Decanted and drank over an hour.
Enjoyed at Restaurant 360 in Toronto. The world's highest wine cellar (will do a more detailed writeup on this soon).
More fruit-forward than I expected.
Lots of blackberry, red cherry, plums.
Slight dried herbs.
Very little spice, was looking for it, but couldn't find it.
Lovely wine, but definitely reminds me more of Syrah from Paso than Cote-Rotie.
91 points.
Pichon Lalande or Pichon Comtesse? I find in the US, we shorten it to Pichon Lalande, while in France, and apparently Canada, they call it Pichon Comtesse.
Regardless, this and Pichon Baron are two of my favorite Super Seconds.
By the bottle at Restaurant 360 in Toronto.
Gave this a decant and drank over 90 minutes.
Powerful nose! I could smell it from two feet away when the bottle was first opened.
Still drinking very young.
Initially grippy tannins, but those softened over time.
Still some nice fruit present with dark plum, cherry, blueberry.
But also some leather, tobacco, dried herbs.
I think this is nicely in its peak, but will go a while longer.
90s in Bordeaux doesn't have the best reputation, but I think 1995 was one of the better vintages between 1990-2000 (1996 still remains my favorite).
93 points.
To celebrate our dear friend becoming a father, we had a small, intimate "dadchelor" party, which was a day of wine tasting with six of us.
I thought it would be fun to start with Matthiasson, which is known their more restrained, lower ABV style, very different from what the group may be used to.
Then, after Matthiasson, lunch at Gott's Roadside, which happened to coincide with the 150th anniversary of St. Helena. After Gott's, we still had some time, so stopped by Oakville Wine Merchant and enjoyed a few splashes there (no detailed notes, but my favorite pour was likely Fortune Son: The Dreamer).
After that, it was Mt. Brave, known for their powerful, concentrated wines. Figured the contrast would make for a fun day!
It was a little chilly and overcast for most of the day, outside of lunch at Gott's, but we still made the most of it!
Matthiasson
I've had Matthiasson only once, at a tasting at K&L in San Francisco.
But I've heard so much about the winery and loved the idea of a more restrained, lower ABV wine and Matthiasson definitely delivered.
The experience was enjoyable, we had a private tasting and our host was generous enough to open multiple wines beyond the set list. We also got to do some side-by-side, which made the experience really fun! Speaking of glasses, I always appreciate good stemware and the use of the Gabriel Glas was a nice touch.
I was also very pleasantly surprised by the success Matthiasson has had with Italian grapes. I'm slowly getting on board the idea that Italian grapes can grow in California (although debatable if they'll reach the heights of Cabernet and Pinot).
2024 Matthiasson Chardonnay Linda Vista Vineyard
Notes of limestone, lemon, lime, peach.
Young, bright. Could use a touch more time.
86 points.
2021 Matthiasson Chardonnay Michael Mara Vineyard
Picked up citrus, lemon peel, with slight ashiness on the palate.
Lovely acidity. Good body and structure.
87 points.
2022 Matthiasson Ribolla Gialla
Skin contact, fermented in clay vessels.
Picked up white nectarine, white peach.
Nice structure on the palate.
87 points.
2024 Matthiasson Schioppettino
Picked up saunf (fennel), star anise, sour cherry candy, red plum.
More savory than fruity, which I appreciated.
I love seeing Italian varietals growing well in California!
88 points.
2023 Matthiasson Refosco Matthiasson Vineyard
Picked up blueberry, pomegranate seeds, grapefruit, pepper jam.
Peppery throughout.
Got a jerky (vegan) note that worked, in a good way.
Another Italian red varietal grown well in Napa!
89 points.
2022 Matthiasson Merlot Cressida Vineyard
Notes of dark plum, baking spices, juicy without being jammy.
Velvety tannins, nice acid.
In a good place now.
90 points.
2023 Matthiasson Cabernet Franc
Big green bell pepper on the nose!
Picked up dark cherry, plum skins, pomegranate, eucalyptus, tomato leaf, with herbaceous notes throughout.
Cab Franc being unmistakably Cab Franc.
This was one of the consensus favorites among the group, especially for those who haven't had wines where Cabernet Franc features predominantly.
90 points.
2022 Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon Phoenix Vineyard
Picked up slight bell pepper, wet stones, jalapeño, savory and vegetal notes, mixed pepper, dark plum.
Distinctive profile, leans more savory than fruity.
Pretty unique among Napa Cabs in this style.
90 points.
2017 Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon
I continue to believe 2017 is an overly-maligned vintage in Napa.
Picked up eucalyptus, graphite, raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, cinnamon, slight bell pepper, tomato leaf.
Settled tannins, nice acidity.
Drinking nicely right now.
91 points.
Mt. Brave
By the time we got to Mt. Brave, which was a long, long drive uphill, it was a little chilly and damp, but we were still able to enjoy the lovely views!
This experience took place at the Spire collection, which is a beautiful property on Mt. Veeder.
