Tag Archives: Napa

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversay 2012

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

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I went in to a wine store this past weekend looking for a special bottle for a friend’s 50th party.  This was one of the ‘gifts’ we took and managed to drink.  It is a special anniversary bottling and my first experience with this winery.  I must say I enjoyed the wine, it is very much a Napa style, but very approachable young.  It started with blackberry pie and blue berries on the nose.  Very smooth tannins and balanced acidity were my first impression of the structure with delicious berries and dark fruits opening the show.  On the mid palate is where I got plums and nutmeg with some chocolate and cassis.  A strange yet compelling combination.  The 14.6% alcohol barely showed itself and the whole package was very balanced and certainly drinkable.  The wine is ready now and will go for another 10 years easily.  I would guess this wine to be a 91 pointer in my opinion and for the $55 price tag, it’s worthy of 3 stars.  We drank it before dinner as an aperitif but it would also pair well with grilled meats and some gratin potatoes.  I’m still learning about Napa cabs and this is certainly a nice way to enter the foray.  Salut….

caymus napa valley cabernet sauvignon anniversary edition

Merryvale Merlot 2007, revisited

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Back in January I discovered two bottles of this Napa Merlot blend.  I opened the first and was horrified by the state of the cork. I wrote about the wine and promised a re-taste.  Yesterday was our first real day of Spring weather, so I got the patio sorted out, cleaned the Weber and decided to open the Merryvale to go along with marinated Flank steak.  It was a glorious evening and a great precursor to the Game of Thrones season opener, bliss.

I was right, this is a damn good wine.  Forget what you saw in the movies, Merlot is a great wine and so is Chardonnay.  Merlot is highly adaptable, smooth, makes a good blend and has the stuffing to cellar for years.  It offers a softer side to Cabernet Sauvignon but has the grace to make it’s own name (Think Chateau Petrus plus the majority of St. Emilions and Right Bank of Bordeaux.)  It is blended in the this bottling with a touch of two other noble grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

I immediately got plums and currants on the nose which is way better than the last bottle.  A full bodied attack of black berries and plums was simply delicious.  This wine is rich and gorgeous with great tannins rounding out the damson and earth finish.  Good acidity give this wine the balance I was hoping for along with the great mouthfeel.  I’m bumping it up to 91 points and for $46 it is a 4 star effort.  Salut….

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Spring, glorious spring....

Spring, glorious spring….

Artisan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2010

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

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The label says ‘By Artesa’ but I could not find out much about this wine except I know what I paid for it and what it retails for, $50 or so.

It’s a young vibrant Napa Cab with not much going on right now.  I believe it is hibernating and waiting to explode in about 2 years time.  For now, the structure is in place awaiting some bottle age to allow the various components to meld and the fruit to re-appear.  I managed to coax Plum Torte and wild flowers out of it, but the nose was very muted.  Young and vibrant tannins are all you will get right now with some bracing acidity.  I would cellar this bad boy for a few years and look at it in 2016 at the earliest.  Potentially a 90 point wine, but I am no expert at this.  For the price, a 3 star wine with potential to go up, it’s just a matter of time.  Salut….

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Merryvale Merlot Napa Valley 2007

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

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Several points about this wine.  Firstly, I don’t remember buying it, or the second bottle I found in my ‘to drink’ rack.  Perhaps one of my mates brought them over for Thanksgiving when I was not here yet Moxie has no recollection of this occurring.  Oh well, free booze is free booze.

Secondly, the cork on bottle #1 was badly stained, never a good sign.  I sliced the second one open to see, it is safe.  So…. I will write based on the fact that I suspect this wine to be flawed, which is a shame considering it’s heritage, reputation and price.

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As you can see, pretty grim on the left side.  I shall endeavor to open the other one soon so I have a fresh recollection.   Anyway, back to the details.  Mostly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make this more of a Right Bank blend which excites me.  The wine is inky dark in the glass and unfortunately had a slightly oxidized nose of plums and blackberry.  On the palate I was in for a surprise.  The wine had survived nearly intact.  Big juicy black berries and dark plums with a deft addition of the wood and some spices make this a full-on wine of great depth.  The tannic structure is great with some dryness on the back end, right where it should be. I did not sense any imbalance but did notice a slight oxidized note on the finish.  I am lucky this bottle showed so well, now if only I could find it’s source!  I am giving a provisional 90 points and found it online for about $46.  Potentially a 4 star wine for me, we shall have to wait for the re-taste to confirm.  Salut….

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Valley Gate Vineyards Chardonnay Versada Vineyards 2010

09 Saturday Nov 2013

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I tasted this wine before, in July and really did not get to grips with it.  I vowed to wait until re-tasting before I wrote about it.

Honey yellow in the glass it immediately gave up some citrus and pineapple on the nose.  Beautiful mouthfeel with vanilla, butterscotch, lemons and pineapple come through again on the mid palate.  Sharp acidity is making my mouth pucker slightly and the finish is long on this one.  I am really enjoying this wine and think it would absolutely rock a Salmon with dill butter and boiled new potatoes.  The balance is correct and the wine rocks.  I have a few more in cellar and will drink them sparingly for the next 4 years.  Rather pricy at $40 but a terrific Napa Chardonnay.  When compared to equivalent white Burgundy- a veritable steal for this 90 point wine.  I reckon 4 stars and if you like Chard, give it a go.  Salut….

