Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.

2013 Notre Vin Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is a wine from the late Dennis Malbec.    Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, chocolate, cedar and spice.  Great texture.  Firm tannins.  Flavors of cassis with some graphite and char.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should have another ten years at least.  Great drinking on its own, this would work well with Roasted Eggplant dishes (and of course, beef).  

2019 Robert Keenan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$55.00USD

Most of the fruit for this is estate fruit from Spring Mountain.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, iron, iodine and spice.  Softer texture than expected.  Flavors of cassis, cedar and chocolate.  Some heat on the finish.  Overall a nice Cab but it needs a bit more time to come together.  Hold for a few years and drink for ten to fifteen after that.  A nice wine to pair with Braised Lamb Shanks.

2017 Carlisle Cabernet Sauvignon Montecillo Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight at first but opens to shows cedar, cassis, graphite and slight chocolate.  Soft texture.  On the palate, dark cherries and cassis with some chocolate and char.  Some black licorice on the finish. This is drinking well right now.  It should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  A nice with a chunky stew.  

2017 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$230.00USD

One of our favorite wines!  This vintage gets dismissed, but it really is a great vintage (Bordeaux would love to have a vintage like this).  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, tobacco, spice, graphite and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is open and delicious.  Deep.  It is still young but is open and showing well.  It will still improve.  Flavors of lush cassis, with spice and leathery earth.  Long finish.  This is great on its own, but would work well with fatty foods (not seafood).  drink over the next fifteen t

2017 Greer Cabernet Sauvignon Greer Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Rutherford, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$197.00USD

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, graphite, slight cedar, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is developing nicely.  Not yet at peak but not a baby either.  Great texture.  Flavors of cassis, spice and earth.  long finish.  Delicious.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Great on its own, this would work well with roasted or grilled beef or poultry.  

2017 Aeris Wines Bianco Centennial Mountain, USA, California, Sonoma, Wine ReviewWine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

This is 100% Carricante grape grown 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean on the Sonoma Coast.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose takes some time to open and then shows peach, minerality, slight lemon, floral notes and salinity.  Medium bodied.  Round but with acidity.  On the palate, this is deep.  It really works better with food.  It went nicely with a vegetarian Hungarian Vegetable Stew.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

2021 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

Such a great value!  This is a blend of 43% Syrah, 28% Grenache, 23% Mourvedre, and 6% Counoise.  This is garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, black cherries, roasted meats and earthiness.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is drinking quite well.  Varietal complexity with an excellent texture.  Flavors of black raspberries, black cherries and some plums.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well and would be an excellent choice for a weekday meal be it pizza, meatloaf or veggie wraps.  Drink over the next

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$69.00USD

Rhys makes some of the best Pinot Noir's (and Chardonnays) anywhere.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, spice, char and slight earthiness.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is complex and layered from the first sip.  Cherries, earth and smoke.  Long finish.  This took a while to get to this point, but it is drinking well. It should continue to drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own but better with food.  Roasted duck would be perfect.  

2021 Flora Springs Trilogy, USA, California, Napa, Wine Revfiew

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

While this is the 38th year of this bottling, it represents a sort of reboot as their vineyard sources have changed.  In addition, they brought in winemaker Mike Smith as a consultant.  Of course, the proof is in the pudding, er, wine.  This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec. Purple in color, opaque and bright.  Pop and pour, this took about an hour to start to open and really got going at the two hour mark.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, plums, black cherries, spice, and a slight minty (Eucalyptus?) note.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.

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