Cloak & Dagger

Evening Land Vineyards

La Source Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay

A cloak of (perfectly ripe) fruit, minerals, and saline hang on a beam of acidity. Plenty going on, best to give it a couple years in my opinion let the youngster settle down a little- it will always be lively. — 7 years ago

John, Ron and 5 others liked this

Kestrel

Kestrel View Estate Vineyard Syrah 2010

This is a serious bottle of Syrah, and a generous bottle of juice. 5 years have done this bottle well, stripped away the cloak and revealed a cultured, experienced character. The nose was complex, showing Rhone traits, and the smell of a wet Washington day in the forrest, stewed cherries, strawberry-rubarb jam, game, hints of clove and nutmeg, and provancal herbs. The color was just right, becoming garnet like, but still youthful. The pallet was filled with tightly knit layers of dried cherries, cocoa, and nutmeg, finishing smoothly, with a gradual decrescendo of intensity. Definitely on its plateau, and beginning it's decent during the next few years. Can't wait to try the 2011.

$24.99
— 8 years ago

Frog's Leap

Rutherford Merlot 2013

Such a balanced new world merlot - dark fruit & earth & chocolate. Restrained & serious. Not wearing that new world velvet cloak 😉 — 8 years ago

M Jesse Smith
with M and Jesse
web and Anthony liked this

Il Marroneto

Madonna delle Grazie Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2001

Iike a novel - it has chapters!....damp doormat, wet winter sock, moldy basement door just opened, old restaurant cloak room (with the very well-used coats still hanging) and a plaque on the wall that's been stripped of its finish by rainwater - wet wood that's black where it's split open....revealing an overcooked sour cherry cake scent and a long sleeved velour shirt on the tongue. Astounding. — 8 years ago

Jess Paley
with Jess
Sam liked this

Forlorn Hope

Suspiro Del Moro Silvaspoons Vineyard Alvarelhão 2014

raspberries, plums & red licorice whips rolled in brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg ~ lit w potpourri and put out w an Elven cloak — 8 years ago

Anthony, Hermes and 1 other liked this

Cloak & Dagger

Reserve Illuminatus Sangiovese 2010

Earthy, savory with nice cherry fruit — 9 years ago

Koehler-Ruprecht

Kallstadter Saumagen Spätlese R trocken Riesling 2008

Yes, more please! Honeyed nectar with a petrol cloak. — 9 years ago

jarred and Madalyn liked this

Two Hands

Bella's Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

Loving the Barossa lately. Flew this one back from working vintage 2010. Rich, beefy, almost cool climey until the velvet blanket of fruit and oak cloak it down. — 9 years ago

Teutonic Wine Company

Whalstrom Vineyard Brut Rosé Pinot Noir 2011

Earthy, mineral driven, super bubbly. Mother Nature with a sharp dagger. — 11 years ago

Château Cheval Blanc

St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

With three hours in the decanter this amazingly well balanced wine offers complex notes of smoke, tobacco , coffee all under a beautiful cloak of plums. Loved it — 8 years ago

Castello di Amorosa

Sinalunga Super Tuscan Blend 2012

What's Sinalunga? This is La Castellana! The dark wine - very dark - has aromas to match. The gorgeous nose wafts up from the glass with so much to offer, you might miss the beautiful black plum and blueberry notes. There’s also a hatful of spice and coffee and mocha and vanilla rising. Oh, and don't forget the tobacco and the little smear of tar that drags it all into savory land. On the palate, big, bold fruit blasts forward in a hail of tannins. Be sure to let it air out a good while and have some big, bold, red meat standing by to give those angry tannins something to work on. The blackberry flavors are most pronounced, but they wear a cedar-tinged cloak which is lined with a rack of spices. This is a steakhouse wine, to be sure. An Italian steakhouse. In the Napa Valley. — 8 years ago

Keith, David and 3 others liked this

Vietti

Perbacco Langhe Nebbiolo

Strong tannins, the edges of which are almost imperceptibly softened by the thinnest cloak of blackberry. No, make that blackberry bush, woody stems and all. — 8 years ago

Anne Claude Leflaive

Clau de Nell Anjou Cabernet Franc 2011

violets, cinnamon, blackberry patch ~ starts rich but goes finish is wrapped in a velvet cloak — 8 years ago

Derek, "Odedi" and 4 others liked this

Clos Fantine

Faugères Natural Wine Carignan Blend

Inky and savory on first taste but don't let it's bitter cloak fool you. Rose, violet, raspberry, blackberry, black plum. Savory herbs, oregano and bay leaf. Tannins that make your teeth fuzzy but alcohol that leaves a pleasant warmth like tawny port. Natural, yes. Drinkable, yes. Party wine par excellence. Pair with unrequited lust. — 8 years ago

Quinta de Quercus

Single Vineyard Tempranillo 2011

Matté
9.1

This seriously punches above its weight and wears its vanilla oak cloak like a true g! Ground coffee, rich cherry fruit, very expressive with notes of wet tobacco leaf & mint. Big boned in the mouth, tannins dry out the mid palate a touch but bags of rich black fruit. Would give a lot of modern style rioja at twice the price a run for their money. This is BIG oak done in a good way, the fruit can handle it on the palate. Hope they don't try to slim this down in future vintages. — 9 years ago

