Graham Brooks

8.9

Fabulous aromas of cigar box and leather, triggering memories of fusty book shops on las Ramblas. Wasted really on on a venison pie from Gloucester services — 2 years ago

Nicolas Duchesneau

9.1

Bon mes attentes étaient quand meme éleve, dans mon CellarTracker c’était indiqué 2005, je voulais me faire plaisir mais en enlevant la capsule je remarque l’inscription 2003! Bon sang, le producteur s’est trompé de bouchon... mais non l’acheteur c’est trompé de millésisme qui est timidement indiqué à l’endos de la bouteille. Somme tout, la bouteille était tres agréable, on reconnaissait la chauffe du millésisme, la prune, les fruits cuits. Rien de comparable à un 2005 bu il y a deca quelques années déjà! Helas! Il m’en reste une autre que j’ouvrirai tres bientot probablement à l’automne avec un bon plat mijoté — 5 years ago

Ron R

9.3

I’m going to spare you the gory details, but we will be breaking tiles again tomorrow. Told the plumber that his services are no longer required.
Perrotti-Brown gave this 89 pts - it’s a travesty of justice. This stuff represents all things good from Napa. Enticing nose of kirsch, coffee and nutmeg. Sleek, bold tannins combine with deep, black fruits. Nice, well-behaved finish with a sweet balsamic reduction. Loving this bad boy... — 7 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

8.9

NV Vleteren Imperial Stout beer - night cap — 2 years ago

Angela Simione

10

strawberry. light. slightly effervescent w minerality — 3 years ago

Jeremy Shafer

9.8

Drank this at The Quarter Creole Cuisine in Claremont, CA, the night of my father's services. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s a weekend of 95’s. We had a bottle of their 96 about a year ago. Time to try the 95. On the nose; I get dark currants, a cognac/eau de vie character, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, stewed black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, anise, cinnamon, vanilla, light spice, black tea, dark cola, light eucalyptus, bay leaf, dry top soil, crushed dry rocks, dry stems and fresh & dry dark florals. The body is medium with soft, round Rutherford dusty tannins. It’s very integrated, layered and complex. The fruits are fresh, ripe and juicy. Blackberries, dark cherries, stewed black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, strawberries paint the background, cognac/eau de vie character, mocha, caramel, dark spice, light clove, cinnamon, vanilla, suede style leather, dart crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry stems, eucalyptus, bay leaf, mint, steeped tea, violets and fresh & dry dark florals. The acidity is excellent. The structure is still rather big for a wine that’s been in the bottle 20 years. Great length and balance. The long finish is gorgeously lush and beautiful. This 95 might be a touch better than the 96 from a year ago. Still has another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. Appreciate the 13.5% alcohol. Much more palatable than the 14.5/15-15+ in today’s Napa Cabernet’s. I am more and more convinced that not only is the Tapestry a great value, but you should wait 20 years in the right vintages to enjoy them. There’re just simply that much better! Photos of; the tasting building on Hwy 29, Founder Georges de Latour, sunset road signage and their tasting room. Since they are one of the first Napa wineries, here are their historical and producer notes. BV took its name from the French translation of the term “Beautiful Place”. BV was founded in 1904 by Georges de Latour when he obtained 40 acres of vines cultivated in the late 1870’s. His first purchase in California came when Latour bought the Ewer and Atkinson Winery. The purchase came with a vineyard first cultivated in 1880. Those purchases became larger in 1907 when he obtained the Hastings vineyard just east from Rutherford. Around the time of those purchases, Georges de Latour moved from France to California. He was no stranger to the wine industry as he was well known for selling phylloxera resistant root stock to growers in California. The vineyard started to come together in 1900, when Georges de Latour began purchasing vines in Rutherford. The initial wines released by BV were made from purchased grapes, or wines that were produced by other growers, as their vineyards were not yet productive. Georges de Latour was a person who never passed on a good opportunities. During Prohibition, he purchased vineyards at reduced prices, as they were being abandoned. BV managed to thrive during Prohibition due to their production of wine for religious services. BV was one of the first Napa Valley estates to begin using modern, French wine making techniques. They also credited for making the first wine produced from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, BV Private Reserve. None of this could have been accomplished without the assistance of Andre Tchelistcheff. Andre was hired by Georges de Latour and moved to California from France in 1938. Andre was responsible for introducing many of the modern wine making techniques that were used in Europe. It was Andre who began thinking about frost protection during the growing season. He also pioneered the need for proper sanitation and the use of small, French oak barrels for aging of the wine. He also insisted that malolactic fermentation become part of the wine making process. Andre eliminated pasteurization and introduced the technique of cold fermentation to increase the color and concentration of the wine. As well, Andre introduced modern, viticulture practices of Europe. He began replanting the vineyards with higher levels of density, reducing the amount of sulfur used in the vineyards. More importantly, Andre focused on planting high quality French grape varietals. It was Andre that helped Cabernet Sauvignon get its start in the Napa Valley. He was also responsible for bringing Pinot Noir to Napa, but soon agreed that the cooler climates of Sonoma was better for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Geroges de Latour passed away in 1940. After his passing, day to day operations were taken over by his wife and daughter, with the continued aid of Andre Tchelistcheff. The company continued to grow and by the early 1960’s BV was selling nearly a 100,000 cases of wine per year. In 1969, BV was sold to Heublin. The winery was later purchased by Diageo, who in turn sold the vineyards to Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates in 2015. BV is one of the largest land owners in Napa Valley with more 1,100 acres under vine. Their best parcels are located in the Rutherford appellation. They’ve planted of all the major Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Additionally some, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. They also maintain a vineyard that is used to experiment with a wide variety of different grape varieties including; Carignane, Petite Sirah and Valdiguie. — 8 years ago

