1985 Diamond Creek - Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (94 pts)

ℹ️ The wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Petit Verdot from the Volcanic Hill single vineyard in Diamond Mountain AVA of Napa Valley, California. The vines were planted in 1968 on ashy soil of the south-facing hillside estate vineyard. The wines were aged in 💯 new French oak.

👁 Deep ruby color with a pale garnet rim. Incredibly youthful appearance.

👃 An expressive nose that didn't show its true potential until the end of a long evening. The nose started with ripe to overripe black fruit and pen ink, but with air showed rosemary, lavender, pen ink, sweet baking spices, and dried leaves.

👄 The palate is dry, high acidity, medium+ brawny tannins, moderate alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. The palate had a ton of primary fruit that was ripe but not jammy. Quite dense and mouth coating but quickly cut by the beautiful acidity. Medium+ length finish of black fruit, garrigue, and integrated oak spice.

🔔 When will the Diamond Creek wines from the 80s be ready? Well, no one really knows exactly. If you get a well-stored bottle like this one, don't be afraid to decant it or open it a day in advance. The Volcanic Hill started as my least favorite wine of the trio, and by the end of the night, it was challenging the Dominus. These wines are almost impossible to catch at their peak due to their backward nature. Yes, yes, it was beautiful, but the patience required to enjoy these wines in the modern era is almost inconceivable. I haven't had a young Diamond Creek in ages, but it seems like I should be drinking their wines from the 70s now.

 1985 Diamond Creek - Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (94

🍷 What was the last wine where you thought wine critics missed the mark?

ℹ️ The wine is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, all from Napanook Vineyard in Napa Valley, California. The wine spent ~18 months in French oak barrels with 20% new oak. The wine was bottle aged an additional 2 years before being released.

👁 Deep garnet color with a pale rim. It was not showing as much age as I would have thought for 36 years of age.

👃 Very Express on the nose showing a combination of ripe and dried black cherry, blackcurrant, and blackberry. Loads of development showing sweet tobacco, well-worn leather jacket, cedar, and forest floor.

👄 The palate is dry, medium+ acidity, moderate ripe, chewy tannins, well-balanced alcohol (13.4%), and medium+ body. This wine is on another level on the palate with a silky smooth texture, wonderfully seamless from beginning to end, and a long lingering finish.

🔔 Only the third vintage of Dominus Estate, firing on all cylinders at 36 years of age. 1985 Dominus is now at its peak, but it should hang here for another decade. This wine blew away the top Châteaux in 1985 in our tasting, but 1985 is a better vintage in Napa than Bordeaux. This wine didn't see much critical acclaim when initially reviewed. To be fair, the wine must have been very tightly wound in its youth. Stunning wine! 👏👏👏

 1985 Dominus Estate (95 pts) @dominusestatewinery 🍷 What

 So what’s your decision? …simple… #decisions #redorwhite

2004 Corley Family - Proprietary Red Wine (81 pts)

- Deep ruby color. Medium+ intensity on the nose. First off getting some heat from the alcohol on the nose. Aromas of cooked blueberry, cooked black plum, prune, oak, char, and tobacco. The wine is dry, medium acidity, high alcohol that is a bit distracting, high tannins that are bitter, and full body. The oak notes dominate the palate. Flavors of oak, clove, cardamom, prunes, and cooked black fruits. Finish is medium- length which lingers with spice, heat, and bitterness. This is not well put together. The blend is 61% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, and 6% Syrah. I have yet to find a Cabernet Franc from Napa that really resonates for me. This wine is a bit disjointed.

 2004 Corley Family - Proprietary Red Wine (81 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is a Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley, California. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. 2001 is the first vintage for Winemaker, Michael Silacci. After harvest, the grapes macerated on their skins for 32 days. The wine was aged for 17 months in new French oak·

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of blackcurrant jam, black cherry, black plum, dried leaves, oak, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, thyme, semi-sweet cocoa powder, and nutmeg·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ ripe tannins, high alcohol (14.2%), and medium+ body. A medium+ length finish of dark chocolate covered cherries and nutmeg spice·

