Really dark purple color, impervious to light. The nose leans heavily on blackcurrants with a touch of spearmint of all things. It’s really unique and very nice. The initial attack is all dark fruits with some gripping tannins. Flavors of plum come out on the midpalate along with blackberries. The tannins are ever present. The finish is medium in length and the dryness of the tannins goes on forever. This wine will go the distance but can tackle some hearty meals right now. Really tasty- 91 points.  $36 if you can find it make this a 4 star effort.  Salut….

A rich opaque purple in the glass with a beautiful nose of Black and Blue berries. On the palate- very smooth, like buttah… A delicious mix of blue berry , cherry, and ginger spice. Fine grained tannins and a touch of acidity give this wine a great mouthfeel, easy to drink. This wine is made in a very elegant, understated style. The fruit is allowed to express itself, the tannins are not pumped up and the acidity is gentle yet balanced. Very delicious wine with medium term aging potential. Tonight I will pair it with Roasted Beef Tenderloin, probably the best cut for such a lithe wine that isn’t overly tannic. 90 points and 3 stars for this $24 effort. Salut….

One of my sons is 14 and ice-skates competitively in Synchro and Ice Dancing.  He has been with his Dance partner for just over 5 months and they qualified to go to the National Skating Championships this weekend in Kansas City.  They all left yesterday and I was supposed to join them today, Friday the 13th.  My flight cancelled and the weather is supposed to be horrendous out there.  Why do I mention all this?  Because his partner’s parents gave me this bottle of wine for Christmas, so it made sense for me to open it tonight in honor of the big weekend.

First off, this wine is a really dark purple- I can almost see extraction.  On the nose, really nice aromas of plum, black currant and olive strike out.  On the initial attack I get more plum, some really prominent tannins that give way to primal black fruits and a hint of the wood.  This wine is young but delicious.  The mid palate is where the tannins really take over and coat my whole mouth, perfect for Ribeye steak!  The finish is rather long and gives out some hints of berry jam, leather and still more lingering tannins.  The winemaker does a masterful job of hiding the 14.9% alcohol.  The acidity is perfectly balanced and this wine is ready for some cellar time.  By all means drink it now, but I think you will be rewarded with 4-5 years in the darkness.  Drink till 2028 and pair it with grilled meats, lamb stew or even a rustic wood oven fired Margherita pizza.  I am going with 92 points on this and for about $43 this is a 4 star wine.  I’m loving it!  Wish us luck this weekend and Salut….

An invite to my old college buddy’s house revealed this bad boy waiting to happen.  We started with a Merlot I had brought and moved into this one shortly thereafter.

Nearly black in the glass with a nose of black berries, black cherries and oak, but in a mild mannered way.  The initial attack is bold, bright and tannic.  Tons of dark fruit, cassis and espresso.  The mid palate is somewhat muted by the tannins which push through to the finish where they really shine.  The balance is slightly off between the acidity and fruit being overcome by the tannins- give this wine a few years in the cellar.  90 points from me which coincides with WS.  RP gave it 93 points, I can’t see that personally. Delicious wine but pricey at $60 per bottle make this a 3 star effort and worthy of cellaring for that special occasion.  It would rock a well marbled Ribeye, Leg of Lamb or in our case- homemade Meatballs in a Marinara sauce.  Salut….

I bought several bottles of the Cosentino Cabernet and really liked it.  This is a follow-up after three more years in cellar.

Another Napa Cabernet that I got to taste at the AMEX Centurion Lounge at SFO airport.  This one was a dazzler, but give it time.

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….