B Leighton Petit Verdot 2016

B Leighton Petit Verdot is made from 100 percent Petit Verdot.

Dark and brooding. Vibrant, beautiful and tantalizes the senses with violets, black cassis, pipe tobacco and forest floor. Elegant, fresh, deep and refined. It continues with black raspberry, ocean breeze, orange zest and a touch of fresh herbs. Need I say more? Drink up, buttercup.

Review:

Bright ruby-red. Inky blackberry, licorice and menthol on the slightly portiike nase. Dense, sweet and surprisingly supple on the plate but,with a touch of inkiness to its broad blackcurrant, blackberry, licorice and graphite flavors. An element of peppery vinosity contrioutes to the impression of firmness, as do the tight tannins. This very long, savory Wine is stil a bit folded in on itself and will quire patience. Inerestingly, Leighton keeps this wine on its skin for "only" 35 days, which is actually less than many of his other red wines under the B. Leighton, K Vintners and Wines of Substance labels. He also destems this, fruit.

-Stephen Tanzer 92+ Points

B Leighton Olsen Bros Syrah is made from 100 percent Syrah. 

Inviting, Intriguing, brooding and vivacious. Black cherry, wet earth, grilled meats, fireplace ash and black pepper take you there and then beautiful notes of seaweed, camphor and black tar finish it off in time for another sip and more exploration of this wonderful wine.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille 2017 is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest is Petit Verdot and Merlot.

Review:

Medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of black fruits, violet and pepper. Densely packed and plush but also sharply delineated, with the intense black fruit and saline mineral flavors boasting terrific inner-mouth perfume; there's also an exhilarating element of wildness here. As sappy as this powerful, gripping Cabernet is, it also hints at an almost candied sweetness. (Winemaker Skinner feels that the vinification in concrete was conducive for rounding out the structure of the Red Mountain fruit in this vintage and added that the year of aging in neutral oak helped the wine's texture and allowed its fruit to come through.) Spreads out horizontally to saturate the palate on the back end, finishing with broad, dusty tannins. This wine too is plusher and more concentrated than the 2016 version. (13.8% alcohol; two-thirds fermented in concrete; aging began in 75% new oak but the wine was moved into neutral barriques for a final 12 months)

- Stephen Tanzer 95 Points

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot, the 2017 Pere de Famille has a rich nose of black fruit and a structured, chewy core. Medium-bodied and dense on the palate, the wine shows an impeccable balance and steadily growing tannins on the back of the mid-palate. Soft purple flowers evolve with the robust expression while still in the mouth, and the finish is bold and precise—the flavors persist with great complexity long after the wine has left the mouth. This is an age-worthy wine with 13.8% alcohol and nice balance. 1,100 cases of this simply stunning wine were made. It's a delicious wine, and I highly recommend it.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points

This is a complex and subtle red with chocolate, spice and walnut aromas and flavors. Medium-to full-bodied. Tile and iron undertones. Juicy and flavorful on the finish. A beautiful, balanced red. Very fine, polished tannins. Subtle and friendly. Regional blend that shows the story of the vintage. A blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot and 4% merlot. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 95 Points

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille showed beautifully. Coming mostly from Red Mountain (which I think excelled in 2017), it has beautiful cassis and black cherry fruit as well as notes of violets, spring flowers, and graphite. It’s tight, medium to full-bodied, and structured on the palate, and in need of 4-5 years of bottle age. 

Betz Family Clos de Betz is 67 % Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot

Review:

Full, dark ruby-red. Black fruit and licorice aromas are complicated by a mineral element. Wonderfully sappy, concentrated and ripe, with well-delineated Merlot-dominated flavors of black fruits, licorice and bitter chocolate conveying sexy sweetness. Finishes with plush tannins and excellent length. A superb vintage for this wine, clearly more concentrated and ripe than the 2016. Winemaker Skinner told me that the Petit Verdot element from Olsen vineyard is somewhat Pinot-like and actually softens this wine's tannins. And he noted that the cool late-season temperatures in 2017 allowed for easy picking. (aged until June of '18 in 60% new oak before being moved to neutral barrels for nearly another year of aging)

- Stephen Tanzer 93 Points

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Clos de Betz has a vibrant expression on the nose, with plush, generous fruit aromas and an underlying brooding tightness. Full-bodied on the palate, the fleshy, plump fruit tones deliver a velvety lushness over the mid-palate, then the wine becomes more dusty and rigid on the finish, ending with oak spices that linger. I will revisit this swine in 36 months, as I suspect it will show better at a later date. This will easily last a decade and more. 750 cases produced.

