California Wine Advisors

The richest and most tropical Riverbound we’ve tasted yet. This is luscious and intense with three-dimensional fruit that jumps out of the glass and demands your attention. Everything that is promised on the nose is delivered on the palate. Deep and concentrated layeres of pineapple, melon, citrus, and kiwifruit are here by the basketful with...

A Cabernet of opulence and precision, Fayard has delivered a masterpiece from the Martinez vineyard next to Ovid on Pritchard Hill. On the nose, it unfurls with an luxurious bouquet of juicy, ripe blackberry and cassis intertwined with subtle herbs and citrus zest that adds lift and brightness. The fleshy, velvety texture delivers a vibrant core...

This is a monumental effort that displays concentrated dark fruit flavors, truffle, tobacco, and graphite. Intense and rich on the palate, luxurious velvet tannins give way to notes of black cherry, plum, espresso, dried savory herbs and cocoa. Exceedingly complex and expensive tasting for the price-point, the 2016 Altagracia showcases the Eisele terroir in an...

Aromas here are reflective of the warmer vintage, with honeyed beeswax, Gewürztraminer-like spicy florals, ripe stone fruit and the suggestion of fresh cut straw. Once in the mouth, these characters are balanced with lifted, delicate and complex notions of melon and peach tea. The beautiful arc is grounded by an undercurrent of fleshy roundness and...

This velvety smooth Cabernet from Napa’s unanimously celebrated 2018 vintage is truly dazzling as it reminds us of Cult Cabernets such as Harlan or Shafer Hillside Select. The bouquet allures with notes of new leather, cigar box, and freshly ground espresso. Flashy and fun notes of brambleberries, black currant, cassis and Lindt dark chocolate waltz...

This silky smooth Napa Cabernet delivers sumptuous flavors of dark cocoa and fruit including blueberry compote and figs. The supremely delicious finish includes savory baking spices and a hint of creamy coconut. Enjoy this mouth-watering winner now through 2027+.- September 2023

This majestic vintage of Dalla Valle’s flagship blend displays a dense purple color as well as glorious aromas of black and red fruits, smoke, camphor, subtle wood, and exotic spices. After a few years of cellar time, we marveled at the bountiful dark fruit flavors perfectly balanced by ultra-velvety tannins. This brilliantly constructed 2014 is...

Simply stated, this is a big WOW wine! Intensely flavorful with deep dark fruit, a divinely silky smooth texture, and an overall freshness that reminds me of far pricier reds from Bordeaux’s left bank (in prime vintages). Similar to recent vintages, this magnificent effort displays a core of cassis, blackberry, graphite and espresso bean complimented...

Dark, rich, and delicious, the brand new release of Aloft is another winner! After just a few years of cellar time, this boutique production Cabernet blend is displaying a velvety smooth texture,  serious impressive mountain fruit (on steroids) and youthfully prominent tannins. Hints of dark chocolate coated cherries, blackcurrants, baking spices, espresso and vanilla emerge...

The new Ovid Experiment is a silky-smooth new Cabernet we heartily recommend for fans of rich-tasting mountain fruit and velvety, mouth-coating tannins. Symphony of harmonious flavors include blackberry, dark cherry, plum, cedar, leather, pipe tobacco, espresso and hints of creamy toffee on the elaborate finish. We recommend decanting prior to 2025 and predict this age-worthy...