2023 Tasting Notes

2018 Palmaz Vineyards “Amalia” Chardonnay

Score: 95 Points

Location: Napa Valley, California

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

This lovely wine had a bouquet of spring flowers, white peach, apple, green papaya, lemon oil, flint, chalky minerals, vanilla, and soft herbs. The wine had a nice level of acidity that gave balance to a palate with hints of white peach, apple, green papaya, lemon oil, soft herbs, flint, chalky minerals, baking spices, vanilla, brine, and a kiss of honeysuckle on the finish. The wine is complex with layers of fruit and earth that play perfectly together. Highly Recommended!

Tasted: August 2023

2019 Palmaz Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Score: 93 Points

Location: Napa Valley, California

Blend: 94.23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.18% Cabernet Franc, 0.59% Petit Verdot 

This dark beautiful wine had a rich bouquet of blackberries, black cherries, boysenberries, mocha, vanilla, crème bru-lee, dried sage, cigar box, and toasted oak. The wine was full-bodied with rounded tannins that coated the palate with a tapestry of blackberries, boysenberries, cassis fruit, tobacco, tar, burnt molasses, mocha, vanilla, soft spice, and tilled earth. The wine had complex layers of fruit and earth that harmonized perfectly together. Highly Recommended!

Tasted: August 2023

2018 Palmaz Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Score: 97 Points

Location: Napa Valley, California

Blend: 95.81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.19% Cabernet Franc

The wine had a flamboyant bouquet of violets, blackberries, boysenberries, cassis fruit, chocolate, dried sage, tobacco, white pepper, vanilla, and sweet toasted oak. The wine was full-bodied with tannins that gripped the palate with hints of blackberries, boysenberries, cassis fruit, blueberries, currants, milk chocolate, dried sage, black tea, soft spice, and toasted oak. The wine is complex with layers of fruit and earth, balanced with a nice level of acidity. The wine is robust yet elegant and should evolve nicely for those with the patience to cellar it. Extremely Highly Recommended! 

Tasted: August 2023

2017 Palmaz Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Score: 96 Points

Location: Napa Valley, California

Blend: 93.19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.39% Cabernet Franc, 1.63% Malbec, 0.79% Petit Verdot

This sexy opaque wine had a bouquet of blackberries, cassis fruit, chocolate, blood orange, vanilla, mocha, crème bru-lee, sage, tar, dusty earth, and toasted oak. The wine was full-bodied with rounded tannins that gripped the palate with hints of blackberries, cassis fruit, orange chocolate, tar, tobacco, sage, crushed granite, vanilla, tilled dusty earth, and toasted oak. The wine had beautiful acidity that gave balance to complex layers of fruit and earth. The wine was sophisticated and elegant without losing its muscular backbone; thus, it is approachable now but will reward those with the patience to cellar it. Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted: August 2023

2017 Palmaz Vineyards “Gaston” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Score: 98 Points

Location: Napa Valley, California

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

This monster of a wine had an alluring bouquet of blackberries, boysenberries, cassis fruit, blueberries, violets, powdered sugar, sage, soft spice, chocolate, espresso, vanilla, earth, and toasted oak. The wine was full-bodied with rounded tannins that painted the palate with hints of dark berry fruits, roasted coffee, dried sage, tar, black tea, soft spice, chocolate, and toasted oak. The wine is bold with rich layers of fruit and earth that harmonize perfectly together. The savory terror notes interlace with a nice level of acidity bringing balance to this elegant and sophisticated wine. The wine is approachable now but should evolve nicely over the next 8 to 12 years. Extremely Highly Recommended!

Tasted: August 2023

2019 Ackerman Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Score: 94 Points

Location: Napa Valley, California

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

This dark beauty had a lovely bouquet of blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, black tea, tar, dried sage, vanilla custard, crème de cassis, molasses, and toasted oak. The wine was full bodied with gripping tannins that painted the palate with hints of blackberries, cassis fruit, roasted coffee, dried sage, leafy tobacco, vanilla, dusty earth, and sweet toasted oak. The wine was complex with rich layers of dark fruits and savory earth that blended beautifully together. The wine is elegant and sophisticated with a bold backbone. This wine should age nicely over the next decade or so, as it requires patience. Highly Recommended!

Tasted: August 2023