Erin Merchant

8.9

So surprisingly smoky and sweet, but not in the way you’d expect when someone says it. This wine is delicate, light bodied, summery, but with fresh plum in your hand and a little smoke on the air. It’s got some green garden going on. It’s a surprise of something you love satisfying you on a hot day. — 3 years ago

David G. Speakman

9.0

First tastes were deliciously chocolaty. Aftertaste is bittersweet. It’s a thick dark beer. Alcohol content is 6%. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I bought 3 or 4 bottles of the 06 Heitz Napa. I think this is my first bottle. I either have none or one left. Better gets notes tonight! I think I gave others away. What was I thinking? Wine is meant to be shared.

What is better than paying around $33 for a bottle of wine, forgetting about it for twelve years and having it blossom on your palate the way it is tonight? This is a prime example of two things; you don’t need to spend a hundred(s) for a really good bottle of wine and their is absolutely no substitution for appropriate cellaring time.

The nose reveals; steeped, dark fruit wading in fruits of ripe/ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked, black plum & strawberries, hovering raspberries with pomegranate, light liqueur notes. Mild alcohol vapors, black licorice, sweet tarriness, mixed dark fruit cola/licorice, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, saddle-wood, graphite, dark rich souls, forest floor with dry leaves, dry crushed rocks, dry twigs, tree sap, mint/eucalyptus, soft leather, dry tobacco with ruby, brilliant, fresh & withering, candied; dark, red, purple florals with a field of violets.

The body is, rich, ruby and creamy with fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked, black plum & strawberries, hovering raspberries with pomegranate that shows light liqueur notes. Mild alcohol vapors, black licorice, dark, steeped, black , assorted fruit teas, sweet tarriness, mixed dark fruit cola/licorice, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, caramel, mocha, saddle-wood, graphite, savory grilled meats, dark rich souls, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clay & top soil, dry crushed rocks, dry twigs, tree sap, mint/eucalyptus, hints of Provence herbs, soft leather, dry tobacco with ruby, brilliant, fresh & withering, candied; dark, red, purple florals with a field of violets. The acidy is like a cool waterfall on a warm day. The beautiful, elegant, extremely well knitted balance is in the realm of “forget about it”. Sometimes the right wine, when it’s right, moves the entire body. Such as it is tonight.

The tension, structure, length and balance have just hit their high point and will remain there for another five years into a slow decline over the next 10-15 years, stored impeccably.

This might be the best Napa Heitz I’ve bought & stored. It’s stunning and way over delivering its price point. One complex wine!!!

Photos of; Heitz Winery, tasting bar, tasting room garden patio and the Hwy 29 signage for the tasting room with the valley floor vines that surround their tasting room. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

Mother Mary of God! Just give me the bottle and a crazy straw. I want all my wine to taste this way.

The nose is; ruby and velvety elegance. Creamy, candied, ripe; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum & poached strawberries. Red licorice, candied, bright, florals for days. Dry crushed rocks, limestone, light, round granite, black licorice, sweet tarriness, expresso roast, dry leather, cedar, dry stems, vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, light clove & nutmeg, beautiful, soft, herbaceous notes with crazy beautiful fields of; red, purple and blue flowers.

The body is full, round and the definition of elegance. The dark, tarry tannins are well rounded and have baby teeth. The structure, tension, length and balance are perfectly knitted together. Magnificent! Creamy, candied, ripe; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum & poached strawberries. Red licorice, candied, bright, florals for days. Dry crushed rocks, limestone, light, round granite, black licorice, sweet tarriness, expresso roast, dark, intense, spice with palate heat, dry leather, cedar, dry stems, vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, light clove & nutmeg, saline, dry tobacco with ash, beautiful, soft, herbaceous notes with crazy fields of; red, purple and blue flowers. The acidity is round-elegant and like a warm shower. The finish is simply a forget about it experience. It is gorgeous & sexy and a wine I will never forget. This is a 100 point wine in short order. Don’t be foolish enough to open a bottle now unless you have at least 3-5 more. You’ll be robbing yourself of heaven.

