Jason Sliwa

9.3

A crowd pleaser! Centerpiece of a homemade meal of cheese ravioli. — 2 years ago

with Mike, Anne and 1 other

Mark Flesher

9.3

This wine really has something for everyone. Definitely a crowd pleaser wine, and at the price you cannot go wrong. This has the buttery influence that makes the Rombauer lovers swooning (ok, maybe it doesn't), but this wine does have a little bit of butter influence, nice, silky and sexy limestone notes that really are the centerpiece of the wine. The wine finishes rather soft, lots of "creme" to this wine. IMO it would be a great complement to any food that doesn't require an overpowering white getting in the way. This is a nice chard, that will improve with 3-5 years of aging. I blame @Shay A for making me consume an entire bottle since he did not show up at Classic to help me out with this one :-) — 7 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The second vintage of Beau Vigne. On the nose; dark currants, burnt ambers, blend of blue fruits; blueberries, boysenberries, huckleberries & olallieberries. Dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, dry brown soil, dark minerals, anise, dark fruit liqueur notes, cinnamon, clove, tree sap, a whiff of mint, herbaceous characteristics and decayed dark flowers. The body is medium full and rich. Tannins are 65-70% resolved. The structure is not their best, but, the length, tension and balance are quite nice. The blue fruits explode onto the palate. Blueberries, boysenberries, huckleberries & Olallieberries. They set a little syrupy. Dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries/cola, raspberries come on late, dry brown top soil, palate grippy dark minerality, graphite, dark fruit liqueur notes, soft, medium, dark spice, mocha powder, cinnamon, clove, light vanilla, tree sap, a whiff of mint, herbaceous (bay leaf) characteristics, lilacs, violets and decayed dark flowers. The acidity is round and nicely managed. The long finish is velvety, ruby, rich and beautiful. Shows a little alcohol but it’s tamed from the tiger I bet it was young. Still has another 5-7 years of good drinking ahead. Photos of; their vineyard and antique truck, Yountville tasting room, Owners/Winemaker Ed Snider and wife Trish. Producer notes and history...Beau Vigne was founded by Ed Snider in 2002. They are a small, family winery with a production of about 4,000 cases annually vintage dependent. They are primarily known for their Cabernets. Their vineyard goes by the name of Stags Ridge and is the benchmark and centerpiece of Beau Vigne. Stags Ridge Vineyard & Ranch are located on the Eastern edge of Napa, situated in appellation of Atlas Peak at the very top of Soda Canyon Road overlooking Pritchard Gap, Haystack, and Stagecoach Vineyards. They began with only a few acres in 2002. Stag’s Ridge is now comprised of nine acres, eight of Cabernet Sauvignon and one of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. As the Beau Vigne brand has grown, they’ve sourced from some of the best vineyards on the North Coast and Napa Valley such as Bacigalupi, Dutton Ranch, and Lewelling. Beau Vigne’s philosophy to winemaking hasn’t changed since their beginning. They are a boutique winery; which is generally a good idea to maintain very high quality. The family roots run deep in the Napa Valley. Martin Garzoli, Ed’s grandfather, arrived in the Valley in 1913. He was a Swiss Italian who, learned winemaking in Italy. Martin worked the Hayfields of Napa and Sonoma during the day and made wine in an old barn at night. Nearly 100 years later, Beau Vigne Family is still carrying on in the family tradition. — 7 years ago

Christine Falbo

9.0

Sustainable winery! Not expensive. — 5 years ago

William Hughes

9.3

Bold, balanced, and in my belly! Mourvèdre is the centerpiece, but the three have terrific harmony here. — 6 years ago

James Forsyth

9.3

Saturday night had a dual mission: to find a world class steak and to have a great catch-up with a couple of old friends. We're in Manhattan. Mission: Utterly Probable.

We headed to the Bowery Meat Company, which has become a regular fixture on various Best New York Steakhouses lists. The knowledgeable server brought us a fine array of steaks, explained some of the more unusual cuts and provided useful advice on the selection. The 40oz T-Bone Florentine was our table's centerpiece and delicious. Goal #1, done.

