2014 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
100
Grade: 
A+

OK.  My first 100 point review for Intowine.com.  And it deserves it.  This bottle was opened about 7 hours prior to consuming and decanted about an hour prior.  That seemed about right but it could probably have taken a lot more air.  The thing I loved about it was how smooth and elegant it is while a the same time not being in any way shy or reserved or even feminine.  Think Cary Grant.  Purple in color.  The nose is great with cassis, slight dark chocolate, slight coffee grounds.  Also some cedar and spice.  On the palate, this is seamless.  Juicy.  deep and layers of tight complexity un

2012 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
99
Grade: 
A+

Wow.  What a gorgeous wine.  Not a fruit bomb but clearly from sunshine and California.  Deep purple in color, shimmering and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, chocolate and spice.  Wonderful texture.  It just spreads itself across the papate.  Depth yet precision.  Cassis, slight dark chcolate, with gravel undertones.  Long, long finish.  This was pop and pour and that was a mistake.  An hour of air and it no doubt hits the 100 mark.  Ready to drink now, but will last 40 years.  Amazing wine.  

2011 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
97
Grade: 
A

Excellent wine from what is generally considered an off vintage in Napa.  Of course, what is an off vintage for some may still be an outstanding wine.  While this did seem to lag behind the 2012 and 2014, it is still fantastic and with time may outdistance them.  Time will tell.  For now, this has purple color with a ruby rim.  The nose has cassis, some dark cherries, cedar and spice.  On the palate, this is full bodid but not overtly ripe.  Trust be told, this would show better on its own and not up against its siblings at this point.  It has a nice complexity.  Great cassis fruit with fir

2013 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, California, Napa - Wine Review

Score: 
99
Grade: 
A+

Wow.  Maybach continues to be one of the top wineries anywhere in the world.  This is just fantastic.  I have no doubt that more decanting or cellar time takes this to the 100 point level.  This is a mailing list to be on.  Purple in color.  The nose is fantstic with cassis, floral notes, gravel and pencil lead.  Also some cedar and spice.  On the palate, what a texture.  Juicy, velvety and seamless.  Lots of cassis fruit with depth.  An underpinning of gravel.  Firm tannins at the moment.  This is a 3o plus year wine.  Long finish.  Just gorgeous.  

2014 Bevan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard, California, Napa - Wine review

Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

This is an amazing wine.  It is still young but like most of Russell Bevan's red wines, this is already drinking well.  As an aside, it's funny how Bevan's white wines take longer to be ready than his reds.  Inky purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose is gorgeous with cassis, some pencil lead and cedar.  On the palate, a big and bold wine but not rough.  Lots of cassis fruit with depth.  Just delicious.  I think a couple years brings out that depth a bit and this gets to be a perfect score.  Right now its like a bottomless pit.  Long finish.  At the same time, this wine has the acidity

Napa Valley Wineries with the Best Wine Caves

Discovering the interior of Napa Valley wineries is as exciting as experiencing the exterior of this magnificent place. Napa Valley wine caves offer visitors a chance to see a winery’s inner beauty, you’re able to witness the more refined details pertaining to the production of Napa Valley wines. Whether they’re chiseled into famous Napa Valley mountainsides or dug deep into the rolling hills, the Napa Valley’s wine caves are very cool (literally and figuratively speaking). The views from the depths of these hidden spaces are intriguing and provide insight into the complexities of winemaking; the bottling and aging, the importance of a wines environment, the temperature and storage. All these aspects of different wine making styles offer a glimpse into how a vineyard produces unique characteristics for their wines. Historically, wine caves reach as far back in history as wine itself, the idea of storing wine in an underground cool climate apparently made a lot of sense then as it does now, and the art of constructing highly functional modern wine caves has now been perfected. In order to cruise around in a Napa Valley winery’s wine cave, you’ll need to plan in advance and make a tour and tasting reservation, most tours include a wine cave excursion but feel free to ask. Here is a list of the Napa Valley’s five best wine caves:
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Best Napa Valley Wineries for Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blancs grown in the Napa Valley region have striking aromas that translate into even more specific palate characteristics. This varietal is extremely versatile and the characteristics change from region to region, for instance, in France Sauvignon blanc is labeled “Sancerre” or “Pouilly-fume” named after the actual places and can take on grassier aromas then one would find in the Napa Valley. Sauvignon Blancs grown in the Napa Valley provide visitors with such specific tasting profiles and these easily diversify your wine tasting. Experiencing a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc will give your wine flights a more well-rounded wine range ultimately aiding in furthering your wino knowledge (sometimes a goal among visiting wine novices). Here in the Napa Valley our Sauvignon Blanc is fully ripened in the heat creating bright citrus, grapefruit, and passion fruit aromas, alongside juicy peach, nectarine and melon nuances. These flavors and tastes contrast perfectly with the rich oaky chardonnays that are often highlighted in Napa Valley wine tasting. Also, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is known to make many ladies swoon with excitement, women tend to be its biggest fans. These Five wineries produce the best Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc in addition to the perfect place to taste them.
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Napa Valley Wineries with the Best Zinfandel

Napa Valley Zinfandels are celebrated for their easy drinking allure and bold juicy flavors making this varietal a total crowd pleaser. Zinfandels made in the Napa Valley are iconic, although some may say a little forgotten, however, it’s a flavor profile known for intense black fruits and spice which render Napa Valley Zinfandels as the most epically jammy varietal produced. The Napa Valley’s warm California climate is fundamental to winemaking and Napa Valley Zinfandels are a great example of how winemakers utilize that heat, skillfully harnessing the temperatures to produce some of the most intense wine the Napa Valley has to offer. Zinfandels crafted in the Napa Valley region, especially old vine Zinfandels, have exploding flavors that ripen outrageously giving life to wines that create an exceptional food and wine experience. When you find a way to always have excellent Napa Valley Zinfandel around it’s sure to illuminate any meal because Napa Valley Zinfandel is, more than anything else, a food pairing wine. These Napa Valley wineries with the best Zinfandel are recommendations specifically known for their outstanding, award-winning Zinfandel.
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Napa Valley’s Best Boutique Wineries

A Napa Valley boutique winery is always a good time. Finding a unique, family owned, small production winery to visit can honestly set fire to your wine desire. The best boutique wineries in the Napa Valley give you the opportunity to taste the most captivating, passion driven, and rare wines Napa has to offer. A noticeable factor about boutique wineries is that your visit may include a tête-à-tête with the winery owner or vintner themselves (sometimes both!). Boutique wineries are exclusive and are small production which means they produce a fraction of the wine larger more industrialized wineries produce in a year, this is the defining factor in finding a proper “boutiquey winery.” Spending time at one of these quaint boutique Napa Valley wineries will help you to understand how incredible wine truly is (if you didn’t know that already) because boutique wineries respect the art of winemaking and seek to convey their passion and love for what they bottle!
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Best Napa Wineries for Sipping by the Fire

Wine tasting in the Napa Valley is an experience that’s more than the exploration of wine, it’s also about ambiance. Good wine can be even better when you’re sipping fireside and nothing sounds cozier than warming up by a fire while tasting delicious Napa Valley vintages.
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