Dana Dibble
Tenute Loacker
Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2013
This is a great Brunello, at a not-crazy price. Heavy, interesting nose w dark fruit and a oregano/basil kind of note. Some chocolate too. Substantial, spicier in palate, long finish. First bottle of half-bottle mixed case from Lower Falls - birthday present from Dana. — 4 years ago
Dana Estates
Hershey Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Vaso
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Welcoming the Holiday Season ⛄️❄️🎅🎁 Cheers!🥂
I posted their 2014 a few weeks ago. As I mentioned then, I bought the 13 & 15 before completing my 14 notes. While this has a yr on the 14, this is not as big as 14. Even with another yr in bottle, I expected this to have bigger teeth and it doesn’t entirely. 3 hrs in the decanter before beginning my notes. The 13 & 14 to me were not completely different. The 13’s I’ve had generally have bigger-brawnier tannins, but not significantly and not the case here with this 2013 tonight. I bought the 13 & 15 to do this comparison. The fruits on the 14 were more lush & ruby. Mildly surprising. This has more spice/earthiness and doesn’t lack a mid palate like the 14 did early on and eventually filled in.
The advantage of writing realtime notes is you can understand the changes with food. In this case a Ribcap. This was a far more lush with steak.
Now with a nearly 5 hour decant, the wine has added more lush Fruits.
Ruby & somewhat lush & juicy; dark currants, dry blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, poached strawberries, notes of pomegranate, raspberries & hues of blueberries. Deep, dark, spice w/ palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick and vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel hues, cocoa powder, dry tobacco w/ ash, graphite, leather, cedar, steeped black tea, dark, rich, slightly, sweet forest floor w/ dry leaves, dry top soil, dry brush, limestone & volcanic minerals, pepper, dry river stone & crushed rocks, dark, red, blue flowers, red roses with nice acidity and a well knitted-balanced, nicely toned- structured, elegant finish that lands on moist volcanic clays.
Definitely put on some weight, complexity & elegance the longer it was in the decanter.
If I’d tasted 13 & 14 blind and was asked to pick, which vintage was which. I would have said the 14 was the 13.
Props to their terroirs-vineyards, vineyard manager-team, they farm exceptional fruit for all three of the Dana labels. — a day ago
Vaso
Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2012
VASO cellars is essentially Dana Estate’s third label. However, what makes VASO unique is that while it’s a third label, the fruit that is used is the same fruit that goes in to Dana. No young vines or anything like that here. The main difference is the way it is oak aged. This SB comes from Dana’s Hershey Vineyard on Howell Mountain.
This is good. Like really good. Would love to try next to Dana’s own SB. 8yrs young and drinking wonderfully...almost shockingly so. This is like a combo of high end Bordeaux Blanc with Aesthete Sauv Blanc. Aromatically, it leaps from the glass with honeyed sea salt, grapefruit, lemongrass and white peach. On the palate, it is so textured and rich, almost creamy. More peach, poached pear, lemon oil, creamsicle, and wet rock. There is good acidity here (still at 8yrs for a Napa SB!), and while the profile is rounded, it’s certainly not flabby. One of the best Napa SBs I’ve tasted and still has a couple years of cruising at peak. I’m going to open my ‘13 soon, but I’m going to hold my ‘15 for a while! Best around cellar temp, don’t get it too cold or it will mute some of the flavors. I owe you for this one, @Mike R ! — 6 years ago
Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier
Clos de la Maréchale Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2018
This is great, except for the part where I opened it 5 years too early. After 2 hours, classy floral nose, with rose petals, something else, and a dusty note. Bottle #2 from the case of half bottles Dana got me. — 4 years ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
I bought this at K&L recently for $79 to judge their 3rd wine vs the younger Dana & Onda I have. This is made from de-selected fruit from their 3 primary single vineyards.
If you love lush/plush, ripe. bold Napa Cabernets, you will love the 2014 Vaso today. It’s still early but drinking nicely tonight. It took a 3 hr decant. Prior, it was missing a bit of a mid-palate. Not now!
The nose is beautiful. Dark currants-cassis, sandalwood, dry twig, dryish tobacco, mid intensity baking spices, dark chocolate, sweet tarriness, black licorice, dark to mid berry cola, steeped black tea, caramel/mocha, dry crushed rocks, candied to withering flowers framed in soft violets & lavender.
The palate is rich, lush, bold & striking. Dark currants-cassis, wild, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, both plums-black dominate to pudding, a buffet of mixed purple fruits, some baked strawberries w/ haunting raspberries. Bold, dark spices, caramel, mocha, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & a touch of vanilla, anise to black licorice, a mix of fresh & herbs, light cedar to sandalwood, dry tobacco with some ash, graphite, dry river stone, limestone marl, dry crush rocks, dry top soil, dark, withering to candied; dark, red flowers with violets, grand acidity, layered finish that is well balanced-structured, still well tensioned, elegant & smartly polished finish that goes on and on. Delicious, especially the longer it sat in the decanter. 3 hours total.
I bought 13 & 15 Vaso for the same price before finishing my comments.
This has 15-20 yrs of good drinking ahead.
@SimplyRedVirtualLiveHamburg — 15 days ago