Balanced tannins with subtle oak and blueberries. Very good experience with prime rib. — 4 years ago
Here’s a secret: Pinot Grigio from Oregon is absolutely killer. The more so with this Ramato, an Italian speciality. Color is amber pink gemstone. Unreal. Caramelized nose. Sweet earthy hints. Super vivacious acid. Tingly finish. I could drink this every day. — 4 years ago
Beauty in a glass!! Ruby gemstone hue with medium (+) aromas of juicy ripe strawberry, raspberry, kirsch, red plum, violet, fennel, vanilla, sweet baking spice, wet moss, and forest floor. Tannins are fine-grained and well-integrated and the finish lingers. This. Wine. Is. Delicious. — 2 years ago
Bull bodied and bold at opening, bit of a tame finish . Will age nicely . — 3 years ago
Incredible. Big with great balance and opens up in the glass. — 4 years ago
Tried the 2018 Cabernet yesterday, nice on opening but closed down quite quickly. But I popped it off the truck so thats to be expected. I’ll rate the 2nd bottle after a long hold.
This one is a different story at only $20.00 more. Great for having only a 1 day hold,
Winery notes,
Keeping with the theme of expansion, we added another block of older vines from Larkmead in 2018. Neighboring our original block of Olmo clone is a tiny block of Jenkins clone Cabernet resting in the same Cortina soil. We have always loved this clone of Cabernet having worked with it at Outpost’s True Vineyard and Gemstone Estate. There’s nothing else quite like it in the world of Cabernet. It manages to be both exotic and wildly singular while still coming across as very complete. It has proven to be a very nice complement to what we’ve been working with from Larkmead since 2012. The color here is a bit darker than normal with mostly fruit tones first present on the nose. That familiar muscular walnut husk, roasted nut quality of Larkmead pokes through quickly though placing this wine stylistically in more of a classic era of California wine. Where in the past this wine could be considered the “lightest” of the lineup, the 2018 shows the power of the vintage and a marked improvement from the addition of the new block. The fruit is still purple leaning and the ethereal notes of the past still pop out on palate entry but a weightier middle kicks in almost immediately with notes of sage, graphite, cassis, lavender and a brambly spice note. The tannin starts earlier too adding texture and a dusty, baker’s chocolate note. In the past, I felt this bottling would always need a few years in the cellar to present a complete palate expression. Not so here with the addition of our little Jenkins block. All these additional blending options from all these great sites prove in 2018 that sometimes more is more. — 4 years ago
Kendyl Condon
Heritage Selection — 2 months ago