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