2015/2017 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Just south of the estate, by about 3 miles, we find Barlow Vineyards from whom we source delicious cabernet sauvignon. The color profile is a gorgeous ruby red while the nose is dominated by dark ripe fruits with a hint of tobacco – plus raspberry, Bing cherry, and dark chocolate. Full bodied with rich, chewy tannins that will open up with decanting to drink now or will age well in your cellar.
Specs
Vintage: 2015/2017
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Calistoga, Napa Valley
Vineyard: Barlow Vineyards
Aging: 17 months in 40% New French & 60% Neutral French
Alcohol: 13.7%/13.6%
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
2x 2015 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2x 2017 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Case:
6x 2015 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
6x 2017 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Laura and Michael Swanton know the many challenges of establishing a boutique winery dedicated to crafting small quantities of fine wine in the Napa Valley. They have experienced them all in their demanding, yet delicious, journey from fledging winery to award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel producers.
A long-time wine enthusiast, Owner and Proprietor Laura Swanton purchased the Calistoga winery estate that would become Laura Michael Wines from the Traulsen family in 1999. At the time, Laura was a sales specialist with Cisco Systems in San Jose. It was a career that required intimate knowledge of high-tech product application. Knowing how the technology worked was critical to her success in selling the product.
At the time Laura purchased the winery, Michael had embarked on an independent career in power generation and services, a career that spanned nearly two decades. When they came together in 2006, their current journey started and continues to this day.
Today, their tenacity for learning systems and science is directed at running their small winery and vineyard estate dedicated to limited-production, premium red wines. Since 1999, Laura has managed all winemaking processes from grape sourcing to the logistics of launching and operating a winery. Her zeal to understand winegrowing at its root has her pruning, picking, irrigating and collecting samples in the vineyard. A thirst for winemaking knowledge encourages her participation in crush, pump-overs, racking and bottling.
“We do it all,” says Laura. “It’s so important that we work alongside every member of our team from the temporary harvest help to our consulting winemaker. We are not ones to stand on the sidelines, and fortunately because we are as small as we are, we can be actively involved in every aspect of this business.”
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical
4 bottles for $119.99 $30/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $299.99 $25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
WOW. Nothing like a free bottle from Casemates to warm up a rather cold, midwestern day. Actually, the bottle arrived on Tuesday, so I let it sit in the wine fridge, aka: basement, where it is a comfortable 60 degrees and 60% IRH. I was excited to see that it was a cab from Laura Michael. I was introduced to her wines on an RPM tour (ah, the good old wine tour days). I’ve also ordered her cab’s in the past and am sitting on three 2013’s from Rutherford. For dinner tonight, I prepared bacon wrapped filet medallions with three toppings, bleu cheese, horseradish and parmesan. A baked potato and blanched broccoli would accompany the entrée.
PnP about 5pm, with +1 present. This wine has a deep crimson color, with good clarity but a depth that prevents transparency. Initial aromas are somewhat muted but favor black cherry and vanilla. Its flavor profile leans towards soft, dark fruits. The tannins are drying and your tongue wonders to what it was subjected. But, the finish is smooth with no acid in the finish. So, far, we both like this wine, but realize some that air time will help it develop.
Dinner is prep’s and served, which is about an hour later. Now we are finding that it has flavors of not only dark cherry, but some pomegranate, a little spice and dark fruits (think blackberry). A delayed finish yields some dark chocolate. This wine is soft and smooth and is not a fruit bomb. The pairing could not have been better. I would say that you can drink this now with a one hour decant or put it away for future development. It drinks well with food, but could stand on its own. We will be buying a case and we look forward to trying the 2015. After checking the website tonight, I see that it is reasonably priced. This is a very good QPR wine. BTW, the bottle emptied too quickly.
@jmdavidson1 Nice review, looks like we should have tasted ours with a properly paired meal. I think my wife found the tannins too drying; we must drink too much Zin!
@KitMarlot The tannins in our bottle got smoother with air. A review of the 2012 to 2019 vintages reveals quite a bit of variation. 2015 , due to weather, produced smaller and fewer grapes with more intensity, so the tannins in your bottle were consistent with that vintage. That bottle will need more horixontal time to mellow.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical - $60 = 16.65%
@jclarkie78@marymbowers if anyone still wants more I’ll likely split some with another NOVA folk and may be some leftover.
