Tasting Round-Up
Melka, Barbour, Smith, Pott, Kaplan, and Brown. A week of genius in a bottle.
Mar
The wines that we got to taste this week are why I love being in this industry, and why I love doing what I do.
- Philippe Melka
- Jim Barbour
- Mike Smith
- Aaron Pott
- Sam Kaplan
- Thomas Rivers Brown
These are the BEST in the business. The VERY BEST. These are the type of wines that turn people that like wine into people that LOVE wine. Let us do that for you. Let us take you on that journey. Even if you can only get one of these, do it.
You will not regret it.
2012 Perfect Season Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
Wine Spectrum 97: Exquisitely handcrafted by Philippe Melka, the 2012 vintage of Perfect Season is a wine that transports you to a place of quiet thought and reflection. Its intriguing layers reveal themselves slowly and purposefully, and at first, offer aromas of dark sensuous berries, baking spices and the soil from which the wine was born. Alluringly, these expand to include chocolate, fragrant vanilla, and a hint of jalepeno pepper in a long and rewarding finish. Philippe was joined by viticulturist Jim Barbour in capturing the essence of the 2012 growing season in this extraordinary 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine. 300 cases produced.
This estate’s proprietor is Norma Knobel Hunt, the wife of American sports pioneer and founder of the Kansas City Chiefs, the late Lamar Hunt. Philippe Melka is the consulting winemaker and he has done a beautiful job at their estate vineyard, the Bidwell Creek Vineyard. ~ Robert Parker
2012 Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum 96, Robert Parker 95: Not surprisingly, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is deeper, richer and more opaque purple-colored than the 2011, displaying lots of blueberry, crème de cassis, licorice, camphor, barbecue smoke and a touch of wood. Full-bodied and ostentatious with great density, purity and palate presence, it can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years.
The 2012 Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon is our most powerful vintage to date. It is a winemaker’s dream to work with fruit of this quality. With a near perfect growing vintage, this 2012 exhibits seductive aromatics of nutmeg, dark raspberries, hints of chocolate, sweet ripe plums and red licorice. Very bold and perfectly balanced on the palate, solidly structured yet plush as velvet, displaying very finely grained tannins. Sam Kaplan, Winemaker
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Beckstoffer Dr. Crane and Beckstoffer Las Piedras, as well as the Weitz Vineyard in Oakville.
Gandona ‘Encosta’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum 96: Encosta (“slope”) Cabernet Sauvignon originates from the steeply terraced hillsides of Gandona Estate and its terra cotta-colored, volcanic soil. The 2012 vintage is a wine celebrating the very soul of hillside fruit capturing the essence of the vine’s interaction with earth and sun.
It opens with aromas of bright red cherry and cranberry with underlying notes of cassis and tobacco. On the palate, the wine shows a juicy, full mouth feel reminiscent of fresh black and ripe cherries. Rounding out the mid-palate are finely grained, sweet mountain tannins that reveal a beautiful marriage between them and well integrated oak. The lingering finish is laced with nuances of rich cocoa powder and supported by a strong acid backbone demonstrating a wine worthy of aging.
Gandona is yet another stellar Philippe Melka/Jim Barbour project.
2012 QTR Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum 95+: QTR (Quality Time Remaining) is a small, 400 case production of Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard located at the base of Howell Mountain. This is just the second vintage crafted by the well-known Phillipe Melka, with Jim Barbour at the vineyard helm. The 2012 vintage is a rich, luscious Cabernet showing dark, ripe red fruits, dusty tannins, and a slight hint of toasty oak. It shows a refined elegance and a graceful style that makes this wine very approachable at such a young age. A delightful, unique effort. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
2010 Arkenstone ‘Obsidian’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
Wine Spectrum 95+: This elegantly refined garnet hued beauty greets the nose with characteristic leather, earth, dried tobacco and graphite. This gives way to subtle, soft lily and violet, along with cinnamon and nutmeg lying just beneath rich mocha. Dried strawberries and cherries along with juicy blueberries and stewed fruit fill the palate, with undertones of black cherry, plum and dark chocolate. Soft tannins and bright acidity keeps the focus and elegance all the way through to a long, silky finish; rolling through the essences of crème brulée, tiramisu, berry cobbler and toasted cinnamon. About 300 cases produced.
2012 QTR Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum 95+: QTR (Quality Time Remaining) is a small, 400 case production of Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard located at the base of Howell Mountain. This is just the second vintage crafted by the well-known Phillipe Melka, with Jim Barbour at the vineyard helm. The 2012 vintage is a rich, luscious Cabernet showing dark, ripe red fruits, dusty tannins, and a slight hint of toasty oak. It shows a refined elegance and a graceful style that makes this wine very approachable at such a young age. A delightful, unique effort. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
2012 Adler Deutsch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum 95: A traditionally-styled wine that is at once bold and impressive. The nose reveals dark fruits of Bing cherry, cassis, and blackberry, as well as violet, dried lavender, and hints of powdery cocoa and coffee grounds. Upon entry, there are lingering black fruit and graphite notes carried by integrated, supple, opulent, and seductive tannins. The mid-palate expresses ground coffee and espresso with hints of vanilla and smoke followed by a beautifully long finish. 200 cases produced.
Adler Deutsch wines are made by talented winemaker Aaron Pott, who has previously made wine for various Bordeaux houses including Troplong Mondot, and Chateau La Tour Figeac. Stateside, he has honed his craft at such wineries as Quintessa, St. Helena, and his own project, Pott Wine.
2013 Ancillary Cellars ‘Sun Chase Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
WSI 94 2013 was another stellar year from this high elevation rock laden vineyard located in the Petaluma gap of the Sonoma coast AVA. Our four blocks of pinot noir are located between 900 and 1400 feet in elevation and are planted to clones 667, 777 and 828. Ruby & crimson in the glass, the nose explodes with red and darks fruits along with earthy spice notes, raspberry reduction and a gentle minerality. An amazingly lush mid palate buffers this wine’s natural acidity, allowing it to remain fresh, vibrant and very expressive. The finish echoes the above notes and shows great length and verve showcasing a full spectrum of flavors. The Sun Chase vineyard exhibits tremendous depth and tannin structure for pinot noir allowing this wine to age gracefully. Drink over the next few years or allow it to evolve over 6-8 years. 280 cases produced.
Ancillary Cellars is a partnership between Mark Carter and winemaker Mike Smith. Mike is the current winemaker for several great projects including Carter Cellars, Myriad, Quivet, and 12C. He was formerly Thomas River Brown’s assistant winemaker.
