Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Most of the wines I open tell me a story w/ each sip. Most tied to my late wife Sofia. My memories of this producer precedes her.

This is a producer that flashed early in my wine journey. Generally, one you have moved on from today. That’s until, their 2013 is offered at $39 recently. A grand vintage. For me, I wanted to see the wineries progression and experience earlier memories that flood back w/ each sip. It has done that.

I have a Napa history infatuation. This one is kinda of a pleasure-pain thing. While I enjoyed this producer many years ago, the 2020 Glass Fires destroyed 90% of their vineyards, almost all their structures & their 19 & 20 vintages. I can’t express enough what a gut punch that is for its owners & staff. It is an insurance nightmare and let’s not forget that after all the time it takes to re-plant vines, it takes at least 7 years before you get useable fruit to make wine. So…a ten yr plus setback w/ nearly no revenue stream.

The wine tonight w/o a ribeye, showed excellent fruits that the 13 growing season brought. But what followed was a lean mid plate and finish. With the steak, not so.

The palate shows M+ velvety, dry tannins. Ripe, rich, lush, ruby fruits of: blackberries, black plum, baked plum, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, poached & fresh strawberries & an understated array of purple fruits. Moist, grey, volcanic clays, moist tobacco w/ ash, used leather, graphite, dry, crushed rocks/limestone-sandstone, dry brush, dark cola, black licorice to anise, dry herbs-bay leaf, sage, dark, mid spice with some palate heat, sweet tarriness, dark, fresh, candied & withering red roses, lavender & dry violets, excellent acidity with a well balanced-knitted, nicely structured & tensioned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and long sets on dry earth & spice.

This is nice on its own but so much better with a ribeye. 92 on its own with a hour decant. 92-93+ with an hour decant plus a juicy, well seasoned MR ribeye. — 4 months ago

Kevin Dale

9.3

Thanksgiving 2021 — 5 years ago

Sylvain Rhainds

9.2

2003
Tres beau sauternes! En demi bouteille...il a perdu le côté petrolé qui me fait pas tripper....et on a tout simplement un beau sucre. Tire d éponge, miel, abricot confit et belle texture sans sensation de lourdeur. Bravo!
2003 est um millésime surprenant. — 6 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.3

Chamomile, poached pear, acacia, pain grillé, mushroom tea, quatre épices, baked bones. On the downslope, but still quite vital, as all the oxidative elements are still in tension and balance. The Martin brothers rank with Corsin, Janin and Cornin as the very best growers in the Maconnais. — 7 years ago

Mike R

9.3

This is go to Brunello and first wine in almost two weeks - been a crazy two weeks and glad it is behind me / also recuperating from my first round of golf in a long time

So just closed my eyes sort of to pick tonight and this baby is helping me with my back pain and get me ready for tomorrow’s golf

This is not as good as I remember but still delicious — 8 years ago

Norman

9.4

Should not have kept it this long - the pain of offsite storage but it’s still very nice. The nose is light/gone, buttery smooth with a light finish. Can’t recall how much acid this had early on in its life but it’s only there lightly now. Not dead but I’m drinking these asap. — 2 years ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.2

Deep flavours and richness. Aged well and would drink again. Went well with pigeon — 3 years ago

heidi schlegel

9.7

Eases some of the pain of covid Christmas. Delightful year and dependable producer. — 4 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.3

Magnificent bottle, the color is dark gold. Pastry and a touch of almonds, lots of white fruits, juicy ripe pears in particular that come out also on the delicious palate, fresh, fine and tight bubbles, slightly creamy, vivid acidity and freshness, lots of energy, very good bottle. 93-94

Magnifique Champagne, couleur or prononcée. Un nez de pain brioché, touche d’amandes, beaucoup de fruits blancs, poires mures juteuses en particulier que l’on retrouve au palais aussi. Une bouche magnifique, un peu crémeuse, des bulles fines, serrées et élégantes. Acidité vive,énergie et fraîcheur au rendez-vous pour cette très belle bouteille. 93-94 — 5 years ago

Paul J

9.3

30 minute decant. Dark purple, almost black color. Nose is filled with brown sugar, dark cherry, and plum. Mix of CDP and Rhône. Wine is very concentrated with plum flavor to start and coffee and cocoa at the end. Lovely texture! Medium finish. Better than my first bottle of this. — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Matthew Cohen

9.7

So intense it borders on the pain pleasure threshold. Wow. Nose is gorgeous out of the gates. Earth. Olives. Mid season cherries. Psychotic. Stinging acidity. Just blasts the palate with freshness. Some gaminess. Wow. Bought from fass selections. ... drink from a Bordeaux glass. ... some godly grapy sweetness on the finish. — 7 years ago

Thomas Brenner

9.2

There are some places in the world where they view present day America as a place where we expect to be happy. Should we feel bad they live in places where you should just expect hardship? We live in a time and place where we can focus on building our inner selves and have a chance at....When we're not constantly putting out fires we can really focus on...should that be a source of shame. When the desperate struggle to find food and shelter is finally behind us, we can turn our attention to other sources of pain and truth.
This is the kinda wine you feel bad about being able to enjoy. I feel privileged. — 8 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.0

Deliciously funky — 2 years ago

Jake Bittle

9.0

Crisp, refreshing, easy, palatable — 3 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.0

Unequivocally the best NY wine I’ve had! Dark berries and inky, but not at all overbearing. Integrated well! — 3 years ago

Francis le cave

9.3

A perdu un peu de son exubérance de jeunesse et se présente maintenant avec une excellente définition des arômes et un bel éclat et une longueur appréciable. Super harmonieux. Vraiment excellent. — 6 years ago

Michael Wilhelm

8.9

This Muscadet from the Loire Valley is dry and refreshing. — 6 years ago

Wayne Ward

9.7

Love the wine it was Corner which was a pain but the wine sieved was remarkable — 7 years ago

Joakim Bogström

9.2

Approachable.
Lemon, lime notes w/ mineralic crushed stones notes.
Friendly acid levels
Medium body. Creamy texture. Lime, green and yellow apples in its characteristics blends w/ toasted pain. No distinctive oakyness.

Drinks well, but could age for another 10+ years. Try again in 5. Pair w/ tuna sashimi, gremolata and pickled apples. — 8 years ago

Lisa Albertson

9.2

Just perfect with our meal — 8 years ago