Eric Grasser

9.9

Very full and deep Napa expression. Black and blue berries, dried tobacco, Napa dust, sandalwood and floral accents. Extremely good — a month ago

Shay A

9.4

This was served during my annual WWC hosting. Typical format of sparkler, three whites, four reds, one dessert, all served blind.

Decanted an hour. Acquired during a visit to Melka a few years back. Last bottle of a 3-pack, and poured next to a 2016 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. 100%SB and 100% barrel fermented. This was the SB that opened my eyes to how good SB could be 5-6yrs ago. The tropical aromatics (pineapple, lots of guava, white peach) alongside such a rich yet balanced palate (glycerin like, oak only noticeable in texture, not taste). Lemon cream with a puckering finish.

As an aside, I know these “super SauvBlancs” have become popular. Melka must be at the forefront thanks to involvement in V29, DANA, Lail, Melka, ADAMVS, and countless others from the Atelier Melka team. — 3 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.2

Man. I really like this. A great example of what it is.

Nose is fresh crushed grapes in your hand. Some earth. Library book. As this opens licorice flower.

Palate is so fresh. Some lovely bitterness. Amazing texture. So fresh in such a grapey way. This Burrgundian sweetness.

The wine they serve by the glass in God’s Bistro. Man. I’d pay $1,000 to have this with some lentils and saucison lail right fucking now.

For what this is , it’s a 10/10.

Bought from fass selections — 5 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Compared to the Lail Georgia SB, this one definitely is lighter bodied, but definitely has a nice, crisp tropical Style. Was getting lots of peach and nectarine. Key lime. Very satisfying. Would be a Sauvignon Blanc worthy to put in the regular summer rotation. QPR on this wine is a touch on the poor side. I think this one will hold for 5 years or so. — 7 years ago

with Dan

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The nose reveals; dark currants, blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries. Black tea, expresso roast, anise, crushed dry rocks, big vanilla, clove, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, woody notes with dark fresh & withering flower bouquet.

The body is big and lush. The tannins are big, meaty and tarry. Very dark currants. Blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries & strawberries as they open up. Black tea, expresso roast, steeped fruit tea, anise, crushed dry rocks, dry clay, big graphite, big vanilla, dark spice, clove, light dry herbs, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, cedar with violets dark fresh & withering flower bouquet. The acidity is round, fresh and beautiful. The big, long, well balanced finish is excellent and look forward to having this in 15-20 years. This one will be a stunner!

Photos of, the barn where they make wine and hosts tastings, our private tasting area inside William’s old office. William desk and their outside terrace area.

Producer history & notes...Seavey Vineyard is located along Conn Valley Road in the eastern hills of Napa Valley, about 15 minutes from the valley floor.

This historical property was originally a cattle ranch. However, records indicate grapes were planted on some of the hillsides as early as the 1870’s. The stone dairy barn, still in existence, was built in 1881.

William & Mary Seavey purchased this property in 1979. The estate was originally founded by the Franco-Swiss Farming Company in 1881 which, closed down when Phylloxera destroyed their grape vines and the Volstead Act (Prohibition) went into effect. At the time of their purchase, they were a horse and cattle ranch. They quickly planted the slopes with grapes and initially sold their fruit to Raymond Vineyards. They have never purchased grapes, all their wine is made from estate grapes. Their vineyards are separated into 20 plus individual blocks.

Today, the property is about 200 total acres of which, 40 acres are planted to vine. Their hillside vineyards produce low yields of rich concentrated fruit. A small block of Chardonnay grows in a cooler lower part of their property. Besides grapes, they also raise cattle which are used to graze the hillsides. They feed the vineyard with the cattle cuttings. In 2003, they were one of the first Napa wineries to install solar.

Mary passed away in 2008 and William died in 2016. There daughter Dorie returned to the family business and now oversees the winery operations. Her brother Arthur also handles national and some small international sales, primarily to restaurants. However, most of their wine is sold direct to consumers.

Seavey’s first commercial vintage was released in 1990 a year after they renovated the stone dairy barn into a working winery. Today this stone building is the centerpiece of the property and is where tastings are hosted.

Since 2011, Jim Duane has been their day to day Winemaker. He’s worked at Robert Mondavi and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It should also be noted that Philippe Melka Winemaker/Consultant has been with Seavey since 1995...one of Philippe’s two initial wine making jobs in the Napa Valley were with Seavey and Lail Vineyards.

