Best of Napa

A wine I had not had before and even though young, wanted to get a handle on it for future buying decisions.  Pop and pour, i did go back after a few hours and revisit this one.  Great wine.  Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim.  The nose has cassis, pepper, spice and a slight celery note which was not over powering and made it interesting.  On the palate, this is rich with kirsch/cassis.  Sort of sweet liqueur from ripe fruit but again in a restrained manner that was very nice.  Lively acidity.  Nice minerality.

Yes, this was too young to drink such a rare bottle, but so it goes...  Pop and pour, I did revisit it after a few hours.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, spice and a slight mineral backbone.  On the palate, this is really elegant.  Silky texture with sinewy tannins.  Great acidity makes it lively and energetic.  Cassis and dark chocolate shavings on the palate with again, a mineral backbone.  Long finish.  This obviously needs 5 to 10 more years before it should be opened, but it was great to get a glimpse into it now.  Hopefully, my friends that i s

I tried this a couple of years ago and thought it needed 10 more years.  Now, we are down to 8 I guess.  At least.  This is a spectacular wine but it needs time (think Latour).  While it showed well, it just felt like we there is more to come.  Indeed, if one has the patience to wait, this is probably a 100 point wine.  Today, its close but not quite.  Purple in color, magenta at the rim.  The nose has cassis.  Its dusty with iodine.  With air some dark cherries emerge.  On the palate, this is juicy with bright acidity.  Firm tannins that strengthen in the glass.  Black raspberries, blue be

My first time trying this vintage and only second time trying the winery.  Spectacular showing.  This wine was allowed to breathe for about 8 hours and still needed more air.  Some vigorous swirling in the glass allowed it to open, but it really needs more cellar time.  Purple in color, magenta at the rim.  The nose has cassis, blueberries, iodine and sandalwood.  Beautiful.  On the palate, there is some initial warmth but that disappears with air.  Very smooth.  Balance.  medium tannins.

My first time trying this that I can recall.  Very impressed.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with cassis, and slight graphite.  This bottle had been allowed to breathe for the better part of the day and still took some time to open.  It opened nicely in the glass though.  Bright acidity.  Cassis and slight cough drop note especially on the finish where it was joined with a bit of menthol.  Firm tannins.  Probably best to hold these or decant for a few hours at this point.  Some upside here for sure.  

Wow.  Yes, this is expensive but this is truly an amazing wine.  Purple in color.  The nose is just amazing.  Cassis, blueberries, slight spice and sandalwood, some cedar.  Deep and complex.  On the palate, open for business.  Bevan wines drink better younger than any luxury wines I know of.  Cassis, blueberries, slight earth/minerals.  Deep and complex.  Great mouthfeel.  Damn delicious.  One of those wines where each sip leaving you wanting another one.  Then the bottle is drained.  Hard to say if this will get better, maybe so with some maturity.  

Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is slightly earthy with black raspberries.  Light tannins mostly resolved.  Very smooth.  Some layering as it unwinds in the glass.  Cassis, earth.  Finishes with a bit of menthol.  This is showing gorgeously and I think probably at peak right now.  No hurry but I would drink in the next decade and maybe a bit sooner.  It won't get better.  Groth is a wine that is maybe not as trendy as it used to be, but that is not because of any lack of quality.  They still consistently put out top notch Napa Cabs.  

Inky purple in color.  This is very tight (pop and pour).  Unlike a lot of 2012's, this needs some air or cellar time.  The nose is nice with cassis, graphite, vanilla and spice.  Full bodied.  Lush and big.  On the palate, black currants, black pepper, sandal wood and slight earthy forest floor notes.  Good balance.  Long finish.  Kept improving.  Great now, but with upside.  Probably anothe 10 years to peak and good for a couple more decades.  Prodigious wine.

This is from the To Kalon vineyard in Napa.  Truly one of the best and certainly historic vineyards on the valley floor.  One of the best Cab Francs made in Napa.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, slight cigar tobacco.  Nice.  On the palate, this is ripe and avoids the green pepper that sometimes is in Cab Franc (for better and worse).  It has great black cherry fruit, some black raspberries.  Depth though still quite tight.  This is young and needs a decade IMO.  Long finish.  

Opened at 9:00 am and allowed to breathe.  Served at 9:00 pm.  Gorgeous wine. Still young, of course, but after a night of a lot of wines, this demanded my attention.  This is just the Estate, I can't wait to try the Grand Vin.  I actually checked the label to make sure I didn't open the wrong bottle.  Purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, slight cedar and spice, graphite, and a bit of dark chocolate.  Wonderful lush mouthfeel.  Good acidity.  Cassis flavors.  Deep but it unwinds in the glass.  Still a decade at least from peak.  Long finish.  I know these wines have escalated in