Photos of; Chateau Palmer, their barrel room, a photo of their vineyard soil structure-if you didn’t know where all that earthiness comes from, a picture is worth a thousand words and their tasting room. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is my second favorite food & wine pairing. The two together are a perfect 10. It is simply my favorite pork chop and there isn’t a close second.

This is the Mustard’s Restaurant in Napa recipe which, they have sold over a million.

There are a dozen different seasoning/spices to this two-day pork chop marinade that brings such depth of flavors & complexity to it. The spices penetrate deep onto the palate. The wine marries and complements all those seasonings & spices perfectly with just the right amount of restrained sweetness and texture.

The nose reveals; stone fruits, Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime candy, pineapple juice, green melon, applesauce, just a touch of petroleum, honey notes, waxy notes, touch of beeswax, light white spice, chalky saline notes, mixed greens, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers.

The body is thick, rich, lush and waxy. Stone fruits, Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, lime candy, pineapple juice, green melon, applesauce, just a touch of petroleum, honey notes, waxy notes, touch of beeswax, light white spice, chalky saline notes, light, powdery minerals, mixed greens, yellow lilies, jasmine and spring flowers. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is; rich, lush, ripe, well balanced, delicious and persists nicely for minutes.

@Shay A Am I tempting you yet?

Photos of; the Long Shadows tasting room (just voted a top ten tasting room), the amazing glass blown artwork all over their tasting room and our dinner with this amazing American Riesling pairing. Green beans from our garden. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, deep Ruby with aromas of ripe dark fruits, spice and floral notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry, plums and black cherry with toasty oak, cacao and espresso. Fine soft tannins, long finish ending with fruit, oak and spice. Still has room to age, but nice now! — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Great bottle of wine from Northern Rhône. A blend of 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier, aromas dark fruits with notes of toast, espresso and cigar box spice. On the palate sweet blackberry and plum flavors with cacao and tobacco notes. Good balance with fine soft tannins, long ending with earthy mineral character. Developing nicely and has lots of room to age. Consistently good. A Fav! — 5 years ago

Marc Ouellette

9.3

Bring this wine to your dining room table and invite your best friends over!! — 6 years ago

Debra Copeland, WSET3, CSWS

9.0

Earthy, ripe cherry and chocolate on the nose and palate with a full body. This is an incredible BC Pinot! — 6 years ago

Ira Schwartz

10

Flashback 20+ years ago to the Wine Library in New Jersey. Walking with my 14-year-old niece she was drawn to a double magnum sitting in the corner of the cold room. She exclaimed, “ Uncle Ira , that is the biggest bottle of wine I have ever seen.” Excited by her enthusiasm I told her I would buy it and we would drink it at her wedding. That opportunity presented itself this weekend. I decided this was best consumed at the rehearsal dinner. As one would expect the bottle drew its share of oohs & aahs. The cork was pristine. I should have decanted as the bottle had a ton of sediment. On the nose; earth, hints of leather, and tobacco. In the mouth a textbook example of an aged California Bordeaux blend. Concentrated flavors of red and dark fruit, herbs, vanilla, and graphite flow into a stunning finish that still has a tannic structure. An elegant and seamless wine that has years of life remaining . I have been fortunate to taste wines that could bring you to tears. This bottle brought me to tears before a drop of wine touched my lips — 6 years ago

with Randy, Monica and 1 other

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

What a great vintage. Its tannin structure will outlive the 09 and anyone 45 and older. The 2010 is a forever vintage and while different than 09, it will undoubtedly be just as great. It’s just going to take a lot more bottle age than the 09.

The body is full and round. The tannins have rounded but are still big and chewy. It’s more concentrated than 09. The fruit is really beautiful and again perfectly ripe. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, dark plum, poached strawberries with hints of raspberries. Soft soil structure; dry top soil, moist clay, medium intensity dark spice, fresh tobacco, dry herbs, crushed rock powder, with dark, withering florals with violets. The texture is velvety. The structure and tension are big. The length and balance are worthy of its perfect score. For me, it’s just not there, yet! The acidity is really good. The long, lush, ripe, well balanced, polished finish is deliciously persistent.