One of the strengths of the Bowery Meat Company is its extensive, well chosen wine list. It also allows corkage ($40/bottle, max 2). I brought along this excellent 2009 Sociando-Mallet, possibly the best value wine in Bordeaux. Pure Old World charm with lashings of leather, tar and dark fruits. Plenty of complexity and drinking beautifully. The bottle drained quickly with plenty of laughs and anecdotes. Goal #2, done. — 7 years ago

with Peter

Patrick V

9.7

The centerpiece of the evening - gorgeous bouquet of red fruit and roses, and a gentle yet firm body with plenty of depth. Very memorable. — 7 years ago

with leafrose2525@yahoo.co.jp and Miguel

Bill Bender

9.7

WOTN vs a blockbuster line-up at Cafe Baloud in West Palm Beach on 4/28. Loads of power and concentration but it's a standout for it's plush balance, sexy freshness and astounding vibrancy. This is a 27 year old wine but the fruit is still a centerpiece of this wine and it makes you take notice. Elegant tannic structure with warming fig, expresso and cassis flavors that fill your mouth with hedonistic pleasure. The second '90 Latour @Martin G Rivard pulled out that weekend. — 8 years ago

with Joe, Mike and 4 others

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The nose reveals; dark currants, blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries. Black tea, expresso roast, anise, crushed dry rocks, big vanilla, clove, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, woody notes with dark fresh & withering flower bouquet.

The body is big and lush. The tannins are big, meaty and tarry. Very dark currants. Blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries & strawberries as they open up. Black tea, expresso roast, steeped fruit tea, anise, crushed dry rocks, dry clay, big graphite, big vanilla, dark spice, clove, light dry herbs, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, cedar with violets dark fresh & withering flower bouquet. The acidity is round, fresh and beautiful. The big, long, well balanced finish is excellent and look forward to having this in 15-20 years. This one will be a stunner!

Photos of, the barn where they make wine and hosts tastings, our private tasting area inside William’s old office. William desk and their outside terrace area.

Producer history & notes...Seavey Vineyard is located along Conn Valley Road in the eastern hills of Napa Valley, about 15 minutes from the valley floor.

This historical property was originally a cattle ranch. However, records indicate grapes were planted on some of the hillsides as early as the 1870’s. The stone dairy barn, still in existence, was built in 1881.

William & Mary Seavey purchased this property in 1979. The estate was originally founded by the Franco-Swiss Farming Company in 1881 which, closed down when Phylloxera destroyed their grape vines and the Volstead Act (Prohibition) went into effect. At the time of their purchase, they were a horse and cattle ranch. They quickly planted the slopes with grapes and initially sold their fruit to Raymond Vineyards. They have never purchased grapes, all their wine is made from estate grapes. Their vineyards are separated into 20 plus individual blocks.

Today, the property is about 200 total acres of which, 40 acres are planted to vine. Their hillside vineyards produce low yields of rich concentrated fruit. A small block of Chardonnay grows in a cooler lower part of their property. Besides grapes, they also raise cattle which are used to graze the hillsides. They feed the vineyard with the cattle cuttings. In 2003, they were one of the first Napa wineries to install solar.

Mary passed away in 2008 and William died in 2016. There daughter Dorie returned to the family business and now oversees the winery operations. Her brother Arthur also handles national and some small international sales, primarily to restaurants. However, most of their wine is sold direct to consumers.

Seavey’s first commercial vintage was released in 1990 a year after they renovated the stone dairy barn into a working winery. Today this stone building is the centerpiece of the property and is where tastings are hosted.

Since 2011, Jim Duane has been their day to day Winemaker. He’s worked at Robert Mondavi and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It should also be noted that Philippe Melka Winemaker/Consultant has been with Seavey since 1995...one of Philippe’s two initial wine making jobs in the Napa Valley were with Seavey and Lail Vineyards.

Seavy makes about 3,200 cases annually depending on what mother nature brings. They make around two hundred cases of Chardonnay, slightly more Merlot and the rest is of the production is comprised of their Caravina and Estate Cabernets.
— 6 years ago

Scott Newton

9.2

Searing acidity, mineral backbone, loooong finish, full-bodied, a stunner! Great with a light cream pasta, but can also be a conversational centerpiece. One of the premier expressions of Sylvaner in the world, happy I found this gem. — 7 years ago