Napa Valley

• Atlas Peak
• Best of Napa
• Calistoga
• Conn Valley
• Diamond Mountain
• Howell Mountain
• Mt. Veeder
• Oak Knoll
• Oakville
• Pope Valley
• Rutherford
• Spring Mountain
• St. Helena
• Stags Leap
• Yountville

From Magnum.  This is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petite Verdot and 5% Malbec.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is dominated by Brettanomyces which comes across as a "ripe" barnyard.  Some people love this while others are averse.  This is a spoilage yeast that will only bloom when the bottle sees warmer temperatures.  In addition, there are plums and cassis with some green bell pepper and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this drinks a bit cleaner.  Very earthy with cassis, bell pepper and black cherries.  Medium tannins.  Long fin

This is 70% from the Napa side of Pride Mountain and 30% from the Sonoma side.  Very young but an excellent wine.  Long gone are the days of Bob Foley's full throttle wines from Pride.  Different, but just as good.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose shows cassis, spice, fresh tobacco and slight char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis and black cherry fruit with some tobacco and underlying earthiness.  Deep and complex if tight.  This will need about seven to ten years to develop to get near peak and then should drink for ten to fifteen

2011 was a challenging vintage in Napa but for some wineries it offered a chance to find wines that are ready a bit earlier than most vintages.  That was true for Hobel and their winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, slight spice/oak and a hint of fresh herbs.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, there is some depth.  Cassis with a bit of an herbal streak.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This seems to be at peak but should drink well for another eight to ten years.  It drinks better with food.  Pasta with Bolognaise sauce is

Obviously young, but this is one of the best Petite Sirah's made in Napa.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has boysenberries, char, and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the boysenberry over char comes thru.  This will need time.  Ideally at least another decade but at least five to seven.  It should drink well for twenty after that.  Delicious.  This will drink well on its own but a nice choice for Indian food or grilled meats off the grill.  

This is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.  Inky purple, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, spice and slight tobacco.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, nice cassis flavors.  Clean.  Not a lot of depth or complexity especially compared to the 2015 version of this wine.  Still, nice solid, easy drinking.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  A nice wine with sausage pizza.  

This is an excellent value in Napa Cabernet.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice and char.  Full bodied with a powerful texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lots of cassis with some underlying char.  Nice depth.  This is still very young and needs another five to seven years to approach maturity.  It should be good for twelve to fifteen after that.  Drinks well on its own and will work well with braised meats.  

Expectations and hopes.  Its hard not to have them but they do affect ones enjoyment of wine.  This was an excellent wine but for whatever reason, vintage, cork, etc., was not up to expectations.  A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice and some cherries.  On the palate, this is amazingly integrated and smooth.  Cassis with some underlying spice.  Not as deep nor complex as this wine can get in other vintages.  That said, it drinks so easily, the bottle is drained quickly.  I

A more elegant side of a Napa blends but outstanding.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, slight cigar, black cherries and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, moderate tannins.  Great texture.  This is young-ish but delicious and showing some complexity.  cassis and black cherry fruit that is concentrated and unwinds in the glass.  Long finish.  Give this another five years and it should be nearing in on maturity.  It should last another twenty after that.  Still some upside on this wine.  Great on its own or with food.  A steak or brisket would be a nice match.  

Still young but drinking nicely.  Inky purple, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, char, and spice.  A slight horsey note.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Lush, velvety texture.  Lots of cassis with some spice and smoke.  Long finish.  Firm tannins.  This needs another five to seven more years to maturity and should drink well for fifteen to  twenty after that.  

Wow.  This has really started to hit its stride with just a bit of air.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, pencil lead, violets, char and slight spice.  Full bodied.  Incredible texture plush yet slick.  On the palate, lots of cassis, a hint of blueberries layered with earth and char.  Great balance.  Light tannins.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This will continue to mature for another ten to fifteen years and drink well for twenty after that.  Yes, a thirty year wine, but it is so good right now.  Great on its own, this will work well with meat and fowl dishes on