Vine Hill Ranch

Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Bruce Phillips and his wife were pouring their 2021. Talked w/ him at length. Very nice couple.

The 2021 showed well young with room for improving with 10-25 years in bottle and beyond. It showed some evolution, wasn’t all primary. Elegant, very well balanced with excellent structure and finish. Drink 2033-45 properly stored.

The general Napa consensus on 2022 vintage will be a story of did you pick before or after the 6 days of extreme heat during the harvest window. One producer told me his would add 5% of 2023 to some of his 2022’s, which is allowed. He mentioned that he was going to add 15%. But, I think he just misspoke? Get ready for an amazing 2023 vintage from Napa. It was a cooler, not hot-hot, which was a near perfect growing season for long slow even ripening. Some say a vintage of a lifetime and others would only say exceptional.

The Saturday-Sunday Pavilion tasting at Pebble Beach Food & Wine is an excellent four hours to taste a lot wine, taste curated dishes from chefs from all over the country and meet the people behind the bottle. These short ribs were one of the top two or three things I tasted at the Pavilion Saturday. — 12 days ago

Shay, Ceccherini and 11 others liked this

Pebble Lane

Monterey County Pinot Noir 2019

Catherine Mc Kalip-Thompson

9.1

Very nice, smooth, drinkable now — 2 years ago

Row 503

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2017

Rebecca Salazar

8.9

Blackberry, honey notes, fruit finish — 4 years ago

Checkerboard Vineyards

Kings Row Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.5

One of the best Napa Valley wines in the Valley! — 2 months ago

with Daniel and Michael

Joel liked this

Cayuse Vineyards

Edith Grenache Rosé 2018

Shay A

9.2

My last of a 3-pack. The fruit is from the Armada Vineyard in a special two row section that is used solely for rosé.

Compared to the 2017 I had in 2020, I found this to be more mellow (not sure if it is due to vintage or the fact that this has almost four years of age compared to when I had the 2017 it had three years of age). Much more pale pink and extremely Provençal. Watermelon rind, cantaloupe and a very mineral driven aromatic profile. Not as tangy/iron driven as the 2017 I had, but the acidity seems brighter. Rose petals, black cherry skin and dragonfruit on the palate with more stony/mineral notes. No way anyone takes this to WA state (let alone Cayuse). Incredibly French. I’d consume in the next year or two, but certainly has the bones to hold on for a bit — 2 years ago

Jason, Aaron and 31 others liked this