2016 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon The Reserve To-Kalon Vineyard, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$105.00USD

Always great to try one of these!  Still one of the better Cabs coming out of Napa.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar and spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has cassis with slight cedar notes and underlying spice and char.  It is still tight and young but already drinking well.  Ideally, it could us another five to  ten years in the cellar, but otherwise give it plenty of air.  It has a nice complexity that unwinds in the glass.  Great on its own, this would be classic with a steak, but would be great as well with a bowl of hearty c

2018 Opus One, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$380.00USD

This bottle had been opened at 9:00 am for serving around 7:00 pm.  It wasn't enough, so it got decanted around 6:30.  Still was quite tight so it was left to sit in the glass for another hour where it eventually opened up.  This bottle needs time.  A 24 hour decant might not be out of line at this point.  This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, slight earthiness, graphite, chocolate and slight roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Lovely texture.  On the palat

2006 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2006
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$265.00USD

This bottle was opened and allowed to breathe for 30 minutes.  Great showing.  At age 17, this is just getting to peak and really firing on all cylinders.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is impressive with cassis, leather, slight damp earth, graphite and char.  Complex and deep.  It makes you take notice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Seamless texture.  On the palate, cassis, plums with char.  Complex and layered.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is fantastic on its own and will work well with all sorts of meat dishes.  It went well also with a pasta prima vera.  Drink

2017 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$549.00USD

One of the hottest wines in Napa right now, and it is scarce, so it is always a pleasure to open a bottle.  In most vintages, this is a lay down for ten years minimum, but 2017 is a bit more ready to drink young.  Pop and pour, this was singing from the start.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, chocolate, black licorice and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Slightly softer texture but with great balance.  On the palate, juicy black cherries, cassis and slight cocoa notes.  Deep and concentrated, it unwinds in the glass.  Long finish.  This is you

2018 Detert Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Oakville, USA, California, Napa, WIne Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$140.00USD

Detert makes some of the best Cabernet Franc in California.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, cassis, fresh tobacco, spice and slight mocha note.  Full bodied.  Wonderful lush texture.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is young with firm tannins.  Loads of black cherry fruit (although certainly not a fruit bomb), along with some cassis and some underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  It really unwinds over a few hours.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  Great on its own, this will work well earthy dishes s

2019 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$100.00USD

This continues to be the best value in the Bevan catalog.  Perhaps a little behind the single vineyard wines in quality.  Perhaps not.  It is expensive but half the price of those.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, cedar, baking spices and slight dark chocolate.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  This is obviously young, so decant for a few hours if drinking now.  On the palate, it is lush with loads of cassis, some chocolate and spices.  Deep.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is probably better on its own right now, but that will change as it ages.  Drink over

2019 Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Napa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$120.00USD

Of course, this is the "It" wine right now as it was just named the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year.  It proved to be love or hate at a recent tasting with many rating it as their favorite and a few putting it closer to the bottom.  Of course, even the later voters thought it was a fine wine overall.  It also proved pretty easy to pick out blind as most or the group was able to.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has a strong cotton candy note (others said sweet tarts or "Smarties) along with some cassis.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palat

2016 Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$72.00USD

Very nice showing for this Cab.  This is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% each of Malbec and Petite Verdot.  Deep purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, plums, chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, plums, and black cherries.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This is drinking well although it may still improve a bit.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  Great on its own but will work well with bigger foods.  It should be great with a really good burger.

Robert Mondavi 2018 The Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$85.00USD

The name is legendary. Mondavi. Therefore you expect something terrific when you open the bottle, and this does not disappoint. The wine opens with mature dark fruit of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, boysenberry and plum with tight and dusty tannin and good acidity. This needs some time to open up and accounting for at least 30 minutes would be a good idea. It’s definitely balanced between the oak program and the fruit, something Robert Mondavi no doubt would be proud of.

2015 Screaming Eagle The Flight, USA, California, Napa, Oakville, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
96
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$900.00USD

This is Screaming Eagle's Merlot based wine.  This year the blend is 61% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.  It is still young and tight and took some time to open.  That said, it was delicious. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, dark chocolate, violets and a bit of earthiness.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has a lush texture.  Black cherries and cherries with some chocolate and char.  Great balance.  Long finish.

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