/giphy loved-halting-pilsner
Laura Michael 2015 Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon (Barlow Vineyards)
An unexpected UPS shipping notification hinted at an imminent indulgence: Laura Michael Cabernet Sauvignon. Like anyone who appreciates red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, that peculiar medieval white-wine hybrid, is the ne plus ultra. My tastes tend toward the low end of the price spectrum, however, and while I once had Caymus at a business dinner and toured Chateau Margaux (on a day that they didn’t have any trial bottles open, naturally) my wine budget maxes out at Winesmith. Laura Michael is a rare treat.
I pulled the bottle out of my 60F cellar, pulled the cork and poured a glass. Clarity and color were appropriate for the style, a deep burgundy with magenta edges. It is very, very aromatic. Before I even got my nose close to the glass it bursts forth with sour cherries, then raspberries, then cranberries. There is no hint of sweetness, wood or vanilla. The acidity is balanced and there is no perceptible sweetness. The body is a little light. The nose and bouquet anticipate a huge wine, but it is merely large. There are many different flavors swirling through, but mostly cherries and dried cranberries. My wife thinks it earthy with a firm acidity lingering into the finish. Overall it is very tannic, youthful and astringent, lighter than I expected and the tannins are a bit hard. My wife thinks it is ok but she’d rather have more fruit and less tannin and that it would be better with food. We paired it with a few snacks and found that creamy cheeses took the edge off the tannin and brought out the fruit. Nuts surprisingly paired well; the astringency of walnuts brought out some herbal notes, almonds brought out earthy, floral flavors and pistachios a bright cherry, almost almond flavor.
Put the bottle on the counter, uncorked, overnight. Day two I poured a glass then decanted the rest of the bottle. The nose is more mellow, broad. Deep plum, a whiff of herb and a bit more unctuous, like tomato sauce cooked slowly all day. It is still somewhat light on the palate but more balanced. The tannins have smoothed out and it has a long, lingering finish with an earthy, husky cherry flavor, almost like guajillo chiles along with graphite, chalk. I tasted the decanted wine an hour later and there is spice on the nose, cinnamon and cardamom. The mid-palate has come together and I think this wine is finally expressing what Laura and Michael intended. Fleshy sweet cherries, supple tannins, baking spice and a little herb. It is very good.
Many thanks to Laura and Michael for sharing their excellent wine, Alice and the WCC crew for drawing my name out of the hat and the Boys in Brown for again whisking a bottle of wine from sunny California to battleship gray Ohio in less than a day. Salut!
The 2015 was offered here August. Laura Swanton had this to say:
“Hi Everyone, Laura Swanton here from Laura Michael Wines. thank you for all the comments. Both the wines have staying power in your cellar. The 2015 vintage, coming off the drought, was highly tannic at picking. We normally wait at least three years to release the wine so the time did help in the bottle. It’s easily a 15 year cellar stay if you have the time and inclination. This cab is 100% cab from Barlow Vineyards in Calistoga. We’ve been doing business with them since 2007 and feel that the longer we are in a vineyard, the better we get. We always age the cabs on French oak, usually 35%-40% new barrels for about 19 months so we are trying to moderate additional tannin by using a greater majority of neutral oak.”
Anybody up for a Twin Cities split? I would go for 4 bottles. Laura’s wines have never disappointed me, with only the overflow in my cellar preventing me from buying more.
Haven’t bought a case of expensive wine in … at least a couple of days now. (I know this isn’t super expensive but it’s at the upper end of my normal purchase range with a few exceptions)
As an overweight child (thanks, mom!) I was called many things but never this order name:
I need to find a chicago split (I’m north shore), my neighbors cap their excitement at around $10 / bottle If anyone is up for it I’m a few comments away from springing for a case. Though when they start shipping those cases from December I’m gonna have a busy delivery schedule!
@rc70 Surprised there is more than one Casemates person in Idaho! I kid! Idaho is a great and beautiful state. I drive through there a few times a year but not predictable enough to join on a deal. But seriously one of the top 5 states I would want to be in. They even have local wines but so far not anything I’d seek out again.
