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