Photos of; our dinner group, tasting room at Pontet Canet, the horse plows they still use in the fields and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

The community of Saint-Estèphe has it roots in the Gallo-Roman origins of this chateau. A blend of 78% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot. Deep Ruby with aromas of dense sweet black fruits with herb and earthy spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry, currant like, with tobacco, tar and hints of vanilla exposing mushroom notes. Well balanced, ripe textured tannins, long finish ending with earthy character. Nice, has plenty of room to develop. — 6 years ago

Peter Hamilton

9.0

Saturday night pre-bday. Nice dry finish, strong dark fruits, and lovely for a brisk evening sunset at the Fog Room. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Deep Ruby with black fruit aromas, earthy herb scents and soft spice. On the palate sweet fruits, cherry and currants, with licorice, tobacco and cacao notes on fine tannins, nice balance. Medium+ finish ending with fruit and earthy oak, very nice and has some room for cellaring. — 3 years ago

Thomas McKee

9.3

Little Engine Pinot and turkey. A match made in heaven — 4 years ago

Sarah Norman

9.2

Bought @ waiting room — 6 years ago

with Torey

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.

There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.

This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.

The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.

The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.

The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.

Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It has been awhile since we’ve had the 2014 and it’s evolving nicely.

My suggestion is you chill down the Davis Chardonnay, take it out of chill mode a half-hour to forty-minutes prior to enjoying. Then, get this soft white cheese from Harbison Cellars - Spruce Bark Wrapped Bloomy Rind and the Firehook crackers and enjoy them all together. They are a Heavenly pairing together.

As for the 2014 Davis Chardonnay, the nose reveals, more honey notes, overripe; pineapple flesh, golden apple, sour Meyer lemons. Apricots, peach, lime candy, green apple, beeswax, honeycomb, tangerine notes, saline, excellent, soft chalkiness, limestone & grey volcanic minerals, a little white spice, yellow lilies, fruit blossoms, jasmine with a touch of mixed greens.

The body is full, thick, lush and rich. The texture is gorgeous and sexy...beautifully delicious over the palate. Lots of honey notes, over ripe; pineapple flesh, golden apple, sour Meyer lemons. Apricots, peach, lime candy, more green apple, beeswax, honeycomb, tangerine notes, caramel, a touch of toffee, butter, cream, saline, excellent, soft chalkiness, limestone & crushed, grey volcanic minerals, a little white spice with a touch of heat, yellow lilies, fruit blossoms, jasmine with a touch of mixed greens. The acidity is excellent, round and phat. The long, rich, lush, gorgeous, sexy, well balanced finish persists nicely for minutes.

Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better CA Chardonnay for the money. $36 member price and $48 non-member price.

You want to enjoy this just below room temperature to get all it has to offer.

Photos of, the right side view from their terrace with their signature windmill, the center direct view of the valley floor through to the other side, the Harbison soft white cheese & Firehook crackers to a pair with the Davis Chardonnays.

Their Chardonnays show varying nuisances year to year but, are very consistent in quality year to year. — 6 years ago

Rick K

9.2

From 375. Dark cherries, leather. Nice, but a long life ahead. Sucks to drink such a good wine from a crappy hotel room glass, but nice to find something this good on the road. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Mid Crimson in colour with a slight cloudiness. Fresh plummy skinnsy aromas - also notes of freshly cut Guava said the wife. Stems and stalks have been included in the ferment with 88 days on Skins. A 92/8 Grenache/Syrah Blend. Light to medium bodied palate of jubey fruit pastilles - like grape juice. Medium intensity with almost zero tannins. Designed to be drunk young with gusto.! The Green Room being a surfing term for being under the lip in the Barrel - Taras Ochota being a keen surfer would have been in the Green Room many times in Barrels off Mexico. A delicious natural wine - no need to cellar. — 7 years ago