Seavy makes about 3,200 cases annually depending on what mother nature brings. They make around two hundred cases of Chardonnay, slightly more Merlot and the rest is of the production is comprised of their Caravina and Estate Cabernets.
— 8 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Shakespeare describes the ignorance of youth as "salad days," when we are green in judgement. I feel the Wine Nerd Herd has certainly broadened my horizons, and not just from a wine perspective. I reflect on the uncommon generosity and hospitality, evidenced by our upcoming tasting in Florida, courtesy of @Martin G Rivard.
But at the heart of this event is wine and new friendships. Wine forms a bridge that connects people who were once strangers. For me, metaphorically, it's friendship in a bottle. That is also what this bottle represented to us - thank you Martin.

Another outstanding effort from BV. It's deep and rich, yet totally accessible. Very appealing. Along with Bevan, Arkenstone, Lail, Realm and others, BV has further opened our eyes to the world of wine, and our new friends. — 9 years ago

with Anne-marie

Brian S

9.0

Always a solid SB! — 3 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.4

Amazing at this age. Fresh and toasty. Apricots. — 10 months ago

Shay A

9.3

I’m 92-93 here. I think there is a chance this improves slightly over the next 12-18 months before staying at peak and then trending down.

I don’t drink much SauvBlanc (I’d rather just have bubbles) but this SB is like the Goldilocks of Cali SauvBlanc…it’s not the rich, Bordeaux Blanc style (Melka, V29, Lail Georgia, etc) but it’s also not the boring, forgetful SauvBlanc so many wineries create just because. It has Bordeaux Blanc qualities but with a bright twist…there’s grapefruit, tangerine and white peach aromatically, but even while there’s just a kiss of oak on the palate to round it out, it’s nestled between sea spray, lemon and limestone. Almost tart, but pulls back thanks to the oak. Wonderful QPR here — 3 years ago

Sandy Lieberman

9.7

Delicious! Complex wine — 6 years ago

with Drew

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals; dark, floral currants. Ripe; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries blue fruits & dark cherries. Black licorice, lots of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, steeped dark fruit tea, soft volcanic minerals, soft leather, crushed dry rocks, blue & purple flowers with dark fresh & withering dark florals bouquet.

The body is full. The tannins nicely round & soft. The wine is juicy, delicious & easy to drink now. Ripe blackberries, black plum, black raspberries blue fruits & dark cherries. black licorice, lots of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, steeped dark fruit tea, soft volcanic minerals, soft leather, crushed dry rocks, suede leather, dry underbrush, mint, hints if dry herbs, woody notes, blue & purple flowers with dark fresh & withering dark florals bouquet. The acidity is well executed. The finish is round, balanced, juicy and delicious.

Photos of, their lobby, labels of the assorted different producers that make their wines there and their tasting bar.

For those of you not familiar with Le Pich, I took this from their site...Le Pich, which is the Wappo Indian term for "golden eagle," is the sister label of Napa Valley's esteemed Purlieu Wines. The wines are crafted by rising star winemaker Julien Fayard. Originally from France, Julien has lived in the Napa Valley since 2006, when he and his wife agreed to settle down by “meeting halfway” — between his home in France… and hers in Sonoma. In France, Julien worked in both Provence and Bordeaux, where he defined his core winemaking style at the exalted first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild (he even lived in Lafite’s grand château for a period) as well as at Smith Haut Lafitte. In Napa, Julien worked at Quintessa before joining Atelier Melka, where he spent five years as the Director of Winemaking. He has worked with the likes of; Lail Vineyards, Gemstone, Dalla Valle, and more.

Le Pich wines are some of the best values we've found in Napa Valley. — 8 years ago

Bill Bender

9.2

Floral, tropical, share on the deck in your flip flops Summer symmetry. You can’t have enough of this at the ready to battle the swelter of the next 2 months. Reminds me of the Lail Georgia with a small injection of La Doriane Condrieu. — 8 years ago

David L

9.2

15’ Farella La Luce Sauvignon Blanc. Stone fruits. Lemon peel. Healthy dose of acidity. They sell most of the there grapes to Realm & Lail. Food pairing SB Edit- Tasting much better then upon release date! The acid has calm down quite a bit after about 30 minutes in the glass. Very enjoyable. These high acid wines...don’t drink them so cold ,cellar temperature is just fine! — 9 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Really like it, distinct nose,
Better than lail bluebird & lewis at around same price, in fact better than some $150.00 bottles I've had lately, probably a litte too much fruit for a steak wine, but good for a anytime pop & pour — 11 years ago

Nathan Renfro

9.2

Inky dark. Black fruit, coffee, lots of oak, quite prominent. Nice mouthfeel. — 9 months ago

Shay A

9.2

@Delectable Wine: This is the Alpha Omega Hudson Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. I didn’t see it in the database.

