Andrea Watt

9.2

Cherry, oak, and cola over plum. Good but a little tighter than the last one I had, maybe needed more time to open than it got. — 21 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Inky in color with a short purplish rim.

Strong nose with black fruits, cedar, licorice, chocolates, light vegetables, wild flowers and peppercorn.

Full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, currants, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, herbs, licorice, dark chocolates, light earth and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Napa Valley is already delicious.

Rich and engaging. Powerful and dark. Still a little unforgiving. Spicy and fruit forward.

Much earthier on the nose than on the palate. Only after 2.5 hours it balances out, so be patient.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years, and has good potential to become a 94+ point wine. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

I Had a few vintages of this wine and it is very consistent.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec. Grapes were handpicked and aged for 18 months in mostly French oak barrels.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$95. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Deep purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Fruity nose with red and blue fruits and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, plums, light wood, earth, black pepper, spices, cola and coffee.

Long tangy finish with sour cherries.

This Russian River Pinot Noir is young, but already very tasty. Nicely balanced and elegant.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Soft and smooth. Fruit forward and easy drinking. Pleasant and delicious.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

Pinot Noir grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 9 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$65. — 4 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Medium Ruby color with aromas of berry fruits with floral and wood spice notes, aged for 11 months in oak. On the palate flavors of strawberry and cherry with tobacco, oak, tea, cola and herb floral notes. Well balanced, savory fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit and an oaky earthy character. Nice! — a month ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This is beautiful, elegant, lush, ripe but it lacks some depth and definitely destintive character.

The fruits are; blackberries, sweet & sour, dark cherries, black raspberries, blueberries, dry cranberries, strawberries and creamy raspberries. Mixed mid/dark, berry cola, fruit tea, light, dry, crushed rocks & top soils, very soft spice and baking spices, (some caramel notes, dry herbs, moist clay, dry tobacco & leather as it opens up after three plus hours) dark, rich soil with dry leaves, withering & fresh, dark, red, blue & purple flowers, excellent acidity and a nicely balanced & polished finish.

If you are having this now-ish, I would give it a three hour decant for it to better reveal itself. Still has another eight or more good years of drinking properly stored.

Photos of, Aubert fruit/vineyards & Mark Aubert. — 2 months ago

Eric Jasso

9.2

So silky smooth and delicate it more than makes up for a fairly blunt, almost unpleasant plonky cinnamon finish and straight forward dark bitter cherry cola body complimented by a with faint floral and hints of baking spice on the nose … 12yrs helps — 3 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Happy Anniversary Sofia. Your favorite producer, Williams Selyem. Cortona in my dreams always. 🌹

Still a bit youngish but, good. Lighter, floral, dark cherries, both plums, blackberries, black raspberries, strawberries, purple fruit potpourri, pomegranate, mid, dark Asian spices, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanilla, steeped tea, semi-dry tobacco, some grilled meats - porkish, mid palate almost speaks to Chateauneuf-de-Pape, limestone & gray, mix of moist clay w/ grey, volcanic minerals, hints of pepper, sandalwood to barrel shavings, mixed berry licorice/cola, rainbow, mid to dark, red, floral bouquet, excellent, rain shower acidity, well knitted evolution, integration, well structured & tensioned, balanced fruit & earth with nice polish and an even, long finish that lasts minutes. ❤️ — 6 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

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. — a month ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I may have posted close to a hundred Williams Selyem’s. These are just ok young. It is when they hit 10-15 years they shine. This one is really good tonight after nearly two-hours decanted.

Nose of floral; dark cherries, black plum, blackberries, black raspberries, plum with hues of blueberries. Softly layered baking spices-cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, baking soda, black cherry licorice nibs, red cola, steeped black tea, sandalwood to cedar, sandstone-limestone mixed marl and brilliant, bright, dark, red, blue flowers framed in violets and lavender.

The palate is, rich, lush and juicy fruits of; dark cherries, black plum, blackberries, black raspberries, plum with hues of blueberries. Softly layered baking spices-cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, baking soda, dark spices, black cherry licorice nibs, red cola, steeped black tea, sandalwood to cedar, sandstone-limestone mixed marl, dark, rich, turned earth and brilliant, bright, dark, red, blue flowers framed in violets and lavender, cool, spring shower acidity, excellently; structured, tensioned, balanced with a brilliantly elegant & polished near two-minute finish. Impressive & impressive style. — 2 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Bought this recently at the Benchmark Bin Sale for $45. I’m unsure of its storage. But based on the bottle, cork, what’s in the glass…over delivering for $45. Decanted 2 hours. Having said that, the wine is sound. However, the wine appears cloudy…in the glass it visually almost seems a bit broken down. Seems earlier than I’d expect for an 07. Still delicious. Elegance, floral, balanced fruit & earth. Might have been better in proper storage. Think this bottle in good storage would hold another 3-5 yrs and then fade rather quickly.

The ripe, juicy, floral fruits are; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums but more plum, dark cherries, strawberries, boysenberries, raspberries, mixed mid berry cola/licorice, anise, almost sweet, dark, rich soil with dry leaves, dry herbaceousiness-sage, bay leaf, hints of thyme, semi-dry tobacco, sandalwood leaning into cedar, mid intensity dark spice-box, wafting nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, sandstone, steeped tea, touch of raisins, fig & dates, grilled meats, just a touch with of black pepper, dry brush, dry top soil, limestone marl, withering; dark, purple flowers framed in violets with a touch of lavender, excellent acidity with excellent integration & evolution, tall structure, well balanced fruit & earth with a long finish that last minutes falling onto dry, volcanic minerals.

96% Cabernet, 3% Merlot, 1% Cab Franc. — 6 months ago