"Odedi"

9.3

Moone Tsai Black List XXXIV Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep inky in color with a short neon red rim.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, espresso, light earth, dark chocolates, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 4 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is still very young, but already drinking beautifully. Complex and interesting.

A different kind of Napa Cabernet. Fruit forward, but not 'in your face' kind of wine. Elegant and restrained.

I gave it 3 hours in the decanter, but it might not been enough. The high alcohol is nicely integrated already.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 20 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 7 years and see how it evolves. Has good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in (65% new) French Oak barrels for 18 months. A tiny production of only 5 barrels.

15.4% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$330. — 9 days ago

Michelle Monborne

9.4

Black list XXIV — 3 years ago

with ed

Steve Belmonte

9.3

Took a while to settle. A black berry aftertaste. Very nice vino — 4 years ago

Paul K

9.4

79% Merlot and 21% cab. This wine is amazing and ready now but I’m sure time will only enhance. The 2016 is more tight/tannic than this and not ready yet. This is prettier, but still powerful. Loving this and gonna pick up more. — 2 months ago

Michael Chelus

9.2

Apple, lemon, cedar, dried apricot, oak and hints of almond. Great acidity and balance. — 6 months ago

Joshua Fisher

9.2

Anybody know that house in the background? — 3 years ago

Sam Hara

9.1

Too earthy for me to love it. Enjoyable nonetheless. — 4 years ago

with Rachel

Michael Chelus

9.4

Black cherry, vanilla, raspberry, cassis, eucalyptus and oak. Full-bodied and velvety tannins. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Moone Tsai Paige Cuvée Chardonnay 2021, Russian River Valley, California

Dark gold in color.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and a soft mouthfeel.

Showing lemons, apples, pears, light earth, vanilla, bitter herbs, oak and minerals.

Tangy finish with almonds and limes.

This is very tasty Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Still young, but already enjoyable. Elegant and soft. Rich and fruit forward. I really enjoyed the nose.

Needed 45 minutes in the bottle to open up properly, remove some of the oaky notes, and balance itself out.

Would be nice to revisit this Single Vineyard Chardonnay in 3 years, and see how it evolved.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. I paired it with a double cream Brie cheese.

100% Whole Cluster Chardonnay grapes were aged in (45% new) French Oak barrels for 17 months.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$120. — 3 months ago

Shay A

9.2

This was one of my wines from my annual WWC hosting. The other whites were Bereche Brut Reserve for the champagne, a 2015 Bongran EJ Thevent (burgundy) Chardonnay and a 2017 Moone-Tsai Ritchie Chardonnay.

Color me impressed. I have enjoyed Calera’s pinots quite a bit, but I haven’t had as much experience with the Chardonnay’s. It was almost like a Aubert Larry Hyde “lite”. As this was tasted blind, most guessed this was Chardonnay, but lots of back and forth on where it would be from. Initially, this toed the line between steely and slightly oaked with bright citrus, lemon, clean aromatics…but after an hour in the glass, this really bulked up and sported a down-the-middle type medium bodied profile. Not lean, not powerful. The tart lemon turned to a more lemon cream profile with lots of floral/honeysuckle notes, alongside herb crusted yellow fruits. No problem opening now, but I’d love to try another one of these in a few years. 92+ — 3 years ago