Vanessa

9.3

“La Côte” of Domaine de la Côte is a DREAMY Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills AVA of California’s Central Coast region.

Here pacific coastal breezes stretch inland and cool the sun-soaked vineyards. Domaine de la Côte has a collection of 6 vineyards on the western edge of Santa Rita Hills. On the back label you see a map of several of their vineyard blocks, including “La Côte” which is organically-farmed and nestled on a steep southeast-facing slope, where it absorbs the radiant sun during the growing season.

The grapes that went into this wine were harvested by hand, cluster-by-cluster, affording a gentler handling of the fruit with reduced risk of oxidation and microbial spoilage.

This wine was then fermented in a concrete vessel using 100% whole clusters (stems and all) thanks to the process of wild, ambient yeasts in the vineyard, winery, and on the skin of the berries…

The result is a positively perfumed and pristine berry-fruited profile with concentrated notes of black cherry, strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry, hibiscus, rosewater, cherry blossom, and anise balanced by a firm backbone of acidity and reserved alcoholic profile (13.1% ABV).

Following fermentation, this wine matured for 10 months in oak (30% new oak), lending delicate secondary notes of vanilla, clove, and cardamom.

The Domaine de la Côte “Bloom’s Field” was among the wines featured in the Somm 3 movie; it was blind tasted next to other French and California wines in a 2018 retake of the 1976 Judgement of Paris that culminated in a tasting of wines by a panel of luminaries of the wine world: Fred Dame, Jancis Robinson, and the late, great Steven Spurrier, who organized the Judgment of Paris back in 1976.

It is a captivating wine and has the structure to age, though we are loving it in its current state. It’s a delicious pairing with the herb-crusted salmon, roasted asparagus, and crème fraiche / chive mashed potatoes.

Cheers!

— 2 months ago

with Deked1

Rebecca Fletcher

9.2

English bubbles made by Steven Spurrier! — 8 years ago

Joanna Whiteside

10

Awesome for the price point of 12.99. Smooth and soft aroma. Black berry, black cherry and plum flavors. Delicate finish. — 12 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 1976 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from Clos du Val is the most interesting of all the wines. The estate was founded by John and Henrietta Goelet in the early Seventies when the couple challenged recently graduated winemaker Bernard Portet to create a Bordeaux-inspired estate in Napa. Clos du Val attained global recognition when its inaugural 1972 Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the wines poured blind by Steven Spurrier at the epochal The Judgement of Paris, so this bottle of 1976 was one of their earliest bottlings that, incidentally, came directly from Clos de Val’s apparently meager reserves. It is very elegant and perfumed on the nose, typical old school, classic Napa Cabernet in all its unfettered glory, beautifully defined with wilted rose petals and a light fish scale element. Supple, very pliant tannins define the palate. There remains ample freshness and poise, a fine silver thread of acidity and a clove-tinged, rounded, exquisitely balanced finish that would surpass practically every other Bordeaux from this vintage. Outstanding. (Neal Martin, Vinous, April 2024)
— 7 months ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.5

12.5% alc.
Merlot (+ 18% CS)

Not a Cab and probably not bottled in time for the 1976 Paris Tasting one could have hoped Steven Spurrier would have included this (rather than their 1972 Chardonnay coming in ninth of the 10 whites rated).

At age 42 this was showing FANTASTIC tonight!


— 8 years ago

with Acumen and Kurt-Inge

Shane M. Nicholson

9.4

Steve Spurrier very well could been accurate....." Best Pinot Noir from Californ-I-A!" — 9 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Thought it would be good timing to finally try Rajat’s 2013 Bloom’s Field.

The nose straight out of the decanter gave a strong presence of potpourri laced candle wax. That has subsided now. The fruits are ripe, ruby; blackberries, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, some dry cranberries, raspberries with blackberries pulling up the rear. Nice evenly, soft, layered baking spices; clove, cinnamon, light nutmeg and gentle vanilla. Mixed dark berry cola, understated, black licorice, whiff of lightly grilled meats, black, fruit tea, limestone alluvial soils, dry crushed rocks, dark turned earth, dry herb blend, light, fresh tobacco notes, worn leather with a nice bouquet of; red, dark, purple and blue florals.

The body is, round, ruby and just full. Tannins still have adolescent teeth. The structure, tension could use some more time in bottle...length and balance have just hit their stride. Gorgeous mouthfeel. The fruits are ripe, ruby, a little gluey; blackberries, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, some dry cranberries, raspberries with blackberries pulling up the rear. Nice evenly, soft, layered baking spices; clove, cinnamon, light nutmeg and gentle vanilla. Mixed dark berry cola, dark spices, understated, black licorice, lightly grilled meats, black, fruit tea, limestone alluvial soils, dry crushed rocks, dry pebbles, moist, dark turned earth, dry herb blend, light, fresh tobacco notes, worn leather with a nice bouquet of; red, dark, purple and blue florals with gentle lavender on the back end. The acidity is a gentle rain shower. The beautiful finish is straight up; elegant, well balanced, seamless and persists nicely for minutes.

Paired with Kentucky Bourbon Marinated Chicken Skewers and Wild Rice.

Photos of; Bloom’s Field Vineyard, The Sommeliers Altas of Taste that Rajat & Jordan Macrat wrote. Good read if you are so inclined & of course, Master Sommelier/Owner/Winemaker-Rajat Parr.

Additional notes; Rajat has always loved Pinot and its many expressions from all over the world. After becoming one of the better & more well known Master Somms, it was his dream to make world class Pinot Noir. He is succeeding as his last few vintages have gotten very high notoriety. It was his 2015 Bloom’s Field that Master Sommelier Dustin Wilson featured in Somm 3 in his recreation of the Judgment of Paris with some of the best palates in NYC and again separately with The Godfather of Master Somms-Fred Dame, Author-Jancis Robinson & Steven Spurrier. — 5 years ago

Mark Mannebach

9.6

Steve spurrier — 11 years ago