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

2016 Saxum James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Win Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$175.00USD

This is a blend of 55% Grenache, 24% Mourvèdre, 13% Syrah, and 8% Counoise.  No doubt in a few years this merits a 100 score.  Right now, it is very young, and although amazing, it needs time to come together.  Inky purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and floral notes.  Full bodied.  This wine is a bruiser!  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, gobs of black raspberries, black cherries with some black pepper and nice underlying minerality.  Long finish.  No harm drinking now but another five years of cellaring

2005 Saxum James Berry Vineyard, USA, California, Paso Robles, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2022
Grade: 

It had been a while since I tasted this.  At age 17, it is still youthful and vibrant!  This bottle had been purchased from a Napa retailer relatively recently.  A blend of 71% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, and 10% Grenache.  Inky purple in color, starting to show just a hint of browning at the rim.  The nose has black raspberries, bacon fat, white pepper, with roasted meats and herbs.  Great texture; soft but explicit if that makes sense.  Light on its  feet.  On the palate, black raspberries, black pepper, slight salinity, and crushed rock.  Long finish.  Complex and delicious.  This is drinking

2016 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
99
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$295.00USD

Wow.  Stunning wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with coffee, cassis, blueberries, spice and graphite.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  This is a really big wine, but it has that lightness and deftness that belie its size.  Great velvety texture.  On the palate, cassis, coffee, blueberries and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  It is still young and will no doubt be a 100 point wine in a few years.  No harm opening now, but waiting three or four years will be rewarded.  Drink over the next twenty years.  It will need big food to match with such as Standing Rib R

2012 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2012
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+

This is a riper Cab especially for 2012.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, baking spices, char, and slight blueberries.  Full bodied.  Tannic.  Great balance and texture.  On the palate coffee and cassis with underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is drinking well now but should continue to mature.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  A nice match with Filet Mignon.

Spottswoode 2021 Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$45.00USD

There’s a certain comfort in knowing that when you open a Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, regardless of vintage, it will always be excellent. I have had many vintages of this wine and the consistency of its excellence is borderline improbable – and yet they nail it year after year. The ’21 offers that beautiful crisp nose of lemon meringue, lime kefir, honeysuckle, guava and red delicious apple. That follows through on the palate along with light plum, crème brulee, toasted brioche and Asian pear.

2010 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$335.00USD

Great showing for this wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black olives, smoke and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black raspberries, black cherries, slight chocolate, spice and slight underlying forest floor.  Not yet at peak but getting there.  A slight bitter cherry note on the finish is interesting.  This is great on its own and very food friendly for heavier foods.  This would go great with Lamb Chops but also grilled Portobellos.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  

2013 Realm Cellars The Falstaff, USA, California, Napa, Rutherford, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2013
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$425.00USD

This is a blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 42% Merlot, and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Impressive showing.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight at first but opens to show black cherries, cherries, chocolate, and brown tobacco.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Wonderful velvety texture.  On the palate, this is delicious with black cherries, iodine, blueberries and crushed leaves.  Complex.  Still not fully mature but getting there.  Long finish.  No harm opening now, but another five to eight years and this might get a 100 score.  Great on its own, it will take big food right

2001 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Éloge

Vintage: 
2001
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.  It was given some air prior to serving and double decanted back into the bottle which seemed about right.  Ruby/purple in color, opaque if a bit flat.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cassis, slight cigar box and a bit of spice.  The tannins are all resolved.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries.  Some depth.

2015 Macauley Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$200.00USD

Tasted blind. This is a blend of 97% To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% To Kalon Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with cassis, coffee and slight bell pepper. Full bodied. Not super ripe but not unripe. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, cherries, black cherries, slightly bitter with some underlying char. Moderate depth and complexity. This is drinking well now and should continue for ten to twelve years. It drinks well on its own and will work nicely with roasted meat or fowl.

2015 Promontory Penultimate, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$445.00USD

Promontory is a wine "designed" to be ready on release while waiting on its big brother Promontory Red Wine to mature.  It is a Cabernet based proprietary blend.  A stunning wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, chocolate, blueberries, spice and slight char.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, the first sip grabs your palate's attention.  Black raspberries, blueberries, chocolate, and spice.  This sure seems to need more time in the cellar (depending how you like your wine), but it is delicious today.  It should drink well for twenty more years.  Great on its own,

Pages