🔔 This wine is not showing much age with its appearance or on the palate. It is bold and ripe, rather fruit-forward. The nose is quite charming, and the mouthfeel is silky. I will say that the palate comes across as sweeter and riper than the nose. Still a healthy amount of tannins and good acidity for structure, that should continue to hold for some time. I would have expected a bit more development, but this is still very fruit-driven. Overall, a riper vintage and quite extracted, but not bombastic like some wines in Napa. I preferred some of the other vintages in the lineup ·

 2001 Opus One - Napa Valley (92 pts) @opusonewinery  · ℹ️

Mayacamas Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting

🎙 On Wednesday, May 20th, at 5:00 pm  PST

 We will be discussing what makes Mayacamas wines so age-worthy. Mayacamas has been making long-lived wines since 1889. The wines of Mayacamas are so old school that they are now the new school and being rediscovered by another generation·

🍷 We will be tasting the 2007 Mayacamas Chardonnay and the 2004 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon. The iconic label has not changed since the 1940s. The wines rarely see new oak and almost exclusively aged in large neutral casks·

 Mayacamas Instagram Live Interview and Virtual Tasting 🎙 On

Blind Tasting - Double Blind. The Huet demi-sec was easy to detect and wonderful to drink. The Wittman Rheinhessen riesling was interesting with a ripping acidity. Darioush Chard was slathered in oak, but still enjoyable. I clearly do not drink enough Australia 2.0 wines as I was blown away by the quality of the John Duval Grenache and dumbfounded by origin. Felton Road Pinot Noir with spices, clearly new world and high pedigree. Tablas Creek Syrah was so different than what I would have imagined and I never would have guessed the origin.

 Blind Tasting - Double Blind. The Huet demi-sec was easy to

2017 Quintessa -  Rutherford Red (93 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯estate fruit from the Quintessa estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California. The wine is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Carmenére, and 1% Petit Verdot. The property has been farmed organically since it started in 1989 and switched to Biodynamic Viticulture in 1996. The 130 acres of vines are broken down into 26 blocks matching the contour of the land. Blocks are broken down even further when harvest decisions are made and vinified separately. Hand-harvested, native yeast fermentation, and an average of 22 days of skin maceration. Aged for 22 months on French oak barrels with 76% new oak. Through blind tasting trials, the wines are blended to form one estate wine·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry, oak, smoke, cedar, spearmint, lavender, thyme, dark chocolate, vanilla, and clove·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, high grippy ripe tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and full body. A medium+ length finish of blackberry, cocoa powder, and baking spices·

🔔 This wine was tasted with the winemaker, Rebekah Wineburg, during an Instagram Live session. The 2017 vintage is quite good now, but with additional cellaring, it will improve. The oak is a bit more obvious than the 2016 at the moment, potentially due to a slightly higher percentage of new oak, differences in fruit concentration of the vintage, or simply an extra year in bottle. Regardless this will integrate with time. Extremely well made and built to last, if you can wait your patience will be rewarded·

 2017 Quintessa -  Rutherford Red (93 pts) @quintessawinery

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 estate fruit from Seavey Vineyard in Napa Valley, California. The wine is 💯 Merlot. Each block of Merlot is harvested, vinified, and aged separately. The wine is aged for 20 months in French oak barrels with 38% new oak·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of cedar, sweet tobacco, smoke, black plum, black cherry, pomegranate juice, licorice, and oregano·

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, medium round tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium body. A medium length finish of ripe black fruit, sweet tobacco, and oregano·

🔔 Admittedly, I am not the biggest proponent of Napa Valley Merlot, but I need to give credit where it is due. This wine is an excellent expression of the grape. A lot of care was taken to make sure this wasn't flabby or over-extracted. The medium body and round tannins keep this very fresh and balanced. While this is approachable now, additional bottle age will allow the oak to integrate better·

 2017 Seavey Vineyard - Merlot (91 pts) @seaveyvineyard  · ℹ️

ℹ️ This wine is simply labeled as a Napa Valley red wine, but it is mostly comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon with minor portions of other Bordeaux grape varieties. While the word Promontory means "headland," there is no water surrounding it, but it is an isolated area of the Napa Valley that a microcosm unto itself. In 2013, there were 42 different harvest passes in the vineyard, resulting in 30 separate vinifications. The vinifications were aged separately for a year before making a final blend. The wines were aged for five years in large neutral casks from Stockinger in Austria. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

👁 Deep ruby color with noticeable staining.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe blackberry, black currant, boysenberry, menthol, rosemary, sweet tobacco, oak, baking spices, lead pencil, rose stems, and dried violets.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ silky tannins, high alcohol (14.3%), and full body. The texture is velvety and gorgeous on the palate. A long length finish of pristine black fruit, rosemary, violets, and sweet tobacco.

