Rocks Of Bawn
Edmunds St. John
Rocks and Gravel Dry Creek Valley Grenache Blend 2015
Light, bright, and juicy Rhone blend with nice texture. Cherry compote, rhubarb, herbs, and stones. Last vintage of this ever made. Went great with spatchcock chickens, NY strips, and Art Blakey on vinyl. Thanksgiving. From mag. — 5 months ago
Hope & Grace
Doctor's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017
Love Charles Pinots. I do like the Doctors Vineyard from Santa Lucia slightly over the Russian River.
I hold these 5-6 years from bottling, not vintage before I start drinking his Pinots. Excellent Floral fruits, strawberries, pomegranate, dry cranberries, some blackberries, haunting raspberries, cherries, red cola/licorice, dry crushed rocks, fresh to dryish herbs, mid dark spice, vanillin, nutmeg, soft cinnamon, limestone marl, hints of fresh tobacco, wood shavings, red, dark, blue flowers framed in violets. Rainfall acidity with excellent tension, well balanced, nicely structured, floral and polished finish. — 9 months ago
Ciro Picariello
Fiano di Avellino 2018
Tight at first. Resembles other fianos until it gets some air. Meaning some light tangerine and pear notes, rocks in a stream, with good spice and acidity. Then it gets caramel apples, spice, chestnut, walnut, oyster/mushroom, with lots of electric minerals tingling over the whole mouth. There’s something great about good fianos and grecos, maybe it’s volcanic, but the spice and electric mineral component takes on a piquancy like blue cheese. I love it, and this is probably my favorite young. I wish I had space to put some aside. Not super long but full of flavor. — 4 years ago
Heitz Cellar
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
I compare the Heitz Napa to the Joseph Phelps Napa in many ways. I believe the Phelps is slightly less vintage dependent than Heitz. But, this 07 like the vintage in Napa, sensational.
This 2007 is peaking. Perfectly ripe & juicy; brambly blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries/kirsch, blueberries come on late and poached strawberries on the edges. The tannins are still dark and tarry. Rich, sweet, dark soils, mid & dark berry cola, anise, steeped black tea, dry tobacco, used leather, cedar/sandalwood, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon & vanillin, moist, grey volcanic clay, dry crushed rocks, limestone, mid spice, hints of grilled meat, some fresh/dry herds, a tad of eucalyptus, stewy/tumble weed, fresh & withering dark, red, blue florals framed in violets, excellent round acidity, the scope of the finishes encompasses; balance for days, nice structure & tensioned, elegant, polished and lasts two minutes.
Photos all taken around their tasting room on Hwy 29 when their tasting was still the last free tasting in Napa. Still not over the family selling to a corporation that has no wine experience. — 2 months ago
Joseph Phelps Vineyards
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
The best Phelps Napa I’ve had & had a ton. This 97 was stored perfectly & still just the other side of its peak. Balanced, lovely w/ nothing that bites back. Well worth the $75 or so that I paid. Likely around $25 on release. Now, 24 yrs in bottle better than some other Napa wines I’ve paid $150. The nose is also one of the better Napa Cabernet’s I’ve inhaled. Ruby; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, poached, dark cherries, spiced strawberries with raspberries hovering. Anise to black licorice, dark Indian/Asian spices, slightly dry tobacco, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of sweet lead pencil shavings, dry & fresh herbaceousiness, charcoal, black tea, hints of menthol, dark, slightly withering florals, framed in lavender & violets.
The palate is lush, ruby, juicy fruits. Those that think fruit is lost at this age, not the case here and in many of the well stored wines I’ve had. Ripe & juicy; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, black plum, plum, poached, dark cherries, spiced strawberries with raspberries hovering. Anise to black licorice, tarry notes, some fig & dates, dark Indian/Asian spices, slightly dry tobacco, dry brush/twig, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of sweet lead pencil shavings, dry & fresh herbaceousiness, charcoal, black tea, hints of menthol, moist volcanic clay, very fine, dry, crushed rocks, dark, slightly withering florals framed in lavender & violets, perfect acidity. The finish is outstandingly; knitted, tensioned, structured, layered, balanced for days that lasts minutes. Outstanding!!!
What a treat. The integration & evolution is epic & everything you hope for in every wine you open. You’ve heard of a velvet wine wrap in an iron fist. This is a velvet wine wrapped in a velvet glove. — 6 months ago
Thibaud Boudignon
Anjou Chenin Blanc 2018
Like drinking lightning bolts ⚡️ Ripe green pear, white peach, tart citrus, zest and pith, citrus blossom, tea leaves, crushed chalk, a layer of spring honey just barely. Tense on day one with electric acidity. Day 2 showing more aromatic complexity and a kiss of breadth on the palate. So much acid and rocks. Day 4 still fresh as a daisy — 4 years ago
Philip Togni Vineyard
Tanbark Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Nice evolution and well integrated. 92 that pushes 93.
The other wine from the great Napa producer, Philip Togni.
The mouthfeel is supple, round, soft, yet meaty and tarry tannins. Ripe, juicy, rich; blackberries, baked plum for days, dark cherries, black raspberries, hues of raspberries & boysenberries. Black licorice, berry cola, muddy, volcanic clay, herbaceous notes, soft baking spices, slightly, melted chocolate, dark spice with a touch of heat, coffee, dry crushed, rocks, dry stem, dry tobacco, new leather, oak to cedar shavings, volcanic ash, dark, slightly withering, red, blue flowers framed in a field of endless violets, rainfall acidity, great balance, nice tension/structure and a smartly polished finish that last a full minute.
If you own, I would drink over the next 3-4 years before it starts to slide.
Photos of; Philip Togni vineyard, barrel room, vineyard soil & Philip Togni and his daughter Lisa. — 3 months ago
Beaulieu Vineyard
Reserve Tapestry Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1997
The follow up to the 03 Brane-Cantenac. So good but still youthful now as I mentioned this 97 still is in @Paul T- Huntington Beach recent post of his 2013.
The tannins are round, softened but still meaty & somewhat tarry.
The nose is still brooding. Ripe lush, ruby, fruits of, blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked to poached strawberries. Dark, rich, sweet forest floor, mix of Indian & Asian spice with palate piercing heat, notes of Cognac, steeped tea, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black licorice, tarry notes, day crushed rocks, limestone minerals, grey volcanic minerals, light tobacco with ash, used leather, sandalwood, bright, fresh; dark, red, blue florals with violets.
The palate is ripe, lush, juicy & floral fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked to poached strawberries, raspberry highlights & pomegranate. Dark, rich, sweet forest floor, mix of Indian & Asian spice, notes of Cognac, steeped tea, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, black licorice, tarry notes, day crushed rocks, limestone minerals, grey volcanic minerals/ash, moist, grey clay, light tobacco with ash, used leather, sandalwood, bright, fresh; dark, red, blue florals with violets, insane, waterfall acidity, woven, layered, structured, nicely tensioned with great length and a incredibly balanced, well polished finish that goes on for two to three minutes.
If you are 15-20 years plus patient w/ these bottling’s, they are one of the very best values in Napa Valley. — 3 months ago
David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
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. — 6 days ago