Our private tasting took place inside a heated tent, which was a nice touch.
The wines performed really well, as expected.
I really appreciate that the wines had been given a lot of air to open up, meaning the wines weren't overly tight, which can be a real worry with mountain wines.
Only nitpick here, something about the 2016 La Jota Merlot felt a little off, even though I know it's a really good wine, having had a bottle last year. But that's okay, the rest made up for it!
2023 La Jota Chardonnay W.S. Keyes Vineyard.
Notes of wet stones, lemongrass, lime peel.
A little young.
88 points.
2016 La Jota Merlot
I had this from a fresh bottle about a year ago and gave it 92, so was curious how this would show today.
Picked up wet, dirty dark cherry, thyme, somewhat herbal/medicinal, chocolate.
Slight funk on the nose, and have a feeling this bottle was open a little too long.
Going to lean on my prior experience here, the wine itself is better than this pour suggests.
90 points.
2022 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
I'm a sucker for any Howell Mountain wine, and this didn't disappoint.
Picked up blackberry, plum, young peppercorn, cinnamon bark, clove, pencil shavings.
Tannins for days.
Will only get better with time.
91+ points.
2022 Mt. Brave Malbec
Notes of leather, pepper, dried plums, eucalyptus.
Powerful, concentrated, chewy.
Hits hard but balanced.
90 points.
2021 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Single Block
Picked up dark cherry, dark plum, blueberry, graphite, amla (Indian gooseberry), kaccha aam (green mango), cocoa.
Will only get better with time.
This was definitely my favorite wine of the tasting and I look forward to seeing how this ages!
91+ points.
What a wonderful day!
Made it through a long day, celebrated our friend in style, and then returned to the city where we continued the celebrations for much longer than expected!
Discovered this on accident on my trip to Tokyo.
Kenzo Estate, an acclaimed winery in Napa, has its roots in Japan, with the founder of Capcom, the company behind Street Fighter, Kenzo Tsujimoto, buying this property in 1990. Over time, they hired famous winemakers, including David Abreu and Heidi Barrett.
The wines are fantastic, but I love that Kenzo has tasting rooms in Tokyo that aim to bring the Napa experience locally in Japan.
This particular tasting room was in Ginza, which was beautiful, featured amazing hospitality, and poured lovely wines by the glass, including some prestige cuvées.
Can't wait to visit the winery in Napa!
With that, here are my notes!
2020 Kenzo Estate Murasaki
Enjoyable wine that's still young in its journey.
Importantly, no smoke taint that I could detect.
Dark cherry, dark plum, blackberry notes, also some red fruit as well. Slight spice as well.
A little thin on the mid-palate, but that may be function of bottle variation.
Would love to try a bottle of this at cellar temp.
91+ points.
2017 Kenzo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Shinon
This is definitely more approachable, in spite of the young age. I continue to believe 2017 is an overhated vintage.
Lots of primary fruit notes here, with blackberry, plums, and dark cherry, alongside some slight spice and eucalyptus.
91 points.
Enjoyed at Wally's in Beverly Hills.
After the Napa wine I wanted was out of stock, the sommelier offered this. Only after looking it up do I realize what I actually had.
Gave it a decant and drank over 90 minutes.
If you had told me this was from one of the mountains in Napa Valley, I'd believe you.
But this is actually from the Santa Monica Mountains!
Got some dark cherry, blueberry, blackberry notes, alongside slight graphite.
Nose was solid, but palate had some real power.
A bit surprised how much I liked this, was an enjoyable experience, would try again!
91 points.
Enjoyed at Wally's in Beverly Hills.
This was a suggestion by our sommelier when the Musar I wanted was out of stock.
Gave this a decant and enjoyed over an hour.
If you told me blind this was St. Julien, I would have believed it.
60% Malbec with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Got some dark blue fruit, plum, maybe some slight cloves?
Very different from what I'm used to with Mendoza wines. This is very much Bordeaux in Mendoza.
91 points.
Enjoyed at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in SF.
First time trying this legendary producer.
Just for fun, tried decanting half the bottle and then the other half opening up in the bottle itself.
This did have a lot of VA initially, which calmed down with time, although was still a bit stronger than I would like, even by the end of the bottle.
Very savory, lots of dried herbs and spices, balsamic, leather, tobacco, dried cherry.
I enjoyed this, but have a feeling my score would have been higher without the overwhelming VA. Wasn't corked or anything.
Hard to tell if it's just bottle variation or the style. Will revisit this producer soon enough and try again!
91 points.
Been wanting to try this bottle for a while.
Decided to make spicy vegetarian nachos for dinner and what better than a Syrah to pair?
Gave this a hour decant, then enjoyed over the following three hours.
Lots of dark fruit, blackberry, dark plums, dark cherry.
More prominently, got lots of black pepper, young peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon bark. Maybe some dark chocolate as well.