🔔 The 2013 Promontory is one of the finest young cult wines that I have tasted. This wine is already accessible with a bit of time in a decanter. Gorgeous fruit, lovely acidity, and silky tannins are all wrapped up with beautiful energy on the palate that lingers on to an incredibly long finish. These wines are costly, and I do not factor in price to my reviews, but I will say this meets my expectations for a cult status wine. This wine will age for decades, but it is undoubtedly elegant and charming over the near term.

 2013 Promontory - Napa Valley (97 pts) @promontorywine ℹ️

ℹ️ This wine is a Bordeaux Blend from Napa Valley, California. The blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. 2005 was the most extended growing cycle for the Opus One vineyards with a prolonged harvest that ended in November.  After harvest, the grapes macerated on their skins for 29 days. The wine was aged for 18 months in new French oak·

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of black cherry preserves, black plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, oak, cedar, clove, vanilla, rose stems, thyme, espresso grounds, and cardamom·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ fine-grained tannins, high alcohol (14%), and full body. Extremely layered on the palate. A long length finish of myriad of black fruit, baking spices, and thyme·

🔔 The 2005 vintage is still not at peak in my opinion, while delicious and layered it still has room to improve with additional cellaring. The fruit is ripe without being overtly sweet. The clove and cardamom spice from the oak add a lovely component and will continue to integrate with time, making it even more seemless. The silkiness and freshness on the palate show the real elegance of this wine. Well done👏·

 2005 Opus One - Napa Valley (94 pts) @opusonewinery  · ℹ️

1997 Burgess - Vintage Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (88 pts)

- Medium+ ruby core with a garnet rim. Medium intensity on the nose. Blackberry, Blackcurrant, coffee grounds, cedar, Blackcurrant leaf, and amaretto on the nose. Medium+ acidity, medium ripe and velvety tannins, medium- alcohol, and medium+ body. Cedar, smoke, and coffee stand out on the front palate. Dark cherry, blackberry, and Blackcurrant follow. Herbal tea, Blackcurrant leaf, and tobacco on the medium+ length finish. Good acidity, alcohol kept in check during a hot year (13%), and nice velvety texture make this a very well made wine. I am betting this was fairly okay when bottled, the oak notes of cedar and coffee are almost overpowering the fruit, but barely stay in balance. This will continue to age, but may not be everyone's cup of tea.

 1997 Burgess - Vintage Selection Napa Valley Cabernet

2015 Heitz Cellar - Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (91 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California. These grapes come from two estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Only One Vineyard, and the Spring Valley Vineyard. The vineyards are certified organic. The grapes were harvested early, presumably to preserve acidity. The Heitz Cellars' aging regimen is unique, even with this bottle as the entry point to the Heitz Cellar style taking four years before release. The wine aged in a combination of large oak vats and French oak barrels for three years, followed by a year in bottle.

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe and candied black currant, raspberry, blackberry, oak, sawdust, clove, violet, menthol, and oregano.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium ripe tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. The palate is more stewed fruit with a bit more oak spice and smooth, ripe tannins. A medium length finish of black and red fruit, clove, and menthol.

🔔 This wine is a textbook Napa Cabernet from an iconic Producer. I am always impressed by how much cellaring this wine gets even when it is only the starting point of the Heitz Cellar lineup. The nose has some high toned fruit aromas on the verge of candied. The palate reigns that in with bright acidity and forgiving tannins. The oak influence is noticeable, but very well integrated across the board. The slight herbal menthol and oregano notes are refreshing. No part of this wine is massive. I would call it plush and charming.

