Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

First a note about the 2012 Napa vintage. Good, right? Yes. While the fruit was abundant & nicely fruity, for me, lacked tannins, skin/juice ratio out of balance which created a lack of tannic depth and will not cellar like 13 or 14 etc..

When I visited w/ The Stag’s Leap Winery Winemaker, he told me, they normally make 75,000 cases of Artemis. In 12, they made 100,000 cases. They grow their own fruit but also contract fruit. While there are terms in their contracts w/ growers to refuse fruit, they could not refuse any. The fruit was that good. They even had to take Artemis out of tank early so they could finish their higher-end Cabernets.

This 12 JC Muds Kitchen was made by Charles Hendricks. His second to last vintage at JC. One of the more unknown & underrated Napa Winemakers. James & Coleen misstepped in the separation but understand Coleen’s reasons. Charles Hendricks Apprentice, went his own way. Can’t say I blame him, just not a fan of his post work. Ok, but not the follow up I wished.

Nose; a dark core of currants/cassis, ripe/lush, blackberries, both plums, mulberries, dark, sweet cherries, black raspberries, strawberries and haunting blueberries, softly, layered baking spices, anise to black licorice-liqueur, sandstone/limestone, steeped fruit tea, melted, dark chocolate baking bar, sweet tarriness, French espresso, withering/candied/slightly floral, dark & red flowers framed in lavender/violets.

The palate fruits are; ripe, juicy, fresh, dark core of; currants/cassis, ripe/lush, blackberries, both plums, mulberries, dark, sweet cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, haunting blueberries & pomegranate high tones. Softly, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark, mid spice intensity w/ heat, anise to black licorice-liqueur, sandstone/limestone, steeped fruit tea, melted, dark chocolate baking bar, sweet tarriness, French espresso, dry leather/tobacco, graphite, dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dry river stone, dry crushed limestone rocks, dry oak barrel shavings, withering/candied/slightly floral, dark & red flowers framed in lavender/violets, near perfect acidity with a well knitted/toned/balanced, elegant finish w/ great length that lasts two-minutes and long sets on spice & dry minerals. — 3 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

A Charles Hendricks wine.

Medium plus tannins. Ripe, rich, floral fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, black plums/ extra skin, dark cherries, plum pudding, dark spice with heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanillin, mid berry cola/licorice, dark rich soil with dry leaves, dry tobacco, dry twig, cedar, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, fresh to candied; dark, red, purple flowers, round, sharp acidity, highly structured, well tensioned, balanced finish that lasts two-minutes and lands on minerals.

Good tonight…better in 5-7 years.

Photos; James Cole, Silverado sign, bronze logo statue and private tasting room. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is a non vintage blend and where the Hendricks fruit goes when Charles doesn’t deem it perfect for his private label Hendricks. This is what I miss from the new winemaker at James Cole, it is very elegant.

The palate is round, lush, ruby, creamy fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries, blue fruit hues. Dark and milk chocolate-more dark, caramel, black and some red licorice/cola, herbaceous notes, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather, sandalwood, barrel powder, soft Indian spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, dark, rich soil, a fresh dark and mid red floral bouquet, excellent round acidity with a well structured, knitted, very well balanced and polish for days. Lasts two minutes plus. — 3 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

I actually got into this for a night or too. I like it on the rocks—one or two big ones. The caraway vibe is strong but there’s hints of licorice too. Appealing and refreshing. — 4 years ago

Rob Brobst III

10

PERFECTION!
A beautiful split of 50% Syrah and 32% Graciano and 18% Grenache all from the James Berry Vineyard. This full-bodied wine was fermented with whole clusters and barrel aged for two years in 50% new French oak. Deep blackberry fruit, rich and layered flavors of cassis and licorice with a subtle background meatiness. Drinking nicely on release, yet will evolve gracefully for over a decade.
— 5 years ago

Joseph Barsky

9.4

2005 Vintage. 16.4% Alcohol. 93% Grenache, 7% Syrah. Wow, this wine was stunning. Cork broke in two using the lever screwpull but saved it with a hand corkscrew for the remaining half inch. Even under the intact wax cap. Found it hidden in double deep racking on the white/rose side of my cellar. Big fruit and velvety mouthfeel. Not obviously hot, but packed a punch! — 6 years ago

CA Haynam

8.9

Darkly reddish purple and opaque. Sting and pleasant fruity nose. Frankly, tastes over the hill, even though it’s been in a wine fridge the last two years. Unfortunate — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

The Crown Gap has never been my favorite from them. Still solid. Also, needs 3-4 more years in bottle to integrate. 91+ with that kind of age.

The Truffle Mac & Cheese was a big hit with the crowd, I’m allergic to mushrooms.

At Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2025

The ticket to this event has a pretty big price tag. But when you consider what a Napa etc. tasting or two and lunch would cost you, you are pretty much there and there is so much more than that. It ends up having great value. It’s wine, spirits and food candy land. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This survived vacuum sealed in the refrigerator from last Saturday. Seems it benefited from its cork separation that long. 🤷‍♂️

I bought this two weeks ago and last weekend is the first time I’ve had this producer. So, why not make it an 07? I bought it for $69 two weeks ago from my new secret source. 🤫

Last weekend it was good but still fairly youthful. Tonight, round, softened, ripe fruit elegance. I like it this weekend better.

