spice.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Lots of depth, it unwinds in the glass.  Flavors of black cherries and earthiness.  Nice energy.  Long finish.  This will continue to mature for the next ten t

2016 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, USA, California, Napa, St. Helena, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$200.00USD

Spottswoode has been producing some of the top Napa Cabs for quite a long time now.  Year in and year out, they make some of the best Cabs anywhere.  Drink them young and they are bold Napa Cabs, let them age for twenty plus years and its hard to tell them from the finest from Bordeaux.  This one is very young, but it is delicious.  It had been decanted for a short time prior to opening.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cigar box and pencil lead.  Enticing.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Lots of cassis with some pencil led and nice tobacco.  Thick tannins.  Great balance.  Lon

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