 2015 Heitz Cellar - Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (91 pts)

2015 Beringer Vineyards - Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot from vineyards across the Napa Valley, California. The wine consists of grapes from the following Napa appellations: 62% Howell Mountain, 28% St Helena, 6% Spring Mountain, and 4% Mount Veeder.  The wine is aged for 20 months in French oak barrels with 80% new oak.  The wine is bottle-aged for another 12 months before release.

👁 Deep ruby color with heavy staining.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of stewed blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, oak, smoke, vanilla, whole cream, licorice, clove, cardamom, and mocha.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, high ripe spicy tannins, high alcohol (15.2%), and full body. Extremely dark and dense on the palate with a lot of baking spices. A medium+ length finish of reduced black fruit, oak spices, and mocha.

🔔 Beringer Private Reserve has always been one of those wines that don't necessarily get the credit it is due. Possibly due to the size of the broader Beringer portfolio. The 2015 is loaded with fruit concentration and structure built to age. The oak spices take over the palate, although the fruit does manage to peak through to let you know it is there. The finish is long, but the alcohol becomes more prevalent at the tail end. This wine will improve with age, but at the moment, it is dense and chewy. I would at least wait 5-7 years before opening. This wine is still undervalued!

 2015 Beringer Vineyards - Private Reserve Cabernet

2013 Hall - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (91 pts)

- Very solid bottle of Napa Cab. Good balance of fruit, acidity, and moderate oak flavors. In some ways I prefer this to the single vineyard bottlings.

 2013 Hall - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (91 pts)

Interview with Braiden Albrecht the Winemaker at Mayacamas. We discussed the 2007 Mayacamas Chardonnay and the 2004 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon. The conversation covered how the wines are made to be age-worthy for such long drinking windows. We discussed the location of the winery on Mt. Veeder which is a dormant volcano.

 Interview with Braiden Albrecht the Winemaker at Mayacamas

Getting ready for the Opus One vertical tasting. Wines are all poured. Ready to start.

 Getting ready for the Opus One vertical tasting. Wines are

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Sauvignon Blanc from two vineyards in Napa Valley, California. The wine is partially (25%) aged in neutral French oak for six months, and the majority (75%) is aged in stainless steel barrels for six months.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of yuzu, grapefruit pith, lemon zest, ripe pear, barely ripe pineapple, mild jack fruit, and lemongrass.

👄 The wine is dry, high penetrating acidity, medium alcohol (13.3%), and medium+ body. The palate shows a fleshiness to it that is cut down by the acidity. A medium- length finish of grapefruit pith, yuzu, and lemongrass.

🔔 The 2019 Massican Sauvignon Blanc has a great mixture of ripe fruits teetering on tropical, pithy citrus, and a sprig of lemongrass for depth. Fun, delicious, and balanced wine that comes in at 13.3% for Napa Valley. If this is on the brunch menu, then buy it without hesitation.

 2019 Massican - Sauvignon Blanc (90 pts) @massicanwinery ℹ️

1993 Beringer Vineyards - Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (91 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc from vineyards across the Napa Valley, California. The wine consists of grapes from Napa appellations: 75% Howell Mountain and 25% St Helena. 1993 had rain in the spring ending a five-year drought and followed by a warm summer. The result was a prolonged harvest with optimal ripening conditions. The wine is aged for 20 months in French oak barrels with 💯 new oak.

👁 Deep garnet color with a fading rim.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of dried and stewed blackberry, black currant, black cherry, oak, cedar, char, leather, coffee grounds, dark chocolate, dried leaves, and baking spices.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium-sized resolved tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and medium+ body. Oak influence and dried fruit are prevalent in the palate. A medium length finish of dried black fruit, dark chocolate, and coffee grounds.

🔔 1993 Beringer Private Reserve, at this point, is a distinguished gentleman of a wine with a story to tell, but not holding up to its former glory. A lovely wine to taste, and if you like aged wines, then you will surely enjoy these bottles over the next few years, but definitely at a plateau that will eventually start to give way.

