Oak & Eden

Pewsey Vale Vineyard

Individual Vineyard Selection Eden Valley Dry Riesling 2025

So good, smooth, not too sweet and not too dry. — 13 days ago

Chateau Montelena

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020

Green apple, lemon, brioche, and oak. Rich but bright with layers of flavor and acid. — 10 days ago

Joel liked this

Silver Oak

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

2007 vintage. Nice fill. Used a Durand to open but good cork nonetheless. Decanted and tasted after 15 minutes. JFC...does the oak ever die on this nonsense? Tried to bushwhack through it without success. Even the Alexander Valley product has the good sense to have the oak minimized/integrated/drop off after a decade. Not the case here. There's a reason why I haven't even considered carrying this on a wine list since the late 90's. This go round didn't exactly convert my opinion. 8.16.26. — 2 months ago

Ted, Tom and 9 others liked this

Cakebread Cellars

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

#AgedWineTuesday

Golden in color.

Strong nose of citrus, yellow apples, light pineapples, spices, light cedar, earth, herbs and white pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with limes, light grapefruits, spices, light oak, earth and herbs.

Long finish with limes and almonds.

This delicious 10 years old Chardonnay from Napa Valley is still drinking beautifully. Very complex, elegant and nicely balanced.

Still showing enough fruits to balance the earth notes. Nicely aged, and will not get better from this point on.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.

It's always nice to try these kind of aged wines. Good by itself as a sipping and with food.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in (34% new) French Oak barrels for 8 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$75.
— 3 months ago

Dave, Martijn and 10 others liked this

Far Niente Winery

Napa Valley Chardonnay

Butter, oak, lime? — 5 months ago

Trefethen Family Vineyards

Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the 2022 Block 296 version of this vintage. Truly excellent. Sour cherries and oregano on the nose. Spicy! Sour cherries on the front. Medium to heavy tannic structure. Tangy on the mid palate. Long finish. Not your typical overpowering Napa Cab. — 6 months ago

Pewsey Vale Vineyard

Single Vineyard Estate Eden Valley Dry Riesling 2021

Some petrol/diesel aromas and flavors in this lovely bone dry Australian Riesling, solid acid, some white stonefruits as well, great cut/acidity, medium-long finish, very good! — 7 months ago

Jim Powers
with Jim
Tom, Peter and 6 others liked this

Trefethen Family Vineyards

Oak Knoll District Chardonnay 2023

Pale lemon in color with a golden tint.

Light nose of green apples, lemons, spices and minerals.

Medium-bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with limes, lemons, green apples, light grapefruits, minerals, light wood and herbs.

Tangy finish with limes and grapefruits.

This is a tasty and easy drinking Chardonnay from Napa Valley. Elegant and fruit forward with nice complexity. Tangy and entertaining.

Feels more like a California Pinot Gris, and better when properly chilled.

Wine Spectator 90 points.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. Paired nicely with my salad and fish and chips.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged for 9 months in (10% new) oak barrels.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$25.
— 2 months ago

Doug, Tom and 4 others liked this

Mount Eden Vineyards

Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Zach D
9.1

Pours a purple hue with some fading at the rim; aromas of black and red fruit; raspberry, blackberry, some dark cherry, and cassis; palate with good acidity, congruent with the nose; there is a bit of vanilla clove baking spice oak on the palate. Alcohol is moderate at 13.5; I like the wine, and I don’t drink a whole lot of American wines. The oak influence should be more delicate in my opinion, as the fruit is pretty elegant. It overwhelms a bit, and holds it back. I have doubts that this aspect will improve with bottle age, but I have another couple bottles and will leave in the cellar as an experiment. — 2 months ago

Dave, Joel and 5 others liked this
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Zach D Cautiously optimistic that overt oak will completely fade into the background in 7-8 years and the wine will truly blossom.

Grgich Hills Estate

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023

2023 vintage. Crisp apricot and pear aromas on the nose, light oak taste on the palette, decent finish. Great afternoon wine with cheese, salami, and hummus. — 5 months ago

Trefethen Family Vineyards

Reserve Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Celebrating a special holiday today. Enjoying this wonderful bottle of wine now. Could save it for another occasion. But not — 6 months ago

Rob and Laura liked this

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Somm David T
9.4

I have written a few times regarding my tale of Caymus & Caymus Classic. Their vintages post 2011 and their vintages pre 2011.