David Shaw

8.9

All proceeds to Walla Walla’s SOS Clinic, free, nonprofit health services. Pale yellow, floral and peach aromas, peach and lemon flavors. Crisp, light skin astringency. Mineral and slightly lactic finish. A good cause, and a pretty good take on this varietal. Enjoy. — 2 years ago

Benoit Duhamel

9.4

Au Flocon de Sel. Un premier vin, blanc, pour accompagner les services de fera, ecrevisses, champignons et brochet. Tout simplement délicieux. On y denote des fruits blancs et tropicaux et un peu de miel. On retrouve un petit côté minéral, de pierres. La bouche est ronde, grasse. C’est crémeux et frais à la fois. Le bois se fait encore sentir. Longueur excellente. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

At the Emirates Business Lounge in Dubai. Not quite the lounge services they advertise in their Business Class Service video in Dubai on their website. Overall, still ok. I was looking forward to the world’s only Moet & Chandon Champagne Bar and some 09 vintage Moet & Chandon but, I guess that is really only in the First Class Lounge. I’ll have to settle for this Imperial. Any good lawyers out there want to sue them for deceptive advertising? 🤣 Also, the shoe shine was not included. It was the most expensive shoe shine I’ve had. And, never actually included black polish! Hmmm? 🤔

As for the Imperial, not bad but, not the 09 vintage I had hoped for! Oh well! 🤷‍♂️

The nose reveals, nice light citrus blend, green apple, bruised red apple to cider, pineapple, a little lime candy, tropical melons, some white peach, cream soda, brioche, soft chalkiness, understated minerality, spring & yellow flowers with greens.

The body full and pleasant. Soft understated mousse and delicate on the palate. Light citrus blend, green apple, red apple with a slight lean into cider, pineapple, a little lime candy, tropical melons, some white peach, cream soda, brioche, soft, fine powdery chalkiness, subtle minerality, sea spray, spring & yellow flowers with greens. The acidity not as lively as I would prefer. The finish is rich, elegant but, lacks a certain wow factor. — 7 years ago