-Wine Advocate 94 Points

Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Malbec 7% Cabernet Franc 2% Petit Verdot. 

The 2016 vintage was a near perfect year, producing wines of opulence and intensity. The terroir of the Brandlin vineyard naturally thickens the grape skins, developing deep color and tannin while also creating remarkably small berries.   Our 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon offers inky, dark fruit, and a plush mouthfeel while boasting notes of blackberry, mocha, fig, dates and dense black currant fruit accented with hints of nettle, earth and clove.

Brandlin is a Napa Valley estate that produces wine from a small, historic vineyard in the Mount Veeder appellation. The wines pay homage to the Brandlin family. As early as the 1870s, the Brandlins settled on these steep, rocky slopes, and became grape growing pioneers in Napa's Mount Veeder region. With over 50 years' of experience, Henry Brandlin staked the family’s claim to this estate and planted their own vineyards in 1926.In 1998 Cuvaison Estate Wines was honored by Henry’s son, Chester Brandlin, with rights to purchase Brandlin Vineyard. Respectfully maintaining the integrity of the estate, only a fraction of the land has been planted to vineyards carefully designed to honor the integral beauty of the property. Glens of old oak trees and sustainable viticultural practices support natural biodiversity and abundant wildlife.We brought to Brandlin Vineyard all the lessons of Cuvaison Estate Wines' 38 years of viticulture - great care in the study of sun exposures and soil types, and profound respect for the environment. Our intention is to honor the Brandlin family with a namesake vineyard that produces intense and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. - Steven Rogstad, Winemaker

Review:

This has the expressive fruit and racy spine of the vintage, mixing plum and blackberry paste flavors with a graphite edge, while extra sassafras and bramble notes add energy to the finish. Solid. Best from 2022 through 2032. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,226 cases made.

-Wine Spectator 93 Points

SALE!

Bellevue Cotes de Bordeaux-Castillon Cé Ma Cuvée is made from 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc

The wine is made with 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Average age of the vines is 50 years old (everything is between 40 and 60 years old).

Cé Ma Cuvée is a tribute from Michel Lydoire to his 2 daughters:
Cé is for Céline. She is like the Merlot grape varietal. Pleasant and calm.
Ma is for Marina. She is like the Cabernet Franc grape varietal. Tough and with a lot of character.

The color is deep and inky. 
The nose is spicy, fruity and oaky with some nice vanilla and coconut aromas. 
The mouthfeel is complex, with ripe red and black fruit flavors. Some spiciness and integrated oak flavors.

The wine starts as the Vieilles vignes, but some wine is aged in 500-liter American Oak Barrels for 18 months. 
They are using a mix of different toastiness for the barrels. Some high toast and some are medium toast.

This is a fun wine that can be enjoyed with any food, charbroil burgers, grilled vegetables, cheeses ... or even with dark chocolate desserts.

Review:

 2015 Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux Cé Ma Cuvée Céline Lydoire focuses this wine on Bellevue's old Merlot plots, blending in Cabernet franc from southern exposures on gravelly soils. It's her top selection, treated to 18 months in new 400-liter oak barrels; she started making it at the behest of her French customers, who wanted a step up from her cool and refreshing Cuvée Tradition. This is just as cool, but more saturated in its distinctly Castillon fruit flavor—think wild strawberries and blueberries with an earthy mineral undercurrent. That silky fruit gains its supple impression from the new oak, which boosts the textural richness. As I thought about how to score this wine, I found myself writing, "If that were from California, I'd be all over it." Absolutely. But it's also got Castillon limestone clarity. And, it's $27. Buy a case. You won't be sorry -Wine & Spirits 93 Points