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

I have had this before and loved it, but this bottle, not so much.  Perhaps an off bottle or shut down at this time?  Just last summer, I scored it 100 points, so this was curious.  Some liked it more than I, but most of the room seemed to comment that it wasn't what they might have been expecting.  It is good, but this should be one of the preeminent California Chardonnays.  It happens, but I can only review the bottle I drank.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose is dusty with tine, clay, spice and oak.  No fruit.  No noticeable TCA or other faults.  On the palate, it has a nice texture.

This is a Cab made especially for Flaming's Steak House.  It is solid if a bit generic.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries and some cassis.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Light tannins.  Not a lot of complexity.  Cassis fruit.  Slight earth.  

Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has cassis and dust with a bit of spice.  Warm.  On the palate, this has cassis, tart cherries, a bit of baking spice and slight herbal notes.  It drinks like pretty classic Napa Cab.  Not super ripe but not under ripe either.  I can see this being a bit divisive for those who want a fruit bomb.  This is not that.  Showing a tight layering, it unwinds in the glass.  Has a nice complexity but there is some upside to come.  It was popular at the dinner table with our friends.  

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.  

A classic Napa Chardonnay.  Light golden in color.  This has seen a lot of the oak integrate over the last year or two which is good.  There is still some vanilla on the nose but also some nice lemon cream.  On the palate, this has good acidity.  Lemon with spice and vanilla.  Decent finish.  This is not their top of the line and is priced accordingly.  As such, it presents some value in the Napa Chard world.  Not a stunner but certainly a wine most people at least enjoy.  There is still some possible room for this to improve with a couple more years of cellaring.  

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.  

Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has dark cherries and spice.  On the palate, the dark cherries follow.  Cooler climate Cab in style.  A bit under ripe.  Some heat on the finish.  Overall, it is a decent but not great cab.  Around $45.

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.

Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has dark cherries, coffee and dust.  On the palate, sweet dark fruit.  Cassis with a toffee/coffee note.  Nice finish.  Not showing a lot right now so it is a bit confusing whether its shut down or not.  Given its pedigree, one would think so.  It is good, but I would have expected great.  So, probably hold for now or give it lots of air.  

Inky purple in color.  The nose is very tight.  Black raspberries.  spice/oak.  Primary. On the palate, this is lush with a great texture.  Black raspberry fruit.  Seems deep but impenetrable.  Firm tannins.  Doesn't budge much with air.  Plenty of upside on this but it needs a decade to sort itself out and open up.  For now, its enjoyable but seems like the better course is to show patience.