2005 Scarecrow Cabernet
 The
2005 Scarecrow Cabernet dominated a recent tasting of powerhouse California
Cabernet wines and blends. This would make the 2004 Scarecrow the third
vintage in a row that "wowed" my taste buds and thus confirms that Scarecrow
Winery is not a one-hit wonder. Congratulations to winemaker Celia Masyczek
and winery owner Bret Lopez for keeping the project on track and tantalizing in
the glass.
The tasting was held at my home along with some other new releases that
included:
- 2004 Dalla Valle Napa Cabernet
- 2004 "Casa Dalla Valle" Napa Cabernet
- 2004 Harlan "Maiden" Cabernet
- 2004 Eagles Trace "Latitude 38" Estate Cabernet
- 2000 Dalla Valle Cabernet
You can check out all the results by reading this article:
2005 Scarecrow Cabernet
Review.
2005 Ghostblock Cabernet
The
2005 Ghostblock arrived in April and I have now tasted the wine on two separate
occasions. If you have been an active reader of this website, you know
that the 2004 vintage was a rising star. The Ghostblock Cabernet is part
of the co-op project at "Cult Wine Central" in the Napa valley.
So, let's take a look at the new 2005 vintage and see how this vintage stacks up
against the 2004 vintage. Read the wine review of the
2005 Ghostblock Cabernet
Review.
2005 Meander Cellars Cabernet
 The
good news is I'm not losing my mind. The
2005 Meander Cellars
Cabernet just arrived and it
has restored my faith in the 2005 California Cabernet vintage. Amy Aiken,
winemaker at Meander Cellars, has scored two back to back winners.
With only 500 case available, this wine will be in short supply, so take a
minute and meander over and read the review.
2005 Meander Cabernet
Review.
2005 Maybach Cabernet
This past week I had the privilege of going to the historic National Arts Club
in Manhattan to attend a private Maybach Materium wine tasting. Two
other wineries were at the tasting but the Maybach was the star of the show.
Chris Maybach was in town sharing the newly released 2005 Maybach Materium as
well as a stunning barrel sample of the 2006 Materium. If the 2006 barrel sample
is any indicated of the upcoming 2006 vintage in California, good times will be
coming for Cabernet lovers. Read the
2005 Maybach
Materium Review
2004 Sage Vineyards Cabernet
Since my return from Napa I have been very busy tasting new wine that I
brought back from the trip as well as new wines that have been arriving from
mailing list allocations. The highlight of the past few weeks has been the
2004 Sage Cabernet
which is the first time I have tasted this producer.
The 2004 vintage is their first release and the buzz on the streets is that
the upcoming 2005 is even better. This wine was so smooth and balanced
that I had to find out why this wine was so spectacular. Read my full
review on this rising star from Mount Veeder.
2004 Sage Cabernet Review
2005 Buccella Cabernet
One of the top five new wines from the 2004 vintage was the
2004 Buccella Cabernet
which I rated 98 points. I tasted the 2005 Buccella about the same time as
I did last year and the first impressions were not the same. I have
tasted many wines from the 2005 vintage and many have been fantastic.
Something is just not right here and after 24 hours of aeration, I'm still
convinced the fruit has a sharp edge that may not resolve over time. Read
my full review of the
2005 Buccella Cabernet.
April Wine Tastings Start Off Strong
April is here and great wines are arriving to taste as well as some that have
been in the cellar gaining some age. This shot shows a partial glimpse of
upcoming wines to be reviewed including the 2005 Schrader Beckstoffer "To Kalon"
Cabernet and the 2004 Poker Face Syrah from Sine Qua Non. Can you
see the 2000 Hat trick in the background?
Front left is the 2005 Buccella and the review has just been posted. Lot's of
good reviews are in the pipeline so make sure you signup for our free newsletter
using the box on the right.
Best of Napa Valley Tour 2008
In February I took a trip out to Napa and I was blessed with a long list of new winery introductions. I tasted
dozens of wines on the trip but have narrowed down a short list that should be added to your cellar. If you
want to get the jump while some of these wines are on the market, take time to read these reviews.
