Tag Archives: wine

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2023 Sign of the Times, Orin Swift Cellars

We all know that some wines make their case slowly. They need to age, they need to breathe…they swirl about your brain for a bit like the grapes do in your glass. The 2023 Sign of the Times, a California red blend from Orin Swift Cellars, is much more direct.

First, a big thank you to the Orin Swift marketing team for throwing up a hand to share the availability of this bottling. I moved quickly to ensure I’d have a take on this mashup of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Grenache; whenever Dave Phinney is in the lab and banging around with a new interpretation of California goodness, I’m simply “in”. To that end, Sign of the Times is the byproduct of Phinney experimenting with AI, past artwork, and past releases to develop a new perspective. Let’s talk for a few moments about how that worked out. 

2023 Sign of the Times, Orin Swift Cellars
2023 Sign of the Times, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California, USA.

The 2023 vintage pours New World-red in your glass—deep, dark red that’s so rich it’s nearly purple. It’s a wine that suggests depth right from the start. Gravitas…intention…even before the first sip. Notes of blackberry or black current are distinct and inviting. On the palate, the wine presents dark berry fruit and cassis, with just a hint of licorice. Well-integrated tannins make the wine accessible in its youth, as I decided to pull the cork on this bottle (and the others in this shipment) without any thought to aging. If you have more restraint than this oenophile, I suspect the 2023 Sign of the Times has a real ability to evolve with time.

What stands out in the Times is composure. Every element feels deliberate, not forced or accidental. The wine moves cleanly from the first to the finish, leaving you nodding in appreciation. Pair it with food that’s honest and equally direct: grilled meats, roasted vegetables, dishes where heat meets smoke….or simply open the 2023 Sign of the Times on its own, let it breathe, and come back to it as the evening unfolds.

If you were fortune enough to score a bottle before the winery sold out, drink it now for its approachability, or give it time to mature (only rarely can I take that road myself). Either way, the 2023 Sign of the Times will step forward at the ready. Thanks as always for listening to this guy ramble on, and have a great day.

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2022 “Gun Bun” Cabernet Sauvignon, Gundlach Bundschu Winery

My introduction to Gundlach Bundschu came via the Mountain Cuvée, featured at my favorite wine shop back in 2017. Since then, I’ve had several opportunities to enjoy this historic winery’s work—and now, it’s time to talk about the 2022 “Gun Bun.”

2022 “Gun Bun” Cabernet Sauvignon, Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.

Like Buena Vista Winery, which shows up frequently in Notes, Gundlach Bundschu (est. 1858) takes real pride in its old-school roots. (No pun intended, I swear.) Still family-owned, the winery sits in the Mayacamas Mountain range of Sonoma Valley, on a 320-acre estate with seriously promising terroir. It’s bordered by the Carneros district to the south and impressive Napa neighbors to the east.

Lower on the estate, they grow Pinot. But once you get above 150 feet, you find hillside blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot planted in rocky, shallow soils made up of volcanic ash and alluvial wash. If you’ve read Notes before, you know diverse terroir like this is exactly my kind of thing.

As for winemaking: the fruit is hand-harvested, optically sorted, and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (45% new). The winery produces both an estate Cabernet and this “Gun Bun” 2022 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon—a bold, approachable alternative. It comes in under $20, making it an excellent “weekday wine” for the dinner table.

In the glass, it pours a deep cherry red, and that dark cherry note really leads the way. I picked up some blackberry too—dark fruit flavors all around—with smooth, balanced tannins and an easy finish.

Anyone else tried the 2022 Gundlach Bundschu Estate Cab? I’m eyeing it for the near future. In the meantime, I’m more than happy with this “Gun Bun” as a solid, budget-friendly option.

As always, thanks for giving Notes a read—and cheers!

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2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Trefethen

Sometimes it’s the wine that makes the occasion; other times, it’s the occasion that makes the wine unforgettable. And then there are those happy moments when the whole plan comes together—like this one. 

2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Trefethen, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley, California, USA.

On this day, we decided to head over to the Angus Barn for steaks, salads, and a bit of quality time in that cozy Wild Turkey Lounge ambiance. Outside, one lucky couple was hosting wedding guests (clearly sparing no expense), and we had fun watching the attendees in their wedding finery (remember the guy in the tux, my love?). It added an unexpected bit of charm to our evening.

