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

Another winner from Maybach.  This is expensive but in the rarified air of top Napa Cabs, it is reasonable.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has blueberries, gravel, cassis, pencil lead and spice.  What a rich and lovely texture.  On the palate, cassis and blueberries over a bed of gravel.  Medium tannins.  This will continue to slowly age for the next fifteen or so years and be good for ten to twenty after that.  Delicious.  Complex and deep.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own now, but will over power all but the biggest dishes.  If wishing to serve with dinner,

This is the entry level Cab from the producer of Washington and Oregon wines.  It is a solid wine for the price.  It utilized a glass closure ("Cork") which probably has kept it a bit fresher over the years.  Deep ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, slight spice and a hint of fennel.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the black cherries come thru.  Tannins are resolved.  It tastes fresh but lacks depth or complexity.  Moderate finish.  At $30, this is a solid wine, but for my money, it is worth the extra money for the better Cabs.  drink this sooner than later, it won't get bet

It can be really fun to taste older wines.  At age 47, this one is drinking nicely.  Deep golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose shows just a hint of oxidation with apricots and honey and white raisins.  Full bodied and slightly viscous.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is sweet with honeyed apricots.  Nice finish.  The bottle was then stuck in the fridge for a few weeks.  Upon re-tasting, it was still fresh and vibrant.  Who know how long this may last.  Drinks well on its own and worked well with various cheeses.  

Another gorgeous wine from Thomas Rivers Brown.  This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that were co-fermented .  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, chocolate and baking spices.  Lush and rich texture on a medium to full bodied frame.  Very concentrated.  Black cherry fruit with cassis with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  Drinking youthfully but very well.  This should continue to mature for another five to seven years and be good for another ten to twelve more after that.  It will go well with roasts of all kinds.  

Beautiful showing for this wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, slight black pepper, black olives and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Silky texture.  On the palate, this has depth and complexity.  Layers of black raspberry fruit, char, and pepper.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but will continue to evolve and mature.  Some upside potential.  Drink now and for ten to fifteen more years.  A great match with spicy or roasted meat and/or veggie dishes.  

Donnhoff is one of the top producers of Riesling's in the world.  This is a dry version from the excellent 2015 vintage.  While still young, this wine was fantastic.  Light golden in color with some green hues.  The nose is pretty with peaches, salinity, and lots of minerals.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  It has a nice sturdy crispness but abundant fruit as well.  Peaches with underlying minerality.  Very long and rich finish.  Delicious.  This should drink well for another ten to twelve years.  It will go with a wide variety of foods - practically anything.  

This is one of my favorite high-end wines.  Even at the $95 price tag, it is almost as good as Bevan's single vineyard designated red wines that sell for twice the price.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, coffee, black cherries, chocolate and graphite.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has muscular tannins but plenty of fruit to match up with it.  Juicy cassis and black cherries with underlying graphite and spice.  This drinks beautifully now but should evolve and improve over the next five to seven years and drink well for ten to fifteen after that.  It will need big foods righ

This winery calls itself the first garage wine from Margaux.  Deep ruby with some purple at the core.  The nose is very nice if a bit more earthy than what I think of for Margaux.  That is it has cassis, barnyard funk, blueberries and spice.  Full bodied and a luxurious mouthfeel.  On the palate, cassis and blueberries with underlying funk.  This is showing some maturity but not fully there.  Maybe another few years, but this should drink well for at least another decade.  Medium tannins.  Nice finish.  A delightful wine to drink on its own, it will also work well with roasted meats, fowl o

This wine is not for everyone.  It is rustic, rough and decidedly not a fruit bomb.