2013 DaVero Impossibile

The DaVero Winery is located right near Healdsburg in the wonderful Sonoma Valley, California. The founders of DaVero choose to keep some of the vineyards they inherited when they bought the property and have expanded with relationships with growers in nearby hillside areas. They believe that Sonoma (and in particular their area) is perfectly suited for Italian varietals. The thing that is great about their philosophy is that they want to use those varietals, but make then in the style that Sonoma makes distinctive. If you ever get to tasting in the Sonoma area, highly recommend that you make a visit here (book ahead) and make sure to get a jug of fresh filled red. Great for the price!

The Impossibile is not available except to Wine Club members. It is a blend of Montepulciano, Nebbiolo and Sagrantino. This is not a blend you would find in Italy. It has a lovely, floral nose, with deep berry and a hint of classic Montepulciano dust.

The color is a translucent light ruby. The taste is very young, this wine is going to go for awhile. It starts with a burst of blackberry and currant. Then the tannins wash over and carry to a nice finish. This is a nice wine and it will develop much more complexity over the next ten years.

I rate this wine a 93.

The DaVero olive oil is also great, especially the Meyer Lemon infused version.

WR

2004 Emilio Moro "Malleolus de Valderramiro" Ribera del Duero

Dark just shy of inky black, still slight shades of ruby on the edges. It is a cornucopia of spices with coffee and blackberry on the nose. Quite reserved at first and then it blossomed nicely.

Surprised at how youthful this wine comes out of the bottle, although I shouldn't be since the grapes are tempranillo from an 85 year young vineyard. For me tempranillo is a grape that always seems to be younger than it is when I drink it. It has an expressiveness and liveliness that is distinct.

This wine in particular starts with a hint of the coffee from the nose and then takes over you entire mouth, with tannins that are noticeable but rich combined with lovely dark berry flavors. The whole experience is a big whoosh of flavor that recedes very slowly with a delightful finish.

I rate this wine a 97. I think it still has many years to go, in fact I may have drunk it a bit young.

WA 98, WS 96 VN 93


WR

2009 Araujo Estate Altagracia II

The Altagracia II has only been made twice in 2007 and 2009, effectively a seldom and perhaps never again to be offered third wine for Eisele Vineyard Estate, formerly Araujo, where the Eisele Vineyard Cabernet is the flagship wine. The Altagracia II gets some of it fruit from the Eisele vineyard but it also gets grapes from other Napa locations. The 2009 is predominantly Cabernet with some classic Bordeaux varieties added to the blend. 

This wine has a wonderful nose, rich earthy tones combined with dark berry fruit. 

It was slow developing in the glass, a bit closed at first. But after having a chance to develop a bit, it opened up with rich blackberry and spice, with nicely integrated tannins. It has a medium long finish with lovely dark fruit flavors.

I rate this wine a 94. I am sure that the Altagracia and the Eisele Vineyard Cab would be superb wines given the sorting process, but this is still a wine that I am very glad was made. Very enjoyable.  


WR

2004 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Migoua

Domaine Tempier is the leading winemaker in the Bandol appellation, part of the overall Provence region. It is an area along the Mediterranean coast where to meet the requirements each bottle must contain at least 50% of the Mourvèdre grape. Typically wines contain much more than 50% with some Cinsault and Grenache as part of the blend. This 2004 is truly fresh as a daisy.

The nose is a lovely blend of raspberry, cherry and a lovely combination of spice and floral notes. Very nice nose. The color is dark ruby, translucent. The initial experience with the wine, even before a taste is genuinely outstanding. It leaves you wondering if it can live up to its billing. 

Fortunately, it does a vey nice job on the taste. it is quite fresh on the tongue, with strong dark fruit and leather. It holds its flavor and offers a very enjoyable mid-palate where even today the tannins show. The finish is very nice, although with a hint of bite that was a bit unexpected. 

This wine is excellent and I rate it 95.

WS 95 WA 92  







WR

2006 Luce della Vite Brunello di Montalcino

92 Points

Dark red color and surprisingly muted nose of dry brush, dried cranberry and tobacco. Decanted and let sit for an hour, but still closed on the nose. Even after two hours it still had not opened up fully.

The flavor is quite a contrast.

Plum and more cranberry rush out and then are followed by more traditional Brunello tightness of dirt and slight tannin bite through a long finish. It is a very classic Brunello and drinking quite well now, but I can imagine it lasting several more years quite nicely.

I rate this a 96. James Suckling noted wine writer with a focus on Italian wine gave it the knock out score of 100.

