Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2018 vintage. Decanted and tasted after 1.5 hours. Medium body. Excellent, dark color. Some leaner fruits balanced with earth and spices. On the prettier side of the ledger currently. 1.2.26. — 6 months ago

Steve Anderson

9.2

Old Faithful. Year after year. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

The follow up to the 03 Leonetti. @Paul T- Huntington Beach & I have been telling readers about older Jones Family Vineyards for some time. If you haven’t had or not tried this producer it will be the last time I try to entice to you to try this producer. Talking about it more will only drive up the prices on the secondary market.

This 09 is damn beautiful after nearly a four hour decant but it is still fairly youthful.

It is ruby, lush, gorgeous, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with skin, dark cherries, plum, hues of purple, blue fruits & raspberries, poached strawberries, black licorice, mixed, dark berry cola, steeped black tea, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, dry top soil, dry herbs, hints of eucalyptus, dry clay, dry tobacco, new leather, spice, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, withering red & dark florals framed in violets & lavender, beautiful round acidity, beautiful; balance, tension, structured, smartly polished finished that lasts minutes.

Still needs another 5-8 years to show its best self.

The Jones Family vineyard is located off Bale Lane in Calistoga and was planted to all five Bordeaux varieties by David Abreu in the early 1990s. Heidi Barrett made the wines until 2008, and Thomas Rivers Brown now makes the wines. — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.2

I’m between a 91-92 (same as I was for the Brut Reserve). After going through 6 of these and 6 brut reserve over the last year, I feel confident in the longevity of these Blanc de Blanc champagnes.

For a Blanc de Blanc, this shows plenty of yeasty/toasty notes with fleshy characteristics. Sea salted flaky honey buttered biscuits with lemon scone and honeysuckle aromatics. While the palate is similar, the finish is so drastically different than the rest of this champagne…almost too tart. Palate profile is rich with yellow fruits, kiss of nougat, and some classical limestone. The finish is just crazy underripe and again, tart. Razor sharp acidity. I think this is a champagne that benefits from time, whereas the Brut reserve is perfectly fine to consume now. — 5 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.1

Nice medium gold in color, touch of metallic oxidation on the nose. Powerful and potent on the tongue. Bone dry and definitely more savory than fruit-oriented. The wine demanded attention and kept pumping its flavor 30 seconds after swallowing. Perhaps more cerebral than pleasurable, but waxy, lanolin notes can pare well with Greek chicken and roasted Greek veggies. Opa! — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

And they call this their “second” wine. After McHenry in Santa Cruz, Seavey was an absolute show stopper for me on our recent trip to wine country. We had the opportunity to try five different wines with three bonus pours from recent and library wines and I tell you: All 👏🏼 eight 👏🏼 were 👏🏼 bangers 👏🏼. From their Chardonnay (which was sprung on us the moment we arrived, was acid driven and had the most delightful spine of minerals that I could have sworn it was GC Chablis), to their Rosé (which is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend and bends what’s possible with the genre) to their Founder’s Reserve (which didn’t present much in the value dept. but was a killer wine nevertheless). Anyway, this 2005 Caravina is positively singing right now. Opulent amounts of plums, cassis, brambles, and sweet tobacco with secondary characteristics juuuuust starting to make their appearance: leather, truffle, and forest floor. Moderate acid. Firm tannins still! What a beauty...in a sort of masculine way. America! — 7 years ago

Berry

9.4

Cici Zheng and Priya at Temporis. Fruity and a little spicy. Better after if it is open a bit. — 7 years ago

Craig Hughes

9.0

Still great after 25 years 94 Reserve. — 7 years ago

Edward Nelson

9.2

Rocco’s takeout and a nice bottle. Not a bad Saturday night. Bonus that the wife is letting me call the ball after dinner. — 8 months ago

Chris Zitzman

9.4

What a find. Not cheap ($50-70ish?) but as got the prices, so go the expectations and this wine from the Bedrock wine Company surpasses the lofty expectations I had for it. After a good, thorough decant this red blend opened up in a righteous fashion, with rich red fruits on the nose and one of the more ‘powerful yet graceful’ textures on the palate I’ve experienced in a long time. We had it with ribeye steaks and it was a meal for the books as the wine evolved in the glass. Powerful but graceful, stem to stern. — 9 months ago

with Beth

Shay A

9.2

My experience with South African red wines is limited, but I’ve enjoyed some Meerlust reds and a few other random bottles. I have to say, while this wasn’t a revelation, it is the best South African wine I’ve had to date.

