Blue Grove Hill

Soutiran

Alexandre Brut Premier Cru Champagne Blend

Really nice, grower-producer (RM) from Blue Hill. Very light and bright went well with oysters and fresh halibut. Pretty good value. 05/21 bottling. — a month ago

Novelty Hill

Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot and Malbec blended in. Dark ruby color. Aromas of cooked black cherries and blueberries. The palate offers a blend of jammy red, blue and blackberry fruit along with notes of mint, baking spices, coffee and orange zest. Medium-plus body and well balanced. Not overly powerful or rich but pretty harmonious. Velvety tannins. I think I enjoyed this one more than you did, Keith S! — 2 years ago

Austin, Tom and 1 other liked this

Philip Togni Vineyard

Tanbark Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Somm David T
9.2

Nice evolution and well integrated. 92 that pushes 93.

The other wine from the great Napa producer, Philip Togni.

The mouthfeel is supple, round, soft, yet meaty and tarry tannins. Ripe, juicy, rich; blackberries, baked plum for days, dark cherries, black raspberries, hues of raspberries & boysenberries. Black licorice, berry cola, muddy, volcanic clay, herbaceous notes, soft baking spices, slightly, melted chocolate, dark spice with a touch of heat, coffee, dry crushed, rocks, dry stem, dry tobacco, new leather, oak to cedar shavings, volcanic ash, dark, slightly withering, red, blue flowers framed in a field of endless violets, rainfall acidity, great balance, nice tension/structure and a smartly polished finish that last a full minute.

If you own, I would drink over the next 3-4 years before it starts to slide.

Photos of; Philip Togni vineyard, barrel room, vineyard soil & Philip Togni and his daughter Lisa.
— 2 years ago

Paul, Shay and 10 others liked this

Azienda Agricola Barbacarlo di Lino Maga

Montebuono Provincia di Pavia Red Blend 2018

Old style wine
I love the detailed description attached to the neck of the bottle telling you all about the site, the winemaking and how to deal with the wine

This is a Barbacarlo's brother, not minor though

It starts quite fruit orientated, but it does unfold over many hours in the decanter

At first you can mistake it for a robust sparkling shiraz(given that it has a fizz when opened).
Day 2 the blue mineral it's all over and it is smoother and more enjoyable too( the tannin is more digestible too)
Very long and to review again in many years

Ps after a battle in Marengo(Italy) Napoleon stopped by in the area and sipped on this delicious nectar; from there the vineyard hill is also called Napoleon's hill(as well as Montebuono hill).
— 2 years ago

Byron, Severn and 4 others liked this

Sequoia Grove

Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Paul J
9.5

This was awesome! PnP’d. Very balanced wine. Medium plus depth. Integrated dark blue and black fruit with oak, vanilla, and cedar. Somewhat similar to Pontet Canet. Lovely silky texture and medium plus finish. Exactly how Napa Cab should taste! — 4 years ago

Brooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Brooke
Shay, John and 9 others liked this

Lail Vineyards

Mole Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Total rockstar. Beautiful cool blue fruit. — 6 years ago

Brandon, Bryan and 35 others liked this
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Cheers @David L ! You sent me my first bottle of this. Amazing wine.
David L

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Looks like I need to try a bottle soon. Cheers @Eric S
David L

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Took me a minute to find a mag. Just received the 13. I’ll open it in few years. Cheers & thanks buddy.

Cardwell Hill Cellars

Fenders Blue Estate Pinot Noir 2017

This is a Pinot unicorn. Shiny $15 price with unreal brightness and vibrancy of cherries that take you on a magical earthy ride through the Willamette terroir. This is your value Pinot of the day! Take it while you can. — 7 years ago

Paul, Neil and 6 others liked this

Realm Cellars

Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2013

Shay A
9.6

I feel like I haven’t opened a Napa cab (or any wine, for that matter) in recent memory that struck me the way this one did in terms of absolute peak drinking. Both fortunately (because I love the wines) and unfortunately (I was priced out of Realm a few years ago) this was undeniably in the zone amongst a table of ‘13 Bryant DB4, ‘07 Insignia, ‘12 Kapscandy Estate Reserve, and others.

Pop and pour. Extremely aromatic with dark fruits (more blue and black side of the spectrum) and dark florals (violets)…very Pritchard Hill. The texture of this wine is a modern marvel…how a 2013 100% Cabernet from PH can be this sexy/opulent but still so bright is beyond me. The rich and dark fruit is surrounded by graphite, espresso, dark cocoa, and sweet (not tart) cassis that carry the weightless yet flavor packed profile to a finish that lingers. Plenty of tannin and acid to keep this balanced for years, but this is absolutely the zenith of where it will be for balance of flavors. Don’t miss this window.

I haven’t been this star struck on a mid-aged Napa cab in a while, but this has it all. After opening the 2015 Realm Dr Crane earlier this year, this was more impressive (and DrCrane is my favorite vineyard). Wish Realm was still in my “realm” of purchasing!
— 8 months ago

Joseph, Tom and 22 others liked this
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

If you watch the secondary markets & are patient, you can find newer vintages at the prices you once paid. There is a glut of wine on the market with no real end in sight yet.
Jay Kline

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@Shay A great note. Thanks for sharing!

Realm Cellars

The Bard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2021

Somm David T
9.3

This is 93-94 this young. I was a little surprised they slotted this last in the tasting. I would have led with it. However, it didn’t end up being our last wine. Leslie was kind enough to open another.

