Casey Curbow

Sales Associate Windsor Wine Merchants

9.6

I mean where’s so much hyped smoke there’s got to be legitimate fire. — 7 years ago

Tyrone Shaw

9.0

A decanter is necessary. Not as heavy as I initially thought. Opened up very nicely over as the time went by. Subtle bold flavours. Dark berries, wood fire, and shoulders. Elegant aroma. — 8 years ago

with N

Dick Schinkel

9.0

Special label, because of the fire on june 6 2015!
And yes you can notice the smoke on the nose ! Sara hope this wil dissapear the comming years ! Time wil tell .... — 8 years ago

ESF

9.0

As I was right next to a roaring fire, I had to get multiple confirmations that I was smelling a distinct smoke nose, but it is indeed there. This is an impressive wine, nose evolved over time showing a veritable catalog of fruit & secondary aromas. Lithe on palate: firm enough without getting bogged down by tannins: outstanding value. Last had this wine in 2000 and glad they are doing so well! — 9 years ago

Joe Flo

9.5

Ever bit as good as any Turley 2015 I've had. In many cases better. Wished I would have picked up more than 4 bottles. — 9 years ago

Ian Whitington

9.7

Great wine, drinking whilst overlooking the fire spitting out of Etna. I could drink this all day. — 10 years ago

Duane Mason

9.4

I love this Syrah. It is full of fruit , coffee and wonderful berry flavors along with a killer nose. Just great to slowly sip by the fire. Yum. — 10 years ago

Dock Hooks

9.2

Maroon to burgundy with a deeper burgundy rim, spin it around and dampened earth and last night's smoldering fire hits but mellows to spice interestingly accenting camomile and a way far-off Play-Doh fantasy then back to the smoldering ember blueberries and strawberries unctuously coating, clinging front to back, then the tannins squeeze the acid and fruit just enough to slow the flow for a lazy decent into a skinny-dipping swim, swirl and, hell yes, another swig, which at a mere 12% I want to dance all night! Don't know about you, but I plan to snag a couple of cases of this seductive stuff with the sunrise. For now, "a glass of red and the sunset..." — 10 years ago

Diane Withrow

9.0

Dry and complicated yet tasty. I'm picturing sipping this by the fire. This is not so much a Southern summer as an Autumn or Winter wine- but I also think of seasonality in weather and food as part of what my attraction. This is tasty. — 11 years ago

Marguerite Andrews

9.0

I haven't tried anything I wouldn't sip on or drink again from Cave B. This one has a wood fire nose and a bit of a pepper spiced finish. At least, that's how it tastes to me. Delicious. — 11 years ago

Maria Stuart

9.6

So delicious with creamy goat cheese polenta and wild mushrooms. I'm biased, but I love this wine. — 12 years ago

Arden Barnett

9.1

First introduction to the power of J.L. Chave. Dried blueberries and cherries fill the nose followed by a rush of pepper and freshly dried herbs, particularly thyme and rosemary. Dried cranberries and red currants lead the charge on the palate with smoked meat and the earthiness that I love from Rhône style wines right behind. Terrific mouthfeel with the right amount of tannins and acidity, and a long fruit forward finish. Chave’s Hermitage is a top dream wine for me, and this just adds fuel to the fire. — 8 years ago

Shawn Mundell

9.0

Whoa! My wife smells nail polish remover and as she described it I could too. Still, good like a warm fire. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

