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Firefly Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Stephanie 2012, Coombsville, California

11 Monday May 2026

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Deep ruby, inky, opaque… with slight staining, and a high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe blackberry, cassis, black plum, mint, oak, smoke, licorice, acai berry, and alcohol.  It’s quite potent.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins that are melding into a powdery texture.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of dark berries, blackcurrant jam, mint, oak nuance and licorice.  The heat is noticeable on the back end.  The finish, whilst a bit hot, is medium in length and laced with dark fruit and silky tannins.  I like this wine’s flavor but the alcohol is out of balance, it takes over the nose and the palate and costs the score a point or two.  It retails for around $65.  I give it 91 points, which makes it a 4 star effort in my books.  Drink till 2035 with a hearty steak or braised beef dish.  Salut….

Firefly Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Stephanie

Firefly Vineyards Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Napa Valley, California

29 Wednesday Apr 2026

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Deep ruby colored, with slight staining, and a high viscosity (14.8% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of blackberry jam, cassis, eucalyptus, mint, oak, smoke, leather, tobacco, black plum, baking spice, and vanilla.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a full body, and medium (+) tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors echo the nose and finish on a long note.  The potent alcohol is well masked, so buyer beware.  The ripeness of the fruit is evident and very rich but starting to meld into the background whilst the tertiary development is beginning.  The silky nature of this wine is very alluring, a rather heavy yet seductive mouthfeel. 92 points from me for this aged bottle, pricing is unknown.  Drink with a hearty steak over the next decade.   Salut….

Firefly Vineyards Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

Caldwell Vineyard Society of Smugglers Chardonnay 2017, Coombsville, California

30 Friday Jun 2023

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Deep lemon colored with medium viscosity legs (13.5% ABV).  It looks brooding and ready to deliver a mouthful.  On the nose- intense aromas of pineapple, lemon pith, melon, soursop, fennel, almond skin and orange blossom.  It is very complex, unique and has piqued my interest.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a full body.  Layers of exotic tropical fruit intertwined with some fresh citrus coupled with green herbs and florals.  It’s somewhat tart on the mid palate after the introduction of ripe fruit- the acidity keeping this big boy fresh and lively.  I’m very curious as to the oak treatment, if any and the lack of any butter notes by way of Malolactic fermentation.  I could have sworn that visually this was going to be an oaky, buttery Napa chard- alas I was wrong.  It is light-footed with great structure and finesse.  The finish is long and refreshing, making me go back for another sip whilst the acidity is making my mouth water.  Beautiful stuff, 94 points from me and for $65 from the winery mailing list- it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2030, we are pairing ours with fresh Vietnamese rolls.  Ps. Check out the coordinates on the cork, nice touch.  Salut….