I have at event tastings that Caymus was pouring, encouraged their staff to talk with Chuck to make both Caymus & Caymus Classic. Recently, I emailed them to pass on my thoughts to Chuck asking him to make both. If you liked Caymus the way it was, I encourage you to do the same. There is a dwelling amount of older, well preserved Caymus Classic vintages. info@wagnerfamilyofwine.com should you be so inclined.

Their post 2011 Caymus Cabernets are picked at higher brix and syrupy sweet. I get why Chuck changed. Many like sweeter Cabernets that drink easy young. That is not my wheelhouse.

In my intermediate wine days, I aged and enjoyed many pre 2012 vintages. This perfect bottle bought on the secondary market at around $70 is extremely well stored. The cork when I cut the foil looked slightly depressed, when I pulled it with an Ah-so was next to new.

I enjoyed this with a Ribcap, not the best wine for that steak but, ok. This 07 is more filet or NY Strip.

The nose shows; a very dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush-blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, mellow dark spices, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry tobacco, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender.

This bottle now nearly 18 years in bottle has not faded. It is at its precipice and will hold a few yrs. 2007 a grand Napa vintage. Decanted a little over an hour and enjoyed over the next 90-120 minutes. With this experience, another hour in the decanter is even better.

M-M+ velvety, rounded, tannins. The palate is round, ripe, lush, ruby fruits of; dark core of sweet currants. Ripe-lush; blackberries, black cherries, the blackest of plum to pudding, stewed plum, black raspberries, poached/slightly baked strawberries, circling raspberries with notes of liqueur overtones, anise to black licorice, woven baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, black licorice, dark berry cola, distinct dark, Caynus Classic spices w/ palate heat, herbaceous notes, sweet tarriness & dark earth, dry crush limestone/rock, moist, grey volcanic clays, dry top soil, dry river stone, charcoal, notes of menthol, dry tobacco, leather, dry oak barrel shavings, some sweet graphite, steeped black tea & withering/candied, dark, red flowers framed in liquid violets/lavender, perfect, round acidity with an incredibly; balanced, well knitted-toned-structured, elegantly/smartly polished finish that goes on and on and long sets on beautiful earth & spice.

94+ This experience is becoming rarer & rarer.
— 7 months ago

Andrew, Rick and 9 others liked this
Joe DAscoli

Joe DAscoli Premium Badge

The 07 such a great wine

Domaine Eden

Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This is a wonderful expression of Santa Cruz Mountain Cab, caught in a state of absolute grace. I might be lucky with the specific bottle but it's really shining through like a mini superstar. Small red and black fruits are still preserved in a dusty state, in harmony with the emerging leather, pipe tobacco, and graphite, strikingat great balance between freshness and complexity. The nose is giving a preview of the palate, where the canines show completely evolved, silkyyet substantial. Again, lucky me, because it's in a state of grace. — a month ago

Tom, Dave and 7 others liked this

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Great improvement from the last btl. Unfortunately my last & not on the top of my list to replace. — 2 months ago

David, Dave and 4 others liked this

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2022

Dark ruby in color with a wide purplish rim.

Earthy nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, mediterranean spices and chocolate notes.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and raspberries.

This Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is extremely young and needs 10 years in the bottle to mature properly. Elegant and fruit forward, yet restrained.

I've had many different vintages of this wine, but never had it so young. Not as powerful as some other vintages, but already complex and nicely balanced.

Feels like a good quality Left Bank Bordeaux, and will continue to age nicely, and get better in the next 20 years.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

A good sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$490.
— a month ago

Dave, Dick and 14 others liked this

Mount Eden Vineyards

Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir 2030

Good wine, nice depth to the fruit with long finish — 5 months ago

Mount Eden Vineyards

Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay 2018

Golden color. Green apple and vanilla (light oak) on the palate. Age worthy. April 2026. — 6 months ago

Bond

St. Eden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007

1 hour decan(decent chunky/fine sediment). A striking still dark garnet color. On the nose: Captivating notes of dark fruit, stewed meat, mushroom, eucalyptus, roasted coffee bean. Taste: silky, opulent, structured wine with dark cherry, tobacco, charred earth, currants, herbs, pepper, and a coffee-pencil lead long finish with just a touch of heat from the alcohol. YUM!! — 7 months ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland
with Brenda
Brenda, Dave and 12 others liked this