As hoped, Cara and I snagged two seats together at the bar and settled in. Our bartender was great and attentive, and even chuckled at the right moments when we shared the infamous story of the wine bottle our last Lounge bartender could not open—even after breaking multiple corkscrews. (And for those wondering, no, we’ve never been able to open it…)

We debated starting with something familiar—The Prisoner or perhaps an Orin Swift favorite—before ultimately choosing this 2021 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon. Our thinking? We’d had The Prisoner before, we had Phinney wines at home, and the Trefethen would be a new wine adventure for the two of us together. And it was great! 

We split a classic wedge salad, which included the usual favorites as well as almonds that I was surprised to really enjoy. My girl did a surf and turf trio, a special offering for the Barn’s 65th anniversary, which included a bacon-wrapped filet, a skewer of North Carolina shrimp, and a tail of Maine lobster—plus a baked potato! This guy? I went with a New York strip steak (perfect temperature!) and fries, and I nearly powered my way through 16 ounces of that bad boy before surrendering down the stretch. If you know me, you’ll understand how close this came to my ideal “last meal on Earth”!  

Hale and happy, we settled up our tab and left with big smiles and the promise of an evening together, after-dinner drinks, desserts, and a flick too. A perfect date night overall and one I’ll never forget—for the steaks, the wine, and most of all, the company.

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2023 Cabernet Sauvignon (District Series #3 Napa Valley), Precision Wine Co.

This review focuses on the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, District Series #3 Napa Valley as produced by the team at Precision Wine Co. Given my love for Napa Cab, the bottle seem to call out and demand attention—which we gave it this evening.

2023 Cabernet Sauvignon (District Series #3 Napa Valley), Precision Wine Co., California, USA.

Why so interesting? Well, frequent readers of Notes know California’s first AVA is my favorite, and one I love to sample even more often than chronicled here. Wines that attempt to capture all the region’s best characteristics, such as the CA Locations Wines (most recently last weekend), are also favorites of this reviewer and this notebook. And now the Precision entry into the canon…

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (District Series #3) offers you a rewarding tasting experience. It’s more dark cherry in color, a fragrant pour that suggests dark fruit at its core. The winemaker is definitely seeking the essence of Napa Cab in this offering, which is very well-balanced and flavorful. There are hints of spice box, strawberry…but even more so the dark plum and blackberry fruits. The rich blend of all these grapes and inferences is part of what I like best in a Napa wine—and this one is pretty damn good. It’s your favorites from the region in an affordable bottle. 

What of Precision? According to the website, they’re a Napa Valley producer specializing in sourcing premium fruit from appellations that include Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, Paso Robles, and Lodi—now rebranded as Navigator Wine Collection. Details on the Precision / Navigator corporate restructuring are covered here. The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (District Series #3) was my first sampling of their collection but I’m looking forward to more of the same.

Thanks, love, for this tasting experience that’s focused on all my favorites!  

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2021 Burnt Sacrifice, Orin Swift Cellars

The 2021 Burnt Sacrifice is another representative of the Dave Phinney six pack; it arrived with the Trigger Finger covered in Notes previously. Of late, fewer red blends have come home with me, but you know, dear readers, that I’m game for anything produced by Orin Swift Cellars.

Burnt Sacrifice 2021
2021 Burnt Sacrifice, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, California, USA.

And this is a pretty good one. It’s not quite the headliner of a Mercury Head or Papillion, or even cult favorites such as the Machete and Palermo that I really love, but a solid entry from my favorite winemaker. More importantly, it rose of the ashes of California’s Glass Fires, which ripped through northern Napa Valley in 2020 but thankfully did not burn out all of the region’s goodness. Phinney originally conceived of Burnt Sacrifice as a Pinot Noir and donated its proceeds to the Napa Valley Community Foundation. The winery has changed the blend of Burnt Sacrifice (ostensibly to “keep it new and inspire curiosity”) year over year, and the 2021 is actually not a Pinot—it’s a blend that features Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Syrah grapes from the Valley Oak, Nunn, Snow’s Lake, Frei, and Barrelli vineyards across California. 

When you uncork a Burnt Sacrifice, you’re treated to rich notes of dark berry fruit…perhaps black cherry or blackberry?…and just a bit of oak. I don’t know if that’s because of the leaves that inspired the wine’s creation post-fire, or because the vintage was aged for eight months in French Oak. Or just part of my imagination? Regardless, it has a full mouthfeel and is bold on the palate. I should have aged this for a few months just to take the edge off the finish, but it still goes down pretty easy and made me wistful for another bottle. 

