Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Another wine wholeheartedly enjoyed in the company of team #mywinesociety—the 2013 Silver Oak Alexander Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec, all from the same sub-appellation. It’s plummy, but quickly opens to reveal subtler notes of cassis, kirsch, sandalwood and vanilla bean paste. On entry, juicy black fruit is […]
Prophecy Wines California Pinot Noir 2015
As a former student of design, I am ever drawn into a label series with thoughtful, enchanting imagery—such is the case with the Prophecy collection, it’s bottlings span several continents and I have been perhaps slightly more enamored with the whites and the rosé than the reds. That said, this 2015 California Pinot Noir is […]
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
A decade on the 2008 Alexander Valley Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon has developed nicely—it’s spent 24 months in barrel with another 15 months of bottle conditioning prior to release. Red currant, sweet red cherries, cassis, loamy soil, cinnamon bark, and vanilla bean anoint the nose. For a Sonoma Cabernet, it’s lighter in style, and medium-bodied. […]
Onward Pétillant Naturel Malvasia Bianca Capp-Inn Ranch 2017
One of my favorite wines sampled at the My Wine Society – Feast it Forward Grand Opening, Onward’s 2017 Pétillant Naturel Malvasia Bianca is a slightly hazy shade of sunbleached straw, with a nebulous, delicate mousse as one might expect. Lemon biscuit, d’Anjou pear, yellow apple, honeysuckle, and jasmine gives way to a vein of […]
Heritance Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Plush without being over the top, classic notes of black currants, black cherries, plums, vanilla bean and incense round out the nose. The 2014 Heritance Cabernet Sauvignon is modern and moderate in character, it feels slightly cautious. Like a four-door sedan, it’s not a risk-taker by any means, this is the family car of Napa […]
Murrieta’s Well Dry Rosé 2016
Rosé for Valentines Day? Yes, why not. The 2016 Murrieta’s Well Dry Rosé is an excellent candidate. Composed of 55% estate-grown Grenache and 45% Counoise, it’s a pretty shade of orangey-pink salmon and delivers lifted aromas of bruised peach, Queen Anne’s cherries, melon, baking spice.Medium-bodied and crisp, the palate is awash in red berries and […]
Aubert Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2007
Now a decade on, the 2007 Aubert Sonoma Coast Chardonnay slowly unfurls to reveal lemon curd, poached pear, and baked apple notes, couched in mellow and toasty tones of salted butter, brioche, caramel, and vanilla. Nice delineation on the palate, where voluptuous spiced orchard fruit is neatly intersected by a firm acidic spine and beautifully […]
Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay 2015
A suffusion of smokey minerals, creme brûlée, toasted coconut flake, mandarin and grilled pineapple. Talbott’s 2015 Kali Hart Chardonnay is made from the winery’s Sleepy Hollow estate vineyard, a hillside parcel that is relatively close to the Pacific Ocean—where cool maritime breezes lend a moderating effect. The effect of this microclimate on the palate is […]
William Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
A winery that narrowly avoided last October’s fire, William Hill Estate has been turning out solid Napa Valley Cabernets for more than thirty years. The 2013 vintage is opaque in the glass with a violet to the edge to the rim. Dusty blackberries, plums, and black currants with a decidedly savory edge. In the mouth, […]
Murrieta’s Well The Whip 2015
“Murietta’s Well is a partnership between Philip Wente and Sergio Traverso, the two revitalized the estate and gravity flow winery in 1990 and released The Spur and The Whip in 2010 to commemorate the winery’s 20th anniversary. A blend of 33% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Semillon, 21% Chardonnay, and 12% Orange Muscat, the 2015 Whip is […]