Excellent with a spicy Indian meal. Very nice to enjoy after the meal. 

WR

2004 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragon Pianrosso Brunello di Montalcino

Ciacci has been a long favored name for Brunello's. 100% Sangiovese grapes, from the Pianrosso vineyard. The wine is a translucent dark ruby color. The nose is plum maybe slightly to prune with classic Brunello hints of dirt and sagebrush or dried plant. Very nice and expressive.

 
This wine is really drinking well. It comes with more plum, some cherry and still has a nice freshness to the fruit. It also brings along the Brunello bit of grittiness with leather. It has a nice long finish and is very satisfying in the way it all comes together.

After tasting on its own a bit, it was joined by a pasta with pesto sauce and it was a great compliment.

This wine is is very enjoyable and worth seeking out.

I rate it a 93.



WR

2014 Domaine Serene Aspect PInot Noir

Domaine Serene Aspect is a blend of three celebrated vineyards from the estate. The 2014 is the inaugural bottling to celebrate the estate's 25th anniversary. I visited the estate in 2016 and it is a beautiful winery. Do a reserve tasting if you can with matched food. A wonderful experience.

The bottle itself is very nice, etched with views of each of the three vineyards.

This wine starts with black cherry and strawberry with a hint of peat moss. Very strong right out of the gate. The wine is dark for a pinot, a rich dark burgundy hue. The first taste gives a very rich cherry burst. It is very rich and luscious with a butter like mouth feel. It has a very nice long finish which continues to bring the fruit.

 I rate this a 94. If you like the deeper richer style of Pinot, this is a wine that you would definitely enjoy. Also, if you can get to the Willamette Valley to visit some of the wineries there, Domaine Serene is not to be missed. There are many other very nice places to visit as well.


WR

2015 Ovid Hexameter Red Blend

Tonight's wine is a young wine from Ovid. The primary grape for this wine is Cabernet Franc and they are grown on the Pritchard Hill estate. Ovid was bought by the owners of Silver Oak not too long ago but the winemaker remains the same. It is rare in Napa Valley to have a Cabernet Franc dominated blend, which the winemaker says contains a "small amount" of Cabernet, Petit Verdot and Merlot. I am not a Cabernet Franc varietal lover but am always interested in new things.

I do not usually get wine that is only sold on allocation as Ovid wines are sold. I managed to buy some of the 2010 Cabernet and very much enjoyed it (will need to do a note on that one as well) so joined the list.

Vinous (AG) rates this wine a 94.

I opened, decanted and let rest for a half hour before decanting a second time. The nose was a bit reserved at first, but slowly evolved with cedar or sandalwood, black pepper and rich dark berry. Obviously very young.

It is has a nice color in the glass, dark but not quite to inky and a very slight bit of translucence which I would not have expected.

First taste was dominated by sweet tannins and fruit. The berry came back strong mostly blackberry for me, joined by a fruit stand of other flavors, cranberry, boysenberry and rhubarb. The finish is a bit gritty with the tannins still needing more time to smooth out, but it is quite long and dominated by the fruit.

This wine will clearly age and I would guess that in three to five years it would smooth out nicely and then go on for many years after.

I am back after 2 hours and this wine has really shown some nicely developing character. Had a bite of chocolate and really enjoyed the flavor explosion.

I rate it a 95. You won't be disappointed if you drink it now, but I am certain it will improve.


WR

2010 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Patz & Hall has a wide range of special vineyard Pinot Noir's. They started the winery for the purpose of making distinct wines from individual vineyards and emphasizing the terrior of the individual locations. They make a range of Pinot Noirs and Chardonays from Sonoma area vineyards. The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is not vineyard specific, but year in and year out it is a very good representation of what a Pinot Noir should be. They typically make a bolder version of the wine, with more fruit and texture than the classic Burgundy style, but from time to time they have some very nice understated and I suspect enjoyably long live offerings.

 This particular wine is not single vineyard unique, but instead made from several different vineyards. The color is dark with a rose tinge. The nose is vibrant with fruit and citrus flavors. There is also a Cinnamon spice element. The wine is crisp with acid, but pleasantly balanced with a lovely burst of fruit and long smooth textured finish with just the right bite from the tannin at the end.

WS 92 RP not rated.

I have to say that I have never been disappointing with a Patz & Hall wine. The makers obviously take great pride in delivering a quality offering each with each and every wine the bottle. That attention to detail and focus is something to admire.

