Modus Operandi - Wine Enthusiast Reviews

2/4/2010 12:00:00 AM :
Source :

Wine Enthusiast March 2010 Reviews

Jason Moore, winemaker of Modus Operandi, rocks his first reviews!!  The upcoming March 2010 issue of WE agrees that Modus wines are awesome.

93 Modus Operandi 2008 Sauvignon

Blanc (Rutherford); $33. A beautiful,

complex and compelling wine that shows how

well Napa can perform at Sauvignon Blanc, if it

really wants to. It moves to the front ranks for its

dryness, crispness and elegance, while delivering

plenty of delicious flavor. Pineapples, lemons and

limes flood the mouth, without the slightest

grassy unripeness, and with a tantalizing hint of

flowers and minerals. Totally elegant and sophisticated,

a great white wine for

92 Modus Operandi 2007 Cabernet

Sauvignon (Napa Valley); $65.

This is a big, sweetly oaked wine notable for its

ripe flavors and sheer opulence. It’s distinctly

Californian in the massive, rather jammy blackberries,

cherries and raspberries, and shows good

balance in the richness of tannins and savory

acidity. Delicious as it is, it’s all primary fruit now.

Give it 2–3 years to mellow. —S.H.

93 Modus Operandi 2007 Vicarious

(Napa Valley); $45. A beautiful wine,

ripe, full-bodied and opulent. Each of the constituent

varieties, which are Cabernet Sauvignon,

Syrah, Merlot and Petite Sirah, makes its contribution.

It’s dry and complex, with waves of blackberries

and black currants, violets, chocolate,

leather and spices, wrapped into sturdy but

refined tannins. Should age well through at least

2013. —S.H.