Black Mountain

Hedges Family Estate

Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Dark ruby in color with a reddish/brick rim.

Showing its age on the nose and full in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, black tea and black pepper.

Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain in Washington State. Elegant and earthy with chocolate notes.

This Single Vineyard Cabernet is complex with a soft mouthfeel, and feels much older than its age.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were aged in all new French oak barrels for 22 months. A small production of only 5 barrels.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$80.
— a month ago

Paul, Dawn and 9 others liked this
Jay Kline

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I really like these wines. Massively underrated.
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Jay Kline Totally.

Pride Mountain Vineyards

Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

8/2026. Big, bold and dry. Nice finish.

Halls Chophouse
— 3 days ago

Ted, Scott@Mister and 2 others liked this

Storybook Mountain Vineyards

Mayacamas Range Napa Estate Zinfandel 2021

Night 2 notes. The oaky notes from being first opened on night one are gone. It’s a little softer, higher in acid, and less intense than other vintages I’ve had. Nose has bright, ripe red berries, some brambly notes, and irony earth. On the palate there’s nice intensity on entry, but it flattens out a bit in the finish. I’d say this is for earlier drinking than the typical Storybooks I’m used to. — a month ago

Doug, Joel and 16 others liked this
Doug Powers

Doug Powers

Interesting, I actually haven’t tried any Storybook Zins for, say, 15 years?
Tom Casagrande

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@Doug Powers - I have several of their various Zins in the cellar. They generally tend to be balanced, elegant, and age well. (Similar to Ridge in that respect.) I’ve never seen one that hit 15 ABV, which I interpret (and appreciate) as conscious restraint.

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2001

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate? The wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — 10 days ago

Juan, Jeroen and 11 others liked this

La Jota Vineyard Co.

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Black and blue fruit, coffee, black rock, dried herb, mint, dark chocolate and tobacco. — 4 months ago

Joel, Bob and 8 others liked this
Brian S

Brian S Influencer Badge

Black and blue fruit, coffee, black rock, dried herb, mint, dark chocolate and tobacco.

Philip Togni Vineyard

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Like most of Philip Tongi wines, this 20 year old is just hitting it’s stride. The nose has lush bold fruits, dark plums, blackberry with a hint of licorice. Some old leather, faint earthy tobacco. Decanted for two hours found a refined texture. Smooth with some sediment, lushness is highlighted by the boldness of the flavors. The finish lingers…
— 6 hours ago

Letha Phillips
with Letha
Dave, Tom and 1 other liked this

Spring Mountain Vineyard

Estate Bottled Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Easily my favorite visit to SMV and every other one was a 10 out of 10. All the 2023s we tasted on the trip were outstanding. This was right up there with any of them. — 12 days ago

Tom, Rick and 1 other liked this

Outpost

Howell Mountain Zinfandel 2022

7/2026. Good Zin. Fruit and pepper. Paired well with the lamb chops at Halls Chophouse. — a month ago

Ed, Ted and 2 others liked this

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2008

Somm David T
9.2

Better with the Rib-cap. The 08 vintage was spotty to good. This one shows the shortcomings of the 08 vintage. Really good fruit, but lacks typical, depth, mid palate, and length.

The nose is class Bordeaux.Ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, forest floor with dry leaves, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, dry herbs, tomato, leaf, with dark and red flowers, framed in violets.

The palate is ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, deep, dark spice that expands wide, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, caramel and vanillin, dry tobacco with ash, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, dry crushed rocks, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clays, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, savory dry herbs, tomato leaf, dry oak barrel shaving to cedar with dark and red flowers, framed in violets, acidity is ok, just not right, finish is good, not great, it falls hard on spice and is short of a minute.

93 with the Rib-cap. Green Bean from my organic gsrden. Drink now through 2035.
— 3 days ago

Jay, Rick and 11 others liked this

Cain Vineyard & Winery

Cain Five Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

2015 vintage. Sampled from Coravin. Medium body. The monstrous tannins tamed somewhat...as they meet a decade+. Absolutely, top-notch nose. If you both respect the exuberance of youth and celebrate the wisdom of age, this is for you. A fascinating, case study currently. 6.24.26. — 2 months ago

Somm, Doug and 6 others liked this
Somm David T

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Own this $39 recent purchase
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego Premium Badge

@Somm David T Picked up a case.. Gotta dig out the invoice but resto cost was in the $30's. Do recall the 1987 vintage being $13.33 a bottle before the brand decided to make this the benchmark it is.

Robert Biale Vineyards

Black Chicken Napa Valley Zinfandel 2023

Tao Las Vegas — 3 months ago

Tommy HadleyJim Hadley
with Tommy and Jim
Shay, Neil and 3 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1988

Aged purple fruit. Paired with meat chili — 13 days ago

Ira, Dave and 6 others liked this

Spring Mountain Vineyard

Elivette Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005

From a magnum. Best Elivette I’ve had. Great vintage, drinking perfect right now. — 20 days ago

Dave, Paul and 1 other liked this

Spring Mountain Vineyard

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1992

1992 vintage. Decent fill. Perfect cork extracted with a Durand. Decanted and tasted after 30 minutes and 1 hour. Plenty of color. Wicked, durty nose. Light-medium body. A lingering dryness afoot in the complexity of flavors that just endure. Seems simple and easy but that was always this producer's calling card. True harmony, sense of place and balance without overreaching is an eternal struggle and rarely achieved. Pity this winery no longer strides the Earth in this guise. Five bottles remaining. 7.31.26. — a month ago

Lyle, Tom and 12 others liked this

Pride Mountain Vineyards

Sonoma County Cabernet Franc 2008

Solid juicy full of fruit with a good finish, though for me I thought it overripe. — a month ago

Matt, Dave and 4 others liked this

Cade

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Excellent mountains wine. — a month ago

Jan liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2006

Somm David T
9.5

I recently had a conversation with a few Joseph Phelps Ambassador’s at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. I said, I had every vintage of Insignia back to 2006 in storage. They said, “you should really drink up the 2006.” So, I coravined an 06 last weekend, a taste. I agreed then. But tonight not the case, it shows it still has a fair amount of life. Another 5-8 yrs and perhaps plus.

My Ribcap, a definition of Medium Rare Plus.

The nose reveals floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, softly layered baking spices, very underrated graphite, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola.

The palate shows well resolved, rounded, velvety M+ tannins. Nicely ripe fruits that are floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel river, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, warm caramel, dark Asian spices with palate burrowing heat, dry tobacco/ leather, cedar, grilled meats, very underrated graphite, sweet tarriness, black licorice, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola, candied to withering; dark, red, blue florals wrapped in liquid violets, epic rainfall acidity, well balanced-structured-toned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on earth & heated spice.

95-96 peaking.
— a month ago

Tom, Jay and 8 others liked this

Quilceda Creek

Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Needs air. — 3 months ago

Scott@Mister, Somm and 10 others liked this