Far From The Crowd
Domaine Faiveley (Joseph Faiveley)
Mercurey Pinot Noir
Sourced from 5 parcels spread throughout 95 acres. Vines date back as far as 1962 and soils are primarily clay and limestone. Dark Ruby color with aromas of red fruits and gentle spice. On the palate flavors of cherry and raspberry with herb and peppery spice. Fine tannins, medium+ finish, well balanced, ending with fruit and mineral character. — 3 years ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Rioja Rosé Blend 2010
A timeless gem that escapes boundaries. Poised, elegant, unconventional.
The nose is somewhere between a fino sherry, a v. light Vernatsch and southern Rhône white. Nutty, salty with dried strawberries, hibiscus, but also some sharp lemon freshness. A meditation wine - changing, evolving, enticing.
Silky & a bit creamy on the palate, with a touch of tannins, sharp, salty acidity, almost fruitless - and yet with such depth, precision & presence. This is as far from the avg. rosé as it gets. A mind boggling, delicious, slightly funky, grand wine. Amazing.
And at 13y - a baby. — 3 years ago
Ridge Vineyards
East Bench Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2019
Intense and dense but vivid aromas of strawberries, raspberry toffee, bramble, roses, Pronounced savoury and earthy spice character of cinnamon, nutmeg and a sweet vanilla note that brings a balanced complexity.
Palate is dry, medium acidity and Medium fruity tannins, soft and approachable but still it provides a solid framework that guards the palate, well integrated alcohol in a full body with a sweet and ripe, toffee like red fruit, profile that remain its nerve and tension and is far from feeling heavy. A dimensional complexity of vanilla and spice brings nuance a cross the mid palate through a solid finish that falls a tad short from the major league. — 5 years ago
Far Niente Winery
Post & Beam Napa Valley Chardonnay 2019
From the Far Niente winery. Tasted their new ‘19 offering twice. Pale lemon with aromas of stone fruit, floral, spice and citrus. On the palate apple, melon and pear flavors, with lemon zest, vanilla and toasty notes. Nice balance with bright acidity on long finish, savory with spicy rich oaky mineral ending, very nice! — 5 years ago
Far Niente Winery
Post & Beam Carneros Chardonnay 2023
Fragrant aromas of lemon curd, yellow apple, white flowers, wet stones and orange zest. Flavors of lemon, melon, pear, peach and tropical fruits. Light notes of vanilla, saline and subtle oak on the long and vibrant finish. Elevated acidity (but still well balanced) and a soft creamy texture. Bright, clean and crisp with a slight bit of heft. Approachable and refreshing. Outstanding quality! Excellent wine from an excellent producer. Thank you so much for the gift, Keith S! — 3 months ago
Far Niente Winery
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Far Niente – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2022 🇺🇸
Napa Valley, California
Overview
An outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon showing remarkable structure and exceptional mouthfeel. Dark-fruited, intense, and beautifully multi-layered, a textbook Far Niente expression crafted with finesse.
Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry compote, and plum lead the charge, supported by subtle cocoa, graphite, and warm spice. The layers reveal themselves gradually, each turn more compelling than the last.
Mouthfeel
Polished, concentrated, and silky with balanced tannins. The weight is assertive yet refined, a seamless glide across the palate.
Food Pairings
Perfect with grilled ribeye, slow-braised short ribs, truffle-infused dishes, or aged cheeses.
Verdict
Well made, well structured, and beautifully expressive. This 2022 vintage captures everything one expects from Far Niente: elegance, depth, and a long, confident finish. — 7 months ago
Rockford
Basket Press Barossa Valley Shiraz 2015
Delicious, mildly spicy Australian Shiraz, gift from Far East trip, served with swordfish on Drakes Island — 3 years ago
Robert Mondavi Winery
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Overrated. I’ll go as far as to say all Napa wine is overpriced these days.
Like… it’s good. But really, I can buy a better Italian wine for half the price.
These days, the best American wine is coming from Oregon, not California. Don’t @ me. — 4 years ago
Cameron Winery
Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2018
Pop and pour, 1hr slow ox. Third btl from a half case. No brett or reduction on this btl, go figure (see previous notes for context). Lovely Cameron mushroomy funk, sandalwood, dark wild strawberry..fantastic purity. My favorite btl so far aromatically. On the palate: very good acidity, nice and savory with some earthy bark notes, maybe thinner than I would like, but very finely grained tannin on the finish. This btl is drinking very well now. — 5 years ago
Far Niente Winery
Dolce Napa Valley Sémillon Blend 2012
This is a delicious sweet wine from Napa Valley.
Deep gold in color.
Showing Sweet tangerines, apricots, peaches, spices and tropical fruits.
Full bodied with high acidity. Sweet on the palate with nice complexity.
Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years and see how it evolves.
A very tasty dessert wine. Rich and extracted. Delicious.
