David Shaw

9.0

Pairing at dark chocolate tasting. Nice match with Dove dark, heightening the vanilla and middle chocolate flavors. Astringency heightened with Ghirardelli 72%. Overmatched by 82% Scharffen Berger — 4 days ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose with plums, cherries, oak, blueberries, vanilla, licorice, cloves, chocolates, mocha, spices, green vegetables, bitter herbs, light barnyard and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, light vanilla, vegetables, wet leaves, bitter herbs, spices and peppercorn.

Medium on the finish with soft tannins, bitter herbs and tangy cranberries.

This is a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. Not fully balanced yet, with a nice mouthfeel and mild complexity.

Still young and bitter on the mid palate. Needs a couple of years in the bottle to mature and remove some of bitterness.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up.

I paired it with a cheese plate and crackers.

A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$20. — 8 days ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Malbec(70%), Cab Sauv(25%), Syrah(5%) Blend. Big wine that is woody and smokey up front. Blackberry, Cassis, Plums, cola, licorice and oaky notes. Full bodied and rich wine, but the finish is a bit short. Unique Argentinian blend. — 20 hours ago

Shay A

9.3

The winemaker from Cape Mentelle was touring through TX and stopped by Classic Wine Storage for a quick tasting.

Cool climate Cabernet from Australia. Coastal influence. This felt like a balance between left bank Bordeaux (leather, herbal) and Napa (ripe fruit). It was pretty tannic and one dimensional up front but after an hour it mellowed out and settled in to a nice Cabernet. “Only” 14ABV, which feels like a win from Australia. Plum, dark cocoa, ripe blackberry, cassis and a very “soft”/fuzzy finish that I was struggling to identify. Unique. — 2 days ago

with Dan and Mark

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Happy Valentine’s Day! A little Napa Cabernet to go with our beef tenderloin and red wine reduction sauce.

The nose reveals, floral creme de cassis, ripe and ruby; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, blue fruits, baked strawberries and hints of black raspberries, limestone minerals, black licorice notes, lighter intensity dark spices, dark chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, volcanic minerals, rich dark soils, a touch of dry crushed rocks, steeped dark berry tea with red florals, violets and lavender.

The body is full with well rounded velvety dark, dusty tannins. The structure, tension, length and balance have just past its high point by a smidge. The acidity’s like a fresh water stream. Floral creme de cassis, ripe and ruby; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, blue fruits, cherries, pomegranate extract, dry cranberries, raspberries, baked strawberries and hints of black raspberries, limestone minerals, black licorice notes, notes of dark berry bubble gum, lighter intensity dark spices, black pepper dark chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, Provence herbs, volcanic minerals, rich dark soils, a touch of dry crushed rocks, steeped dark berry tea with red florals, violets and lavender. The finish has great balance with fruit and earth. It’s; soft, elegant, rich, lush and persistent for minutes.
— 3 days ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

Sassicaia has never been to my liking, but it's probably because I've never drank it with enough age (the 06' which I had a couple of years ago was perhaps the oldest bottle). Nevertheless, it has always been a solid wine in my books and the 14' delivers in this vein. Quite red fruited on the nose, but it's all about blackcurrants on the palate, oak vanillin stood out for me here, green tones - sage and menthol comes to mind, quite silky texture. Air brought out some earthy salinity and some subtle spice notes - cinammon, anise. It's still a fruit bomb for me at this moment, but I think that's partly our fault for not giving it enough aeration.

Another bottle that was popped, poured, and blinded. Didn't do too well here - thought it was a Merlot with the red berry and plum notes, and it didn't quite sport the Cab pyrazine. Somehow thought it might have been New World. In hindsight, not sure why. 85% Cab Sauv, rest Cab Franc. Fermented in tank with indigenous yeasts. 11-15 days' vatting (longer than usual). Aged 24 months in French oak barriques (40% new). — 25 days ago

Michael Seely

9.4

Expressive of a true Walla Walla Boudreaux blend that is spot on! Enjoyed with a magnificent burger. — 2 days ago

with Jeff and Joe

Carlo Maria Rossotto

9.0

Top Syrah from Croatia - Dalmatia. - Had it at ManO2 in Zagreb. With duck breasts and beets on Cabernet Sauvignon reduction, baby carrots and beetroot foam. Fine Zagreb dinner. — 11 days ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Decanting now, can you believe this is the only 2013 CA wine in our cellar?! All the rest is hiding, appropriately out of reach, in off-site storage. 👍

We tasted this at a walk-around in November of 2018, and I was impressed then...

Nose has chalkboard dust, milk chocolate, ripe plum, ripe raspberry, black cherry and cut green pepper (light).
Palate has chalky plum, ripe cherry, medium tannins, light green herbal notes, light toasted oak (few year old barrels?) and milk chocolate.

Very impressed at how approachable this wine is tonight after only about 2hrs of decant. Showing quite nicely at about 5 years past vintage. 2013 was very strong for CA, going to be legendary in my opinion; likely my favorite vintage in the prior 10 years.

Happy Valentine's Day 2019 to all. — 4 days ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Revisiting this burly beast almost a year later and it’s still as it was before: terrific. Impenetrable dark crimson with a little more bricking going on. Vanilla, lavender, a good bit of oak, and blueberries on the nose. At almost eleven years old, this doesn’t remind me so much of a standard Napa Can but rather a nice Bordeaux. The heat from the alcohol has definitely settled down and is presenting some wonderful balance. There’s still some fruit here with layers of blueberries, cherries, and cranberries. Tobacco, coffee, and leather on the palate. This is a wine that’s absolutely singing right now. All hail to Last Bottle. Just like I said a year ago, powerful, ripe fruit, and great structure. — 4 days ago