They should have called the Winery Floral Springs based on the nose. Beautiful; blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, touch of clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets. The tannins are 95% resolved. The body is lush & ripe. The length, tension & structure are nearing the end. Just a few years left of being worthwhile. However, the balance is stereo tuned. The fruit on the palate shows even more elegant & ripe floral fruits than the nose. Blackberry, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, dry cranberries and plum floral fruits. Nice spice, vanilla, light clove & cinnamon, used leather, dark rich soil, crushed volcanic minerals, black fruit tea, black raspberry cola and dark fresh florals with violets for days. The acidity is like a waterfall. The beautiful, long, elegant finish is a little lean yet has a nice richness. Beautiful wine that just missed 9.2. Photos top to bottom and left to right. The Winery; which is separate from the other tasting room only on Hwy 29. The tasting room on Hwy 29 in St. Helena, Flora Spring caves and the front of their tasting room along Hwy 29. Producer notes and history...the stone winery on the grounds were built in 1885 by two immigrant brothers from Scotland, James and William Rennie. They were in construction, built the winery and planted 60 acres of grapes. The brothers had some bad fortune when phylloxera consumed the vines, and then a fire in 1900 destroyed their wine press and cooperage. In 1904, they sold the winery and fifteen years later Prohibition started. The winery was then closed until 1933. That year, Louis Martini, looked into their magic eight-ball and saw Prohibition collapsing and bought the Rennie property. They built a new stone house and also made a reserve wine from the hillside vineyards. However, the old winery remained empty until the Komes family bought the property, 325 acres, the old farm house, the newer stone house and 60 acres of vineyards. The son thought he’d persuade his dad to restore the old winery and proposed to call it Chateau Jerome. Although it had been designed by Hamden McIntyre an architect of several other classic 19th-century Napa wineries, by 1977, the place was a wreck. The tin roof of the building had so many holes in it. They called it the starlight roof. His father looked at it and stated, “I’ve worked all my life for my good name. I don’t want to squander it now.” John’s mother, Flora, however, sided with her son on the potential of the property. Carrie Komes suggested they could name the winery for her mother-in-law. Combined with the abundant springs on the land, they decided the name would be Flora Springs. It was a sure way to their mom’s heart and father’s wallet. Komes put his construction expertise to work on renovating the old winery, which still had scorch marks on the walls. So skeptical was his father about his son’s wine-making project, they divided the winery building. John rented half where he put his first fermenting tank, which he named R2D2. He invited a couple of friends from his wine-making class to help make wine at the new place. He also hired Mary Ann Graf, who in 1965 had been the first woman to graduate from the viticulture and enology department at UC Davis to help manage the project. She told John, “if you don’t hire a winemaker, I’ll quit.” He did and the 1979 Flora Springs chardonnay won a gold medal at the Los Angeles County Fair. In those days, it was fairs, not ratings. This was his first lesson in marketing as they sadly sold all the wine before they won the medal. Fairs were the big news instead of ratings as Parker had not yet risen to fame as he was the only one to call the grand 1982 Bordeaux vintage correctly. They submitted their 1981 Cabernet to eight fairs and won seven gold medals. From there, the winery just kept growing. They were the 67th winery in the county. Over the years, they had their ups and downs, but kept growing. One of their highlights was the creation this wine, Trilogy. It was one of the first Meritage blends in the valley. By 1984, they planted all the Bordeaux varietals; Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. They wanted to create a blend “by taste”, not by formula for a nice smooth wine that goes deep into the palate. They worked with a little of this and little of that. The first Trilogy was Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc. It was dubbed as velvet in the mouth. A lot of what they do is taming the tannins. One man who bought Trilogy by the case said, “it’s the only red wine his wife would drink young.” From the leftovers, they began making single-varietal estate wines. Another highlight was the discovery of a unique clone of Sauvignon Blanc in vineyards his father bought in Oakville. UC Davis could identify nothing like it in their vast library of clones. They were a bit ahead of the times, but this clone showed Flora Springs how different in that time period what Sauvignon Blanc could be like as it took all the grassiness out of Sauvignon Blanc. — 8 years ago

Kat Collins

9.8

Rare I give a wine such props, but Va La makes exquisite wines. Blend of malvasia nero, barbera, sagrantino, carmine, lagrein, charbono, teroldego, petit verdot. Deep rich mahogany color with a slight burnished copper edge. Oozing notes of black cherry, juicy blackberry, soft tobacco, forest floor, and a hint of racy leather and rubber tires. This is one to savor slowly while sitting by a fire on a cold winter's night. Drinkable now but can easily cellar for years and it will only get better. — 11 years ago

eric kuziak

9.3

2012 $13 same as the 2011 I feel, crisp, nice finish. Goes well with a camp fire! — 11 years ago

