David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I tasted this at cork pull and it looked & tasted a bit brickish. Waited to decant but it still needed a hour in the decanter. 97 a great Napa vintage. Well stored bottle bought from auction.

The fruits are lush, velvety & ruby; blackberries, black plum, plum pudding, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries & blueberry hues. Dark chocolate, mocha, salted caramel, malt balls on the long decant, black licorice, there is a touch of v/a-bandaid but it’s not spoiling and dissipates some in time, dusty to slightly moist top soil, olive tapenade, herbaceous notes, soft, dark spice, half used, dry tobacco w/ ash, sandalwood, moist, grey volcanic clay, limestone, dry crushed rocks, notes of black pepper, candied, liquid, fresh & mostly withering, dark, red, purple flowers, very round acidity and a very well balanced, tensioned, nicely structured and a smartly polished, round finish that lasts two-minutes.

Second wine to pair with/ Allen Brothers Cover Ribs. — 14 days ago

Sage Shimoda

9.2

2006 Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir

Our New Year's Eve wine is 2006 William Selyem Russian River Valley Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir. This is the wine you want to age in your cellar. Elegance on the nose. Lighter in a good way. Cherry, raspberries, spice. After 17 years, the wine is in a great place. Goodbye 2023.

大晦日、2023年最後のワインは、2006年2006 William Selyem Russian River Valley Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir。これはセラーで熟成させたいワインだ。 香りはエレガント。 良い意味で軽い。 チェリー、ラズベリー、スパイス。17年の時を経てワインは素晴らしい状態。2023年よ、さようなら。

#wine #redwine #2006 #usa #americanwine #oldvintages #williamsselyem #allenvineyard
#アメリカンワイン #赤ワイン
— 4 months ago

Severn Goodwin

9.4

Nose has ripe plum, cedar shavings, dried blackberry, over-ripe black cherry, crushed black currant, menthol syrup and dried violets.

Palate has dried black currant, moist soil, cedar shavings, moist cigar, ripe blackberry, dried black cherry, rose hip tea with light tannins.

A beautiful cork, almost no soak; pulled clean with a standard screw. This is really in the zone tonight after a 6H decant. Drink 2022-2028 from proper storage.

Paired to Allen Bros USDA Prime Hanger with Dijon/Rosemary/Garlic/Lemon Zest marinade. Grilled to great 130° centers, 10m rise/rest to absolute perfection.
(I was honestly fighting with two cats to eat dinner tonight.) — 2 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

93 that is beginning to lean into 94. This 14 shows nice evolution but still needs 2-3 years before it hits the beginnings of its full stride.

This 2014 “The Sisters” is rich, lush & ruby fruits of; blackberries, dark plum that stretches into pudding, dark cherries, black raspberries, some boysenberries. Dark chocolate cake with buttercream frosting, mocha powder notes, melted, salted caramel, mid berry cola, light; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark, rich, sweet earth with dry leaves, some dry herbs, dark spice w/ some palate heat, limestone powder, dry stone, soft leather & slightly dryish tobacco, sandalwood to barrel shavings, hints of lead pencil, touch of dry stems, fresh & slightly withering flowers that are; dark, red with lavender framed in liquid violets, excellent round acidity and a very well balanced, mid structured & tensioned finish that is elegantly polished and lasts a little more than a minute.

Paired with an Allen Brother’s Filet Mignon. A good, well aged Napa Cabernet works well with a less/near no fat cut of meat.

Photos of; the Jones family, staff harvesting, tasting room and Jones vineyard. — 8 days ago

Joe DAscoli

9.3

Gorgeous wine that tastes like a CdP white to me. Love the change of pace from typical California Chardonnay — 4 months ago

Wayne Stargardt

9.4

Luscious and smooth. Sweet cherry nose. Plums, bing cherries, currants on the palette that lingers through the finish. No tannic or oaky bite. — a year ago

with Laura Jean and Deb

Eric

9.2

Needed a big gun to tame this dry aged beast from Allen Brothers. — 2 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Rounding up from 91.6.

Allen Brothers Lamb Lollipops and the 05 vintage from Bordeaux. 🤔 😋

The 2005 vintage was magical w/ star producers. Very good with the lesser regions like Caronne.

Pretty sure I paid around $25 for this give or take.

The entry is round, lush & rich. Blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries and poached strawberries. Dark rich earth, moist clay, lead pencil, tobacco/cigar ash, used leather, dry river stone, dark chocolate cooking bar, black licorice, limestone powder, dry herbs, very light baking spices, dark, red, purple withering flowers, round acidity, balanced, highly structured & tensioned finish that lasts a minute.

This could actually use some more time in bottle, 3-5 yrs. — 2 months ago

Krisstopher Nesbit

9.5

An amazing wine! I had the chance to sample the wine during a wine tasting at the winery. Great place, wonderful people, and all amazing wines. Notes of plumb and fig up front that blends into a bit of a jammy note, and finishes with a good dry note with hints of leather and tobacco. — 2 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

There are good steak wines and then there are steak WINES! Not that this is the best wine or steak wines I’ve had. It was simply birthed for steak. Allen Brothers Strip Steak. Seasoned with coarse Garlic Salt/ Pepper and Napa Valley Rub from wholespice.com. If you haven’t had your steak this way, my highest recommendation. The fat & gristle are perfect w/ the 08 Belle-Vue. If you olive oil, heavy coarse salt & pepper your bake potato at 475 for an hour & a half, you’ll discover how great, crispy/crunchy/complex a potato shell can be. Older Bordeaux can be good on its own but with beef or lamb, it’s just a marriage made in heaven. Here’s the rub for my friends & I, we can’t find a steak better than we make. That’s what the Covid years firmed up for us. The 08 vintage was saved with late good weather. It sits somewhere between the good and very good vintages. Drinks better earlier than great to grand vintages. Slightly over achieving its young critical reviews.

The palate shows; drier dark currents-blackberries, black raspberries, black plum dark, not quite ripe cherries, raspberries edges. Dark chocolate baking bar (that’s what French oak does), lead pencil shavings, dark rich earth with dry leaves, limestone powder, dry river stone, dry tobacco, chewy leather, dark, intense spices, nutmeg, some cinnamon, vanillin, caramel hues, saline, fresh & withering, dark, purple flowers with lavender hues, nice acidity with a well structured & balanced, rounded meaty tannin, floral finish that lasts minutes. Medoc is always the place to look for nice wines with value…even better in excellent vintages. Even better in 5 years.

It has another 10 years plus of good drinking ahead properly stored. — 8 months ago