Mark Flesher

9.3

Mark had this 4 years ago

with Shay

Mark Flesher

9.4

This wine IMO has matured and is in the ripe drinking window right now. This wine has some blackberry influence but a lot of the fruit in the front and middle seems to be boysenberry, black cherry, dates, and sweet plums. Compared to other vintages that I've had (they've all been more current in the last few years), they have all been darker for sure, but Aloft has always seemed to be a touch sweeter than the Charles Krug Cold Springs and has also usually had a bit more punch. I think this one is starting to show a tiny bit of age. I think it's been a while since I decided to open an 09 Aloft. Finished with some pepper notes and a little eucalyptus. Went well with a huge variety of seafoods in the fact that it wasn't a unidimensional blackberry bomb. Enjoyed on the last night of our beach trip. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

Really a pretty nice bottle. Very dark fruit influence towards the middle and finish and lighter on the front and back. The nose of this wine seems to have a purple fruit influence. Black roasted figs and a little bit of cigar ash. Entry of this wine is mature black fruit, black licorice, tar and dark chocolate. There is still a toasted tannin and fine grit finish yet not much seems to be falling out yet. I am really not sure that this wine is expressing fully, and I think it probably needs another couple of years. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.6

Has been a little over 2 years since consuming this wine. Rated at 96 last time, and I would say I would put it the same today. This is a knife and fork wine. Instantly, aromatics of roasted black, purple, blue fruits hit you right in the face upon cork pop. I think that this is probably the right time to drink this one, and did not really even decant. Entry is black tar, ripe blackberry pie, fig, baking spice. Middle gains a little bit of herb, leather. Starts to gain a peppery note. This wine finishes with immense depth and complexity. Goes on for a couple of minutes. Really firing on all cylinders and in its element today. The finish is starting to soften a bit. Toasted cedar tannin finish. Drink now or hold another 5-7 years. Has probably 15 years of life left. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.8

@Delectable Wine this is the 2016 Family Reserve but not Ashe.

The 2016 Spoto Family Reserve is packed with power and youthful exuberance. I was honored to be able to give this one a drive today. This wine was popped and sampled, slow-oxed for 6 hours, and then decanted for another 2 hours. This definitely woke up this monster and got it going. This is a red-fruit dominant, full-bodied behemoth that will stay for 20 years in your cellar. Lighter violet pour with a clear meniscus. The nose of this wine is amazing, and the poured sample really wasn't tasted for 2-3 hours because I kept coming back to the nose on this wine. Smells like a pastry shop around the holidays and has a touch of a wildflower garden if you huff this one long enough. Tne entry of this wine is dominanted by black cherry, red currants, red licorice, bing cherries, red-hot spices, cinnamon, hint of fig. Very bright acidity and loaded with tons of power throughout. Finishes with young oak, stiff but punchy tannic character, tapping you on the shoulder and saying "Yeah, I'm this good now, but you should come back to the others you bought in a few years." This wine is dressed to impress. Rating: 98+ — 4 years ago

Mark Flesher

8.4

Just unsure if I am ever going to buy anything from this producer again. I would imagine that a Cabernet from stagecoach would taste a lot better than this with 7 years of age on it. The other one I had came in like a heat-seeking missile, and I decided to lay the other one down for a couple of years. Well, it definitely helped the wine there is no doubt about that. But the notes and the density and complexity of this wine is just not the same as the smaller producers that make wine from Stagecoach. This one seems to be very acidic throughout. The wine has this almost artificial blackberry and black cherry character to it. Finishes a little bit wonky, and very out of balance. Just really not that happy with this wine at all. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Enjoyed today with takeout from the #2 restaurant on the island (#1 was paired with the DuMOL Chloe 2015). I will definitely say that this wine is a little more full bodied and a little rounder than the DuMOL but it just didn't seem to be as dynamic. Enters with a lot of round character, but then goes to more of an acidic presentation as it goes to the mid-palate. Tart lemon creme brulee seems to be the number 1 note here. There is an herbal presence towards the finish. Even though this was last year's release, it still needs 2-3 years in bottle to really express itself. Still after about an hour it really did show more intensity and complexity and went well with redfish, crab, crawfish and calamari. Definitely better with food, whereas the 15 Chloe would have mopped the floor with or without anything. If you're going to drink this one now, you might as well just put this in a decanter for 2-3 hours beforehand. Or cellar through 2030, with the peak probably sometime in 2025. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

Really good chard. Poured more of an amber color than I thought. Nose of bay breeze, oyster shell, salinity, yellow fruit. Entry of cantaloupe, banana, herbal character. Very round on the front, and then dries to an acidic character in the middle and finish. This wine is really quite dense on the front and yet doesn't seem to impose with whatever is paired with it. Has a lot of density, complexity and balance, and I think this one has many years left. Bottle didn't last long! — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.5

Blackberry, black cherry, black licorice, seem to be the fruit notes here in order from greatest to least. But, I'd never guess that this one was 8 years post-vintage as it really had a nice sweet toasted oak and vanilla character on the nose, entry, and finish. I was drinking this with some pepper jack cheese and it's amazing how much pepper and spice seemed to come out of this wine. After eating some brie, it was much more subdued. A very rounded, full bodied wine and didn't even take a lot of coaxing to get it going so I think these are probably close to being right in the wheelhouse for a pop and pour. With proper cellaring, this one still has 10 years or so left in it. Enjoyed on our last night at the beach. — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Not bad from cork pop, but definitely better after 90 min of air. Nose is youthful oak and slightly ripe blackberry, sandalwood. Palate all ripe blackberry and attenuated pepper spice with a hint of sandalwood. Some iodine when moving to the mid-palate. Initially I was getting a a fairly strange Oreo cookie kind of note. The finish is a little direct and still a bit on the youthful side but this is gaining. The best years of this are ahead of it for sure. Going to be a force in 2023 and plan to hold my 3L of this for much much longer. — 5 years ago