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

This is the little brother of Dominus (which was the Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year), so it was nice to try.  It was tasted completely blind.  My guess was a California GSM blend which I found interesting.  Not for being wrong, that happens a lot, but for how it tasted.  Purple in color, slight ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black licorice, black olives and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, lots of black cherry fruit, some black raspberries, black licorice and a bit of earthiness.  Good balance in a new world way.  Nice fin

A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc.  This was pop and pour and is, of course, young and really needs time or a decant.  That said, it is just an incredible wine!  Inky purple in color, shimmering bright and opaque.  The nose has cassis, cedar, blueberries, chocolate and slight spice.  Full bodied.  Lovely velvety yet sinewy texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is tight.  Cassis, black cherries, vanilla, and slight chocolate and char.  Deep.  Tight layers slowly unwind in the glass.  Long finish.  This needs another decade in a cellar and should dr

Shafer Hillside is a California First Growth.  They produce a lot, every year is amazing quality, and it has a long history.  I often say it is the Chateau Lafite Rothschild of Napa.  It is expensive but for the consistency and quality, it is fairly priced.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The expressive nose has cassis, cedar, vanilla, blueberries, and graphite.  Full bodied.   Great texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is concentrated.  Great energy.  Complex and depth.  Flavors of cassis, blueberries and slight vanilla.  Long finish.  This is still youn

Any time one gets a chance to drink Screaming Eagle it is a treat.  The definition of a Cult Napa Cabernet.  It is not a particularly big wine but more on the Bordeaux-esque side of Napa styles.  At age 13, this one is still young but getting closer to maturity and has shed its baby fat.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  Those is wonderful with cassis, black cherries, smoke, cedar and sandalwood.  Medium tannins.  Not quite elegant, but not a muscular wine either.  On the palate, black cherries, cassis, cedar and slight leather notes.  Long finish.  This is delicious. 

Mending Wall is yet another winery utilizing Thomas Rivers Brown and his team and the wines are outstanding.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, some cassis, and baking spice.  Full bodied.  Voluptuous texture.  Firm but silky tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black cherries and cassis with some spice and slight black pepper.  Good energy.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but will undoubtedly improve over the next seven to ten years.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with meat (or veggies

This is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is expressive with cassis, black cherries, dark chocolate and slight coffee.  Full bodied.  Rich texture with great balance.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is complex and layered.  Flavors of cassis, black cherries and chocolate with underlying char.  Long finish.  This is drinking fantastic right now but should still improve over the next five to ten years.  It should drink well for twenty more years after that.  Great on its own, this will nee

This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, and 13% Petite Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with cassis, black cherries, cigar box, vanilla and slight smoke.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  Deep, it unwinds in the glass.  Light tannins.  Nots of cassis, cherries with some vanilla and a hint of char.  This wine comes off as much more elegant than their Cabernet and more seamless.  Some of that is the vintage as the 2017's are generally drinking earlier.  That said, this wine should drin

This is a serious Napa Cab that should be on your radar if you love Napa Cabs.  It is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with the rest Cabernet Franc.  Eighteen percent of the Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from vineyards in Oakville and Yountville with the remaining coming from Ehlers Estate grown fruit.  It is middle of the road in style, not a bruiser but not shy either.  14.5 abv.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, chocolate, baking spices and cedar.  Full bodied.  Velvety texture that is lovely.  Medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, black cherries,

Tasted from Magnum.  The last note on this vintage, posted on this site was 100 points back in 2018.  This may have been better as it is really hitting its stride. Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is amazing with cassis, blueberries, licorice, cedar, and spice.  Deep with light tannins.  On the palate, this is complex.  Lots of black cherry and cassis fruit.  Underlying minerality and slight smoke.  Wonderful lush texture.

This is a blend of 97% Syrah with 3% Petite Sirah.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight but opens after about an hour.  Spice, black raspberries, some smoke along with roasted meats and herbs and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Has a bit more elegance than prior vintages perhaps due to less Petite Sirah?  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with underlying char and earth.  Some black pepper, too.  Nice finish.  This may still improve a bit and while it drinks well now, it may be worth cellaring for another three to seven years.  Either way, it will drink we