This is the first time I have seen a SauvBlanc made with Hudson fruit. I’m a big fan of Hudson, so I wanted to give this a try.

I would group this with the “SuperSauvBlancs” that are popular in the valley. Not only is it tropical, but it is richly textured. When mentally comparing to some of the other SBs in this style, this feels in between Melka style (Mekerra, Lail Georgia) with the rich, tropical guava, papaya, pineapple notes and Maayan’s LaPelle SB with its way to dial down the tropical a touch but have so much citrus (grapefruit) and verve. I hoped this would express my expectation of typical Hudson fruit (yellow fruit galore and herbal), but I didn’t get that here. The oak comes across in texture but there is a good snap of acidity at the finish. Pricey, but a nice wine.

Followed over two days with no change. Drink now or hold a few years. — 2 years ago

David L

9.1

Robert Pepi Vine Hill Ranch. Vines at the time 30+years old. If you can find 1981-87. I recommend trying a bottle. Now the hillside portion of this winery are sold to...Tor, Araujo, Lail, ETC. Valley floor is all Cakebread. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This is Purlieu’s sister winery. We were the second tasting given in their new facilities just on the edge of Napa as you approach from American Canyon.

We started our visit with a splash of their 17 Sauvignon Blanc as we toured their new facilities.

A hybrid of tropical & dry style. It has understated tropicals of mango, pineapple, white citrus, peach, cut grass, round acidity and nicely polished finish.

Photos of, their lobby, labels of the assorted different producers that make their wines there and their tasting bar.

For those of you not familiar with Le Pich, I took this from their site...Le Pich, which is the Wappo Indian term for "golden eagle," is the sister label of Napa Valley's esteemed Purlieu Wines. The wines are crafted by rising star winemaker Julien Fayard. Originally from France, Julien has lived in the Napa Valley since 2006, when he and his wife agreed to settle down by “meeting halfway” — between his home in France… and hers in Sonoma. In France, Julien worked in both Provence and Bordeaux, where he defined his core winemaking style at the exalted first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild (he even lived in Lafite’s grand château for a period) as well as at Smith Haut Lafitte. In Napa, Julien worked at Quintessa before joining Atelier Melka, where he spent five years as the Director of Winemaking. He has worked with the likes of Lail Vineyards, Gemstone, Dalla Valle, and more and his Le Pich wines are some of the best values we've found in Napa Valley. — 8 years ago

David L

9.3

07’ Seven Stone. Still quite purple in color. Blackberry, blueberry & jam flavors, dark chocolate, tea. This wine is still rather rich & dense. Have to say it has a elegance about it. This could possibly be in it’s prime for another decade. We shall see.
Nothing quite like it. Reminds me of a combination of Lail Mole Hill & Robert Keenan Reserve 😳 — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

This is an elegant, feminine beauty. It's a back to back night of 2003. On the nose, liqueured black cherries, cherries, poached strawberries, warm, slightly chard toast, anise, black cherry licorice, baking spices and dark fresh & dry florals. The mouthfeel is resolved, rich and elegant. Fruits of; black cherries, cherries, poached strawberries, a blend of black raspberries & raspberries. Bright vanillin, cinnamon, medium spice, toast, bright red florals, violets, dark & milk chocolate, rich, moist loamy soils, touch of crushed rocks, delicate volcanic minerals, mouthwatering acidity and a polished, rich finish that lasts & lasts. This is somewhere around it's peak. It's incredibly delicious! Photos of; their beautiful vineyards, amazing Italian style villa estate and front entrance. Producer history and notes...Blankiet was started by Claude & Katherine Blankiet in 1996 with 46 acres ranging over several volcanic hills above the town of Yountville. I believe Claude made his first big money as the creator of Stone Washed Jeans. David Abreu was hired to develop the land and Helen Turley made their first eight vintages. The winery is connected to a deep underground network of caves and were designed by architect John Lail. Blankiet’s current winemaker is Bordelais Denis Malbec, the former cellar master at Chateau Latour. Blankiet is located in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. Their Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are planted in volcanic soils while the Merlot is planted in gravelly-clay alluvial soils. Blankiet has great Terrior locations and have spared no expense in their winemaking facilities. If you haven't had their wines, they are definitely worth acquiring. — 9 years ago