Review: Experience 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($29)

 

 

I'm still learning about this relatively young brand founded by Travis and Catherine Vale when they purchased a vineyard in Napa Valley's Oak Knoll District in 2010 and planted it to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. The price point is pretty good for a Napa Cab, even if it isn't estate bottled. This vintage is super solid. It isn't over-ripe (Oak Knoll is just north of Carneros and is one of the cooler parts of Napa Valley), and it's well blended with generous red and black currant fruit, coffee, chocolate, and floral notes. It definitely has Napa Valley class, and shows a welcome brightness on the finish that draws you back for more. (90 Points)

-Tim Teichgraeber

Review: Turnbull 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

 

Color me impressed! I haven't tried Turnbull's wine in quite a while, and I must say this Cab leaves me wanting more. The price is very fair by current Napa Valley standards,and the wine itself is exceptionally fresh and vivacious. I pick up notes of violet, black fruit and just a whiff of dill on the nose, and get black and red currant fruit as well as a little licorice and mocha on the palate. The level of acidity is really nice, it has moderate tannin, but it should age well for 7-10 years. This is a really promising wine! Winemaker Peter Heitz is a 4th generation winegrower and vintner in Napa and has been with Turnbull since 2007. (93 Points)

- Tim Teichgraeber

Review: Spottswoode 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley ($225)

 

This cracking Napa Cabernet from St. Helena star Spottswoode is very much a baby, and drinking it now is definitely robbing the cradle. It has intense aromas of black fruit, anise, cocoa, and vanilla and a deep core of black currant with hints of kirsch and raspberry. As much as it's a very powerful wine, it also has lively acidity and a freshness and balance to it that's a hallmark of Spottswoode's excellent wine making program. I think this release has a bright future after another couple of years in the bottle. (97 Points)

- Tim Teichgraeber

Review: Emeritus 2017 Pinot Hill West Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($75)

 

 

 Emeritus Vineyards is truly one of the rising stars of the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, and the wines do carry accordingly hefty price tags. Most all of their wines are dry-farmed (farmed with no irrigation), which means the vines have to dig deep for water. It also means that crop yields are very low compared to irrigated vines. The deep-rooted vines deliver smaller berries with a bit more minerality than you might get from irrigated vines. Emeritus' wines tend to have a lot of concentration and structure as well as good natural acidity, and this one is no exception. It is keenly focused, sturdy, and tangy with intense black and red currant fruit, hints of smoke and vanilla, cardamom and wild strawberry notes. It's an impressive wine that should have a reasonably long life ahead of it. (93 Points)

- Tim Teichgraeber