2010 Martin Estate Gold, USA, California, Rutherford, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

From a half bottle.  This is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.  It is a late harvest dessert wine.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has honey along with a touch of peach.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this has some sweetness but that has probably faded since release.  Some honeyed notes.  Moderate finish.  These need to be drunk up at this point.  It works better with some food.  Cheese or less sweet pastries would work.

2013 Empreinte Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Yountville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$175.00USD

The label states they make single vineyard, single varietal wines.  First time trying one.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, slight cedar, spice and a slight earthiness.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is concentrated and deep.  Lots of cassis flavors with some earthiness and  char.  Long finish.  Very good.  More concentrated and piercing than complex but that works for this wine.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  It will work well with roasted or grilled meats and fowl.  

2019 Lail Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée 25th Anniversary, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$320.00USD

Wow.  It had been some years since tasting this Cuvee and I don't remember it being this good.  Purple in color, opaque and  shimmering bright.  The nose is powerful with cassis, cedar, dark chocolate, and spice.  Full bodied.  Great balance and energy.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is young but delicious.  Almost, but quite, jammy.  Flavors of cassis, chocolate with underlying char and spice.  Deep.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but will develop.  Drink over the next twenty to twenty five years.  It was great with a Portobello Napoleon dish and will work well with most meats,

2018 Pilcrow Cabernet Sauvignon Ghost Block, USA, California, Napa, Yountville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$110.00USD

This was a new wine for me.  Ghost Block has a great story.  About 8 million years ago, it was on a mountain top above Stags Leap in the Vaca Mountains.  The Mountain collapsed and fell over on its side so although the vineyard sits on the valley floor it is geologically the same as those on the tops of the  mountain.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has a bit of volatile acidity on it.  For my tastes it is just enough to raise the aromatics.

2016 Dominus Estate, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$350.00USD

Wow.  Great showing.  This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Verdot, and 8% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great.  Cassis, cedar, spice, tobacco and slight char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is deep.  Flavors of cassis, tobacco, slight earthiness and char.  Long finish.  This is delicious and open.  It will evolve more over the next twenty to thirty years but not sure it gets better.  This would be classic with Lamb but was great with some cheeses as well.  

2018 Boich Family Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Perennius, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
99
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$350.00USD

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the four best barrels in the cellar.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep and interesting.  Aromas of cassis, black olives, spice and slight earthiness.  Full bodied.  Wonderful concentrated plush texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, ash and char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Still young, this is drinking quite well with a bit of air.

2022 Kinsman Eades Chenin Blanc Aberro, USA, California, Napa, Diamond Mountain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$229.00USD

My understanding is this is a one off bottling.  The winery had issues from the Glass Mountain fire and they really needed to source grapes for some cash flow until they could get on their feet again.  Hopefully, they will make it again as Chenin is such an under rated grape.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with apples, slight honey note and a bit of orange peel.  Full bodied.  Enough acidity but  not pronounced.  On the palate, this is dry.  Big and deep.  Apples, green apples but also some citrus and wax.  Long finish.  This was an excellent pairing with a sa

2015 Kapcsándy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Grand Vin) State Lane Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Yountville, Wine review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$285.00USD

This is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot.  One of the great Bordeaux varietal wines.  This is till young, but really drank beautifully.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, licorice, spice, thyme and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great, juicy texture.  On the palate, this has some tight complexity.  Flavors of cassis, leather, tobacco, spice and char.  Long finish.  It really needs another five to ten years of cellaring and should drink well for twenty to thirty after that.  Of course, it was fantastic right now.  Great on

2013 Colgin Cariad, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$400.00USD

This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is open and awesome.  Cassis, black cherries, interesting black olive note, fresh tobacco, plums, spice and char.  Probably more.  Wow.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this is getting close to mature but still five or more years from really being there.  Cassis, black cherries, tobacco and spice.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This will drink well for another twenty to twenty five years.  It would of course be great with

2019 Dalla Valle Maya, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$490.00USD

Surprisingly open, Maya used to be a wine that needed serious time before opening but this vintage/bottle was drinking well.  It is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, black cherries, cigar tobacco, spice, slight cocoa and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black cherries, cassis, spice, tobacco and char.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  No doubt this gets a perfect score as it matures but its close now.  Drink over the next twenty to thirty years. 

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