Château Pesquié

Artemia Rhone Valley Vineyards Syrah Grenache 2012

Matté
9.2

Rich, concentrated with opulent blackberry, blackcurrant and plum but also with a very attractive lavender with an oak cloak. Very attractive acidity backing up big fruit, oak at bit raw but should settle, and a lovely herbal finish that has, dare I say it. Elegance! — 9 years ago

Anthony liked this

Four Vines

Naked Santa Barbara County Unoaked Chardonnay 2012

Barrels are for going over waterfalls. Stainless steel calls out to us. Who would want to obscure our luscious fruit flavors underneath a cloak of oak? Our 2012 Naked Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel, is 100% Chardonnay and is to be enjoyed in all its Naked splendor.

With fresh aromas of lemon and grapefruit, this Chardonnay defines summer in a glass. Juicy flavors of lemon and nectarine, along with its bright acidity and
crisp finish will have you coming back for more and more.

A great wine to pair with any summer salad, oysters, chicken dish or simply enjoy on its own. We don’t care if you drink with your clothes on or off, just drink Naked.
— 10 years ago

Cloak & Dagger

Foggy Bottom Reserve Hidden Valley Pinot Noir 2010

Cassis, raspberry spice, crostini, and a subtle espresso finish — 11 years ago

Cloak & Dagger

Smoke & Mirrors La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009

Surprising find @ San Antonio airport. — 11 years ago

Domaine Armand Rousseau

Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1999

A magisterial wine opened using the Audoze method. Three and a half hours in open bottle after removing one drink in a zalto glass to maximize surface area oxygenating. Brilliantly balanced, blackberries, blueberries, red cherry in a light cloak of tobacco, the power of this wine is cloaked in a very velvety glove. Wine kept getting better in the glass for the entire meal. This will not be confused with the aromatics of a DRC or the complexity/elegance balance of an Musigny/Amiureseus. This is the 1999 vintage. Bottle likely to be good for at least two more decades! — 8 years ago

Anthony liked this

Patz & Hall

Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013

Stood up to a steak. 1 hr in a decanter and nice, bright, bramble fruit. Good cloak of clove & spicy fruit. Won't drink again for 5 years. Could stand 10 if I was patient. Good acid and structure for aging. — 8 years ago

Domaine des Comtes Lafon

Meursault-Perrières 1er Cru Chardonnay 2011

Another showcase of the summit of Meursault 1er cru terroir. Again it's powerful and concentrated in general style, but in a more subtle way with nuances of vanilla, hazelnut, light honey, yellow apple, symphonic sweetness and acidity. On the palate it tastes so mineral, sharp, focused, and the acidity evolves like a burning dagger piecing through the throat. The everlasting finish perfectly ends the concert. This Perrieres certainly has less strength than Roulot Charmes, but more elegant and subtled. — 8 years ago

Ted and Martin.Wang liked this
Jennifer

Jennifer

Love that everyone is drinking white now.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2002

On the fuller side of medium body, the black fruits are showing well and they are perfectly shrouded in a cloak of wet rock and lean oak treatment. A softy all the way through but it's elegance is what makes this wine a masterpiece. Delicate yet full of flavor and terroir. Enjoy! — 8 years ago

Next of Kyn

Cumulus Vineyard No. 5 Red Rhone Blend 2011

Steven Foster
9.8

Now this magnum...I just can't wait to open more of these again. Patience... This took about 3 hours open in decant to reveal all the insanely complex layers beneath the cloak. NOK packs a powerful punch with a GSM blend along with PS and touriga from the home vineyard of he krankls. The nose and palate are oh so seductive. A 2011 no less. — 9 years ago

Stephen liked this

Cloak & Dagger

Pseudonym Pinot Noir 2010

Nice stuff. Paso Robles Pinot Noir. Had it at the Malibu Beach Inn. — 9 years ago

Bunchgrass Winery

Triolet Walla Walla Valley Red Blend 2008

Nose: blue and black fruit, anise.
Mouth: blue/black fruit, tobacco, spice, laced by nice acidity and a soft cloak of tannin. 30 sec finish. Delish!
— 9 years ago

Anthony liked this

Domaine Valette

Clos de Monsieur Noly Pouilly-Fuissé Chardonnay 2001

Steve Matthiasson
9.2

Very intense, nutty, great with diverse food courses, a little volatile, needed decanting, crazy acidity but enough flesh to cloak it — 10 years ago

Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen, Rodrigo and 12 others liked this

Barnett Vineyards

Rattlesnake Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Needs a few more years, but once this hits its optimal window this should be a great bottle of wine. 2006 is know to have more tannin, but that is probably from this wine's youth. The color was the same as the 2003, a youthful dark red core with red edges. The nose was similar, but more supple with cherry, plum, and loam. The palate was full bodied, with full grain tannin. Bing cherry, cassis, and plum were the focus of the aromas and flavors. The finish was persistent, this wine was trying to shed its tannic cloak, but that will take another 2-3 years to resolve. Great wine! — 11 years ago