Paired incredibly well with nachos. The spice in the wine played well with the spice in the nachos and both enhanced each other. Plus, the tannins and acid really helped cut through the fat from the cheese.
This was a great deal for $40, would easily get again.
91 points.
This wine was a journey.
Gave it a 45 minute decant and it was still quite tight.
Some dark fruit, but mostly tannins and oak.
But as we let this open up in the decanter over four hours, it truly developed.
BTW, last sip was still a little tight, telling me this just may need a lot of time or maybe a very long decant.
But once this developed, it revealed a very lovely wine.
Still lots of tannins, but also lots of spice notes, cinnamon, cloves, elaichi (cardamom). Slight vanilla.
After four hours, lots of fruit, mostly dark fruit.
Dark plum, blackberry, dark cherry, plum skins, pomegranate skins, amla (Indian gooseberry).
Some slightly herbal notes as well, maybe moss?
The good news is while it was in its highly tannic phase, it paired well with aloo tikki burgers. The starch and fat paired well alongside a young wine that was opening up.
I'm still surprised how young this is drinking.
Feels like it will only get better with age. I have a few bottles remaining and plan to lay them down for a while.
If drinking now, three hour decant.
92+ points.
Brought this bottle to La Connessa in SF for dinner.
Side note, highly recommend La Connessa. It's a beautiful spot and if you're a fan of early dinners (6 pm) like I am, the dining room has high ceilings and lots of natural sunlight.
Decanted and drank over 90 minutes.
Notes of red cherry, red plum, rosemary, and maybe some slight pepper?
Paired well with both pizza and pasta.
Solid acidity, maybe some slightly rustic notes as well.
Solid Brunello with some age at a reasonable price. Great QPR.
91 points.
I always think it's silly I have the Coravin, but barely make use of it. So when I had the opportunity to use it where it made sense, which was a quick virtual happy hour with friends on the other side of the country, I took it!
Then two weeks later, after a Napa trip (notes coming soon), wanted a night cap with a friend, so this was a solid opportunity to revisit the wine!
Both notes are below. The punchline is there was legitimately no difference in my mind between both pours. Now there's about one third of the bottle left, which I will try to open in the next month, so will report back.
Side note, love Joseph Phelps and while the Insignia gets all the attention, their portfolio is wonderful and the estate grown Cab is lovely!
Apr 13, 2026
Finally made use of the Coravin to enjoy a glass (well, glass-and-a-half) of this wine for a catch-up with friends.
Drinking well right out of the bottle, no major decanting needed.
Drank in a Josephinenhütte, which gave this plenty of air in the glass and allowed this to open.
Picked up lots of dark fruit, dark plums, blackberry, blueberry, alongside some coffee and cinnamon, maybe slight cocoa.
Also a floral nose, maybe some violets?
In a great place right now, but may get better with some more age.
91 points.
Apr 26, 2026
Coravin experiment 2.
Two weeks after initial usage.
Still a little tight. No difference.
Dark fruit, blackberry, dark cherry, plum.
Lots of cloves, cinnamon, slight vanilla.
Slight eucalyptus.
Some pencil shavings as well.
Lovely wine in a great place, can easily go for a while longer.
91 points.
By the bottle at Mili in SF.
Poggio di Sotto is a top Brunello producer in my mind, which means even in a challenging vintage like 2017, they made good wine that is approachable from an earlier stage.
I think 2017 is overhated with Brunello, honestly. It's not 2016 or 2019, but the 2017s I have are showing nicely now. Probably not as ageworthy, but that's okay.
Gave this a decant and enjoyed over an hour, which really opened this up.
Picked up notes of red cherry, blueberry, dried rosemary, tomato leaf, slight mint.
Would pair well with a hearty red sauce pasta, but I also think could pair well with chili momos.
92 points.
Enjoyed by the bottle at Mili.
One of my favorite wine bars in SF and I love that they have Mascot at a reasonable price.
One of these days, I'll be smart enough to order Mascot and let it open up, but hard to resist ordering this and enjoying right away.
Initially super tight, tannins for days, but give it an hour in the decanter and it's absolutely lovely.
Dark plum, blackberry, dark cherry, graphite, slight clove, pencil shavings, slight eucalyptus.
Powerful nose and palate, I could imagine laying this down for a decade and it would still be enjoyable.
Mascot is a great way to get exposure to the Harlan portfolio at a somewhat approachable price, relative to the high end offerings.
Cute dog too!
92+ points.
Cain Five deals from LB may go down as one of the best wine deals in the past year.
Still a little tight, but decanting opens it up nicely.
Lots of dark fruit, blackberry, dark cherry, some slight graphite and cloves.
Solid acidity on this as well.
In a good spot now, but will likely age well.
Would have preferred a tiny bit more body on the mid palate, but that may be nitpicking.
Enjoyed with dinner at Tsunami Panhandle. Definitely not an ideal pairing, but worked fine in my books for more wine after a long day of wine tasting in Napa.
91 points.