Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.

2012 Bevan Cellars EE Cuvée, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$250.00USD

Rusell Bevan is a superstar winemaker who has many projects going.  The EE Cuvee is consistently one of my favorites.  This vintage is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Cabernet France from the Tench and Tin Box vineyards.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, spice, tobacco and char.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a great texture; lush with firm tannins.  This is a big wine that is still drinking young.  It will take another ten to fifteen years to reach maturity.  Once there it should last for another twenty.  That said, it

2012 Ceritas Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Nice to revisit this (last tasted in 2017) as it showed good if not up to expectations.  This was a much better showing for whatever reason.  Pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with lemons and bigger than expected.  On the palate, this has medium body with good acidity.  Lemons and lemon cream.  Nice minerality.  A long finish.  This is drinking well if fully mature.  It should continue to drink well for another eight to twelve years.  It drinks well on its own and would work well with grilled trout or other fish.  

2012 Littorai Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Light golden with a touch of green, clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with lemons and minerals.  Clean.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, a bit leaner of a texture.  Lemony with slight grapefruits and some smoke.  A bit clipped on the finish.  Good acidity.  This is drinking well and should continue to do so for another eight to twelve years.  This will drink well on its own but better with food.  Lobster Bisque would be a nice match.  

2011 Torrin Law Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is a blend of 73% Syrah, and 27% Grenache from Paso Robles in California's central coast.  While this was a difficult vintage, Torrin seems to have no issues obtaining ripeness.  The label lists 16.1% abv.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, iodine, tar, with a rich earthiness.  Full bodied.  Great texture.  The acid seems a bit on the lower side.  On the palate, pure black raspberries fruit with underlying char and earth.  Long finish.  This is very tasty and probably easier to drink on its own than to match with food.  If trying

2010 Torrin Akasha, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$122.00USD

Nice to try these wines with some age on them, but honestly, they were bit young and are still big.  For my tastes, that is just fine.  95% Syrah with 5% Grenache from Paso Robles.  Purple in color, ruby at the rime, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries with a slight dishwasher note (often found in wines that may have seen some heat at some point) but that minimized as the  wine opened with a nice earthy note.  Full bodied.  On the  palate, much cleaner.  Black raspberries, smoke and earthiness.  Moderate acidity.  Nice finish.  While perhaps not a pristine bottle, this was st

2017 Outpost Immigrant True Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Howell Mountain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$126.00USD

This is a blend of  41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Franc made by Thomas Rivers Brown.  Pop and pour, this took about twenty minutes to start opening and then drink very well.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, baking spice, slight chocolate, a hint of iron and roasted herbs.   Full bodied although certainly not over the top.  Rich texture.  On the palate, this has firm tannins that integrate somewhat with air.  Nots of cherries and black cherries with some underlying tobacco and a bit of chocolate.  Som

2007 Carlisle Syrah Papa's Block, USA, Sonoma, Russian River Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This took about 30 minutes to blow off bottle stink and open after removing the cork.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, smoke and a nice earthiness.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with a bit of smoke and underlying minerality.  The tannins are all resolved and this is ready to drink.  Good balance.  Long finish.  Drink over the next five years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with foods off the grill (although not sea food).  

2015 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Golden, maybe a bit deeper in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons, lemon drop candies, spice and slight vanilla note.  Full bodied with a slightly oily texture.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, lemons, lemon curd, with vanilla.  Long finish.  This has more depth and complexity than the 2012 consumed at alongside.  It will continue to mature for the next seven to ten years and drink well for another seven to ten after that if well stored.  Great on its own, this will work well with pork chops or roasted chicken.  

2012 Rhys Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard, USA, California, Santa Cruz, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$120.00USD

Nice to revisit this with some age on it. Yellow-gold in color with slight green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is the same; vanilla, lemon crème, and minerals.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, lemons, lemon curd and slight vanilla.  Long finish.  This tastes mature but very similar to how it tasted on release.  More depth, less energy.  Not sure where it goes from here but another five years and probably ten.  Great on its own, this will work well with salmon or tuna steaks.   

2016 Teeter-Totter Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

Nice to re-visit this wine.  This is a nice value in Napa Cabs although still not a cheap bottle by any means.  Made by the people who make Fait-Main wines.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, chocolate, and some spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, lots of cassis and black cherries and also some chocolate.  Good finish.  Served blind, I thought Merlot but it seems this is 100% Cab from various Napa vineyards.  It drinks great on its own and will continue to do so for another decade.  It will work well with roasted meat or fowl.  

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