 1993 Beringer Vineyards - Private Reserve Cabernet

2004 Dunn Vineyards - Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (94 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyards in the Howell Mountain AVA in Napa Valley, California. They pioneered planting mountain Cabernet in 1979. Now they farm a combined 42 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon across five vineyards on Howell Mountain. The AVAs boundary starts at 1400 ft above sea level, so even when it is cold and foggy on the valley floor, it is sunny and breezy on Howell Mountain. The wines are known for their fierce tannins and striking acidity delineating the mountain fruit from the valley floor. Aged for 32 months in 💯 new French oak and sealed with a signature red wax capsule.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe to overripe blackberry, black plum, black cherry preserves, rosemary, lavender, black licorice, clove, cedar, espresso grounds, bittersweet cocoa powder, and lead pencil.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, high drying brawny tannins, high alcohol (14.1%), and full body. The palate is dense and powerful. A medium+ length finish showing loads of black fruit reduction, dried herbs, and cocoa powder.

🔔 The 2004 Dunn Howell Mountain is still in its infancy, and this baby is a beast. The tannins are massive, and they need significantly more time to mellow. The palate has loads of fruit concentration, and the new oak has integrated nicely. There is a ton of structure which will give it a nice frame to allow it to continue to improve. I tasted this over two days, and it was showing the best on day two. They say patience is a virtue and these Dunn wines put that to a test.

 2004 Dunn Vineyards - Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Interview with Mike Dunn of Dunn Vineyards. We walked through four decades of Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014.

 Interview with Mike Dunn of Dunn Vineyards. We walked

😍 Opening and drinking aged wine puts me in my happy place·

🤯 Cellaring quality wines can often open up another level of complexity and nuance for a wine·

😢 Sadly the expectation of cellaring wine is going away if not gone already. This change is impacting how many wines are made today, so they can be enjoyed young·

🕰 Will current day wines still give you the same pleasure with proper cellaring? Only time will tell·

 🍷Do you cellar wine?· 😍 Opening and drinking aged wine puts

1994 Dunn Vineyards - Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (97 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyards in the Howell Mountain AVA in Napa Valley, California. They pioneered planting mountain Cabernet in 1979. Now they farm a combined 42 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon across five vineyards on Howell Mountain. The AVAs boundary starts at 1400 ft above sea level, so even when it is cool and foggy on the valley floor, it is sunny and breezy on Howell Mountain. The wines are known for their fierce tannins and striking acidity that delineates the mountain fruit from the valley floor. The wine was aged for 32 months in 💯 new French oak and sealed with a signature red wax capsule.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe to dried blackberry, black currant, black cherry, oak, cedar, tobacco, leather, extinguished campfire, herbal, sage, pine needles, dried chili, clove, and other baking spices.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium fine-grained tannins, medium alcohol (13%), and full body. The finish is exceptionally long, with flavors of ripe, overripe, and dried black fruits followed by sage and tobacco.

🔔 I am tasting this wine for the third time in 2020. It is still on point and pristine example of pedigree Howell Mountain fruit. This wine is in the best spot of all three bottles. Again I expect some bottle variation at this age. This is a world-class wine, especially from this iconic 1994 vintage. Excellent acid backbone and time has mellowed what must have been ferocious tannins, and everything culminates in a long finish with layers of concentrated flavors. They say patience is a virtue, which is needed to drink these wines in their prime window. My preference is to purchase wines of good provenance at auction. Who says you can't buy patience?

 1994 Dunn Vineyards - Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

1998 Robert Mondavi - Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (91 pts)

- Deep garnet color with a pale rim. Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf, tobacco, lead pencil, menthol, olive, wet leaves, oak, and cedar. Medium acidity, medium dusty and drying tannins, medium alcohol, and medium body. A lot less fruit on the palate with tertiary notes dominating. Flavors of tomato leaf, dried blackcurrant, dried blackberry, menthol, tar, tobacco, lead pencil, wet leaves, and cedar. The palate is very dusty, Rutherford bench fruit? The finish is medium- length and falls off sooner than expected. Drinking this blind, I would be more in Bordeaux than Napa. It's reserved, missing fruit and some power, although it makes up for it in finesse. The tannins are fairly resolved, but on the finish they really dry out the palate. Consume soon if this is sitting in your cellar.

