Wine reviews
Scents of cassis, blueberries and crushed stone appear on the nose of Stewart's 2021 Nomad Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras. Like the others in the lineup, it's full-bodied, massively ripe stuff, yet it seems to avoid tipping over into chocolate fudge, instead retaining a sense of freshness and vibrancy on the long, velvety finish. – JC
A promising nose reveals toasty oak, earthy minerals, kirsch and blueberry liquor-like aromatics. But on the palate, this wine becomes fairly disjointed and the 15.7% alcohol shows in its glycerin-fueled silky texture. Keep it nicely chilled and its red-fruited profile won't come off as sweet as it is. Hopefully, in subsequent vintages, the team will rein in the ripeness levels and find balance in the oak program. – JC
From a site that performed brilliantly in the vintage, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon NOMAD Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard reveals a deep purple/plum hue as well as full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, black raspberries, toasted spice, graphite, and savory flowers. I always find a savory, herbal, mineral component from this site, and this has it in spades. Deep, rich, concentrated, and structured, with ripe tannins, it's going to benefit from a few years in the cellar and drink spectacularly well over the following 15 years or so. - J.D.
This is packed with brambly, juicy energy that supplies the dense core of blackberry, boysenberry and black currant fruit with ample fuel so that it can pump through the lengthy finish, which is accented with licorice snap, violet and apple wood notes, plus a long underpinning of cast iron. A wow wine. Best from 2025 through 2045. 300 cases made. - J.M.