In recent months I have provided the inside scoop on
Scarecrow,
Buccella,
Maybach, Keever,
Bridesmaid,
Stewart,
Ghostblock, Pharaoh Moans,
Meander, Corra and MX
Wines. Many wineries have since been "discovered" by the press and their mailing lists are closed.
On this trip my Top 10 Wines To Buy are a combination of newcomers and some well known Napa estates.
I suggest that you follow the links below to read the story and then signup using our special VIP mailing list
introduction forms. You snooze you lose. This trip
uncovered some amazing gems and here are some of the standouts:
 Hall
Winery - Two Wines in the Top 10 List
Many readers may have tasted Hall wines in the past but I bet that most have never tasted their Artisanal
Series wines. I never had the chance to taste through their very best, small production wines. I am so
glad that the Hall's opened up your winery for a special dinner and tour. Readers should take note that the Hall
Artisanal wines are some of the very best I have tasted in recent years. Click to read the
Hall Winery review.
Modus Operandi - Scores 99 Points with 2006 Antithesis
 Jason Moore, one of the most energetic young winemakers I have ever met experimented with some 2006 juice and scored a
homerun. Only a handful of wines have been rated 99 points in my newsletter in the past 6 years. The
2006 Antithesis was a blockbuster surprise and only available in very small allocations. Jason's 2004
Modus Operandi Cabernet and the 2006 Antithesis made the Top 10 List. Click to read the
Modus Operandi review
Anomaly Winery Focused On Quality Not Quantity
 Meeting
Steve Goldfarb at his St. Helena winery was a treat and yielded a great new wine for my cellar. The 2004
Anomaly Cabernet was a perfectly balanced Cabernet that made a strong case to enjoy immediately as well as convince me
that it had years of great development to come. With under 1,000 cases produced each year and a very active
mailing list, readers should read the article and see how you can get on the list before it closes. Click to
read the Anomaly Wine Review
Want to know all of the wines in the Top Ten report?
You can request the
Top Ten Wines to Buy report from my Napa Valley trip by signing up for
our mailing list. If you are already on my list, enter your email address below and click "Go" to update your subscription
preferences. You'll get a link to update your profile via email. Place a check next to the Top Ten Report box
and we'll email you a copy ...
2004 Stewart Cabernet
 The newly released 2004 Stewart Cabernet from Napa Valley is
the third great vintage in a row that I have tasted from this up and coming winery. At a recent party the 2003
Stewart was the hit of the night, followed closely by the 2004. If you are looking for a wine to enjoy today and
that will also age gracefully, this is a candidate to add to your collection.
The wine retails for $62 per bottle and I rate the wine 95/100 points and I expect that score
to rise as the wine matures and fully evolves. The winemaker is Paul Hobbs so you can understand why the
Stewart project has had such great success. (Read
entire review)
Angus & Arlye Beckstoffer Cabernet
 I
kicked off the new year with a great new wine from MX Wines in California. Readers will remember this name from last
year when I featured an article and Margaux Singleton and her project called
MX Wines.
In her second year of releases came this amazing bottle of 2005 Beckstoffer To-Kalon Cabernet that I
enjoy with longtime friend Don Asay.
The wine is packaged in heavy glass with a silk screened label making it very attractive to the eye. However, the magic is all in the glass.
I don't remember a young Cabernet tasting this balanced and elegant. It is not made in the over
extracted California style rather it would seem almost Burgundian. The lighter Cabernet coloring masks the
power in the mouth. This is truly a great wine and in very limited supply. I only get a 3 bottle allocation
and I recommend that you go the the MX Wines
website and get on their mailing lists.
I rate this wine 97/100 points and I can't wait to see how this wine evolves over the next 7-10 years.
Serve Up Some Justice
 I
am continually on the lookup for new wines to experience and when I saw an offering of Justice made from
the Beckstoffer vineyards in the Napa Valley, I took a closer look. This handsome three bottle set includes:
- 2004 Blind Justice
- 2004 Frontier Justice
- 2004 Poetic Justice
The wine is distributed through Bounty Hunter Wine & Provisions Co. located in Napa California. The entire
packaging and labeled are very well done and the wines would be a great gift for an attorney. Since Justice, at
times, seems rarely served, pickup a three pack and make sure that Justice is served in your home this holiday
season. If you are the type that likes Justice without media attention, then maybe Poetic Justice is just the right measure.
