David Kline

9.4

Inky cab with purple-tinged blood blackness from rim to rim. Glass painter with star bright reflectivity. Viscous Frankenstein hair tears over glacial-carved canyon. Nose of black cherry, raisinated currant, light toast, lighter pepper, carnation, violet, licorice, blackberries with honey. Mouth-coating with a luxurious mouthfeel showing silky tannins with a modicum of grain. Cassis, graphite, baked blueberry, black currant. Sustain. Bold and unabashed.

#colgin #ColginTychsonHill #Cabernet #cab #cabernetsauvignon #napa #napacab #estategrown #estatebottled #2019 #nspavalleycab #napavalley — 3 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

A little muted on the nose, no noticeable vanilla or spicy notes from oak, lemon curd. Lovely crystalline texture and taste on the palate, just tasting fruit grown in the sun with a creamy foundation, well crafted in an obviously difficult year. #napavalley #chardonnay — a year ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

My preferred #napavalley #cabernetsauvignon - big yet balanced, blackberry, fine tannins that build and some black pepper spice on the finish. #coombsville — 2 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

Perfectly aged #napavalley #cabernetsauvignon - The potential QPR stood out to me here on a wine list in downtown Napa. Bramble fruit balanced against softly earthy nose. Symmetrical acidity and fruit continues on palate, dreamy tannins on the finish. Excellent pairing with confit duck leg. — 3 years ago

David Kline

9.0

Chalky grape and balsa, blackberry, and plum nose with soft smoke and jasmine with a sweet petrol gloss. Soft mouthfeel turns bing cherry and underripe blueberries bordering green. Chewy. Big fruit tannins. A spicy pepper that always turns piquant-fruit. Young in every way, would love to see this chrysalis emerge.


#lajotavineyardco #laJotahowellmountainestate #lajota #howellmountain #merlot #napa #napavalley — 3 years ago

David Kline

9.2

Cran-grape-blackberry sensibility with dark roast coffee undertones, milk chocolate, carnation, caramel, dried parsley, carrot purée. Palate is coffee coated black currant, chicory, dried blackberry, bramble, cedar, tight and green oak notes, violet, baseball glove, tart cherry, tart raspberry and raspberry reduction. Rich offering here to satisfy the lofty spirit, but needs time to coalesce.
Pair with warm fires.


#shafer #napa #napavalley #shaferonepointfive #onepointfive #stagsleapdistrict #shafervineyards #shafercabernet #shafercab #cab #cabernetsauvignon #stagsleapnapa — 4 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

I was pretty nervous about this #napavalley 1981 #cabernetsauvignon being able to go the distance. First of several 1981 bottles for my lovely wife’s 40th birthday. I’m an Ah So rookie so still managed to break the cork and drown the bottom half in the bottle. After an easy pour through a tea strainer into a decanter, let it sit for a while. Now past an hour it’s really opened up - no doubt it’s on a gentle glide slope decline but so many layers of tertiary aromas. Raisin notes, Medjool dates, maple syrup, some charcuterie notes on the nose. Not much primary fruit left at all - a bit oxidized on the palate but still robust acidity, leather, sanded-down tannins on a rapid finish. — 5 years ago

David Kline

9.3

Barely browning, otherwise complete tonally. Blood. Coffee rye nose nibbles black olive edges and oozes pouch tobacco. Devil’s food chocolate with corresponding moisture. Black cherry. Blackberry and boisenberry.smatter the graham cracker crust in the cedar bowl. Joyous purple flowers of every persuasion. Palate shows heat without being blowsy. Likely the product of concentrated licorice, black currant, cassis and tobacco, ax well as vanilla. Burnt flatbread, charred bbq tips, pencil scribbling that never quit and smoky rock.

#Somerston #SomerstonCelestisl #SomerstonCelestialNapaValleyEststeGrown #EstateGrown #NapaValley #CabernetSauvignon #2013 #2013Nspa #napacab #cab — 7 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

This producer consistently over-delivers for the price. #napavalley #cabernetfranc presents black and purple fruit on the nose, violet hints, some wet slate undertones. Gleaming acidity framing plum compote, cigar box and earthy soft tannins on the sterling long finish. — a year ago

David Kline

9.2

Big and bold nose shows cedar and espresso and sweet notes of blackberry, violets and cassis. Full bodied and full of muscles. Dark chocolate with espresso aspirations, black cherry and blackberry reductions, black currant and blacker tobacco. Toffee and cedar explode and melt into a lingering, unctuous chocolate ganache.

