Napa Valley Red
Duckhorn Vineyards - Merlot 2016 Three Palms Vineyards
Napa Valley
The nose offers a small power/concentration and intensity. It reveals notes of ripe cassis, fleshy black blackberry and small notes of graphite associated with fine touches of dark chocolate, violet as well as a fine hint of cornflower/ small blue fruits and an imperceptible hint of vanilla bourbon. The mouth is fruity and offers gourmandize, suavity as well as an acidulous /fine frame. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of black cherry, fleshy/juicy blackberry and small nots of black plum associated with fine touches of raspberry (in the background) and hints of liquorice. Tannins are well-built.
Score : 15.5+/20 (91/100)
DuckhornVineyards - Merlot 2016, StoutVineyard Napa Valley
The nose is fruity, very finely tight and offers a fine concentration. It reveals notes of liquorice, cassis and small notes of blackberry associated with fine touches of violet, small berries and discreet hints of tobacco leaf. The mouth is fruity, mineral, well-balanced and offers juiciness, a finely acidulous frame and a racy minerality. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of ripe/juicy Boysen berry, juicy/ripe cassis and small notes of violet associated with touches of small black berries as well as fine hints of cornflower, liquorice stick and very discreet hints of cardamom. Tannins are structuring and racy.
Score : 15.75+/20 (91-92/100)
Duckhorn Vineyards - The Discussion 2015
Napa Valley
The nose is fruity and offers elegance and a good definition. It reveals notes of very ripe cassis, Boysen berry and small notes of liquorice stick associated with fine touches of fresh/ripe blueberry associated with fine touches of violet, Sichuan pepper and a very discreet hint of arbutus fruit. The mouth is fresh, fruity, well-balanced and offers a juicy/finely acidulous frame, minerality as well as tension. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of black blackberry, cassis and small notes of black cherry associated with fine touches of violet, ripe raspberry as well as fine hints of liquorice, tobacco and vanilla. Tannins are precise, well-built and elegant.
Score : 16.75/20 (93-94/100)
Emmolo - Merlot 2017 Napa Valley
The nose is fruity and offers a fine grain and a fine power. It reveals notes of blackberry, ripe cassis and small notes of crushed red fruits as well as fine hints of violet and a discreet hint of cardamom and an imperceptible hint of grey pepper. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced and offers a good juiciness, an acidulous frame as well as a fine tension. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy cassis, fleshy cassis and small notes of wild raspberry associated with fine touches of violet, liquorice stick and a subtle hint of caramelization. Tannins are well-built and racy.
Score : 15.75+/20 (91-92/100)
Harlan Estate 2015 Napa Valley
The nose is fruity and offers a beautiful minerality, a beautiful richness (but full of finesse) as well as a beautiful elegance. It reveals notes of blackberry, cassis and small notes of raspberry, violet associated with fine touches of blueberry, violet as well as fine hints of cornflower, racy minerality and nutmeg. The mouth is fruity, elegant, fresh, racy, suave and offers a beautiful definition / expression, a beautiful finesse, gourmandize, deepness, a beautiful density, a beautiful grain as well as a beautiful guideline. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, fleshy cassis and small notes of violet associated with hints of cardamom, sens of the place, toasted as well as touches of chocolate and hazelnut. Tannins are elegant and well-built. Good suave and gourmand persistence.
Score : 19/20 (98/100) Harlan Estate 2016 Napa Valley
The nose is fruity, elegant and offers a beautiful freshness, deepness and a fine/racy grain. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, fresh cassis and small notes of small fresh wild berries associated with touches of wild strawberry, violet as well as hints of sens of the place and tonka bean. The mouth is fruity, wellbalanced, elegant, racy, powerful and offers a fresh frame, a beautiful definition as well as an acidulous/fresh frame. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy/fresh cassis, fleshy/fresh blackberry and small notes of fresh cherry associated with small touches of violet, juicy violet plum as well as very discreet hints of mocha and an imperceptible hint of Bourbon vanilla (in the background). Good length. Tannins are elegant and fine. An imperceptible hint of sens of the place on the persistence. A wine you can keep.
Score : 19+/20 (98-99/100)
Hewitt – Double Plus 2013 Rutherford, Napa Valley
The nose is elegant, mineral, fresh and offers a beautiful deepness, a fine power and a beautiful finesse of the grain. It reveals notes of Boysen berry, small blue berries and small notes of violet, lily associated with touches of cassis, cardamom as well as discreet hints of cornflower, Cuben pepper and racy minerality. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced, elegant and offers a beautiful definition, precision, tension and a beautiful guideline. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy blackberry, fleshy cassis and small notes of fresh/juicy raspberry associated with touches of lily, cornflower/blueberry as well as small hints of cherry as well as hints of chocolate and hints of bourbon vanilla. Good length and beautiful persistence. Tannins are elegant, structuring and racy.
Score : 18/20 (96/100)
Hewitt – Double Plus 2015 Rutherford, Napa Valley
The nose is fine, fresh, fruity and offers a beautiful quality of the fruit, deepness and a beautiful delicacy of the grain. It reveals notes of fresh/juicy blackberry, fresh/juicy raspberry as well as fine hints of racy minerality, Cuben pepper, fresh iris associated with notes of lilac/violet and very discreet hints of tea. The mouth is fruity and offers definition, richness, freshness as well as finesse. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of juicy/fresh cassis and small notes of cherry associated with fine touches of crushed raspberry, fresh/juicy blueberry as well as fine hints of oak/toasted and discreet hints of tobacco leaves. Good length and persistence with a fine hint of bitterness on the cocoa.
Score : 18.25/20 (96-97/100)
Jericho CanyonVineyard - Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, East Elevation
Calistoga, Napa Valley
The nose is fruity and offers freshness, tension and power. It reveals notes of ripe cassis, small wild berries and small notes of wild strawberry associated with fine touches of sens of the place and spices. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced and offers a good definition, juiciness, freshness as well as a certain finesse. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of violette associated with fine touches of Cuben pepper as well as fine hints of tonka bean caramelization and a subtle hint of dry ground. Tannins are elegant and well-built. Good persistence.
Score : 16.5/20 (93/100)
Jericho CanyonVineyard - Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Reserve
Calistoga, NapaValley
The nose is fruity, elegant and offers a good definition and concentration. It reveals notes of blackberry, ripe cassis and small notes of violet associated with touches of liquorice, hints of blue fruits as well as fine hints of dry oak, dry ground, racy minerality as well as fine hints of black pepper and tea. The mouth is fruity, well-balanced and offers a juicy frame, a good definition and gourmandize. In the mouth this wine expresses notes of fleshy cassis, small wild black