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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.
McGrial 2013 “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 40-45
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of currants, black cherries, and blackberries come together with notes of clove, vanilla, and oak on the nose. With a sip, flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, and cassis flow into expressions of toasty oak, sweet spice, and vanilla. Ample dark fruit and rich tannins endear this wine to a juicy steak. 1,489 cases produced.
Rating: 90
McGrial 2013 “Patriot” Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 40-45
Tasting Notes:
Fragrances of cherries, boysenberries, vanilla, and green olive rise up from a glass. The palate reveals flavors of bramble fruit, cherry, and plum along with whispers of caramel and earth. A Cab with cocoa taninns and balanced flavors, open a bottle with a lamb shank. 278 cases were made.
Rating: 91
McGrial 2013 “A Jo Elet” Cabernet Sauvignon
Grape(s): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 40-45
Tasting Notes:
Blackberries, cassis, and cherries mingle with undertones of all-spice and vanilla bean on the nose. Currant, bramble fruit, and dark cherry emerge on the palate, accented by suggestions of spice, caramel, and toasty oak. Lovers of Cabernet with rich tannins and plush dark fruit will really enjoy this wine. 224 cases produced.
Rating: 91
McGrial 2013 “Shawus Patrick” Red Blend
Grape(s): 42% Cabernet, 29% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, & 8% Petite Sirah
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 30-35
Tasting Notes:
A bouquet of plums, blackberries, blueberries, and toasty vanilla greet the senses. The palate showcases flavors of blueberry, cherry, and plum that unfold into elements of mocha and clove. With polished tannins and compelling dark fruit, it’s a wine that is well suited to open with roast beef. 426 cases were made.
Rating: 91
McGrial 2015 Chardonnay
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Region: Livermore Valley, Ca
Price: 25-30
Tasting Notes:
Aromatics of stone fruit and tropical fruit meld with whispers of buttery oak and vanilla on the nose. A sip delivers flavors of peach, pear, and pineapple, which are rounded out by highlights of vanilla and oak. Mouth-filling with a welcoming acidity, it’s a fine example how good Livermore Valley Chardonnay can be. 699 cases produced.
Rating: 90