Read more on the 2004 Justice Cabernet.
Undici Restaurant Rumson NJ
 I
finally had the opportunity to eat at Undici Restaurant in Rumson on November 18, 2007 and I can confirm most of the
feedback that I have been hearing on the street about this new Two Rivers Area eatery.
The restaurant interior is very cool; Italian chic with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The investment in the
renovations to the former "Hook Line & Sinker Restaurant" property must be in the millions of dollars.
The most common thread of conversation that my circle of contacts has been discussing is not the
quality of food or the atmosphere, but how expensive their dinner totaled up at the end of their meal.
Read my updated Review of Undici Restaurant
Mollydooker Velvet Glove 99 points
 The latest issue of The Wine Advocate was released on
October 31, 2007 and wow did they love the 2006 Mollydooker Wines. Check out the top scoring wines:
- Velvet Glove - 99 points
- Carnival of Love - 97 points
- Blue Eyed Boy - 96 points
- Gigglepot Cabernet - 95 points
- Enchanted Path - 94 points
- Boxer Shiraz - 94 points
To read the official
Mollydooker Press Release and their Fall promotional offer,
click here.
Remember we hosted the 2006 Mollydooker
wine tasting at Cask 591. It was a blast and everyone loved the Velvet Glove. Now fast forward a few months
and the scores validate what our group experienced at Cask 591.
Congratulations to Sarah and Sparky Marquis, who are creating a great buzz in the Australian wine industry. If you have not
purchased your 2006 Mollydooker wines, you can visit their winery direct website at:
www.mollydookerwines.com
If you want to taste the Velvet Glove Shiraz, you should invite me over for dinner. If you want to buy wines today,
keep in mind that some of the wines may be sold out so make sure you get on their mailing list for priority allocations
next year. Read more on the Velvet Glove Shiraz.
Napa Valley Wine Adventures
 I recently had the pleasure to meet us with Celia Masyczek in Napa at her winemaking facility to taste some of her upcoming releases.
If you don't already recognize the name, Celia is the winemaker that made two of my top 10 wines from California last year;
Scarecrow and
Keever Vineyards.
There is so many things to write about on this trip, but that will come in a few days. The reason I had to make a short note here
on the home page is that Celia is coming out with her own wine this Fall. Readers of my newsletter are getting the first
opportunity to get on her mailing list.
The new project is called Corra Winery and the website is
www.corrawines.com where you get place your name on her mailing list. I encourage all my readers to get your name on her list
before it is closed for new additions. Celia's winemaking skills and passion are bound to make this wine an up and coming star
in Napa.
Keever Vineyards - Snooze You Lose
In April 2007 I wrote about the
Keever Vineyards project that came on my radar screen with their stunning
2004 Keever Napa Cabernet. It was great new find in 2007. So,
on this trip I just had to stop in to meet with Keever Family and find out more about their wines.
So, winemaker Celia Masyczek took me over to have lunch with the Keever family on their terrace, overlooking their vineyards.
Pictured above are Jason Keever (left), Olga Keever (center), Celia Masyczek (right) . The vineyards in the background are part of
the Keever estate.
There is a full report coming from this visit but I have to encourage all my readers to get their pre-order of the
2005 Keever Vineyards Cabernet
immediately. I tasted the wine and it was fantastic but Olga advised me that supplies are very limited.
The 2004 sold out early so the wine tasting room is starting to sample the 2005 vintage. This means shorter supply to mailing
list members, so get on their site and order a six-pack of the 2005 Cabernet. Learn more
about the 2005 vintage.
2006 Mollydooker Carnival of Love
 Wine
Spectator pre-released the scores for their upcoming September 22nd issue and Mollydooker 2006 Carnival of Love was
awarded 95 points.
My readers had advance notice of the 2006 COL and many have attended the Mollydooker 2006 wine tasting here in Long Branch.
The 2006 Carnival of Love was stunning that evening and now the reviews are
starting to come in for the 2006 vintage.
At the end of August, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate newsletter will be coming out and we hope that the Mollydooker "party series" wines
that retail at $20 per bottle will be covered.
For additional information on the 2006 Carnival
of Love review, click through the hyperlink.
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