"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose and full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and elegant with nice complexity.

Showing black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, tobacco leaf, coffee, cola, dark chocolates, herbs, peppercorn, mediterranean spices and light earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Syrah from Sonoma County. Rich and fruit forward. Smooth and powerful, yet elegant.

This 13 year old Single Vineyard Syrah is drinking very much like a Napa Merlot, which is so interesting.

Beautiful right out of the bottle, and so much better after 30 minutes of airtime. The high alcohol is nicely integrated by now, so watch out.

Robert Parker 100 points.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

A great sipping wine that paired nicely with food too.

A blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Viognier.

93 points

$160. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2005 vintage. Great fill and cork. Decanted and tasted after two hours. Small amount of chunky and powdery sed. Nose a bit musty but never funky during a high decant. Medium-heavy body. Tremendous power throughout. Can easily go another two decades. Still packing the signs of youth such as individual flavors easily evident vs melded/integrated ones. Tasted more like a 2020 vintage. Was hoping for more black tea, espresso, orange citrus peel, soy sauce notes (and there were some). This one's gonna need a bigger boat...er...another 7-8 years or a 5 hour decant to shed some of that overt power in a trade off for nuance. Delicious in its own way but not easy. Demanding. 04.04.25. — a year ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Inky in color with a very short reddish/ brick rim.

Full bodied with medium acidity

Showing black fruits with earth, bell pepper, tobacco, oak, dark coffee, pencil lead, bitter herbs, earth, light roasted bell pepper and forest floor.

Soft tannins on the tangy finish.

This 10 year old Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is probably on its way out. Still very drinkable, but a little unbalanced and showing lots of earth notes.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after two hours of air time.

Showing nice complexity at this point, but a little bitter for my taste.

Although still good, I expected more from this second wine from this producer and this vintage.

90 points.

$80 (current vintage). — 4 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.3

202 spring / summer. I wonder if my ratings are suffering from inflation, but the truth is often I would be happy doing all of my drinking from de Villaine’s range. This particular Fortune was notably more developed than the 2017 or 18, in a good way - lots of woodsy complexity over the brighter berry fruit. — 6 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.5

This wine offers a nose of black and blue berries, shoe leather and a hint of black olives. It’s a deep, rich bouquet. The flavors are similarly dark, with berries leading the way again. Black pepper and a nutmeg note also appear, with the fruit staying long on the finish. There is a good tannic structure, easily enough for a steak or beef stew. The oak regimen was nearly all used barrels, so the oak effect is quite nice, not a bit overdone.
— 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 2016 Long Shadows ‘Saggi’ is the best bottling of this storied wine that I have tried since they began producing this wine more than a decade ago. The ‘Saggi’ is a thrilling blend of Sangiovese (Boushey and Candy Mountain Vineyards) with 29% Cabernet Sauvignon (Weinbau Vineyard) and the remainder Syrah (Den Hoed Dutchman and Bacchus Vineyards). The nose is drop-dead gorgeous with bacon fat, black olive tapenade, mocha and fennel. The stunning range of aromas bring you back to the glass for more. Revealing a silky texture and a wonderfully ripe mouthfeel, the ‘Saggi’ slowly unveils smoked pork shoulder, black tea, milk chocolate covered cherry and roasted fig flavors. Decadent, layered and downright delicious, this beautiful wine will enjoy an exceedingly long life in the cellar. If enjoying in its youth be sure to give this a two hour decant. Drink 2019-2033- 95 — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.5

@Mark Flesher and I decided to do a 2014 Napa Cab battle from two of Napa’s top winemakers...TRB and Mike Smith.

At pop and pour, the aromatics here were absolutely wonderful. There was a sweet/ripe dark fruit core to this wine. Very youthful with some cedar and cocoa. Stylistically I view TRB as a red and black fruit Cab winemaker and I found the nose to be on the darker side. BUT. The raspberry, vanilla pipe tobacco, dark chocolate and dates on the palate showed TRB in every way. There was an elegance with power here. In a few years, this will undoubtedly be stellar. Great bottle @Mark Flesher — 7 years ago

with Mark

Joel Lara

9.4

This is an intense, full-bodied wine. A striking minerality with scents of cherry on the nose. On the palate, the rich cherry flavor comes through with beautiful violet tones melding together harmoniously with a ferrous-driven minerality. The finish is long with the violet and cherry flavors making way for iron notes and strong tannins, which are almost too strident on the finish. I see the tasting window starting in 2017 or 2018. I decanted most of the bottle for two hours while leaving a serving in bottle for the second day. These notes are based on second day. Tannins were smoother second day, although still quite strong. I had the 2016 in the fall, and it had more complexity with softer tannins on the finish. — 5 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have enjoyed this producers vineyard over many vintage and this might be the best.

The 22 vintage is stunning and as good as it is, 23 might be better based on a somewhat limited exposure at this point.

The entry is glorious…such balance and wire to wire it doesn’t change much.

Green apple, perfect lemon & lime pulp into subtle candy, grapefruit, white stone fruit, kiwi, tropical melons, pineapple, cream reduction, saline, perfect sea fossils, fine powdery taut chalkiness, crisp volcanics, white spice, grey volcanic minerals, limestone marl, mix of fresh & dry stubble herbs, honeysuckle, light caramel, warm lightly done toast, yellow florals, spring flowers with greens, grand waterfall acidity, beautiful structure-tension, incredible balance with an elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and long sets on volcanic minerals and spice.

Decanted 1 hour.

When I first started buying this bottling, it was $50-$60, now $150. Might be my last bought. My white spend has a more limited range than my red. Don’t think I’m alone.