A blend of 89% Semillon and 11% Sauvignon Blanc.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$85 (375ml) — 5 years ago
Clos des Papes
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhône Blend 2023
Pierre Gonon
Saint-Joseph Syrah 2023
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2023 pours a ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with an explosion of smoked blackberry pie, purple flowers, bacon fat, olive, black pepper, and subtle warm spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose however, the wine finishes much more elegant than the nose would suggest. The bouquet might lead one to think this is possibly over the top. However, on the palate, it was far more elegant. Another vintage, another stunning Gonon. Drink now through 2043. — 7 months ago
Domaine François Buffet
Les Narbantons Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023
This is such a special Savigny. Stunning nose of dark flowers, dark cherry fruit, gorgeous clear earth and loads of violets. I love the darker fruit profile of this wine. The nose is so fragrant. Just layered and complex but so floral. 9.6 nose. I said what I said. Palate is gorgeous but needs to catch up to the nose which it will and always does. Tannic but sweet, long and lingering and great freshness and the classic darker fruit profile that Buffet always gets from this site. Really fresh and full of energy but man oh man does this need air. Most backwards so far of all the 23 Buffets. I’ll be back. This needed 36 hours or so to come around. It’s elegant, serious and stunning but needs 20 years. 9.3 to 9.4. — a year ago
Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1996
Quite deep ruby slightly narrower rim . This is more closed than any of the previous wines . Quite austere and more mineral , grafite notes . Quite serious on the palate with mineral and dusty cassis , cedar . Good refreshing acidity , slightly dry gritty tannins noticeable . This probably shows the best balance of the 4 so far , all the parts seem better integrated. Dark cassis , cedar and grafite , though not the marine/seashell influence of the 1995. Better length than all the previous wines . This will go further and is probably in the middle of its drinking window, from now and onwards for another 10 years perhaps ? — 3 years ago
Domaine du Pegau
Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2019
The first of my small tranche of 2019 Cuvée Reservée’s and I figured it would be fun to share with the Tasting Group. Popped and poured and presented double-blind. The wine pours a translucent, deep ruby with magenta rim, near opaque core, medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine was clean with macerated raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruits. There were purple flowers, some black pepper and rocky minerality along with a slightly gamey note which was quite charming. Both the fruit and non-fruit characteristics were confirmed on the palate. The wine finishes dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. There’s a compelling sense of power and energy in this wine. Everyone was in the Rhône but most were in the North; from Saint Joseph to Cornas, citing that they believed this was Syrah. However, two in the group called Châteauneuf du Pape and one actually called producer (!!) but missed on vintage (2016). Universally, the wine was fawned over and the dude who called Pagaü thought he actually favored the 2019 over the 2016 he had a while back. While I’m not sure I would go that far, the 2019 is truly quite stunning already and seems to have the guts to see a very long and wonderful life ahead. These are currently enjoying their customary early drinking window however, that window will likely close within a year or so and then I could see this shutting down pretty hard until 2025 — 4 years ago
Matias Riccitelli
The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree Malbec 2020
Staff BBQ; minimal notes, but my ratings are accurate; balanced, enjoyable — 5 years ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
There are a number of things I can say about Leoville Barton. For me, it is a storied property and experience.
To this point, I have had quite a few 2000 Bordeaux’s, none of them ready as this one. Given what I know about Anthony & his legacy, most of his good vintages were made for your children. So, color me surprised.
While this 2000 is drinking well, it is far from its precipice. There is another 20 yrs plus of road here.
Sofia and I have had the pleasure of dining at the same table with Anthony Barton and his wife in the early teens of 2000. He was a salt of the earth gentleman. His wife, lovely. At dinner that night, he told us a story I will not forget. A story prompted by a question from my wife. He and his wife drove from France to Switzerland. They were stopped at the border and asked to get out of the car as they had a case of wine with them. At that time and maybe still now, you can’t take wine over the border into Switzerland. The border guard called the powers to be and recanted the story of them trying to bring wine into Switzerland. He told them their name. The person on the other end of the phone said, who? They said, Anthony Barton. The reply, was let him through. That’s respect!!!
His daughter Lilian has taken the helm. She is also salt of the earth and a great Bordeaux Ambassador. May Anthony RIP.
This 2000 is classic Bordeaux in every way.
The nose shows steeped & candied fruits that are; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, black cherries, purple & blue fruit hues (classic Barton). Graphite, dry tobacco, dry leather, dry limestone bits, dark Asian spices, dry herbs, dry river stone, dark, rich, forest floor, anise to black licorice, mid colas, fresh, candied to withering florals that are; dark, red, blue and violets.
The palate shows, M+ rounded, fine grain tannins. The nose mirrors the palate in many ways. Steeped, candied, ripe, juicy fruits that are; brambly blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, black cherries, raspberries, purple & blue fruit hues. Leoville Barton shows purple & blue fruits more than most other left bank producers. Graphite, dry tobacco, cedar, dry leather, dry limestone bits, dry top soils, saline, caramel, mocha powder, German chocolate cake, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, dark Asian spices w/ some heat, dry herbs, touch of black pepper, grilled meats, dry river stone, dark, rich, forest floor, anise to black licorice, black tarriness, mid colas, fresh, candied to withering florals that are; dark, red, blue and framed in liquid violets, acidity is grand, well balanced/structured, highly toned, elegant & smartly polished finish that lasts minutes and settles on earth & dark spice.
Decanted 90 minutes and enjoyed over nearly three hours.
Appreciated the 12.5% ABV. Many would say that is not possible in the modern wine era. Anthony says otherwise w/ his 2000.
95-96. — a day ago