Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured from my cellar. The cork was absolutely perfect. The 2005 pours a rather turbid, deep garnet at nearly 17 years old. There's quite a bit of fine sediment that clings to the edge of the glass with each swirl. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this was initially a bit grumpy but within minutes, it relaxed and started to show some real charm. A fully developed wine, this is becoming a bit of a Leather Daddy, full of leather (obviously), bruised and desiccated red, black and blue fruits, Christmas spice fruit cake, coffee, damp earth, and candied nuts. On the palate, the fruit remains quite stunning and confirms the mix of bruised and desiccated fruit with a sort of sherried character. Loads of salmiakki (salted licorice), spiced nuts, pepper, coffee and, you guessed it, leather. The wine was dry, technically, but almost gives the sensation of some RS with all of the over-ripe fruits and the texture was almost sappy, in some ways. However, while this was absolutely rich and well-endowed, it was not cloying. Tannins have fully integrated (though still present) and the acid was like a girdle keeping everything held together. This remains a rather large personality even if it's showing its age. Definitely in a lovely spot...but how much longer will that last? If this wasn't my last bottle, I would probably be drinking these over the next five years unless you want the full Leather Daddy experience...which is okay if that's your thing. — 4 years ago

Wulf Losee

9.8

2018 vintage tasted June 2021. If I were to blind-taste this wine, I would have never guessed it’s a Cab! I think I’d say it was some sort of weird blend of Pinotage and Merlot. But if the tasting judge pulled off the wrapper, I would smack my forehead in embarrassment and exclaim, “of course it’s a Cab, but it’s soooo unique!” The tannic structure is not what you get from a Cab from its optimal growing regions (Napa, Sonoma, Coonawarra). The body is lighter, and its medium tannic structure lets a lot of spice through. I don’t think it’s quite as good as the 2016 vintage, but I have to give it same 9.8 rating which I gave the 2016. Maybe I should edit my 2016 rating and push it up to 9.9? (I’ve never given a wine a 10 or even a 9.9, but maybe I’m being too much of a wine snob?) Anyway, I taste so few wines at this level of sophistication that I worry I am underrating it and that I’m not damning it with faint 9.8 praise.

This wine is young, but I’m sure it will be fully drinkable in 20 years (long after I’m gone!). But I’m not sure it will get any better with age—rather it will only change from great to a different great.

Tasting notes: cinnamon and blackberries on the nose. Dry red fruit on the front. Medium tannic structure—not silky, but not puckery. It has a long finish with all sorts of spicy post-orgasmic pleasures.

All I can say is, if it you can get yourself on the Quilceda Creek mailing list, you will be blessed, and you will be one of the coolest wine drinkers around. — 5 years ago

Alison

9.3

It’s so bright and juicy and drinkable, with just a bit of sort of peppery bite at the end. Delicious — 6 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Goodbye dry January — 6 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.7

Pairing tip; Beautiful and amazing people go well with great wine. This 2014 is singing perfectly right now, however will continue to evolve nicely with some additional age. Racy, fresh, and vibrant. Green apple skin, citrus, chalk, and oyster shells. A clean salinity carries loads of minerals, citrus blossoms, and some unripe nectarine. And that acidity! This is alive and electrifying; like French kissing a 220 volt outlet. Lightning in a bottle. Sort of like the wonderful, exciting people in the picture. ⚡️ Popping a Raveneau is great, but sharing it with my friends was lightning across the mid-summer night sky. — 7 years ago

with Anne-marie and Ron

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; consumed over four hours. Needed some time to open but already entering a much better, more pleasant place than when these were released. The nose is loaded with fresh brambles and underbrush. After about three hours of air, it also added a sort of spiced meat element. Lip smacking dark forest fruits on the palate. Wonderful balance. This is my sort of Zinfandel. Still a young pup...the future is bright for these. Drink now with a long decant or hold. Best after 2019. — 8 years ago

Jack Goldenberg

9.3

I’ve read the other comments and I sort of disagree. ‘83 was a classic year in Bordeaux. This is Classic Mouton Rothschild. The wine is fully aged, but it evolved after being opened and decanted for an hour. The fruit came out and the wine showed great power. It was delightful!
— 4 years ago

with Linda

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.2

Sticking with the “great wines from grapes you’ve never heard of” theme for a while longer, why not join me for a sip of this alpine gem. Grown in the northerly reaches of Italy’s Valle d’Aosta, just over the border with France and Switzerland, and in some of Europe’s highest altitude vineyards (1200 meters) this wine is made from the Prié Blanc grape. Prié Blanc is the region’s only indigenous white grape, and is rarely found within the Valle d’Aosta, let alone outside of it. Vibrating with mineral intensity, the wine tastes of green apple, lemon cucumber, dried honey, and a hint of herbs. Electric acidity and a sort of peach-pit tanginess linger in the finish. Because the region is mostly tiny growers, Cave Mont Blanc is a cooperative, and a very high-quality one at that. — 4 years ago