This was a bottle opened blind for a few people. Oddly enough, there were similarities to this and a 2013 Almaviva…a burnt rubber/tire note on the nose alongside a vegetal/herbal pronounced note on the nose. Tangy/sour black cherries, red currant and red licorice too. Mostly red and black underripe fruit dominant. Even a bit of tar. This drinks like a chinon mixed with a lean vintage Bordeaux…the spice and vegetal flair is there next to the lightweight mid palate from a cooler Bordeaux vintage. A blend of five “noble varietals” in honor of Bordeaux, this was a unique wine that had people guessing from all over the world. After 1-2hrs of air from
bottle, it was balanced/integrated and ready to roll. I’d enjoy these sooner rather than later. — 5 years ago

Jeff Lin

8.9

Very tanic in the beginning. Much smoother after some time — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Decanted for a two hours before we got into this bottle and then consumed over the following three hours. This is one of the more unique producers from Chateauneuf du Pape as they are known to have the most prized and oldest Mourvèdre in the region. Initially, this had the funkiest aroma, almost that of a high school locker room. Thankfully, that blew off after about five minutes. What remained was a powerful, concentrated wine with a bouquet of red and blue fruits with garrigue and exotic spices. On the palate, red cherries and baked blueberries and an unmistakable kiss of black pepper. Very good acid and sneaky tannins; characteristic of the vintage. And while the 15% abv is kept fairly well in check, it does have a touch of heat on the finish. Fun to try one now but I expect this to show better after 2025. — 6 years ago

Diane Dubansky Haase

9.0

Don’t mind if I do after a big Packers win today!! 💚 🏈 💛 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

A pre-tasting of my heavy meat red sauce in order to fine tune the spices and seasoning it before serving for 30 people for our friend’s 60th birthday party tomorrow night.

The sauce is 9 cans of whole tomato’s crushed & drained, 9 can cans of tomato sauce, 3 cans of tomato paste, 6.5 pound whole pork roast braised in diced garlic & olive oil that falls apart & shreds when done, 5 pepperoni sticks sliced, 4 pounds of meatballs (with Italian bread crumbs, garlic salt, coarse black pepper, eggs with warm water) and 14 seasonings & spices slow cooked over 36-48 hours. It’s a blend that once it’s done is magical harmony in the mouth like a well crafted & aged wine.

The wine works well but, I’ll have better pairing wines tomorrow night.

The nose reveals; dark, sweet & slightest sour dark cherries, cherry kirsch liqueur notes, ripe, bright blackberries, baked black plum, ripe, juicy, strawberries, slightly candied black raspberries, blue fruits, mixed berry cola, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, dry stems, soft, leaner, sweet, tarriness, touch of dry herbs with the most amazing, bright, red, dark blue florals, violets and shades of lavender.

The body is medium full, round with great mouth presence. The tannins nicely, rounded, slightly tarry and baby teeth. The tension, structure, length and balance have just started to tango. Dark, sweet & slightest sour dark cherries, cherry kirsch liqueur notes, ripe, bright blackberries, baked black plum, ripe, juicy, strawberries, slightly candied black raspberries, blue fruits, mixed berry cola, medium intensity dark spice with a little palate heat, dry crushed rocks, limestone minerals, dry stems, leathery, dry tobacco, shades of graphite, soft, leaner, sweet, tarriness, nutmeg, clove, a touch of dry herbs with the most amazing, bright, red, dark blue florals, violets and shades of lavender. The acidity is nicely executed. The long finish is nicely knitted, balanced fruit and earth, polished with soft, brilliant florals and persists minutes.

Third largest Co-op in Europe and they produce some quality wines. Especially, for the volume the make.

Delectable has this @ $99. I bought it at Costco upon release for $28.99.

Photos of, the beautiful, quaint hilltop town of Barbaresco, my meat sauce, their tasting room just to the right at the feet of the clock tower with Gaja just a little further down to the right of there and the best Michelin star restaurant we’ve experienced for lunch. We dined there right after our visit to Gaja. What service, food and a day!
— 7 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.4

A nice comparison of French St. Julien and French winemaker, in the US with a Napa Cab.
The 1972 vintage was one of the legendary five Cabs selected for the 1976 Paris Tasting.

This 1975, had a deep garnet color with a brick rim. Loads of blackberry on the nose, casis and earthy notes. Fruit forward, black fruit and plum dominate, nice tannins. This wine definitely evolved through the evening.

Previous Notes Apply to the 75 St Julien:
Deep ruby color. Aromas of red fruit, leather and earthy notes. Amazing flavors, blackberry, black currant, tobacco and baking spices.

🏅92 Points - Decanter — 9 months ago

with Quentin

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2019 vintage. Big and brooding from being disturbed during hibernation. Medium-heavy body. Pretty nose and a smoking profile. Sexy in an earthy, grounded way. Decanted and tasted after 30 mins and 2 hours post-decant. Still super-tight but all the promise of pleasure is there for the long game/cellar. Focus and push for decades. Would like to revisit in five years. 7.30.23. — 3 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

9.1

Five years after the vintage, this 2016 is drinking beautifully... Very deep coloring but a light nose of slightly liquered cherry.. On the palate, this one coats the mouth with that cherry flavor, with very integrated tannin. Not overly acidic here, but taking each sip makes me think of roast meat food pairings. Sage and zippy black pepper on medium finish. Very nice. — 5 years ago

with Anita

Willie Carter

9.1

An immediately attractive light gold color in the glass. A fine, persistent mousse with a terrific amount of tiny bubbles. Very fresh aromas on the nose with honeysuckle, apricots, and plenty of chalk. Roasted nuts are dominant here after some time with fresh cut flowers joining in.