 1998 Robert Mondavi - Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

⛰🍷Livestream discussion with Winemaker Aaron Pott

_pott on the differences of mountain terroir in Napa Valley·

🔔 Friday, May 15th, at 5:30 pm. Aaron has made and makes wine all over Napa Valley. He even lives on Mount Veeder·

🗣 People often discuss valley floor fruit versus mountain fruit, but rarely discuss the differences between the mountains. Please join the discussion by grabbing your favorite mountain wine and tune in·

 ⛰🍷Livestream discussion with Winemaker Aaron Pott @aaron

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 estate grown Chardonnay from Napa Valley, California. The Stony Hill property was purchased in 1943 and planted with Chardonnay vines in 1947, which at the time was Avante Garde. The Wente clone was planted on Volcanic soils at 600 ft above the valley floor and is dry farmed. The first vintage was in 1952, and from the beginning, they were inspired by the wines of Chablis. The Stony Hill style has remained consistent over the decades: fruit-forward, minimal skin contact, no malolactic fermentation, minimal lees contact, and no new oak. The wines are aged in old neutral oak for 9 months before bottling. The wines receive an additional year of bottle age before release·

👁 Deep lemon color (photo doesn't do it justice)·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of yellow peach, nectarine, grilled pineapple, quince paste, grapefruit pith, orange blossom, flint, and smoke·

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), and medium+ body. Good texture with fennel seed spice on the palate. The medium+ length finish of peach preserves, quince paste, and flint·

🔔 Stony Hill Chardonnay is an exception for Chardonnay from the Napa Valley. It is so old school that it is a new school again. I will say that this style needs age, and I don't start to enjoy them until they have 5+ years of age on them. Before that time, the wines can be tightly wound and almost earthy on the palate. This wine was singing with a ton of fruit on the nose and palate. These wines have a great acidic backbone, moderate alcohol, and a lengthy finish. This Chardonnay is just entering it's prime and has a long runway.

 2011 Stony Hill - Chardonnay (92 pts) @stonyhillvineyard  ·

1991 Stony Hill - White Riesling Napa Valley (89 pts)

ℹ️ Stony Hill is so retro that they are once again wine chic with hipster Somms and for good reasons. Vineyards first planted in 1948, with 1952 being their first harvest. Stony Hill pioneered the direct to consumer (and restaurants) business model, through mailing lists, that almost every American winery uses today. While Napa is famous for Cabernet, Stony Hill's flagship wine is a Chardonnay on the hillsides above St Helena and Calistoga. They also make this "White Riesling" as not confuse it with Johannisberg Riesling. If the label is not wrong then why change it 😉·

👀 Deep gold color, showing its age like a distinguished gentleman·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Petrol aromas jump out of the glass. Aromas of bruised apple, baked quince, canned peaches, canned necatarines, jasmine, and chyrsanthemum tea (my go to Dim Sum tea)·

👅 The wine is off-dry (guessing 9 g/l), Medium+ acidity, medium- alcohol, and medium body with a great chalky texture. On the palate it's like a high end fruit cocktail, lots of ripe to almost overripe citrus and stone fruit. The canned note is more about the perceived ripeness of the fruit, but the wine does give me a stainless steel taste on the palate (in a good way). The finish is medium+ length and lingers with a flavor of high end chrysanthemum tea·

🔔 Let me start off and say that this wine is delicious! It's a pleasure to drink, nothing is out of whack. Flavor profile is solid, acid, weight, etc all I'm balance. It is not the most complex wine I have had from Stony Hill, but it sure is tasty. While I personally do not believe in Riesling in Napa Valley this is compelling. Let's not forget this wine is 27 years old and is taking time on like a champ 🏆. Love the texture of this wine, nuff said I'm going to keep drinking it now, 🎤⬇️·

 1991 Stony Hill - White Riesling Napa Valley (89 pts)

Heitz Cellar Interview and Virtual Tasting with Carlton McCoy·

🎙 Join my Instagram Live tasting with Carlton McCoy, the CEO of Heitz Cellar

 and Master Sommelier, ‪on Friday, May 29th, at 5:00 pm PST‬. We will be discussing the legacy of Heitz Cellar and what the future holds for such a historic and iconic brand of Napa·

🍷 We will be tasting through the current releases of Heitz Cellar wines, including the 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Trailside Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2014 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. We will also be talking about their new Lot C-91. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories··

