2021 Vida Valiente Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$325.00USD

Decanted for about four hours prior to serving.  Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is quite tight.  Over the evening it opened a bit, but the bottle got drained, so nothing left on Day 2.  It happens.  Some cassis, slight graphite, baking spice and char.  Full bodied.  Very, very firm tannins.  That said, what a wonderful plush but silky texture.  Great energy and acidity.  Balanced.  The palate is a bit more opened.  Cassis, slight graphite, a bit earthy and char.  Deep.  Long finish.  If drinking now, give it an eight hour decant but this really needs five year

2021 Vida Valiente Cabernet Sauvignon High Ranch, USA, California, Napa, Coombsville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$275.00USD

This is grown at a high elevation.  This is the first vintage as the vines are only three years old (planted in 2018).  14.8% abv.Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice.  Cassis, saddle leather, and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Plush texture.  On the palate, this is very accessible.  I suspect subsequent vintages will be tighter on release.  Lots of concentrated cassis notes with some earthiness and char.  A bit of a saline note on the finish.  This is not an opulent wine (which I was expecting) but still has power.  Cellaring for a few years should be rewar

2022 Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard, USA, California, Sonoma Coast, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

First time trying this Chard.  Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is pretty with nice minerality along with lemons and a bit of peach.  Lovely oily texture.  Good acidity.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is deep.  It is very young of course, but should really develop over time.  Lemon cream notes.  Very long finish.  This is a rounder wine (in a good way) than I had been expecting and seems of California.  There is some oak but seems in balance.  Probably worth holding for a year or two and then drink for seven to ten after that.  This would be nice with sea food

2016 Champagne Christophe Baron Champagne Le Dessus du Bois Marie Crouttes-sur-Marne Brut Nature, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$300.00USD

This is available only in Magnum.  The vines were planted in 1966.  Silvery/gold in color with a nice mousse of very tiny bubbles.  The nose is great with biscuits, pears, slight lemon peel and minerality.  Great backbone of acidity.  Full bodied but not blowsy.  On the palate, despite being Brut Nature there is a slight sweetness which is more ripeness than residual sugar.  The lemon peel comes thru along with a great minerality.  Long finish.  This is really delicious and still young.  It should improve but is great today.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years (more if you like older

2019 Fingers Crossed Two Become One White, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$245.00USD

This is a 60/40 blend of Chardonnay and Roussanne from California.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is lovely with lemon rind, shite flowers, slight almond notes and chalk.  Full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  On the palate, this is big and round but enough acidity to work well.  Still young, this should continue to mature and get better but is already drinking well.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Maybe better on its own right now as this is a big wine, but it would work with shrimp and pasta for example.  

2020 Seven of Hearts Riesling Ice Princess, USA, Oregon, Willamette, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$27.00USD

This is made in Oregon from artificially frozen Riesling grapes.  It has 23.5% Residual Sugar.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apricots, slight pineapple and simple syrup.  Medium bodied but viscous.  Surprisingly good acidity.  On the palate, flavors of apricots and peaches.  Long finish.  This is very tasty.  A little goes a long way but it drinks well on its own.  It would be good with a barely sweet cookie.  It should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  

2013 Seven of Hearts Chateau Figareaux Tradition, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

Washington state makes some excellent Merlots and "Right Bank" blends.  This is another case in point.  The wine is a blend of 55% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is classic and enticing.  Black cherries, cassis, bell pepper, chocolate, and spice.  Nice texture.  Great balance.  On the palate, at age eleven, this is showing a nice maturity.  perhaps just on the younger side of fully mature.  Complex and layered with flavors of cherries, black cherries, milk chocolate, and underlying earthiness and char.  Long

2020 Seven of Hearts Cabernet Sauvignon Alder Ridge Vineyard, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$48.00USD

This is a lovely Washington Cabernet (from an Oregon producer).  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust and a slight minty note.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has cassis, bell pepper and slight tobacco notes.  Some depth.  Still young but showing some evolution.  Nice finish.  This is a more traditional (not extracted) Cabernet that seems to speak of place.   It will improve with a bit of cellaring.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2014 Seven of Hearts GSM, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
85
Grade: 
B
Current Price: 
$24.00USD

From the Oregon producer comes an interesting GSM blend out of Washington.  The wine is aged ten and though still in the marketplace, the winery has closed it doors for retirement.  It is a blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre.  The color was quite light (about the same as their light colored Pinot), ruby, clear and bright.  The nose has some cherries with a touch of spice.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, there is some depth and complexity.  Cherry and earth.  Moderate finish.  I would have liked to taste this in its youth as I suspect its a bit past prime.  It was ha

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