The 2019 EABA (end all be all) is a blend of 61% Syrah, 24% Mourvèdre, 13% Grenache and 2% Viognier and was made with 65% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties,... Read More
The 2019 Grenache is blended with 11% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah and 4% Graciano and was made using 65% whole clusters. Fruit comes from the Slide Hill Vineyard in Edna Valley, and the Alta Mesa Vineyard, Larner Vineyard and Harrison-Clarke... Read More
This is a very beautiful red with currant and berry character. Very fine and polished tannins, too. The impact is just so polished and focused. Linear and exciting. A barrel sample but should be great.
Leafy herbs, red and blue fruits, tobacco, cedarwood, and iron notes all emerge from the 2020 Camaspelo, another up-front, charming, soft, surprisingly supple red from this team. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fine... Read More
Coming all from the En Chamberlin Vineyard and all Tempranillo, I've often wondered if the Impulsivo release was the best wine of the estate, and it certainly is in some vintages. The 2019 Impulsivo boasts a deep ruby/plum... Read More
Enticing aromas of black cherries, blackberries, licorice, cloves, green chilis and dark chocolate. It’s full-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Beautifully deep, fleshy and inky, with excellent freshness, too. Spicy and... Read More
One of the legendary Dominus, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is unquestionably in the same league as the 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2010, and 1991, and to my mind, wine simply doesn't get any better. Sporting a dense purple hue... Read More
Incorporating 2% Viognier, the Syrah-dominated 2017 La Sangre De Jonata reveals a saturated purple color as well as a heavenly bouquet of cassis, blueberries, crushed violets, spring flowers, and ground pepper. Full-bodied, concentrated,... Read More
Lovely, leafy aromas of fresh garden herbs, drying tobacco leaf, bay leaf, grilled plum and baked strawberry. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, slightly tense tannins. An array of juicy red and black fruit and berries on the palate.... Read More
The 2020 Côte a Côte is a beautiful blend of 45% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre and one of the most successful wines I tasted from the challenging 2020 vintage. Deep ruby-purple, it offers pure aromas... Read More
A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep... Read More
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mast Ranch is another highlight in this range. It shows more of a red-toned profile, with plenty of bright acids and drive. Sweet red cherry, red plum, spice, cedar and dried flowers build effortlessly.... Read More
Leading off the 2021s I was able to taste from Maybach, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus is flat-out brilliant and has a layered, perfumed, almost exotic style in its black and blue fruits as well as spicy, floral, incense,... Read More
So tannic, so new oaky, it feels clumsy and astringent and awkward in the mouth. Then you realize how rich the heart of fruit is, offering an enormous array of blackberries, blueberries and black currants. The grapes are from... Read More
There are two Bordeaux variety releases, both beautiful wines. The 2017 The Mark checks in as 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, all brought up in new barrels. This smoky, gravelly... Read More
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena comes from alluvial soils, and its dense purple hue is followed by a rich, powerful, concentrated wine loaded with ripe black (and some red) fruits, smoked tobacco, scorched earth, chocolate,... Read More
I tasted the 2022 Chardonnay Belle Côte from tank shortly before it was due to be bottled. It's lively and generous with singular scents of lemon drop, pie crust and toasted meringue, plus integrated tones of matchstick... Read More