Great wine but could afford to have more tannins — 5 years ago
Deep purplish ruby red. Powerful and rich Cabernet nose, layered with sweet and dark spices, vanilla, dark berries, dark raspberries and some incense. Heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Plush palate with great structure. Lovely and powerful texture with layers of dark berries, sweet spices, graphite, blue and black fruits. Long and lingering finish. Excellent work by Mark Herold. Drink till 2032. | Sample — 7 years ago
I love this expression of Albariño and the winery in Napa is great fun! Enjoyed this bottle on Albariño Day, of course. — 7 years ago
This is the Verdejo. — 8 years ago
Excellent cab. — 4 years ago
Passion fruit bomb. — 6 years ago
Compared to the herold, this is more fruit forward and less tannin. What i like about this wine is that the oakville structure shines through even though it is so opulent. Prob my favorite non-beckstoffer wine they make still. Against the herold, it's a better value. — 7 years ago
Second vintage from Kevin Carriker (I think Mark Herold was still involved at this time). Absolutely terrific. It's clear that Kevin's wines need a lot of time in bottle. Had this one several years ago and there is NO comparison. Surprised how much primary fruit one still gets on the nose, but the palate is classic, moderately aged CA cab. Beautifully sweet, integrated tannins. Great balance, with a silky finish. Unfortunately this is our last bottle, but it probably has a few more years left (but don't wait: it's drinking perfectly now!). — 7 years ago
Very interesting wine from up on Diamond Mountain, showing the classic elements of a cold, wet vintage. Dark, inky ruby red with garnet edges. Some funkiness on the nose, cigar box, barnyard, wet tobacco leaves and some truffles. Definitely seems older than it is. Very complex and layered palate with dark stewed berries, cassis, damp wood, tobacco leaves, and some damp earthiness. Some light greenery and plums in the long and lingering finish. Moderate plus tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Some bright acidity in the mid palate alongside a creamy and extracted texture. Definitely needs some time to open up and show the layers and complexity. Reminds us of the 2011 Brown Label by Mark Herold. Drink till 2023. — 8 years ago
Look it’s not bad, it’s really not. Firm and ripe while giving us spiciness. I just can’t stand the guy puts his name on everything. — 5 years ago
from Providore — 6 years ago
We were suppose to be in Napa this weekend. Sadly, no one should be in Napa/Sonoma except Firefighters and first responders. However in lieu of; the Sodhani party, appointments at Beau Vinge, Mark Herold & a steak at Cole’s Chop House, what the next best thing? #STEAKANDCLARETNIGHT at home in the backyard. This 86 was amazing with my ribeye. The kind of pleasure that causes great pause and rolls the eyes a bit. On the nose; menthol, eucalyptus, dry herbs, soft ripe blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, baked plum, perfectly stated baking spices, stones, soft unstated spice, clay, rich dark earth, touch of black cherry cola and fresh & dark florals. The palate is heaven as it coats. The body medium full, layered and the tannins are nicely resolved but not completely...still a fair amount of life in this bottle. I’d say it’s still around it’s peak. The fruits are ripe and still fresh. Blackberries, baked plum, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries, hues of blueberries, black cherry cola, sweet darker spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, dark rich earth, dry stones, tobacco, suede leather, dry clay, menthol, eucalyptus, touch of dry herbs, fresh & dry dark flowers, beautiful, round acidity, perfect 12.5% alcohol and a long, even, elegantly balanced with beautiful structure, tension & length that’s lasts two minutes. It’s in a really excellent spot. 9.6 with the ribeye and 9.4 on it’s own. Photos of; an aerial shot of Chateau Canon, owners Alain and Gerard Wertheimer who made their first big money on Chanel, own Rauzan-Segla and are worth just under a paltry 10 billion, their barrel room and their Saint-Emilion vineyard. Producer notes and history...Chateau Canon is a premier cru with a history of fine vintages. This Saint-Emilion property has long been recognised as one of the best in the appellation. It is believed that Canon was named after Jacques Kanon, the naval officer who bought estate in 1760. He built the château here and surrounded it with plantings solely of vines...a rare agricultural practice at the time. However, he then sold the estate to a Bordeaux négociant just ten years later. In 1919 it was purchased by the Fournier family, who owned the property until 1996. When they sold it to the Wertheimer family, owners of Chanel and of Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux it unfortunately had some serious problems. The cellars were contaminated with TCA, the chemical compound which causes cork taint. Many of the vines were infected by viruses and in need of being replaced. As well, part of the vineyard above the quarried cellars had subsided. Fortunately the Wertheimers had the money to fix these issues and a manager, John Kolasa with the skills. The first decade of the 21st century saw Canon begin to regain its reputation once John Kolasa retired and Nicolas Audebert at Rauzan-Ségla took over. The substantial estate covers 22 hectares on Saint-Emilion’s famous limestone plateau close to the town. The vines have an average age of 25 years and are generally planted with a southerly or south-westerly exposure. 75% of the vines are Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. After the grapes are hand-picked, they are fermented in traditional cone-shaped vats, before spending 18 months ageing in oak barrels, 50% new and 50% used. — 7 years ago
Like the Grenache blanc@in there — 8 years ago
This is the 100% grenache, not the 85% grenache with some syrah, etc. The color is inexplicably light, not rosé, but literally closer to that color than a young, dense syrah. The color belies a thicker body and mouth feel, nice tannins. Drinking well. Solid effort. — 9 years ago
Laura Purdy
Gorgeous rosé. Paired well with popcorn and a perfect patio night — 4 years ago