Both plums, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of dark berry cola, nice, soft baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanillin, grainy limestone, wet clay, dark, rich, forest floor, some dry herbs, excellent fresh & withering florals that are a combination of; dark, red, some blue and violets, nice round acidity, a smooth, elegant finish that softly structured, balanced and wire to wire smooth and elegant with a full minute finish.

Photos of; a pano of their stunning view of Pritchard Hill, Their dual sided wall of fame of bottles the staff at the estate have enjoyed and their tasting room table. They did an excellent job curating it.
— 2 years ago

Joshua, Bob and 11 others liked this
Joshua Fisher

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Dude I miss your posts
Somm David T

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@Joshua Fisher Thank you very much!

William Hill Winery

Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 1978

Deep and sexy fruit. Powerful and punchy with lovely blue fruit. — 3 years ago

BOT Paul Woolls
with BOT and Paul
Jan, Douglas and 6 others liked this

William Hill Winery

Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1987

Poised blue fruit. Plum and black cherry. Pretty — 3 years ago

Paul WoollsAra Aslanian
with Paul and Ara
Ara, Shay and 7 others liked this

Melanson

Melanson Vineyard Matthew's Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

A fantastic Cabernet from Prichard Hill deep blue fruit and a litte minerality ! — 4 years ago

Tom, Shay and 2 others liked this

Ultramarine Wines

Heintz Vineyard Blanc de Noirs Pinot Noir 2014

Hands down my favorite domestic sparkler and at the quality level of many prestigious champagnes. Rich, complex and with racy energy showing bruised golden apples, baked brioche, salted hazelnuts and minerals. Finishes with terrific length and depth. From Blue Hill at Stone Barns Cellar — 6 years ago

Arden, Matt and 3 others liked this

Meadowcroft

River Trace Grenache Blend 2021

Purple in color with a purplish rim.

Strong nose of black and blue fruits, cedar, vanilla, licorice and chocolates.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, blueberries, cedar, licorice, cola, chocolates, tobacco, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty GSM blend from Chalk Hill in California. Fruit forward and elegant. Spicy and entertaining.

Showing good balance with nice complexity, and a soft mouth feel.

Good right out of the bottle, and good by itself as a sipping wine.

I had it before, and this time I gave it a light chill and had it by the pool.
Paired nicely with the French Brie cheese.

A blend of 66% Grenache, 21% Syrah and 13% Mourvèdre. Aged in Hungarian oak barrels. A small production of only 2,600 bottles.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$52.
— a year ago

Tom, Bob and 9 others liked this

Henriot

Brut Souverain Champagne Blend

Blue Hill value purchase thet more than stood up to the ~$40 price. If anything a little too dry. — 2 years ago

Realm Cellars

Farella Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Somm David T
9.3

This one is a 93+ at this stage with room for improvements with some more age.

The Farella showed a more savory character than the rest. It’s body thicker than the others. Ruby; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries & raspberries. Herbaceous notes, soft minerality-rock powder, limestone, volcanics and just drying top soil, dry tobacco, sandalwood, perfectly executed baking spices, dark spice, vanillin, withering dark, red, blue and violets, nice round acidity, nice tension, structure, well knitted & balanced structure with an excellent full minute finish.

Pano photo of Pritchard Hill from the estate (what a stunning view), barrel room, the estates wine collection; which given the excellent producers in it (bottles of Petrus just one of very expensive producers), I’d be a little earthquake nervous & lay some thin wire over the bottles to hold them in place and their tank room.
— 2 years ago

Bob, Joshua and 10 others liked this

Evesham Wood

Temperance Hill Pinot Noir 2021

2021 vintage. Medium body. Expressive nose. As always, plenty of blue fruit in attendance. A bit smoother than expected, yet still rocking. 1.10.24. — 2 years ago

Austin, Shay and 13 others liked this

Domaine Rémi Jobard

Les Narvaux Meursault Chardonnay 2018

A Blue Hill purchase near the top end of their inventory, this well balanced chardonnay didn't disappoint and is very much worth finding again. — 3 years ago

Henschke

Hill of Grace Vineyard Shiraz 1996

Only pale to mid crimson in colour with a tawny edge at 26 years of age. Black and blue fruits with game and a coffee bean note. The medium bodied yet rich palate is savoury and earthy with blackberry and just so so silky with resolved tannins and low acid. Not sure that I agree totally with Bob Campbell MW’s description - “like getting into an old Jag on a hot day”, but I love the imagery and can see where he’s coming from. Jancis said “pure hedonism “ and gave it 19/20. The latest iteration of H of G (2017) is selling for around $950 a bottle in Brisbane. No doubt brilliant but too expensive for me. I remember paying $12.50 for the 1982 vintage on release. There is a certain H of G character that is recognisable over many vintages over the years. Must be one of the most unique Shiraz vineyards in the world with vines up to a 150 years old. A privilege to drink this wine and close to perfection with 98 points. — 4 years ago

Matt, Ira and 25 others liked this
Jan A

Jan A

Definitely one of my bucket list wines! Thank you for the review!
Bob McDonald

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My pleasure Jan. A worthy wine to have in anyone’s bucket list I would say. Cheers. 🍷

Swedish Hill Winery

Blue Waters Pinot Noir

Crisp and light and sweet, like a picnic in a bottle. Peaches for sure, very floral and fruity. — 7 years ago