Brandon Boesch

9.2

Really great wine. Crowd pleaser. Bigger and fruit and oak but decent enough balance. I liked it. — 23 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby with aromas of blue and black fruit, spice and oaky notes. Blend of mostly Cab Sauv, with Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot & Malbec and aged in French oak (about 75% new) for almost 2 years. On the palate flavors of blackberry, blueberry and plums with sweet spice, oak, cacao and earthy notes. Well balanced, good acidity and fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, tobacco and tobacco spice. Delightful! — 3 years ago

Jim Herard

9.0

A very interesting merlot. I taste vanilla, Carmel, and a light hint of leather. Smoother with less noticeable tannins than most merlots. A very enjoyable wine. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Was able to get my hands on another ‘10, deep Ruby inky with black fruit aromas, oak and spice notes. A blend of 88% Cab Sauv, 7% Cab Franc, 4% Merlot & 1% Malbec, aged in French oak for about 24 months. On the palate flavors of ripe blackberry & blueberry flavors with sweet spice, notes of tobacco. Good balance and acidity, had fully developed tannins. This full-bodied wine had a medium+ finish, smooth, ending with leathery stewed fruit character, nice but no more Wow! Drink up, still enjoyable! — 6 years ago

Kai Wright

9.4

Wishing myself a BIG, ripe as f*ck, smokey, inky happy birthday from San Juan. — 7 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

Lights OUT. Beat out the 76 Mondavi Cab side by side. — 7 years ago

Alfred

9.1

Good wine, medium body and smooth tannin. If you like Merlot, you will like this wine. — 7 months ago

Des Adams

10

Beaver lake beer wine and spirits "cooking" wine sale $5. Better unaerated — 9 months ago

Shay A

9.4

This was served during my annual WWC hosting. Typical format of sparkler, three whites, four reds, one dessert, all served blind.

Poured alongside the 2003 Mondavi VHR as a comparison. 60 cab/40 merlot.

Decanted an hour. The similarities between this and the ‘03 Mondavi VHR the first hour was shocking…even as the host, I wondered if I switched the wines. Slight hint of brett but certainly not overpowering. Leather, herbs de Provence, sweet vanilla pipe tobacco, graphite up front aromatically. Dark roast mocha, red and black berry fruit, cassis, really nice vein of acidity and tannin. This remained unchanged during the lunch. Seems like it’s in a peak window (maybe close to the top?) where I imagine it will hold another 5-7yrs easily before turning more tertiary. — 3 years ago

Valerie Reid

10

Our Monday wine! — 6 years ago

Gil Castro

9.1

Good Mondavi wine. Not his best but oretty nice. — 6 years ago

Ana Garcia

8.9

Flavorful with a sour edge. Closer to a dry wine than a sweet wine. — 7 years ago

Rose Winter

9.1

Nice relaxing wine. — 8 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

N: floral

P: delicious fruit. Spice. Very well made.

Tim Mondavi

Grapevine $238 — 8 months ago

Rick Phillips

9.4

Bold earthy notes with just a hint of tobacco. Great example of the Mondavi collaboration. The last bottle of a case I purchased in 2003. Just as delicious now as it was then! — 10 months ago

with Letha

Diana Sabo

9.0

Enjoyed 2019 vintage on April 4, 2021 — 5 years ago

Jen Folker

9.3

Mom lives this one! I do too. — 6 years ago

John Ferguson

9.7

Special night this evening. Excelsior! “Ever Upward!” One of the best collaborations in wine history. Baron Philippe De Rothschild and the great Robert Mondavi. Beautiful wine!!! — 6 years ago

Jeff Omo

9.1

Luving Mondavi’s new line of barrel aged wines. A beautiful twist on the same old varietal wines. This merlot is my favorite. I highly recommend the bourbon barrel aged Chardonnay too. — 7 years ago

Somm 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.
— 8 years ago