2015/2017 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$661.98 at Laura Michael Wines Inc for 6x 2015 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 6x 2017 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Feb 1 - Tuesday, Feb 2
Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical
4 bottles for $119.99 $30/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $299.99 $25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2015 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Laura Michael Cabernet Sauvignon
WOW. Nothing like a free bottle from Casemates to warm up a rather cold, midwestern day. Actually, the bottle arrived on Tuesday, so I let it sit in the wine fridge, aka: basement, where it is a comfortable 60 degrees and 60% IRH. I was excited to see that it was a cab from Laura Michael. I was introduced to her wines on an RPM tour (ah, the good old wine tour days). I’ve also ordered her cab’s in the past and am sitting on three 2013’s from Rutherford. For dinner tonight, I prepared bacon wrapped filet medallions with three toppings, bleu cheese, horseradish and parmesan. A baked potato and blanched broccoli would accompany the entrée.
PnP about 5pm, with +1 present. This wine has a deep crimson color, with good clarity but a depth that prevents transparency. Initial aromas are somewhat muted but favor black cherry and vanilla. Its flavor profile leans towards soft, dark fruits. The tannins are drying and your tongue wonders to what it was subjected. But, the finish is smooth with no acid in the finish. So, far, we both like this wine, but realize some that air time will help it develop.
Dinner is prep’s and served, which is about an hour later. Now we are finding that it has flavors of not only dark cherry, but some pomegranate, a little spice and dark fruits (think blackberry). A delayed finish yields some dark chocolate. This wine is soft and smooth and is not a fruit bomb. The pairing could not have been better. I would say that you can drink this now with a one hour decant or put it away for future development. It drinks well with food, but could stand on its own. We will be buying a case and we look forward to trying the 2015. After checking the website tonight, I see that it is reasonably priced. This is a very good QPR wine. BTW, the bottle emptied too quickly.
@jmdavidson1 Nice review, looks like we should have tasted ours with a properly paired meal. I think my wife found the tannins too drying; we must drink too much Zin!
@KitMarlot The tannins in our bottle got smoother with air. A review of the 2012 to 2019 vintages reveals quite a bit of variation. 2015 , due to weather, produced smaller and fewer grapes with more intensity, so the tannins in your bottle were consistent with that vintage. That bottle will need more horixontal time to mellow.
@jmdavidson1 Thank you for the review. Your food pairing sounds amazing.
If anyone in Denver buys I’d be interested in 2 if each wine.
@knlprez I would do 2 each also, up in Boulder county.
@jdlantian
Great, just need someone else to take 2 more for the split. Any takers?
@jdlantian
Actually someone at my work is going to split, so we are good. I’ll order and let you know when they come in.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Laura Michael Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical - $60 = 16.65%
If anyone from NE OH is buying, I am good for 2-4 bottles. Love me some of Laura’s Barlow Vineyards Cab!
@chipgreen I’ll get a case. I’d like 4 . Who else is in? @mrn1 @boatman72 @marikar
/giphy inconvenient-meek-party
Anyone in for a split in the dc area?
@jclarkie78 i am, in Loudoun
@marymbowers ok I bought! First time splitting so not sure how this works but others chime in if you’re interested
@jclarkie78 nice! Thank you.
@jclarkie78 @marymbowers if anyone still wants more I’ll likely split some with another NOVA folk and may be some leftover.
/giphy loved-halting-pilsner
Laura Michael 2015 Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon (Barlow Vineyards)
An unexpected UPS shipping notification hinted at an imminent indulgence: Laura Michael Cabernet Sauvignon. Like anyone who appreciates red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, that peculiar medieval white-wine hybrid, is the ne plus ultra. My tastes tend toward the low end of the price spectrum, however, and while I once had Caymus at a business dinner and toured Chateau Margaux (on a day that they didn’t have any trial bottles open, naturally) my wine budget maxes out at Winesmith. Laura Michael is a rare treat.
