2014 United States Wine

Tasting Note:

A classic “Carlisle nose” of mint tea, iron, and crushed dark berries, including mulberry which has always been a hallmark of this vineyard. The palate is rich, expansive and savory. The fresh berry notes... Read More

From a ranch planted originally in 1926 this is a knockout wine, exotically spiced and nuanced in pepper, cinnamon and a distinction of sandalwood. High-toned fruit provides a lift to the lushness that wants to dominate, but never... Read More

This almost-100% Zinfandel bottling from the heritage Papera vineyard is delightfully complex and juicy—an expressive celebration of spiced plum and soft, juicy cherry. The spiciness on the back palate is especially rewarding.... Read More

The 2014 Camaspelo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (there's a splash of Tempranillo). It offers lots of red and chocolate-covered black currants, black cherry, black olive, tobacco and leafy herbs. It shows more... Read More

Plums, passion fruit, spring flowers and hints of violet all emerge from the silky, beautifully polished 2014 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard, which comes from very sandy soils located just outside of Los Alamos. It spent 12 months... Read More

“Aurora Vineyard rests on a knoll in a small valley midway up Diamond Mountain at 1,200 feet in elevation. Suggestive of its storied past, the soils are riddled with basalt rock and volcanic ash.

2014 Checkerboard Aurora... Read More

Pale ruby-purple in color, the 2014 Mt Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir has a good core of warm raspberries and wild strawberries with suggestions of garrigue, forest floor and lavender. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great intensity... Read More

Their blended wine, Onda, comes from all of their vineyard sites, and is essentially a second wine culled from the single-vineyards. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Onda, which sees 19 months in about 54% new French oak, has turned... Read More

Thomas Rivers Brown made this wine. This is an old-school 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Considered by many to be the best winemaker in North America, TRB has received more perfect100-point scores from critics than any other winemaker.... Read More

The softer, more sexy and up-front style of the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon makes it already drinking and appealing. Deep ruby/purple, with notes of black and red currants, cedar, licorice and forest, the wine has terrific fruit,... Read More

One of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc has historically played a supporting role in our LMV Salon. Cabernet Franc is a noble variety that has an uneven (qualitative and stylistic) history in Napa Valley. Here... Read More

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Wight ratchets up the concentration level. The fruit is deeper, denser, the wine slightly fuller-bodied, but nevertheless shares the same style of licorice, crème de cassis, cedar wood and well-integrated,... Read More

The top score, though, has to go to the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. This wine has an opaque purple color, a big, sweet kiss of... Read More

The 2014 Bordeaux Proprietary Blend Papillion (15,748 cases) was aged 16 months in 40% new French oak. Fairly priced for what the consumer gets, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc... Read More