WR

2009 Freemark Abbey Cabernet

Freemark Abbey has been a noted producer in Napa Valley for a long time. Their wines have not achieved cult wine status, but they consistently deliver a drinkable bottle of wine. They have resisted the urge to balloon in size or with respect to multiple labels. I was dining at a restaurant tonight and after a quick look at the wine list decided that this wine was a relative bargain compared to the inflated prices for a selection of $15 wines or the alternative at $125 plus. I do not usually do reviews from when I am out, but this wine was a superb complement to the meal that I had which was a New York strip so thought I would write it up.

This is not a "special" wine. It is a solid Napa Valley Cab. It hits in the usual places strongly. It starts with fruit, it has a nice not exceptional finish, and it worked very well with the food that I had tonight. It is a dark burgundy color and has a muted nose with a pencil lead finish. The Berries lead the flavor on the fruit and finish through to the end. I would not run out tomorrow and buy a case of this, as it can be found in any number of Napa Cabernets, but I would say that is is a good food wine.

WS 87  RP not rated

WR

2008 Chateau Pontet-Canet 7th of 7

Pontet-Canet is a Bordeaux property that seems to have really upped its game over the last 15 years. It was another very dark, inky colored wine in this tasting. The nose was slow to develop, with a light spice that after a time started to favor more berries and earthiness.

This wine is a bit of mystery to me. I have not had the pleasure of tasting a large number of wines in the "then" and "now" way that professional tasters can over many years. I have had some finer wines 20 years apart, but mostly I have to accept the past reports of others when I drink a much older Bordeaux, say from 1982 to try to understand the concept of a really long lived wine. However, if I had to guess, I would say that the winemaker here was looking to bottle something here that will be at its peak in about 2045.

The wine is buried beneath a load of tannin, but it is clear that beneath that tannin is a wonderful selection of fruit. I tasted cherry, plum and blackberry/currant.

I just never know what to think about wines like this as I can't really see myself wanting to buy them simply because they will never be ready to drink.

RP 96 ("candidate" "wine of vintage") WS 92. 

2008 Chateau Leoville Barton 6th of 7

Leoville-Barton is a Chateau that I have tried often. In the early 2000's I would splurge on their wine during the week as the price was reasonable and they tended to be pretty approachable. This version was much less approachable and seems destined to be ready to drink in about 25 years. The nose was closed and uninviting, even after and extended period of time. The Wine itself was a monster of fruit, acid and tannin. The tannins were overpowering from the first and never really let up even to the end.

The fruit itself was also very rich with currant being the most predominant flavor for me. While in the past it had always been a strong wine it was not nearly as pucker inducing as this glass. I do expect this to be a good wine, as the tannins while at the forefront now, were sweet and I suspect will resolve nicely into the fruit over time.

RP 92 WS 91  Not really sure what wine the WS was tasting as I really cannot imagine anyone wanting to drink this wine now.


WR

2008 Chateau Rauzan-Segla 5th of 7

The initial nose on the dark burgundy colored wine was one of dirt and tobacco. It was very earthy and not particularly nice, but within ten minutes it had already started to transform and a lovely coffee aroma began to emerge. The coffee and tobacco flavor worked very well together.

Once you taste the wine you find a very nicely balanced wine. I would not expect this to last for as long as many Bordeaux wines last, but the wine was a pleasant blend of fruit, sweet tannin and carried a nice finish that included the coffee to the end.

RP 90+  WS 90

WR

2005 Chateau Palmer 4th of 7

Dark inky purple wine. Reminds me of Chateau La Conseillante with the color. The aroma is classic Margaux with a perfume like floral scent over the top of berry, licorice and mild oak. It is quite enjoyable and yet, it is a bit deceptive, as the wine itself hits with a punch of great fully integrated elements. The fruit is bright with berry there is a layer of spice, the licorice and other hints. Then there is a most wonderful finish with the flavors carrying through to the end. Very enjoyable wine. At its relative youth it is fully drinkable and I would expect it to be a great drinking wine for a long time.


The Palmer is a lovely wine. It is an excellent example of a very, very good wine. Fully balanced, fruit bright with flavor, lovely color and nose. It, of course, raises the classic dilemma of how much is too much to pay for a bottle of wine. It retails at $350 a bottle. The question is always going to be asked, is it worth it? The answer really is challenging. If money is no object, then by all means I suggest trying it, for sure. Someone has the kind of money for this type of wine, which in a restaurant would probably go for $750. But, if the real question is can't I have this same kind of wine experience for a lot less money, well the answer to that is most definitely. There are many wines that would rate with this Palmer at a 10th of the price. RP 96 WS 95

WR

2009 Francis Coppola Eleanor

Dark, dark Cabernet Syrah blend with both Sonoma and Napa grapes. Coppola's wife is the name sake  and inspiration for the wine which is definitely a cut above their higher volume brands. I like most of their wine. Very approachable drinkable wines, good with food and with a wide range of styles. Completely consistent with the Italian tradition.

