Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
From Magnum. This has held up nicely and is drinking well. Like and older Bordeaux. Ruby in color, slight bricking at the rim. The nose is nice with cassis and cherries along with some tobacco and dust. On the palate, this has layers of fruit and earthy forest floor. Good balance. This seems very food friendly. Probably a bit past prime at this point, but still with lots to offer.
Deep ruby in color. The nose has nice cherries, black cherries and black raspberries with baking spice and a bit of pepper. Full bodied with a great texture. Nice backbone of acidity. On the palate, black raspberries with some black cherries. This is young and needs a few years to develop but quite tasty right now. Not a monster wine by any means. Will work with medium and big foods.
This continues to improve. Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, white pepper and grilled meats. On the palate, this has a nice juicy acidity. Medium tannins. Black raspberries layered with char and earth. Good finish. No hint of alcohol or heat. Needs bigger and/or spicy foods. This wine still needs about five years to peak. Then should be good for another 15 after that. Very concentrated.
This is from Bill Harlan. At age 15, this wine seems to be at peak and is singing. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, slight smoke, slight vanilla and slight cigar. On the palate, this has a nice silky texture. Slight wispy tannins. Lots of cassis fruit. Plenty of depth and tight layering that unwinds in the glass. This drinks like a almost mature Bordeaux wine. Will work with meats and heartier foods.
Purple in color. The nose has nice cassis, a bit of blueberries, spice and cocoa dust. On the palate, this is very good but lacks intensity. Lots of cassis fruit along with some chocolate. Good finish. This won't get any better but should be good for another ten years. Will work with medium and heavier foods.
So, I was visiting my sister in the Los Angeles area for Thanskgiving. I went to a local wine store in Chatsworth and there on the shelf was this wine. I doubt it had been stored pristinely, but, It ook a chance and was rewarded with my favorite Carlisle Zinfandel with some age on it, something I don't seem to have the patience or discipline for. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose was nice with black cherries and bramble and slight pepper and cedar. On the palate, it has that wonderful texture that I love about this wine. A good amount of black cherry fruit and also some raspb
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. This is very tight and in fact, much less forgiving than bottles tried a year and two years ago. The nose is dusty with black cherries. On the palate, cassis and medium tannins. It opens a bit with air, but at this point, it should probably sleep for five years. If you must open one, give it 8+ hours of air. There is a nice wine in there once it opens up, but a much higher potential.
Purple/ruby in color. The nose has some volatile acidity which blows off to a slight degree. It is also dusty with cherries. On the palate, tart black cherries. Good acidity. Long finish. This seems past prime and moving slowly downward. It needs to be consumed soon. That said, it still provides plenty of pleasure at age 19. Food would certainly help.
Silvery green/gold in color. The nose has minerals and wax with slight tropical fruit. On the palate, this is soft with low acidity but still quite refreshing. The Semillon seems to dominate at this point. Blind, it drinks like a ripe white Bordeaux. Peaches and minerals with some waxiness. Should work with a lot of foods. It will be interesting to see how this improves, if at all, with some age.
This cab is known for being backwards and taking a long time to come around, yet, this, while still in need of cellar time was drinking quite well. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, and spice with some black cherries. On the palate, cassis, spice and black licorice notes with firm but manageable tannins. Goof balance and finish. If drinking before 2013, give it some air, but it should go well with heavier or roasted dishes. There is certainly some room for improvement. One of the best Mayacamas Cabs in years!
