Best of Napa

Wow.  This wine should make old bones, but it is so good now, it is not likely to.  Stunning wine that seemingly gets better and better.  This bottle was consumed over 4 hours and the last glass was the best.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, graphite, cedar, blueberries and spice.  On the palate, this has a seamless texture.  Delicious.  Deep and tightly layered; it explodes in the glass.  Tons of cassis and blue berries layered with minerality and spice.  Medium tannins.  Long finish.  It does need bigger or spicier food, but it is oh so good.  

Named after the soccer team, from one of the top vineyards in Napa.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with cassis, slight blueberries, dust, a bit of chocolate and spice.  On the palate, this drinks well with just a bit of air.  Deep black raspberry fruit; it unwinds in the glass to show layers of spice, blueberries, dark chocolate and black cherries.  Medium tannins.  Wonderful texture.  Long finish.  This is a big wine, but it also has that super concentration.  The flavors just keep growing and growing.  Great finish.  No hurry here, this has a decade or two remaining

Really great showing for this wine.  Purple in color, slight line of ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, coffee, and cedar.  Complex.  On the palate, this is awesome.  It is a big wine but with a nice elegance at this point.  Cassis layered with coffee and earth.  Long finish.  This is delicious and while it is the kind of wine that borders on excessive, as it matures it has calmed down and is integrating nicely.  Still young, this  needs another decade until maturity and has a couple more at the top after that.  It is delicious now and worked quite well with an assortment of cheeses (an

Wow.  Great wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cassis, coffee, slight floral note and graphite.  Its big and gorgeous.  On the palate, this has an amazing texture.  Lush but precise.  Great balance and acidity.  Tons of fruit but also depth.  Tight layering that unwinds in the glass.  Black raspberries, graphite and underlying char.  This wine is very intense but also quite delicious.  It works with big foods.  Still young and will continue to improve for a decade and be good for another decade or two after that. 

Light gold green in color.  Great nose of lemon cream with integrated streaks of vanilla.  Slightly oily texture.  The lemon cream and vanilla carry thru.  Great acidity works in balance.  This is a big wine but so deft it handles the oak wonderfully.  Great with a wide variety of foods.  Plus, it is delicious.   One of my favorite Cal Chards.

Russell Bevan makes one of the best California Sauvignon Blancs but this may be the best vintage yet.  Pop and pour and this was off and running.  Light golden in color, slight green.  Gorgeous nose of tangerine, floral notes, slight vanilla and caramel.  With air, a bit of clean pine as well.  Great texture.  Slightly oily, full bodied and lush.  Deep and powerful.  Flavors of tangerine, pine, vanilla and slight papaya.  Persistent and fresh.  Worked great with food.  Got better with air.  At around $35, this is well priced.  

This is a former Wine Spectator Wine of the Year.  It was nice to revisit this wine.  It seems to be at peak and drinking as good as it will get.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cherries, spice, chocolate and dried cherries.  On the palate, this is full bodied with a lush texture.  Just a wisp of tannins.  Layers of chocolate covered cherries and slight earth.  Long finish.  Food friendly.  Certainly one of the best California Merlot's I have had.  Even Miles from Sideways would like it.  It still has five to ten years, at least, left if well stored.  

Realm is at the top of their game, making some of the best wines in the world.  This is one of my favorites though expensive, it is doable unlike so many of the top luxury wines.  Purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, pencil lead, cedar and spice.  On the palate a wonderful juicy almost seamless texture.  Deep, if tightly packed.  It drinks deliciously now but really won't peak for ten or fifteen years (depending on how you like them).  Juicy black raspberries, char and slight earth open in the glass.  Long finish.  Gorgeous wine.  Can a wine be worth $125?  It depends, but this

From the heart of the historic To Kalon vineyard on the Napa Valley floor.  This is made in limited quantities although they also make an even more limited version.  This is $80 which is pretty fair for one of the best Cab Francs that Napa produces.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, slight cigar box, and some anise.  On the palate, this is young but drinking well.  Black cherries, some cherries, forest floor and spice layered in the glass.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  Certainly some upside to this as this should mature and age for another decade or more.  

Made by Thomas Rivers Brown at his eponymous winery.  This is the basic Napa bottling and not the single vineyard wines.  It is still a great Napa Cabernet.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, cedar and spice.  On the palate, this has a lovely texture.  Cassis fruit with some spice.  Firm tannins.  This will continue to improve for a decade but is delicious now with a long decant.  There is some oak but it works deftly with the fruit.  Deep.  Great finish.  At $6, it is well priced for a higher quality Napa Cab.