A Spring Mt. for 25 bucks, right? Gotta do it. We’re all sucker for such things. But they basically always end the same way. Will I ever learn? Of course not. This reminds me of every Kirkland or Trader Joe’s district-specific Napa bottling I have ever had: you know, the ones 99%-geezer love to trot out as great bargains drinking FAR beyond their price-point. They all taste the same. It’s like driving a Lincoln or a Cadillac, an Acura or Genesis. Sure, all the expected accoutrements are present, wrapped in soft leather and gleaming plastic and rich wood–but it’s just a polished turd. Bulk wine, vaguely made, horrible build quality, easy on the eyes and well-priced. Boring as fuck. Impenetrable black in the glass, a nose rich and swollen with over-ripe candy and heady oak; where spice and minerality should be only flatulent dill-inspired moldy vegetal exudes. It’s dreadful to smell, but Caymus, Austin Hope and The Castello bros will have a field-day.

Sweet and dense on the palate, the obfuscation of any compelling interest complete by the candy-addiction of the unwashed. It goes cloying-chubby to burnt American oak middle straight to rotund *structural components* in a blink. The bitter finish goes on–as #winebro would write–“for a solid 5 minutes”. Translation: It’s a wine you’ll never forget.

2016 MAGISTRATE ‘Gem Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mt. Napa Valley 14.8

https://wine1percent.com/?s=Napa+Valley