Vasanth Balakrishnan

8.9

Expected inky purple-black color in glass. Opens up earnestly after uncorking and a few days in the wine fridge. Blackberry and plummy fruit on the nose, drinks the same with dialed-back acidity and soft tannins on the finish. While it’s not a full-on #napavalley fruit bomb, it’s wanting for complexity - too one-dimensional for my taste. — 2 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

Perfectly aged #napavalley #cabernetsauvignon - The potential QPR stood out to me here on a wine list in downtown Napa. Bramble fruit balanced against softly earthy nose. Symmetrical acidity and fruit continues on palate, dreamy tannins on the finish. Excellent pairing with confit duck leg. — a year ago

David Kline

9.0

Chalky grape and balsa, blackberry, and plum nose with soft smoke and jasmine with a sweet petrol gloss. Soft mouthfeel turns bing cherry and underripe blueberries bordering green. Chewy. Big fruit tannins. A spicy pepper that always turns piquant-fruit. Young in every way, would love to see this chrysalis emerge.


#lajotavineyardco #laJotahowellmountainestate #lajota #howellmountain #merlot #napa #napavalley — 2 years ago

David Kline

9.0

2012 vintage. Chocolate brownie with dried raspberries and tie red cherries. Baked black currant, dried blueberry, moist banana bread, violet in bloom, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon.
Nice entry weight gives way to rich dark chocolate, dried strawberry, Cuban coffee, blackberry reduction, dark baked blueberries, grippy tannins, big fruit and density with a lingering depth.

#opusone #napavalley #napavalley2012 #Napa #robertmondavi #baronphilippederothschild #oakville #napared — 3 years ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.0

My preferred #napavalley #cabernetsauvignon - big yet balanced, blackberry, fine tannins that build and some black pepper spice on the finish. #coombsville — 6 months ago

David Kline

9.1

Grace family st Helena cab 2018
Juicy plum and blackberry, cedar, oak and cherry, violets and smoke.
Firm tannins support black pepper, black cherry and cassis in abundance. Mouth-coating and intense with tertiary flavors of violet and graphite cinnamon and licorice.






#cabernetsauvignon #cab

#napavalley

#sthelena #napa

#napacab #estategrown — a year ago

David Kline

9.7

Lovely, smoky, mushroom-funk with ethereal violet perfume emanating from lemon madeleines. Perfect expression of cassis and blackberries and black cherry, touches of sweet tobacco reveal a jungle of verdant herbs. Amazing cab franc with the full spectrum of textures.



#lajota #lajotavineyardco #lajotahowellmountainestate #howellmountain #napa #napavalley #cabernetfranc #cabfranc #oakville — 2 years ago

with Courtney

David Kline

9.2

Big and bold nose shows cedar and espresso and sweet notes of blackberry, violets and cassis. Full bodied and full of muscles. Dark chocolate with espresso aspirations, black cherry and blackberry reductions, black currant and blacker tobacco. Toffee and cedar explode and melt into a lingering, unctuous chocolate ganache.

#elusa #kenefickranchvineyards #cabernetfranc #cabfranc #calistoga #napa #napavalley — a year ago

with Courtney

David Kline

9.4

Soft, lovely, bread-y nose of black currant fur, licorice, light mint forcing upward, sprouting through potting soil. Cinnamon and blueberry warmly embraced by dark bread and small specks of black pepper. Fruit tannins thickly house-painted across your front teeth in a real sense. Muscle. Licorice-charcoal, bitters, blackberry, black currant, graphite-smoke halo, black cherry, oak and cedar, wound up and closed in places, but powerhouse lurking in the shadows.



#lajota #lajotavineyardco #lajotahowellmountainestate
#howellmountain #oakville #napa #napavalley #cab #cabernetsaugvinon — 2 years ago

with Courtney

David Kline

9.2

Dark rye toast, blackest of currant, raisin and dried plum complement a nose of toasted sesame and maduro tobacco. Palate shows grill char, burnt brittle, toffee and resin knit into a rich and comforting blanket of espresso, bakers chocolate, black and red currant, blackberry, violet extract, cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla. At once a treat and a depth charge!

#cainfive #springmountain #napavalley #bordeauxblend #redblend #springmountaindistrict #estategrown #estatebottled #cainvineyardandwinery #sthelena — 2 years ago