I pulled the bottle out of my 60F cellar, pulled the cork and poured a glass. Clarity and color were appropriate for the style, a deep burgundy with magenta edges. It is very, very aromatic. Before I even got my nose close to the glass it bursts forth with sour cherries, then raspberries, then cranberries. There is no hint of sweetness, wood or vanilla. The acidity is balanced and there is no perceptible sweetness. The body is a little light. The nose and bouquet anticipate a huge wine, but it is merely large. There are many different flavors swirling through, but mostly cherries and dried cranberries. My wife thinks it earthy with a firm acidity lingering into the finish. Overall it is very tannic, youthful and astringent, lighter than I expected and the tannins are a bit hard. My wife thinks it is ok but she’d rather have more fruit and less tannin and that it would be better with food. We paired it with a few snacks and found that creamy cheeses took the edge off the tannin and brought out the fruit. Nuts surprisingly paired well; the astringency of walnuts brought out some herbal notes, almonds brought out earthy, floral flavors and pistachios a bright cherry, almost almond flavor.
Put the bottle on the counter, uncorked, overnight. Day two I poured a glass then decanted the rest of the bottle. The nose is more mellow, broad. Deep plum, a whiff of herb and a bit more unctuous, like tomato sauce cooked slowly all day. It is still somewhat light on the palate but more balanced. The tannins have smoothed out and it has a long, lingering finish with an earthy, husky cherry flavor, almost like guajillo chiles along with graphite, chalk. I tasted the decanted wine an hour later and there is spice on the nose, cinnamon and cardamom. The mid-palate has come together and I think this wine is finally expressing what Laura and Michael intended. Fleshy sweet cherries, supple tannins, baking spice and a little herb. It is very good.
Many thanks to Laura and Michael for sharing their excellent wine, Alice and the WCC crew for drawing my name out of the hat and the Boys in Brown for again whisking a bottle of wine from sunny California to battleship gray Ohio in less than a day. Salut!
@KitMarlot Seems like there are quite a few similarities between the two vintages, with age being the difference maker. Nice review.
@KitMarlot Thank you for the report. Interesting how it changed over hours and days.
This and Winesmith are the only two brands I buy without hesitation when they come up. Just wonderful!
Lovely wine made by lovely people. No brainer at this price point.
/giphy astonishing-bragging-meal
The 2015 was offered here August. Laura Swanton had this to say:
“Hi Everyone, Laura Swanton here from Laura Michael Wines. thank you for all the comments. Both the wines have staying power in your cellar. The 2015 vintage, coming off the drought, was highly tannic at picking. We normally wait at least three years to release the wine so the time did help in the bottle. It’s easily a 15 year cellar stay if you have the time and inclination. This cab is 100% cab from Barlow Vineyards in Calistoga. We’ve been doing business with them since 2007 and feel that the longer we are in a vineyard, the better we get. We always age the cabs on French oak, usually 35%-40% new barrels for about 19 months so we are trying to moderate additional tannin by using a greater majority of neutral oak.”
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/laura-michael-mixed-reds
A couple of really fine rats, dammit
@ScottW58 Love our rats!
Anybody up for a Twin Cities split? I would go for 4 bottles. Laura’s wines have never disappointed me, with only the overflow in my cellar preventing me from buying more.
Austin Texas?
Haven’t bought a case of expensive wine in … at least a couple of days now. (I know this isn’t super expensive but it’s at the upper end of my normal purchase range with a few exceptions)
As an overweight child (thanks, mom!) I was called many things but never this order name:
/giphy near-pudgy-pie
I need to find a chicago split (I’m north shore), my neighbors cap their excitement at around $10 / bottle
If anyone is up for it I’m a few comments away from springing for a case. Though when they start shipping those cases from December I’m gonna have a busy delivery schedule!
/giphy mighty-sparkling-book
/giphy flagrant-foggy-olive
juicy-affectionate-coat
/giphy ready-wild-jewel
@glennfuller0 for what?
never mind; I’ll slip into something more comfortable.
Nice! obsessed-psychedelic-vegetable.giphy
@por944sche
/giphy obsessed-psychedelic-vegetable
There you go
Finally found someone in the wilds of Idaho to split with, only been looking since day 1.
poised-absorbing-plane
@rc70 Surprised there is more than one Casemates person in Idaho! I kid! Idaho is a great and beautiful state. I drive through there a few times a year but not predictable enough to join on a deal. But seriously one of the top 5 states I would want to be in. They even have local wines but so far not anything I’d seek out again.
@rc70
/giphy poised-absorbing-plane
Can anyone tell me what the Laura Michael Cb sell for on this deal that I missed?
@Rhenning5
All the info is at the top of the thread.
You may have to ‘show’ hidden posts to see the very beginning.
@rjquillin
Thank you