Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Originally founded in 1980 as Monticello Vineyards, Corley Family Napa Valley is a family run winery. Deep Ruby with aromas of rich berry fruit, floral and big spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and blueberry with warm vanilla oak, tobacco, cacao and earthy cinnamon. Fine chewy tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice, vanilla oak and earthy notes, will still develop. A nice fillet mignon with mushroom gravy will go well with this big wine. — 3 months ago

Kelley Raymond

9.1

A bit mineral with decent sediment. A little dry. Very deep color. Better than expected - mild flavors — 6 months ago

Andrea Silverstein

9.5

Very rich, full bodied with tobacco notes — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Served to be double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a beautiful garnet with a deep but translucent core and significant rim variation; from magenta to orange to watery. There appears to be loads of sediment. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with powerful aromas of desiccated red and black fruits: cassis, brambles, plum, pipe tobacco, some green pepper, old leather, damp forrest, mushrooms and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannins and medium(+?) acid. Confirming the notes on the notes. The finish is long and delicious. Alcohol is medium.

I was pretty confident that this was a Bordeaux-variety/blend however, I was between two minds as to whether this was left-bank Bordeaux or Napa Valley as I believe the lines truly begin to blur with age. Ultimately, I called St. Estèphe from a classified growth and a warmer vintage like 1985 or 1990. I settled on 1990. Shit. I should have known it was Napa…and as more time went on, the fruit did seem to get a little more heady. Anyway, I don’t hate my call but I should have not rushed my conclusion and considered it a little longer. As for the wine itself, this bottle has excellent provenance and was really quite lovely at 37 years old. Plenty left in the tank. There’s good color and energy with no worry at all about the fruit hanging on. Alcohol is modest at 12.5% ABV. Well-cellared examples should be enjoyed now but will drink very well over the next 5-10 years, easy. — 4 months ago

Matthew W.

9.4

Fruity nose, blackberry, sweet cedar, loam. Firm edges on the finish. — 8 months ago

Stephanie Arend

9.5

Full bodied, full of flavor — 2 years ago

Kelley Raymond

8.9

Decent as Virginia wine goes, but too acidic — 3 months ago

Joe DAscoli

9.2

Some good fruit. ESP on the nose. Blueberries and raspberries - maybe some strawberry. On the palate, lots of darker flavors with a brambles like feel to it. — 5 months ago

Sean

9.2

Drank it with a French guy who said it was great. Good enough for me! — a year ago

Scott Cowan

9.0

Excellent QPR @ $28 for the 2017 vintage at Rustic Bakery (always a lovely soot for excellent pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads..,and now also a bit of a wine shop?!?) Day 1: more the cherry of cough syrup at the very first sip but that quickly turned to more rounded cherry vanilla cola w/in five mins of aeration. RASPBERRY mid-palate and socko heat plus finish with that delightful taste of vanilla associated with time in Toasted French Oak barrels mingling with blackberry leaves and dark bing cherry in that longer (and hotter) finish than any other pinot under $40 I’ve ever found stateside. Day 2 (under argon gas) zero of the sweet cough syrup and all above deliciousness plus more rounded mouthfeel. — 2 years ago