I have not visited the American Express Centurion Lounge at San Francisco airport in two months but the bartenders remembered me and offered up some special tastings. This was one of them, and boy was it good.

Expressive nose of dark fruits and cola.  Plums and black tea fight with the tannins for control of the initial attack.  The mid palate shows off more dark fruits that tail off with some herbs and oak on the mid length finish.  This wine needs another 2 years in cellar to really shine. Drink 2018-2025 with pretty much any grilled meat dish.  90 points from me and 4 stars for this yummy $34 bottle.  Salut….

A college friend moved to our area last year and we have been trying to meet up more than just once every six months, so when he suggested bringing over some vino and charcuterie on a beautiful Saturday afternoon….  I lit the outdoor fire and cleared the patio.

First up was this gem from Napa.  Relatively young, I figured it could use decanting.  We drank it with various cold meets and cheeses and talked of the old days.  It was a fun afternoon and the wine certainly made it a memorable experience.  I did not take notes but am relying on my memory.

Color was textbook and the nose had plum, dark fruits and a hint of oak.  On the palate, super smooth.  If nothing else, this wine glides like buttah.  A rounded mouthfeel full of more dark plum and black berries.  The tannins were very integrated and not drying.  Either the decanting really did the trick or the wine is very stealthy with hiding them.  A balanced acidity make this wine very easy to drink now, but I think it will cellar well for a few years (Say till 2022).  Our pairing was excellent with the cold cuts but think this wine will be great with a fall dish like Osso Bucco, Coq au Vin or even Venison stew.  I’m liking it a bunch and will go 90 points on this $42 offering.  3 stars and worthy of splashing out with good friends.  Salut…

Every July 4th we drive to visit friends in North Carolina.  It’s a huge party with loads of drinking, grilling, golfing and family fun.  I usually take a few bottles, this year it was a Magnum of my Naughty Dragon and a 2004 Rioja from Miros, also in Magnum.  When we arrived, our host was quick to point out two bottles of the 2013 Caymus he had purchased for that evening’s Shish Kebabs.  I was excited as we had drunk the 2012 Caymus last year and really enjoyed my initial foray into some serious Napa Cabs. This vintage was no exception.

Rich hues of purple in the glass, as is expected. Nose of (eucalyptus perhaps?), dark fruits and some blueberry hints. First off, this wine has gorgeous tannins straight up. The fruit follows, with plum, black kirsch, cassis and nutmeg. Typical Napa Cab: bold, layered, tannic and fruity. This one drinks nicely now and will evolve over the next 10 years. I think it merits 91 points and offers a perfect pairing to shish kebabs, a juicy ribeye or perhaps some lamb stew.  The pro’s were much more impressed.  RP gave it 94 while WS gave it a 92, perhaps explaining the price bump all the way up to $72 and the fact that most shops are sold out.  This is a good, solid pedigree from Napa that keeps delivering and is not overly pricy in the grand scheme of special bottles.  I will go with 3 stars.  Salut….

I wrote about this Artisan Napa Cab in March of 2016, recommending a two year cellaring before it came out of it’s tannic, fruitless shell.  I was right.  I opened this sleeper to find it has truly come out and is ready to drink.  Purple plums, black cherry and a cedar note all came out on the nose and palate.  The tannins are on pointe, sleek and just present.  The first time I tried this wine they overtook all the fruit and drowned out the wine’s flavor, now they complement the mouthfeel and make this a really smooth wine, not overly dry nor flat.  Acidity is just perceptible and balances out the tannins nicely.  A long finish of plum and cola made me long for more.  I initially rated this as a potential 90 point wine, but now that it has emerged, I’m going 91 points.  It’s still a 3 star wine due to the $50 entry fee, but don’t be shy if you see it on a menu or in the shops, it is really delicious.  Salut….