 Heitz Cellar Interview and Virtual Tasting with Carlton

2016 Quintessa -  Rutherford Red (95 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯estate fruit from the Quintessa estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California. The wine is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The property has been farmed organically since it started in 1989 and switched to Biodynamic Viticulture in 1996. The 130 acres of vines are divided into 26 blocks matching the contour of the land. Blocks are broken down even further when harvest decisions are made and vinified separately. Hand-harvested, native yeast fermentations, and an average of 22 days of skin maceration. Aged for 20 months on French oak barrels with 75% new oak. Through blind tasting trials, the wines are blended to form one estate wine·

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, raspberry sorbet, sage, lavender, violets, oak, vanilla, clove, mocha, cedar, and sweet tobacco·

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, high grippy ripe tannins, high alcohol (14.5%), and full body. A long length finish of blackberry, lavender, violets, and clove·

🔔 This wine was tasted with the winemaker, Rebekah Wineburg, during an Instagram Live session. The 2016 vintage is impeccable and accessible now with a serious amount of time in a decanter. This wine was even better on day two. The 2016 vintage will only get better with time. While this wine was made in a very similar manner as the 2017, this just shows that when everything comes together as it did in 2016 for Quintessa that it can transcend to the next level. The vision of Quintessa is to make one world-class wine from one estate and with the 2016 vintage, they are well on the way·

 2016 Quintessa -  Rutherford Red (95 pts) @quintessawinery

2016 Blackbird Vineyards - Arriveste Napa Valley Rosé (87 pts)

🥊 Runner up (aka 2nd place) in the Rosé Blind Tasting Tournament. This was the darkest of all of the Rosés tasted and most expensive at $28·

ℹ️ 2016 was an overall ideal year in Napa. 2100 cases made of this wine. Blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced using the Saignée method·

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of blood orange, nectarine, ripe peach, strawberry, and some light floral notes·

👄 The wine is dry, medium acidity, low round tannins, medium alcohol, and medium+ body. Quite weighty for a rosé. Flavors of blood orange, strawberry, red currant, peach, oolong tea, and some dried flowers. The finish is medium length and has a slight Compari-esque bitterness to it·

🔔 The most unique rosé of the tasting in terms of style. It is unabashedly Napa, but in a very bold and unrestrained way. Super pleasant and a bit tough to score·

 2016 Blackbird Vineyards - Arriveste Napa Valley Rosé (87

Dunn Vineyards Vertical Tasting and Interview with Mike Dunn·

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Mike Dunn from

 on Howell Mountain in Napa, ‪on Friday, June 5th, at 5:00 pm PST. We will be discussing the glory of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and the age-worthiness of Dunn Vineyards' wines·

🍷 We will be tasting four decades of the Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon: 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories·

 Dunn Vineyards Vertical Tasting and Interview with Mike

1984 Dunn Vineyards - Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (91 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyards in the Howell Mountain AVA in Napa Valley, California. They pioneered planting mountain Cabernet in 1979. Now they farm a combined 42 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon across five vineyards on Howell Mountain. The AVAs boundary starts at 1400 ft above sea level, so even when it is cold and foggy on the valley floor, it is sunny and breezy on Howell Mountain. The wines are known for their fierce tannins and striking acidity that delineates the mountain fruit from the valley floor. Aged for 32 months in 💯 new French oak and sealed with a signature red wax capsule.

👁 Medium+ garnet color with a pale rim.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of dried black currant, dried black cherry, forest floor, dried leaves, leather, thyme, cedar, wood charcoal, and tobacco.

👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium- grainy tannins, medium alcohol (13%), and medium body. A medium length finish of dried black fruit, thyme, and leather.

🔔 Let me start by saying that I am a massive fan of these wines, especially with age. This bottle of 1984 was showing better than the last two bottles that I tried. In all fairness, 1984 wasn't the best vintage in Napa, but this wine still shows the distinguished structure of Howell Mountain after 36 years of age. The acidity is balanced, the alcohol is moderate, and the tannins have melted together. This wine is showing a lot of development and tertiary character, but it is holding steady. However, it is unclear for how long, recommend drinking now.