Kata Robata $64 Emmanuelle — 4 years ago
Kata bday wine — 6 years ago
dark and complex but with a tiny bit of sweetness. 9.1. Very well done. Second taste. This is probably better than the kata $126 — 7 years ago
Hyvä kuohari!
Rymättylässä Juhannusta viettämässä. Ilana, Jonni, Petja, Venla, Venneri, Lauri, Pasi, Kata — a year ago
Curiosity got the best of me. Steve Mnuchin and Jared Kushner bro’d out over a bottle of this 2015 Arbalest on Sunday. Apparently it’s newsworthy when a wealthy politician brings a ‘cheap’ ($22) bottle of wine to a bro out. I wonder what price gets the ‘politician drinks expensive bottle’ story (see Paul Ryan at Bistro Bis in 2011). No matter, it’s brilliant product placement — I’m surprised Trump didn’t tweet about it... “Did everyone see Poor Stevie’s wine? So Sad. My 2015 Meritage is So Much Better.”
The wine is made by Benoit Touquette. Here’s his background courtesy of critic Jeb Dunnuck, “Born in Lyon France and gaining his education from the University of Bordeaux, Benoit worked at numerous French wineries before getting a job (with the help of his friend and mentor Michel Rolland) in Napa Valley with Andy Erickson. He consulted for the likes of Screaming Eagle, Ovid and Arietta. Today, Benoit is the winemaker for Realm Cellars, Hartwell, and Kata, as well as numerous other labels, including his own project Fait-Main.” Who wouldn’t want to try a $22 bottle of wine from a winemaker with that kind of resume??
Dunnuck also scored the wine 91 points, calling it “Full-bodied, ripe and rounded, with a sexy, opulent style, lots of mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it's well worth your time and money and is a smoking deal at 20 bucks.”
The blend is 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. It needed about an hour to fully open up... one of my fellow tasters called it soapy... which I think was because of its noticeable herbaceousness. Focused black cherry, pipe tobacco, clove. Juicy, but dry, with lots of grip. I’m not doing backflips over it, but you could do much worse at $22. 90+ — 7 years ago
Master class.....Napa grand cru terroir- Beckstoffer Vineyards. Lisa Perrotti Brown (editor, Wine Advocate). Andy Beckstoffer (owner of some of Napa's most historic vineyards)..from the Matter of Taste by Wine Adocate in Napa. Wines:
2013 Myraid Beckstoffer Dr Crsne
2023 Realm Beckstoffer Dr Crane
2013 Kata Beckstoffer Bourn
2013 Fait-Main Becstoffer las piers
2013 Paul Hobbs Becstoffer kas piers
2013 Alpha Omega Beckstoffer George's 111
2013 Sojourn Beckstoffer George's 111
2013 Cliff Lede Beckstoffer To Kalon
2013 Schrader Old Sparky Beckstofer To Kalon
2013 Bacio Divino Beckstoffer Missouri hopper
2013 The Debate Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper — 5 years ago
@Martin G Rivard - this was awesome! Popped the cork and it was good to go though it got even better with air and singing on day two. 50/50 PS/CS, the nose is full of florals, bright red fruit (cherries, raspberries) and a hint of leather. On the entry, the red fruit dominates with hints of spice providing a nice balance. It’s silky smooth with the typical Petite Sirah drying tannins on the long finish. I really, really enjoyed this wine - completely my jam and another hit from Benoit - thank you again Martin! Love Kata and was thrilled to get to try this! — 7 years ago
Matt Forester
Kata Beckstoffer Bourn. Scored well in small Cab tasting. Falling water — 8 months ago