100% Chardonnay aged up to five years on lees. The 8 g/l does show itself but never in a cloying manner. The 40% of reserve wine from Mesnil sur Oger and Avize also clearly show. This is a very mature and earnest champagne. The minerality and exquisite tension set it apart from so many others.

Nice integration and structure here. The high acidity is balanced by the softness of the fruit and the more savory characteristics. The palate follows the nose closely with more toast, citrus, and nice chalk. Long finish that you really don’t want to end. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have mentally thought about doing this post for quite awhile. Opening this 2003 Verdignan brought on the appropriate moment. I am a believer in paying respects and it’s the basis of this post.

We learn to drink certain wines from the regions we live near or from the people we learn & enjoy wine with as we walk the road to understanding what we really enjoy. I started as an exclusive CA Chardonnay drinker for many years before moving on to nearly every varietal and regions offer. Next was Napa Cabernets which, led me to my true love, red Bordeaux. It was a bit of curve getting there but, once I had them with proper aging, I was hooked for life.

While my curiosity got me to Bordeaux wines, there one person that helped shape my Bordeaux palate and I agreed with more than anyone else’s, including every well known wine critics at that time and even today after spending 10 weeks learning from several Master Sommeliers on my way to passing the Court of Master Sommeliers exam and becoming a Sommelier myself. This person is Clyde Beffa Jr., Owner of K&L Wine Merchants.

Clyde has been traveling to Bordeaux for over 40 years and sometimes multiple times in a year. His palate and experience are second to none. Especially, when it comes to Bordeaux.

I owe him a lot. He taught me the importance of letting good Bordeaux’s age 20 years plus. What were the jewel value producers. Brought in Bordeaux wines direct from the Chateaus that had 10 years of bottle age and older. Bordeaux’s that critics did not like young but, he knew something special had taken place over time as he was tasting them much later in their lives and often. I bought and drank a lot of these wines. They also kept temptation at bay in me reaching for my too young and more expensive wines.

He is very kind and kind enough to allow me to travel with him & key staffers to the 2014 En Premier to taste what was a very difficult 2013 Bordeaux vintage. You can go to En Premier and then there is going with Clyde. You have all the key appointments, Chateau accommodations/dinners and taste somewhere around 1500 plus wines in 6 days. He is loved by the Bordelais and for good reason.

So, I dedicate this post to him. He is the one who told me to buy this little known 2003 Verdignan at the same “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting” I mentioned in my Chateau de Candale post on Friday. As of Friday, that was the wine of the tasting. Well…until I coravined this slowly over the weekend. This 2003 was under $25 and it is one of the very best Bordeaux’s I had in some time. As well, perhaps the best QPR in my over 20 years collecting wine. Clyde knew that day just how good it would become. He said, forget about this for 20 years. So, I am a little early here.

Clyde has recommended more great Bordeaux’s to me that most people don’t hear about, let alone try. He told me to buy the poorly reviewed 91 Pichon Lalande when he brought more into the store seven years ago Chateau direct. It was a very difficult vintage with spring frost, hail storm and a difficult growing season. He described as “Heaven in a Bottle” and It most certainly the case. To this day, Pichon Lalande is my favorite steak wine and the 91 is still my favorite vintage. I purchased a 3L from him recently that he brought in direct from the Chateau for my 60th next year. Can’t wait to open that with our good friends and celebrate.

As for the Verignan, the nose reveals; dark brooding & slightly bake fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark spice, dry tobacco, graphite, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals.

The body is full, rich, lush, satiny with plenty of well rounded, soften tannins. The tension, structure, length and balance are excellent and will continue to improve. This will last another 15 years and beyond with proper storage. This is a very classic Bordeaux well balance in fruit and earth. It is sheer elegance on the palate. It’s why I love Bordeaux more than Napa and I love Napa Valley Cabernet. Dark brooding & slightly bake, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, some poached strawberries & haunting blue fruits. Black tea, dark chocolate bar, touch of mocha powder, light caramel notes, Expresso notes, forest floor with leaves, anise, limestone, moist clay, dry crushed rocks, dry stones, beautiful, mid intensity dark Asian & Indian spices with just right amount of palate heat, dry tobacco, graphite, dry twigs with a little sap, mixed dark berry cola, understated, well layered baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dry herbs/sage, mint with candied; dark, red, blue and purple florals. The acidity is round and nearly perfect. The long finish is, classic, elegant, well balance fruit and earthy Bordeaux that persists softly on the palate for minutes with just the right amount of spice.
This is a heady wine that you really think about as you slowly sip and it affects your whole body. Can’t wait to have another in five years.

Photos of; Chateau Vergignan in Medoc near St. Estephe, their vineyard that reveals where Bordeaux gets its earthiness, Owner Jean Miaihle who acquired the property in 1972 and a wide shot of their vines. — 6 years ago