Taylor Styers

9.0

Balcony wine with Sam 💕 aka — 5 years ago

A. R.

9.0

Fascinating wine. Sort of a blend of a Chianti and a village burgundy....sour cherry and roses, a little funk, high acid, med high tannin. Quite good. 12.50€ — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Celebrating 15 years since Holly and I first met each other at a rather life changing Super Bowl party. This 2005 Henriot is not life changing...but it’s is quite good. Cellared since release, it has held up quite well. The color is a striking gold with a persistent mousse. Slightly oxidative, I would categorize this as leaning towards the richer end of the spectrum with lemon curd, nuts and a light touch of brioche. Actually, it sort of reminded me of an English lemon tart. Anyway, it was tasty and it hit the spot. You could hold these longer for sure but I would probably just drink’em now as I don’t anticipate and further positive development. — 6 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.2

Candy. That sort of transcendent cotton candy not dense at all just weightless and so so slutty. Just what I was looking for. — 7 years ago

Bret Barker

8.9

Birthday wine tasting-not a bad bottle in the bunch! We had two mags of this and well. It was disappointing. Not a lot of fruit or structure. They weren’t shot just sort of there. It really stood out against the Conterno and flaccianello — 8 years ago

with Ben, Jason and 1 other

Daniel Bloom

9.4

Beautifully Salty, sort of pear/ Green apple goodness. On a hot August eve, that funk is quite refreshing.
As Townsend said” Extra, extra, miracle cure”
Wow…The beach. — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

This was a fun one. A friend of mine, a wine guy that predominately drinks new world Cabernet Sauvignon, was visiting my place and wanted to try something from the old world. I figured it might be fun to try two different expressions of Syrah from the Rhône; one from the North (Auguste Clape’s “Le Vin des Amis” with vines located in and around Cornas) and one from the South (Chateau Fortia “Reserve” from Chateauneuf du Pape). Both bottles were from the same vintage and aged (at least partially) in foudre. Popped and poured. “Le Vin des Amis” appears as a deep, glass staining purple color with medium+ viscosity. On the nose, high intensity with purple flowers and a powerful bacon fat/deli case smell. Funky, but not in a barnyard sort of way; more like a reductive sort of way. The funk eventually blew off after 15-20 minutes. There are blue fruits with a generous amount of black pepper. On the palate, blue and red fruits with black pepper, lavender and iron-like minerals. Medium tannin, Medium+ acid. Medium alcohol. Long, lip smacking finish. A very giving wine that punches way high above its weight class considering this is Clape’s “entry level” wine. Clape’s “entry-level” offering — 4 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.0

Citrus-saline accord. Very rounded and modern. Creamy, rich. It is sort of like a salty cross between the richness of a village meursault with chablis minerality. Very well-made, but as to type rather beguiling. — 5 years ago

with Alsu

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Nose is sort of a tropical fruit compote. Pungent but elegant.

Palate is delicious ripe fruit. Wow. Would not guess Loire. Almost hubackery. Juicy. So succulent. Sleek lovely sexy texture.

As this opens you get that cheniny ness.

Not sure if this vintage is at all representative.

Huge juiciness on the finish.

Bought from fass selections. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.5

And they call this their “second” wine. After McHenry in Santa Cruz, Seavey was an absolute show stopper for me on our recent trip to wine country. We had the opportunity to try five different wines with three bonus pours from recent and library wines and I tell you: All 👏🏼 eight 👏🏼 were 👏🏼 bangers 👏🏼. From their Chardonnay (which was sprung on us the moment we arrived, was acid driven and had the most delightful spine of minerals that I could have sworn it was GC Chablis), to their Rosé (which is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend and bends what’s possible with the genre) to their Founder’s Reserve (which didn’t present much in the value dept. but was a killer wine nevertheless). Anyway, this 2005 Caravina is positively singing right now. Opulent amounts of plums, cassis, brambles, and sweet tobacco with secondary characteristics juuuuust starting to make their appearance: leather, truffle, and forest floor. Moderate acid. Firm tannins still! What a beauty...in a sort of masculine way. America! — 6 years ago

Jake Baker

9.6

My favorite flavor profile of sort of bready cider — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.1

Getting some air before we approach... To be paired with a beautiful piece of Halibut poaching in the oven now.

Ok, this is an interesting bottle...For certain appears oxidized in the glass, but it's not (really). The nose has some sort of clementine/tangerine thing happening with citrus pith and white flowers, maybe a touch on the oxidative but the bottle is still recently opened. The palate has acidity, almonds, pear and honey, medium-short finish. A very intriguing bottle...Go seek one out! — 8 years ago