The 2021 Burnt Sacrifice is worthy of your time, based on both its excellent notes and dark berry goodness, and the cause it’s supporting. Whether you’re hosting guests or simply enjoying a quiet evening at home, a bottle of Burnt Sacrifice is sure to make the moment and create memories that linger long after the final drop. Experience a bottle of Burnt Sacrifice wine for yourself!

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2021 Trigger Finger, Orin Swift Cellars

To celebrate the 52nd birthday of my favorite winemaker, I purchased a six pack of “mystery reds” from Orin Swift Cellars and crossed my fingers for Palermo or Papillon (which is how I’d like to celebrate MY 52nd birthday). Given the price point, I was doubtful of pulling my top draft picks but leaned into the offer—it had only upside to this Phinney fan. Several weeks later I signed for the delivery and burst the box, immediately recognizing the Trigger Finger (this a 2021) graphic from the winery’s website: https://www.orinswift.com/wines/trigger-finger/

It’s my first Trigger Finger, so I wanted to take a moment to commemorate it here. The 2021 Trigger Finger is a Grenache, one of the world’s oldest red wines, and a varietal that’s less frequently covered in Notes Of Note. Like all my favorites, it pours deep, ruby red and just dances in your glass.  Notes of red berry goodness, plum, and bit of spice are easily detectable right from the rim…rich, cherry, and elegant. Upon tasting the 2021 Trigger Finger, I wanted to call out black cherry flavors, maybe raspberry, and that spice. It’s not quite the spice of a Syrah, but still very present. The finish is long and smooth, a beckoning finger that pulls you back for another sip.

2021 Trigger Finger, Orin Swift Cellars
2021 Trigger Finger, Orin Swift Cellars, St. Helena, California, USA.

According to the winery, “The 2021 opens with notes of candied strawberry, pomegranate, Mission fig and fig leaf, with just a touch of red chard, musk, and baking spices.”

It’s also supposed to be versatile and pair well with a variety of foodstuffs that range from your (eye roll here) charcuterie board to grilled lamb chops or roasted vegetables—we probably covered a couple of those use cases before this first bottle was gone. Orin Swift aged the 2021 Trigger Finger for nine months in French and American Oak. Whether you’re reading here as a seasoned veteran or just looking to sample a new favorite, this Grenache is sure to captivate the senses and leave a lasting impression. Glad we have one more of these ourselves!

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2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary, Caymus Vineyards: A Review

Hello friends it’s been far too long, and far too many bottles escaping a recap. I’m fixing that right now, courtesy of the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited-edition headliner of a wine that commemorates the Wagner family and its Napa Valley roots. 

2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary, Caymus Vineyards, Fairfield, California, USA.

The 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon pours in a distinctive, deep ruby hue. Swirling it in the glass reveals not only its vibrant crimson color but also dark berry aromas of goodness…probably black cherry or plum? Other tasters cite its “baking spices” and “enticing whiffs of cocoa, tobacco, and leather,” but I’m pleasantly covered in the berry framework of this intriguing bottle and miss a few of those nuances. That may be attributed to our consumption of this Caymus bottle in its (relative) youth rather than allowing its profile to mature over the next 5 to 10 years? Anyway, the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary is a full-bodied wine with layers of ripe black fruit and vanilla, and I find myself doing less sipping and more swirling of the wine. Like many Wagner wines, it’s velvety on the tongue and has a fulsome mouthfeel that leads to a balanced, satisfying finish.

Fruit for the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary was harvested from diverse terroirs, ranging from the cooler Coombsville region in the southern part of the Valley to warmer Calistoga in the north. Also in the mix are grapes from the renowned Rutherford and Oakville appellations—all blended in the production of a complex, intensely enjoyable Napa Cab that is itself a celebration.

From its deep, inky color to its rich, concentrated flavors of dark fruits and spices, the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary truly captivates the senses. It’s a milestone for the Wagner family and a testament to their ongoing pursuit of excellence. This 2022 Caymus deserves to be savored and appreciated, both for its exceptional quality and also for the legacy it represents. I’m so pleased we have another one to hold for the future!