The nose is ripe, candied with just a faint hint of baked fruits; blackberries w/ some bramble, wild, black raspberries, black plum pudding, dark, slightly baked cherries/strawberries & raspberries glass edges. Melted, dark chocolate, black licorice, softly layered baking spices, dark & mid berry cola, steeped fruit tea, melted caramel, some eucalyptus notes, brownie, super soft earth of, dark, moist, rich, sweet soil, some light flinty hues, faint tobacco & leather notes, sandalwood with dark flowers and soft lavender & violets for days.

The entry is round, full, lush and juicy. Great mouthfeel. Ripe, ruby, candied with just a faint hint of baked fruits; blackberries w/ some bramble, wild, black raspberries, black plum pudding, dark, slightly baked cherries/strawberries & raspberries glass edges. Melted, dark chocolate, black licorice, softly layered baking spices, dark spice with some palate heat, dark & mid berry cola, steeped fruit tea, melted caramel, some eucalyptus notes, black tea, brownie, super soft, dark earth, limestone marl, moist, rich, sweet soil, some light flinty hues, faint tobacco & leather notes, sandalwood, moist volcanic clays with soft dark flowers, liquid lavender & violets. Round, perfect acidity. This finish is the definition of elegance, balance, structure, length, tension & and two-minute finish that lasts minutes. Perfect storage.

I expected this to be half gone and it is better this weekend vs last.

Congratulations Team USA on an excellent 2024 Olympics. Paris on being an amazing Olympic host aside from that whole toxic River Seine thing. Ladies soccer today & throughout. Shutouts 💪! Men’s B-ball delivering. What a storied career and a giant stepping up in the biggest moments is Steph Curry & LeBron James. Great watch. — 2 years ago

Paul K

9.3

92-93 2016 style - plush and approachable but not simple. Cherry and tobacco. Has great tannins that should help the other bottles age beautifully. Excited for the future of these!
@James K i might be hurting on our ride tomorrow! 70 miles in last two days and this is too good to keep for later! — 3 years ago

Doug Sayed

9.7

2017 vintage. Deep blue and darker fruits with a touch of spice and good balance. Excellent lengthy finish. Exceptional. Great now, possibly better in a year or two. — 4 years ago

Kate Hufnagel

9.6

This accompanied a chocolate tasting and it was THE perfect pairing! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

First, cheers to Delectable working again after two weeks on the fritz.

This is our kickoff to the Memorial Day weekend. Hope everyone has a good one on tap with some of your favorite wines. So, happy Memorial Day weekend all!

Then, a garden update. We really enjoy watching it grow. You can see it daily.

The top pictures were taken May 1st. The bottom pictures are from today, May 21st. All that crazy growth in just 20 days. Amazing!!! 🍅 🌱🥬🥒🌽

As for the Ruinart, it is appreciable better using my new Riedel Vintage Sommelier Champange flute. Well worth the investment. These are a late birthday gift from our friends James & Christina. Thank you. The nose & palate much more vibrant. More on that as the weekend progresses. Cheers!🥂 — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Their Russian River is always pleasant. Needs 3-4 more years in bottle to integrate. 92+ with that kind of age.

The Truffle Mac & Cheese was a big hit with the crowd, I’m allergic to mushrooms.

At Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2025.

The ticket to this event has a pretty big price tag. But when you consider what a Napa etc. tasting or two and lunch would cost you, you are pretty much there and there is so much more than that. It ends up having great value. It’s wine, spirits and food candy land. — a year ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

It has been 15 years or so since I’ve had a Silver Oak. Thought I check in. Nothing has changed, every vintage basically tastes the same. It almost like they add flavoring. 🤷‍♂️ One red you could not fool me blind. Short Rib was excellent.

At Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2025.

The ticket to this event has a pretty big price tag. But when you consider what a Napa etc. tasting or two and lunch would cost you, you are pretty much there and there is so much more than that. It ends up having great value. It’s wine, spirits and food candy land. — a year ago

Lauren Golanty

9.0

Tasty! Subtle! Good with food! Dry AF! From Independent Spirits! — 2 years ago

Paul J

9.3

Paul Hobbs two nights in a row! Gold color. Very deep, thick wine with subtle acidity. Aged pineapple with stone fruits and subtle apricot, peach, and melon elements. Fairly unique and complex in my mind. I prefer other single vineyard Paul Hobbs Chards style wise but wasn’t bad by any means. 93.5 rounding up. — 3 years ago

with Brooke

Severn G

8.9

Nose has yellow apple peel, pear slice, straw and beach sand.

Palate has tangerine zest, ripe pear, under-ripe yellow peach, cold clementine orange with medium acidity and slightly dry finish.
A nice bottle; not sure if this wants more time, or a couple years past prime...

On the sold out (18K+ patrons) Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest Conductor Ken-David Masur is leading a 90th birthday celebration of John Williams. BSO soloists tonight are J. Williams Hudgins (vibraphone) & Jessica Zhou (harp), joined by Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Branford Marsalis (saxophone), Eric Revis (bass) and James Taylor (vocals/guitar). A truly wonderful night lay ahead, and my money is certainly on hearing at least one or two Star Wars movements this evening... — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

From 375ml bottle - a fascinating drink is Manzanilla Fino Sherry made from the Palomino grape. This was a pale Lemon in colour - notes of mouldy Apple and a saline sea spray character. On the palate that salinity carries through inviting you to take another sip. Tastes more alcoholic than it actually is at 15% ABV. From the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda where it is apparently a great match to serve chilled with cooked Langoustines. I read in an article by James Halliday (so it was open information but somewhat Tongue in Cheek) that he had Manzanilla banned from the house on the grounds of addiction ! Manzanilla is best consumed fresh (within a year of bottling and within a day or two of the bottle being opened). — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.

There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.

This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.

The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.

The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.

The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.

Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 6 years ago