Subscribe to RSS
If you’re a fan of great views and great wine, (and really, who isn’t?) then McGrail Vineyards is a must visit. Located on an idyllic hillside in the Livermore Valley, just southeast of the San Francisco Bay, one can simply sit back, sip on a glass of top-notch Cabernet or Chardonnay, and forget about the rest of the world for a little while. And if you can’t make it to the winery, having a bottle is almost as nice.
McGrail Vineyards 2012 “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 40-45
Tasting Notes:
The nose offers aromas of black cherries, cassis, and bramble fruit with accents of sweet spice, smoke, and chocolate. Flavors of cherry, blackberry, and plum combine with traces of chocolate, clove, and creamy oak on the palate. Dark and supple, pair a bottle with beef tenderloin. 1,896 cases produced.
Rating: 90
McGrail Vineyards 2012 “Patriot” Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price:
Tasting Notes:
Aromatics of currants, blackberries, and boysenberries mingle with nuances of barrel spice and chocolate on the nose. A sip delivers flavors of cassis, blackberry, cherry that unfold into suggestions of toasty oak, dark chocolate, and pie crust on the palate. A mouth-filling Cab with rich tannins, enjoy a bottle with tri-tip from the BBQ. 276 cases were made.
Rating: 89
McGrail Vineyards 2013 “Casa de Vinas” Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 35-40
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of boysenberries, cherries, and blueberries meld with allusions of rose petal and sweet spice on the nose. With a sip, flavors of bramble fruit, cherry, and blueberry come together with floral whispers on the palate. Welcoming fruit and silky tannins make this a wine that’s well suited for seared Ahi tuna. 205 cases produced.
Rating: 90
McGrail Vineyards 2014 “Kylie Ryan” Rose
Grape(s): 60% Cabernet Sauvignon & 40% Merlot
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 20-25
Tasting Notes:
Fragrances of peach, apricot, watermelon, and citrus greets the senses. The palate offers flavors of peach, strawberry, and bing cherry, along with a hint of orange zest. A balanced acidity and rounded mouth-feel make it a very approachable wine. 149 cases were made.
Rating: 89
McGrail Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 25-30
Tasting Notes:
A bouquet of pineapple, peach, creamy oak, and butter rises up from a glass. Flavors of tropical and stone fruit come forth on the palate, alongside notes of vanilla, butterscotch, and oak. Lush and rich with a welcoming acidity, fans of creamier Chardonnay will enjoy this bottle. 664 cases produced.
Rating: 90
