Wine Reviews

When a chef gets ready to create a meal, or a mixologist concocts a special cocktail, he or she preps ingredients ahead, and the term mis-en-place is used, meaning everything in its place. And besides that, this wine also succeeds from its sense of place: Oakville, with its diverse soils and reputation as being a premier location for grape-growing in Napa Valley. The wine, 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, opens with daunting notes of charred cedar, blackberry, bittersweet dark chocolate, and umami. Silky tannins envelop the back of the palate, with cherrywood nand fleshy purple fruit integrated into its powerful – yet luxurious – conformation.

This is a blend of 58% Merlot and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged almost two years in French oak. The melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, with a backdrop of silky tannins, are the protagonists in this palatable page turner. White peppered plum and ripe, dark cherry unite in a thrilling romp with grilled meats and lavender. Spoiler alert: we’ll give the ending away: earthy tones emerge with minerality while Italian herbs dust the tongue.

Reined-in richness leaves the mouth refreshed as the wine dovetails with notes of ripe pear, peach tart, and almond croissant. Eleven months in French oak exhibits with a balanced integration of creamy fruit and a fine acid structure.

Aromas: Lime blossom, powdered vanilla, honeydew melon
A harmony of citrus alerts the palate, with springtime floral tones setting the stage. Brisk and clean, with notes of fresh linen, lemon curd, and peach. It finishes with a wash of wet stone minerality. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, with a small portion in neutral French oak.

Aromas: Lemon tart, honeysuckle, jasmine rice
Made in stainless steel and some concrete, winemaker Nick Goldschmidt knows how to pull sumptuous flavors from Sauvignon Blanc, where they hit the front, middle, and back of the mouth harmoniously. Tropical fruit seduces with fresh notes of pineapple and kiwi, while floral tones permeate nose and palate. Its unique profile may also be from its richness from an extended stay on the lees.

An unusual blend of Shiraz, Fiano, and Sauvignon Blanc has resulted in a rosé of energy, subtle spice, and vivid flavors of wild strawberry, cranberry, and crunchy minerality. 88. As with the Sauvignon Blanc, the producer removes and recycles ten plastic bottles from the ocean for every bottle sold.

Lifted aromas of green bell pepper and gooseberry are accurate previews for a vibrant, mouthwatering palate whose flavors of tart tropical and hard orchard fruit, lemon pith, and fresh cut herbs linger with a subtle hint of spice.

Packed with very ripe flavors, 15.5% stated alcohol, and plenty of coconut-scented oak riding atop its mostly black-toned fruit. Notable sweetness helps balance out the 35% new oak and buffers the wine’s tannin load, resulting in a very big wine with forgivingly soft texture.