A property Sofia & I have visited in 2015. — 7 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2022 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a fabulous introduction to the range. Served last in this series of Chardonnays, the appellation Chardonnay is perhaps a bit more floral and lighter in body, but other than that, it is in no way inferior to the vineyard designates. This is beautifully done. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, August 2024)
— 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; consumed over two days with little way in evolution. Cork pulled perfectly. The 2013 Caravina pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core and some very fine sediment. Medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is intense…redolent with black fruit, black currants, blackberries, some black cherry, black plum, tobacco leaf, eucalyptus, espresso, some green bell pepper, iron rich tilled earth, purple flowers, vanilla and baking spice. On the palate, the wine is very dry with medium++ tannins and medium+ acid. The tannins are integrating well but remain very firm. The black fruits dominate on the palate coming across tart and fresh in the most becoming way. Dark chocolate, earth, tobacco, vanilla and baking spices are there too. The finish is super long and incredibly satisfying. This wine has such a dark and sexy streak to it. It’s like, the Portishead of wines. It’s drinking very well right now and should continue to do so for at least another ten years. One of my favorite vintages of Caravina to date. — 4 years ago

Chris Grimm

9.1

Weird wine in the best way. Open two days: day one was bracingly acidic, needed food to be enjoyable. Day two was much better, but when this warmed up to slightly above room temp, it started drinking like a red wine, and it’s utterly fantastic. Full bodied, floral, spice notes, and peach skin. Blind, it kind of smells like a weird Pinot. — 6 years ago

Tyson Escoto

9.4

Balanced in every way — 7 years ago

Kirk F

9.2

Consumed way too young but oh so good. Enjoyed over two hours watching some US Open action after 3 tough matches. Magnum. — 7 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.4

The "lesser" of the two wines was the winner in this drink-off. Both difficult years, but the 00' had way more finesse than the 09'.

What a wine! Classic KR and typical Saumagen power. White flowers, chrysanthemum, rich fruit, salty, salty, special KR earthiness, and did I mention salty. As usual, I should mention this isn't for everyone - Bernd's barrels have got some special "dirt" in them. But for me, these wines are full of character and often not exemplifies the term power without weight! — 8 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

These are recalled impressions, not contemporaneous notes, from two nights ago, when the family council of elders met for a steak/wine pairing event at my brother Angelo’s house.

Another consensus favorite, the ‘16 version is stellar. So deep, but with that elusive (for Zin) old-world sense of balance, structure, and restraint. Paired beautifully with both kinds of steaks — 6 months ago

with Dan and Angelo

Shay A

9.5

One of the wines I supplied for an annual lunch hosting (co-host this time). I was really hesitant to open this given the fanfare of this specific wine, but also how DrCrane can be an in-between wine for me (so explosive young, shut down at 5-10yrs, re-open 10+). Decanted two-three hours.

Classic deep purple-black DrCrane in the glass. Aromatics are immediate with ripe blue and black fruits, baking spices, mocha and graphite. Just a little bit of high-toned EA to make it pop, along with this roasted character I always get from DrCrane wines. Opulent and polished in every way on the palate, this is a tidal wave of flavor with no hard edges. It’s a towering wine in the sense of so much concentration and depth on the mid-palate, but it’s so incredibly polished at the finish…almost shockingly so. The ripe fruits and the dark chocolate linger longer than any Napa cab I can remember. Iron first in a velvet glove.

No need to worry, these are open for business. Plenty of structure to carry a while, but this window seems like it was made for how this wine is drinking now. — a year ago

Tyler Felous

9.3

Lovely. Drank over two nights. Aroma built nicely, warm on the way down — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

So, many of you have not had the pleasure of having Dan’s wines. It is largely due to the fact he doesn’t have a US importer. He sells all his mid production level wines through his mailing list. That makes importing from his mailing list as restrictive as the import fees. They are equal to the price of the wines you order. Not something you’ll do. I didn’t. You need to find his wines on the secondary market to be cost effective.

We had the privilege of visiting his Cellar Door in the Spring of 2017. What a fantastic visit and walk of his Estate with him. The age of his Estate vines are 100 plus years old and their yield is less than a ton per acre which, does not make for a lot of wine but, instead a very concentrated wine.

Dan traveled to and worked in many of the key wine regions before settling in as Torbreck’s Winemaker and then marching to his own drum doing his own thing as “The Standish”, his way. No compromises.

The first thing you need to know about Dan’s wines is you can drink them early but, that would be a huge mistake. This 03 is sensational now but, is worthy of more cellaring. It has 10-20 years of life ahead of it...proper storage of course.

This is a second night wine for us and it is still big.

The nose reveals smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous, dry crushed rocks, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender.

The body is full, round, lush & ruby. The tannins are still big, round, tarry & meaty. The structure, tension, length & balance are just there & yet still not there. It is still a monster on day two. Smokey; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, blueberries, mulberries/boysenberries, baked/poached strawberries & some raspberries, sweet tarriness, grilled meats, dark berry cola, black pepper, steeped tea, eucalyptus, mint, tree bark with sap, herbaceous-sage & rosemary, used charcoal, graphite, dark spice with palate heat, burned ambers, incense, rubber toy, dry crushed rocks, moist clay & top soil, dry stone, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, moist, forest floor with dry leaves with withering; dark, red, purple flowers framed in violets & strong lavender. The acidity is round and a rushing river. The extremely long finish is, big, round, elegant, floral, well balanced, runs juicy to dry with persistence for days falling onto earthiness & dark spice on the long set.

Photos of, a plaque that hangs above my kitchen sink that speaks to me always, Dan Standish, his Cellar Door and surrounding buildings. — 6 years ago

Joshua Fisher

10

Drinking way out of my $ range .
1982
Don’t know how to describe this. Left full by a guest attending Napa Premiere. Thank you who ever that was.
— 7 years ago