#elusa #kenefickranchvineyards #cabernetfranc #cabfranc #calistoga #napa #napavalley — 2 years ago

with Courtney

David Kline

9.4

Soft, lovely, bread-y nose of black currant fur, licorice, light mint forcing upward, sprouting through potting soil. Cinnamon and blueberry warmly embraced by dark bread and small specks of black pepper. Fruit tannins thickly house-painted across your front teeth in a real sense. Muscle. Licorice-charcoal, bitters, blackberry, black currant, graphite-smoke halo, black cherry, oak and cedar, wound up and closed in places, but powerhouse lurking in the shadows.



#lajota #lajotavineyardco #lajotahowellmountainestate
#howellmountain #oakville #napa #napavalley #cab #cabernetsaugvinon — 3 years ago

with Courtney

David Kline

9.2

Dark rye toast, blackest of currant, raisin and dried plum complement a nose of toasted sesame and maduro tobacco. Palate shows grill char, burnt brittle, toffee and resin knit into a rich and comforting blanket of espresso, bakers chocolate, black and red currant, blackberry, violet extract, cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla. At once a treat and a depth charge!

#cainfive #springmountain #napavalley #bordeauxblend #redblend #springmountaindistrict #estategrown #estatebottled #cainvineyardandwinery #sthelena — 4 years ago

David Kline

9.0

Blood ruby pushing purple. Black and red licorice wound around a core of dusty oak. Smoky, with smells of cigar boxes and dried violets, roses and a potpourri of others including heather and light lavender. Tight still with a bing cherry middle, red currant, tart blueberry and boysenberry. Baked plum unravels to the aforementioned oak with a cedar-cigar and pronounced oak exposure. Wound tight in some places, and unraveling slowly in others.


#mayacamas #mayacamasvineyards #mayacamascab #mayacamascabernet #cabernet #cabernetsauvignon #napa #napavalley #napacab #mayacamasmountains #mountveeder #mtveeder #californiawines — 4 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

Gratifying Oak Knoll #napavalley #merlot - medium plus body, calibrated acidity, some vanilla and toasty oak notes so it’s pretty young but well executed Merlot. My hot take - Merlot at the $50 retail mark will outperform Cabs at this price point. — a year ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

8.8

I’m not a fan of Wagner wines but on a limited list this #napavalley #merlot was passable. Prominent black/purple fruit, bit of vanilla from new oak, soft tannins to finish. — a year ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

8.9

Expected inky purple-black color in glass. Opens up earnestly after uncorking and a few days in the wine fridge. Blackberry and plummy fruit on the nose, drinks the same with dialed-back acidity and soft tannins on the finish. While it’s not a full-on #napavalley fruit bomb, it’s wanting for complexity - too one-dimensional for my taste. — 2 years ago

David Kline

9.1

Grace family st Helena cab 2018
Juicy plum and blackberry, cedar, oak and cherry, violets and smoke.
Firm tannins support black pepper, black cherry and cassis in abundance. Mouth-coating and intense with tertiary flavors of violet and graphite cinnamon and licorice.






#cabernetsauvignon #cab

#napavalley

#sthelena #napa

#napacab #estategrown — 3 years ago

David Kline

9.7

Lovely, smoky, mushroom-funk with ethereal violet perfume emanating from lemon madeleines. Perfect expression of cassis and blackberries and black cherry, touches of sweet tobacco reveal a jungle of verdant herbs. Amazing cab franc with the full spectrum of textures.



#lajota #lajotavineyardco #lajotahowellmountainestate #howellmountain #napa #napavalley #cabernetfranc #cabfranc #oakville — 3 years ago

with Courtney

David Kline

9.0

2012 vintage. Chocolate brownie with dried raspberries and tie red cherries. Baked black currant, dried blueberry, moist banana bread, violet in bloom, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon.
Nice entry weight gives way to rich dark chocolate, dried strawberry, Cuban coffee, blackberry reduction, dark baked blueberries, grippy tannins, big fruit and density with a lingering depth.

#opusone #napavalley #napavalley2012 #Napa #robertmondavi #baronphilippederothschild #oakville #napared — 4 years ago

David Kline

9.1

Warm nose with chocolate notes, clove, nutmeg, and coffee. Hazelnut brownie; earthy mushroom. Tart raspberry surprise inside, with licorice, cedar, bitter arabica and sharp tobacco notes, rosemary, tart bing and rich, ripe black cherry. Oak adding cinnamon and a ghost of vanilla. Peppercorn.
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#scottpalazzo #palazzo #napa #napavalley #napared #oakville #redwine #rosso #rouge — 5 years ago