Tusk Estates
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
My thoughts are all over with this wine. First off, I love Melka. However there is something off with this wine. Some musty flavor, and not the good old cab musty flavor that I usually like. My initial experience with this wine wasn't positive. I visited the winery and I learned more about the packaging than the wine creation. So I couldn't help but be disappointed (instead of impressed) when I received my first shipment, because I felt I was paying for all that packaging that I threw away instead of the juice. Note to winery: sell the site, the grapes, the winemaker....who cares about the label and box.
My thoughts are all over with this wine. First off, I love Melka. However there is something off with this wine. Some musty flavor, and not the good old cab musty flavor that I usually like. My initial experience with this wine wasn't positive. I visited the winery and I learned more about the packaging than the wine creation. So I couldn't help but be disappointed (instead of impressed) when I received my first shipment, because I felt I was paying for all that packaging that I threw away instead of the juice. Note to winery: sell the site, the grapes, the winemaker....who cares about the label and box.
2 people found it helpfulMar 19th, 2017
This is a big cab from Philippe Melka, it is velvety smooth with some floral aromas which surprised me given the high alcohol content (15.5%). But it was not as great as I'd hoped. It drank nicely but not the wow I was expecting from this caliber wine. Maybe the '13 will be better...? Felt a bit over priced to me, glad to have tried it though.
This is a big cab from Philippe Melka, it is velvety smooth with some floral aromas which surprised me given the high alcohol content (15.5%). But it was not as great as I'd hoped. It drank nicely but not the wow I was expecting from this caliber wine. Maybe the '13 will be better...? Felt a bit over priced to me, glad to have tried it though.
1 person found it helpfulApr 7th, 2017
Everything a Melka cult cab should be this 2012 reminds me a lot of the Colgin Estate ix. Nose of Juicy dark berries and fresh cut flowers Nose is very floral and just outrageous. Palate is well structured and meant to age. Opens up with air to show concentrated mouth watering dark cherry and tobacco cut by cedar chips. Finish stays with u. Will be even better in years to come as tannins mellow but struts its stuff now. 98+ (this may be a 100 point wine in 5 years)
Everything a Melka cult cab should be this 2012 reminds me a lot of the Colgin Estate ix. Nose of Juicy dark berries and fresh cut flowers Nose is very floral and just outrageous. Palate is well structured and meant to age. Opens up with air to show concentrated mouth watering dark cherry and tobacco cut by cedar chips. Finish stays with u. Will be even better in years to come as tannins mellow but struts its stuff now. 98+ (this may be a 100 point wine in 5 years)
1 person found it helpfulMay 15th, 2016
Hot and drying on the palate at the first taste but improved with more time in the decanter. Beautiful nose and no green flavors. Pretty but no more for me.
Hot and drying on the palate at the first taste but improved with more time in the decanter. Beautiful nose and no green flavors. Pretty but no more for me.
Jul 15th, 2015Never disappointed. Big wine. Ton of dark fruit. Love it !
Never disappointed. Big wine. Ton of dark fruit. Love it !
Oct 14th, 2019Very tightly wound right now. I'm not certain how anyone can rate this wine correctly right now but for me this one is a 93/94 right now. Powerful, dense, dark baking chocolate, blackberry cassis with a lot of pepper and a lot of tannin on the finish. 100% tuxedo, but with a very stiff tannic finish. Full bodied wine without a doubt. This one has the makings of a 96/97 in probably 10 years, but I do think that quite a bit of this wine was masked in the tannin which wasn't all that off-putting. For those who like to drink them really young and don't mind the tannic 'iron curtain' shutting down the show, this one is probably a 98 right NOW and it truly is an excellent display of the power of St. Helena and the talent of Melka. Would love to own one of these so that I could see how it develops over the next 15-20 years.
Very tightly wound right now. I'm not certain how anyone can rate this wine correctly right now but for me this one is a 93/94 right now. Powerful, dense, dark baking chocolate, blackberry cassis with a lot of pepper and a lot of tannin on the finish. 100% tuxedo, but with a very stiff tannic finish. Full bodied wine without a doubt. This one has the makings of a 96/97 in probably 10 years, but I do think that quite a bit of this wine was masked in the tannin which wasn't all that off-putting. For those who like to drink them really young and don't mind the tannic 'iron curtain' shutting down the show, this one is probably a 98 right NOW and it truly is an excellent display of the power of St. Helena and the talent of Melka. Would love to own one of these so that I could see how it develops over the next 15-20 years.
Apr 28th, 2018
One of the best 2011s I've had. There is nothing green about this wine. Beautiful notes of dark cherries and sugar plums interwoven with sweet silky cedar. Beautiful texture. Goes down like silk.
One of the best 2011s I've had. There is nothing green about this wine. Beautiful notes of dark cherries and sugar plums interwoven with sweet silky cedar. Beautiful texture. Goes down like silk.
Jun 15th, 2015