The Eleanor as noted is as dark red. The fruit jumps out of the glass on the nose and reminds you of the big fruit bomb Australian Syrahs. While it is a bold on the nose and has very generous fruit, it is also very well balanced. I wish it had a bit more tannins as I think it would give it more weight. Nonetheless, it is a very nice wine, one that is quite enjoyable to drink right now and should drink well for several years. 

A worthy name sake.

WS 93

WR

2005 Chateau Beausejour 3rd of 7

Pretty deep ruby red wine in the glass. The nose is very closed, heavy legs which foretold heavy tannin. The wine has a tangy strong fruit that packs an initial punch. It smooths out with a longish finish. The tannins have started to resolve nicely into the wine. I could see this wine being quite good in another three to five years and lasting many years beyond that. It has a good base and I think may lose some of that initial spunk which will make it more fluid.

I would expect this to be a particularly good good option with food.

RP 91 (higher rated in earlier tasting) WS 92-94

WR

2000 Chateau L'Hermitage 2nd of 7

L'Hermitage is a Merlot Cabernet Franc blend. The nose on this wine is very nice. It comes right up with pleasing cherry/berry aromas. Quite enjoyable. The wine itself is a bit more dense and heavier, with a shift to a more raspberry flavor (perhaps that was the nose and I just missed it, but cherry was more predominant to me) solid tannin's but a somewhat short finish.

It simply dies in the mouth which given the flavors was a bit of a disappointment. Overall a sold wine. RP 91 WS 84 Not sure what wine WS was tasting from the bottle it does not seem to bear any resemblance to what I had. Their barrel note is pretty close.

WR

1995 Troplong-Mondot 1st of 7

Another Beltramo's tasting. This time it was focused on 2008 Bordeaux, but included this 1995, and two 2005 wines. Overall it was an okay tasting. I thought a couple of the wines had merit, but with Bordeaux's expanding prices over the last couple of years, it requires one to dig deep to support the habit. One that I find more challenging with so much great wine flowing from so many regions of the world. To the Troplong-Mondot.

This wine was nicely ruby in color with a closed in nose initially. It had tobacco and cedar notes. The taste was very gritty, heavy with raisin and prune. It had a heavy flavor profile and a long but sweet finish. Tannins were still not fully resolved into this wine. RP 92, WS 90. Price $175. I would not buy this wine, but would not be disappointed if someone served it at dinner one night.

WR

2006 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Precious Mountain

Lovely nose of berries and cherries with a hint of spice. Reserved flavor of berries in the mouth, some dusty earth and a fine structured finish. This is a very well made wine and I have had enough of the Williams Selyem Pinots over the last year to taste a distinct style. It is more french in style. There is more structure, a bit more acid, but still typically sweet fruit. The wines go well with food, tonight in my case a simple tortilla soup and biscuits. These wines often have an almost perfume like nose of fruit. This one was a bit more forward on the nose and laid back a bit while drinking. Nonetheless, this is a well made and enjoyable Pinot Noir. Pricing on these is a bit of a challenge. They are pretty much all on allocation and so prices are naturally quite high. So for me, this kind of a wine would be for a treat, and it lives up to that challenge comfortably.



Williams Selyem is a noted producer of in particular Russian River Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. The winery tasting notes are here.

WR

2004 Chateau de la Gardine, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Winter is my favorite time of year to drink Rhone wines. A cold day, a fire, a hearty meal, say beef stroganoff (substituting pork loin for the beef) and voila, a great way to end the day. Okay, in sunny California a cold day does not exactly measure up to the rest of the world's cold days (excluding those of you in Hawaii of course), but cold is relative when it comes to weather. Sure I put on a light windbreaker, rather than a heavy wool overcoat, but it almost feels bundled up. Anyway, to the wine.

This is another K&L Wine Club selection. It is solid if not spectacular. The wine went great with dinner (which was only okay, too much sour cream in the stroganoff blend I think). It was strong with dust and dirt flavor, but also had some very nice spice and a hint of chocolate/licorice nose. It is a deep colored and full bodied wine with good balance. It tastes quite a bit better than the nose right now. I expect this wine will drink very well over the next seven to ten years, but no one would be disappointed opening a bottle and drinking it now.


WR