Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Welcoming the Holiday Season ⛄️❄️🎅🎁 Cheers!🥂

I posted their 2014 a few weeks ago. As I mentioned then, I bought the 13 & 15 before completing my 14 notes. While this has a yr on the 14, this is not as big as 14. Even with another yr in bottle, I expected this to have bigger teeth and it doesn’t entirely. 3 hrs in the decanter before beginning my notes. The 13 & 14 to me were not completely different. The 13’s I’ve had generally have bigger-brawnier tannins, but not significantly and not the case here with this 2013 tonight. I bought the 13 & 15 to do this comparison. The fruits on the 14 were more lush & ruby. Mildly surprising. This has more spice/earthiness and doesn’t lack a mid palate like the 14 did early on and eventually filled in.

The advantage of writing realtime notes is you can understand the changes with food. In this case a Ribcap. This was a far more lush with steak.

Now with a nearly 5 hour decant, the wine has added more lush Fruits.

Ruby & somewhat lush & juicy; dark currants, dry blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, poached strawberries, notes of pomegranate, raspberries & hues of blueberries. Deep, dark, spice w/ palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick and vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel hues, cocoa powder, dry tobacco w/ ash, graphite, leather, cedar, steeped black tea, dark, rich, slightly, sweet forest floor w/ dry leaves, dry top soil, dry brush, limestone & volcanic minerals, pepper, dry river stone & crushed rocks, dark, red, blue flowers, red roses with nice acidity and a well knitted-balanced, nicely toned- structured, elegant finish that lands on moist volcanic clays.

Definitely put on some weight, complexity & elegance the longer it was in the decanter.

If I’d tasted 13 & 14 blind and was asked to pick, which vintage was which. I would have said the 14 was the 13.

Props to their terroirs-vineyards, vineyard manager-team, they farm exceptional fruit for all three of the Dana labels. — 2 days ago

Dan Michael

9.2

What a lovely wine. Dark dense black fruit, soft tannins and plenty of rich oak but still balanced with tart acidity, long finish. A really complete wine. Worth checking out. Very nice with our grass fed NY steaks. — 5 years ago

Mike R

9.4

Love this SB — 6 years ago

with Jeff

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I bought this at K&L recently for $79 to judge their 3rd wine vs the younger Dana & Onda I have. This is made from de-selected fruit from their 3 primary single vineyards.


If you love lush/plush, ripe. bold Napa Cabernets, you will love the 2014 Vaso today. It’s still early but drinking nicely tonight. It took a 3 hr decant. Prior, it was missing a bit of a mid-palate. Not now!

The nose is beautiful. Dark currants-cassis, sandalwood, dry twig, dryish tobacco, mid intensity baking spices, dark chocolate, sweet tarriness, black licorice, dark to mid berry cola, steeped black tea, caramel/mocha, dry crushed rocks, candied to withering flowers framed in soft violets & lavender.

The palate is rich, lush, bold & striking. Dark currants-cassis, wild, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, both plums-black dominate to pudding, a buffet of mixed purple fruits, some baked strawberries w/ haunting raspberries. Bold, dark spices, caramel, mocha, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & a touch of vanilla, anise to black licorice, a mix of fresh & herbs, light cedar to sandalwood, dry tobacco with some ash, graphite, dry river stone, limestone marl, dry crush rocks, dry top soil, dark, withering to candied; dark, red flowers with violets, grand acidity, layered finish that is well balanced-structured, still well tensioned, elegant & smartly polished finish that goes on and on. Delicious, especially the longer it sat in the decanter. 3 hours total.

I bought 13 & 15 Vaso for the same price before finishing my comments.

This has 15-20 yrs of good drinking ahead.

@SimplyRedVirtualLiveHamburg — 15 days ago

Jelipe Monterrubio

9.1

Agradable sabor, ligero olor a madera, 40 grados en porcentaje de alcohol, recomendable para combinación con refresco de cola o de Ginger, en epoca de frío tomalo solo, prueba otro peculiar sabor combinado preparado en vaso de barro dejandolo unos minutos reposando, gradua lo dulce con agua mineral. Mejo sabor que Solera de Bacardi precio accesible 240-300 pesos mexicanos. — 3 years ago

James Park

9.2

Dark fruit. Ripe black cherry. Fine tanine. Tree fruit scent. Some pepper at the end. — 5 years ago

Joan Ziegler

9.4

Enjoying in Mountain View with Shannon McElyea& Richard Johnsson at Vaso Azzuro. Big, great nose. Lovely. — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.9

77 acres of very old vaso trained Monatrell vines & 29 acres of 30 year old Cab Sauvignon. A blend of 70% Cab Sauvignon & 30% Monastrell aged 2 years. Dark Ruby with dark berry flavors & complex spice. Rich ripe blueberry & blackberry flavors with vanilla spice, tobacco, balanced acidity. Tannins are approachable but the wine is still very young, long finish ending with integrated oak notes. Still needs time, don’t be tempted but if you wait this will be great! Tasting Sample! — 2 years ago

Tessa Mager

9.0

Good! Crisp and light. Not too sweet — 4 years ago

Andy Hall

9.3

Okay, one big note for all 7 of the terrific Xmas eve and Xmas wines. Started off with the cab/cab franc blends. Peter Michael Au Paradise ‘12 at 93 pts. The splendid Favia Cerro Sur ‘07 at 95 pts. Xmas eve traditional dinner of Meatballs and penne at 98 pts beat the Luigi Einaudi barolo mag ‘10 at 92 pts. Early Xmas day drinking started with a solid ‘16 VASO sauv blanc at 93 pts. Traditional Turkey dinner was accented by my first 100 pts post on Vinous : ‘15 Peter Michael Point Rouge Chard. Into the bad ass cabs. ‘07 Chappellet Pritchard Hill at 96 pts and ‘05 Shafer Hillside Select at 99 pts. What a holiday drinking lineup to toast a shit 2020. — 5 years ago