Shay A

@Delectable Wine : This is the Westborn Rosé. I didn’t see it in the database.

Very fortunate to try a project that is six years in the making. From the team of Weston Eidson, Russell Bevan, and Nate Reeves comes a sparkling wine project that began in 2018. There will be four wines: a NV perpetual reserve, vintage Brut, vintage Blanc de Blanc and a vintage Rosé. Overview:

“WESTBORN is dedicated to crafting limited-production traditional method sparkling wines that express the terroir of some of the most prestigious “Grand Cru” type Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier vineyards in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino—iconic names like Hyde, Hudson, Charles Heintz, Ritchie, Silver Eagle, UV, Gap’s Crown, Durell, Ferrington, and van der Kamp. The inaugural release will be this Fall. Signups to receive an allocation can be done at westbornwine.com.”

100% Pinot noir; 6 months in barrel, 52 months in bottle; 4g/l dosage

2019 Rosé- Again, the immediate reaction here is TEXTURE. Aromatically it is strawberry and red florals. On the palate, this sports an elegant and pretty profile, but power lurks in the background. Orange citrus core and the longer open the more creamy it became (strawberries and cream). The red fruit here is really nice. Of the three wines, this tastes the most “big house” in style (surprised at how similar this is to Billecart’s rosés…kind of in-between the NV rosé and their vintage Elizabeth). — 11 days ago

Shay A

9.2

If you can calibrate your mind for Turley (or Zins in general), these are fun and hedonistic wines to simply enjoy.

My first experience with the Turley Dusi. Initial impression is this has Paso all over it (as it should, since it’s a Paso vineyard) with a sense of weightless gravitas. Wave after wave of ripe fruits from the entire spectrum (red, blue and black berry fruits), cedar, espresso all on the nose. Little bit of EA sharpness (as I’ve found common with Turley) but only at levels to elevate the aromatics, not enough to detract from the overall profile. Mixed berry pie richness on the palate with more cedar, spiced plum, dark cocoa and just a faint profile of chewing tobacco leaves (not sure if that’s the profile of Dusi, or if that’s evolution after almost 8yrs). ABV is noticeable when warm but drinks nice closer to cellar temp. Pop corks and enjoy over the next few years. — a month ago

Shay A

9.2

85 merlot/ 10 CabSauv/ 5 CabFranc

Pop and poured. Very pretty and elegant. Not a blockbuster vintage, but not a slacker in StEm. This Clos Fourtet isn’t flamboyant nor lean, but quite balanced. Deep ruby + purple in the glass, it looks as though it will be heavy and powerful, but it sports lots of potpurri, espresso, and inky black fruits aromatically all wrapped a delicate profile. Good weight on the palate. Very clean (zero Brett). This may lean slightly modern, but the tannin and herbal bite at the finish snap you back to France. Not surprisingly, the last glass was best. No rush here, but a quick dash of air opens the gates. — a month ago

Shay A

9.4

Shay had this 2 months ago

with Bryan

Shay A

@Delectable Wine : This is the Westborn Perpetual Reserve NV01. I didn’t see it in the database.

Very fortunate to try a project that is six years in the making. From the team of Weston Eidson, Russell Bevan, and Nate Reeves comes a sparkling wine project that began in 2018. There will be four wines: a NV perpetual reserve, vintage Brut, vintage Blanc de Blanc and a vintage Rosé. Overview:

“WESTBORN is dedicated to crafting limited-production traditional method sparkling wines that express the terroir of some of the most prestigious “Grand Cru” type Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier vineyards in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino—iconic names like Hyde, Hudson, Charles Heintz, Ritchie, Silver Eagle, UV, Gap’s Crown, Durell, Ferrington, and van der Kamp. The inaugural release will be this Fall. Signups to receive an allocation can be done at westbornwine.com.”

Perpetual Reserve- 9 months in barrel, 35 months in bottle; 4g/l dosage; 50/42/8 (chard, Pinot, meunièr); 50% reserve/50% 2020 vintage

For a sparkling wine, the immediate reaction is this has insane TEXTURE! The use of perpetual reserve has this gorgeously layered. Definitely sports a grower champagne vibe, this one in the Bereche camp…gold in the glass with an abundance of spiced fruits (pear, golden apple) as well as honey roasted cashews and nutmeg, all while retaining vibrant acidity. There is a kiss of oxidation (in a good way, as Bereche can do). Balanced and powerful. — 11 days ago

Shay A

9.5

Two years since my last bottle, and the time definitely helped elevate the overall profile.

Annual anniversary opening of an Aubert as they are my wife’s favorite (and certainly up there in favorites for me as well).

The inaugural vintage for Park Avenue, this is a wine that bursts in to the room Kramer-style. No trepidation in profile for a first vintage wine, Park Avenue screams Aubert all day with some of the hallmarks of others in the lineup. To me, this seemed like a marriage of Larry Hyde (more acidity; bright) and CIX (more opulent; power). In the glass, I was surprised how clear this poured, and not the typical slightly cloudy look I’m used to. Aromatics of white peach, lemon scone, baking spices, and sea salt. The palate has Aubert richness and signature lemon cream, as well as a good vein of acidity (similar to LH, maybe also Powder House). Toes the line slightly toward elegant vs power (Lauren, CIX). Gorgeous mid-palate texture, lingering finish. Another home-run for the Aubert portfolio. — a month ago

Shay A

9.4

Shay had this 2 months ago

with Bryan

Shay A

9.4

I’ve had a few Law wines and have enjoyed them all, but this bottle of “The Nines” was a total stunner. In a lineup of 16 bottles of Grenache (Andremily, SQN, Fingers Crossed, Saxum, Lillian, Alban, Pegau Capo, Prefert, Clarendon Hills, etc), this was one of the more surprising wines of the day (in a good way).

100% Grenache. Removed the cork for about an hour ahead of time. Undeniable Grenache aromatics of red florals, cherry/kirsch liqueur, black peppered strawberries, and fruitcake. As Grenache so wonderfully does, it has a weightless yet commanding palate…kaleidoscope of red and black berries, sweet jerky, and an interplay of both sweet and spicy spices. Doesn’t show whole cluster/green hints like some of the others, and it also doesn’t show overwhelming vanilla/oak tannin either. Elegant and delicious.

May have underscored this… — 14 days ago

Shay A

9.4

Shay had this a month ago

with jesus

Shay A

9.4

94-95

My first Gonon StJo…unfortunately, I loved it. Wish these were easier to find at good prices!

At 8yrs, this was so perfumed out of the glass. At 90% whole cluster, it shows typical green/stemmy aromatics but it’s not the dominant note, trending toward green peppercorns, violets/potpurri, olive, and black cherries. Mineral notes, pepper, mix of red and black fruits, mocha, and so much verve on the palate, absolutely buzzing both days. This wine is floral and herbal but with so much power and balanced fruit…kind of a wild-ness to it that I loved. What a beautiful expression of Syrah. Killer.

Day two showed the whole cluster aromatics fade a bit, but it also showed the palate bulk up. So good. — a month ago