David L

9.5

12’ Lail J Daniel Cuvée. Damn good! -At STK Steak House - Beverly Hills, CA — 6 days ago

with Mike and Bill

Mark Flesher

9.2

Compared to the Lail Georgia SB, this one definitely is lighter bodied, but definitely has a nice, crisp tropical Style. Was getting lots of peach and nectarine. Key lime. Very satisfying. Would be a Sauvignon Blanc worthy to put in the regular summer rotation. QPR on this wine is a touch on the poor side. I think this one will hold for 5 years or so. — 5 months ago

with Dan

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals; dark, floral currants. Ripe; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries blue fruits & dark cherries. Black licorice, lots of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, steeped dark fruit tea, soft volcanic minerals, soft leather, crushed dry rocks, blue & purple flowers with dark fresh & withering dark florals bouquet.

The body is full. The tannins nicely round & soft. The wine is juicy, delicious & easy to drink now. Ripe blackberries, black plum, black raspberries blue fruits & dark cherries. black licorice, lots of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, steeped dark fruit tea, soft volcanic minerals, soft leather, crushed dry rocks, suede leather, dry underbrush, mint, hints if dry herbs, woody notes, blue & purple flowers with dark fresh & withering dark florals bouquet. The acidity is well executed. The finish is round, balanced, juicy and delicious.

Photos of, their lobby, labels of the assorted different producers that make their wines there and their tasting bar.

For those of you not familiar with Le Pich, I took this from their site...Le Pich, which is the Wappo Indian term for "golden eagle," is the sister label of Napa Valley's esteemed Purlieu Wines. The wines are crafted by rising star winemaker Julien Fayard. Originally from France, Julien has lived in the Napa Valley since 2006, when he and his wife agreed to settle down by “meeting halfway” — between his home in France… and hers in Sonoma. In France, Julien worked in both Provence and Bordeaux, where he defined his core winemaking style at the exalted first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild (he even lived in Lafite’s grand château for a period) as well as at Smith Haut Lafitte. In Napa, Julien worked at Quintessa before joining Atelier Melka, where he spent five years as the Director of Winemaking. He has worked with the likes of; Lail Vineyards, Gemstone, Dalla Valle, and more.

Le Pich wines are some of the best values we've found in Napa Valley. — a year ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

07/2015 sd — 2 months ago

Ron R

9.3

Happy 4th peeps!
This is a classic proposition for sauv blanc, but in a more restrained style. The nose is reductive; simple, which is counter-balanced by the layered and complex palate. While subtle, it opens up on the mid-palate displaying white peach and nectarines, bolstered by good minerality and delicate sweetness. Bright acidity will let this stand still for a few more years, but I would consume this vintage now. Wifey rating, and I agree.
NY skyline in the background. — 4 months ago

with Anne-marie

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This is Purlieu’s sister winery. We were the second tasting given in their new facilities just on the edge of Napa as you approach from American Canyon.

We started our visit with a splash of their 17 Sauvignon Blanc as we toured their new facilities.

A hybrid of tropical & dry style. It has understated tropicals of mango, pineapple, white citrus, peach, cut grass, round acidity and nicely polished finish.

Photos of, their lobby, labels of the assorted different producers that make their wines there and their tasting bar.

For those of you not familiar with Le Pich, I took this from their site...Le Pich, which is the Wappo Indian term for "golden eagle," is the sister label of Napa Valley's esteemed Purlieu Wines. The wines are crafted by rising star winemaker Julien Fayard. Originally from France, Julien has lived in the Napa Valley since 2006, when he and his wife agreed to settle down by “meeting halfway” — between his home in France… and hers in Sonoma. In France, Julien worked in both Provence and Bordeaux, where he defined his core winemaking style at the exalted first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild (he even lived in Lafite’s grand château for a period) as well as at Smith Haut Lafitte. In Napa, Julien worked at Quintessa before joining Atelier Melka, where he spent five years as the Director of Winemaking. He has worked with the likes of Lail Vineyards, Gemstone, Dalla Valle, and more and his Le Pich wines are some of the best values we've found in Napa Valley. — a year ago

Wesley Warren Stafford

9.6

A BIG cab. Full of flavor. Great with lamb. — 2 months ago

Jeff Orlowski

9.2

Full body, dry, nice acidity. Peaches, melon, lemon on palate. Excellent! — 4 months ago

with Michael and Joe

ADAM STROMFELD

9.9

WTF! Drinking 2013 Lail J Daniel Cuve with the “Man” and my friend Maayan Koschitzky made this gem. Black cherries and meaty bacon tobacco. Rolling tannins. 😋!! — 9 months ago

with Howard, Frank 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.
— a year ago