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Cosentino ‘The Poet’ 2009

22 Monday Jul 2013

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This is my 300th post so I planned ahead and saved something special to write about.  I’ll explain later how and where I got this bottle, meanwhile…

When I took the first sniff, I could almost smell purple.  Weird, yet delightful.  This wine is a Meritage, meaning it is a blended wine made up of the Bordeaux varietals- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  The flavor profile is unlike Bordeaux, more New World and fruitier.  This wine was exceptionally smooth and the tannic structure was impeccable.  I timed the finish for over a minute- amazing.  On the palate, purple fruits galore, with a shaving of oak to balance it out.  Plums, blackberries, dark cherries and the lot.  Complex and deep, this is a show-stopping wine.  Albeit a Meritage, it lacked Old World nuances like leather and cassis, relying on it’s own terroir to provide such crisp fruit outlines.  The main players are 62% Cab Sav, providing the backbone while the 30% Cab Franc gives it the finesse.  The wine is open for business and will last at least 10-15 years.  94 points and 5 stars.

IMG_2217How and where…. Moxie and I were on our way to Bali for our 20th anniversary and our friend’s wedding.  We decided to stop in Napa for a visit before crossing the ocean.  Our flight departed Washington, and returned.  We eventually left 6 hours later and missed our whole Napa adventure, save the delightful dinner and wine on the terrace of the Westin Napa.  In the morning, Moxie was showering when I checked the status of our flight to Hong Kong, alas a 6 hour delay, now leaving in the evening versus lunchtime.  We took the opportunity to drive up the Silverado Trail and down the other side of the valley, only stopping at one winery- Cosentino.  It was 10 am and they had just opened.  Moxie was in no mood to swill wine at such an hour, and I was legally obliged not to allow alcohol to touch my lips (you’ll see why later).  Anyway, the staff at the winery were super friendly, full of advice and sent us on our way with this offering.  I was planning to open it in Bali, but never had the right opportunity, hence I saved it for this moment.

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Moxie getting a ride on my flight

Moxie getting a ride on my flight

Balinese sunrise

Balinese sunrise

Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay 2011

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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Moxie and I traveled to Bali for a wedding, via Napa Valley.  We ended up getting delayed on our arrival and missed out on winery visits, but the hotel had a beautiful terrace where we ordered this bottle to enjoy as an aperitif.  Very young, and served from 375 ml, this was definitely a treat.  Not too oaky or buttery, it was slightly more austere.  Great apple meets lemon on the nose traversed to the palate where it was smoothly mixed with some butterscotch on the back end.  Reminiscent of Burgundy, I sensed very aligned acidity, yet not razor sharp.  There is a time and a place for that kind of component.  This wine was very balanced and smooth.  I enjoyed my glass immensely and would highly recommend it for a pre-dinner drink, but it would pair amazingly with some poached salmon and boiled new potatoes.  I’m guessing this wine has at least 10 years in it and would be interesting to watch it’s development.  At $36 per bottle on average, you are getting what you pay for here.  Quality Napa Chardonnay at a fair price.  4 stars, 90 points….

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BV Tapestry Reserve ’07

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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My second go at this wine and the initial impression is-wait. Too young, and a bit awkward. With a high 93 point rating from the big boys, I have yet to see it evolve beyond a highly alcoholic beast. Lurking are some brooding tannins, which hold this wine high as the more it matures, the better it’s gonna get. A Meritage ( blend of Cab Sav, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot), it mimics Bordeaux wine in composition using very ripe California fruit, hence the whopping 14.9% alcohol that hits the nose, the palate and the rest. I think with time, the tannins will subdue this wine and meld all the pieces together. Right now, lots of blueberry is coming on the initial and mid-palate. It will be interesting to see where the secondary flavors steer this wine. I am thinking it has a 5 star potential, but at this point- sit still. Cellar it until 2015 at the earliest and then see. Not too shabby and holding out for better years.

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Burgess ’96

17 Friday Feb 2012

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I once bought 6 bottles of this Napa Cabernet and was so blown away, I couldn’t wait to get more.  Alas, they were all out.  So, I moved on with my life and ended up buying several different vintages, pining for just one more bottle of this nectar.  Well, as luck would have it, I came across a deal and snapped up two cases.  Being the generous kinda guy I am,  one went to my neighbor, one to a friend, and we opened a few this past week.  Showing a slight ‘bricking’ in the glass tells me this wine is nearing it’s “sell-by” date.  The nose is amazing; tobacco, dark fruit and cassis.  Tasted blind, you would swear it was a Bordeaux.  With over 16 years on it, she’s still holding on, barely.  The secondary flavors are in full force, the tannins, receding.  The balance I remembered from previous bottles was slightly amiss.  Not sure what was happening there.  Instant gratification is all I can say when I open one of these.  A remarkable wine that I will say was one of the first Napa Cabs that really did it for me.  Must run, the other bottles are waiting for a decant- which I did not do for the first bottle.  Almost forgot- 5 Stars!  Perhaps a 93 pointer if you are into that kinda thing.

burgess cellars 1996

gritty wine

The need to decant

Ilona ’05

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

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I’ve had several bottles of this fine Cali Cab. Today, however- pure delight. The fruit is way up there, the tannins are super smooth and the mid and end- palate are full. From the sniff, first attack and initial impression: this is a good wine. Five minutes after a taste, I find myself salivating again and retasting the wine- how bizarre yet cool. Did I mention the tannins? Probably some of the finest on the market- just singing along with the choir. Each technical component is balanced here folks. I’m giving it 5 stars, a potential 94 point score and a must try in the Cali Cab arena.

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