Wine Reviews

95

Klipsun 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington ($75)

This Cabernet Sauvignon is a muscle car that doesn’t feel weighed down. It is driven by crunchy red fruit with streaks of mint and a pinch of eucalyptus. Aged for 14 months in French Oak, it packs a fruit punch of cranberry and plum with a lightness of touch that craves a second sip.

95

Klipsun 2022 Red Blend, Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington ($63)

This one whispers from the glass a tantalizing siren song. This is romance that progresses into seduction, with dark chocolate and a velvety soft texture. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah with Malbec and Cabernet France, ripe red berries burst and bristle with a ripple of savory spice. This is a fire that burns.

90

Kosmic Kitty 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($12)

Imagine rose petals dripping with luxardo cherry juice blended with blood orange and raspberry coulis. This is Cabernet Sauvignon at its most playful. It satisfies with a panoply of bright red fruits that gratifies with a persistent electricity. The final flourish echoes with cinnamon and nutmeg and fresh turned earth.

90

Kosmic Kitty 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, California ($12)

A bombastic label belies nuance in the bottle, with tropical melon, lemon, kiwi with a touch of meringue and a surprisingly savory note of radish with white pepper. This wine registers at multiple octaves. It is balanced with panache and the flavors unravel like the spool of yarn that the cat on the label would find endlessly diverting.

94

Les Vins Julien 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($85)

Charred cedar, graphite, licorice, and espresso grab the tongue, unleashing a secondary surge of juicy plum, dried violets, and plum skin tannins. With tension and an unbounded flourish of intensity, this rich and full-bodied wine is one to remember.

93

Les Vins Julien 2023 Red Blend, Napa Valley ($55)

With a foundation of 60% Merlot and blended in additional Bordeaux varieties, are mouth-coating notes of licorice, dark chocolate fudge, and lavender-lined tobacco. Ripe black cherry kindles a kinship with dense earth, sweet soil, and dark roast coffee. Tannins are plush – no edges – strategically aligned with a fine acid structure. With a foundation of 60% Merlot and blended in additional Bordeaux varieties, are mouth-coating notes of licorice, dark chocolate fudge, and lavender-lined tobacco. Ripe black cherry kindles a kinship with dense earth, sweet soil, and dark roast coffee. Tannins are plush – no edges – strategically aligned with a fine acid structure.

94

Lifted 2023 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County ($32)

Lemon chiffon and peanut brittle are bright, vibrant opening notes. Saffron and a linear mineral tonality ensue, with a finish of peaches and yellow flowers.

94

Lifted 2024 Syrah, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County ($32)

Heather and spice engage with blueberry and mocha. Silky and restrained, with an elegant slide of plum, soil, and Mediterranean herbs. Balanced acidity and beautifully ripe.