Sarah O'Kelley

9.5

2011 - had this a few months ago w good friends by a fire w delicious cheese - sooo good!! — 11 years ago

with Pedro and Jenny

Kyle Altomare

Assistant Winemaker at Artesa Vineyards & Winery

9.5

This is one of the things I miss most about the Sonoma plaza. Working close enough to get my hands on this fire! — 12 years ago

with Steve

Erin Pooley

Owner/Winemaker Good Luck Wines

9.5

A later gram from my camera roll because delectable says I have never had a wine from kiwi land and that just isn't true! (I think the SAB is more readily available in AUS than water) — 13 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

If you haven’t explored Washington wines, you need to visit Walla Walla. They are making incredible wines that compete with any region in the world without exploiting your wallet. Their prices will rise in time as the demand grows but, for now, they are outstanding wines at reasonable prices.

One of their best producers is Long Shadows. Gilles Nicault is their talented Wine Director who is a French transplant. He works with several consultants who all work on one wine each. World famous; Michel Rolland, Randy Dunn and JohnDuvall who made Penfold’s for 29 years.

I paired their Riesling with my grilled pork chop; which is largely based on the recipe from Mustards Restaurant in Napa Valley. 14 ingredients go into the two day marinade. It is perhaps one of the best food & wine parings I’ve had.

Photos of, the outside fire at Long Shadows, their beautiful tasting room with lots of hand blown glass the grilled pork chop, rosemary potatoes and grilled zucchini from our garden. — 8 years ago

Sean Fernandez

9.1

A throwaway bottle with an iffy cork. Saved from the fire and hey! This is solid! Little orange at the rim but hanging in there. Nice richness and depth. Am I going to get it all down in time?! — 8 years ago

Erin

9.1

This wine was sooo tasty! Had a glass at pit fire pizza in Costa Mesa recommended by the bartender. Wish I could buy a bottle.... or a case!! — 9 years ago

Mathew McNamara

9.6

This was on absolute fire. Didn't show the depth I expected from a 10, but was pretty, generous and complex all the same. 🔥 — 9 years ago

Jed

9.3

Lots to say about this surprisingly great wine. Beautifully satin smoky earth. Fruit flavors very muted now, showing the wine's deeper, meatier core. A great example of how good AV fruit and a good bit of bottle age can create the kind of deep, complex Pinot we've generally associated with Bourgogne, these Indian Creek bottles are a second label Navarro created to handle this difficult forest-fire vintage. Worked out much better than expected. I think I'll buy another case. — 10 years ago

Shannon O'Donnell

9.0

I really enjoyed this beer and the rough rich notes within it! — 10 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.4

Complex. The Orkney peat beating you silly, while the honey and biscuit malted tones in the mid palette are making it up to you. Long, fire breathing finish. I Let mine open with a few drops of water. — 11 years ago

Kevin Pierce

8.9

I like this wine. It is smooth going down and has a little citrus taste to it. — 11 years ago

Steve Runner

9.0

Ahhhh, a Provence Rose! It's a very warm night...82F and I'm sitting by my fire...so the perspiration is accumulating and I'm drinking a refreshing Rose that is perfect for a night like this! This Chateau La Moutete Grande Reserve is peach colored, with notes of very light florals, watermelon, and a Sauv Blanc-ness to it that reminds me of grapefruit on the nose. on the palate I get strawberry, black licorice, and a hint of basil. This wine is slightly acidic, especially on the finish (again, reminding me of a soft Sauv Blanc). No tannins, and a grape-fruity finish at the end.   Even though my beloved Red Sox are losing to the Skankees tonight, I'm enjoying this fantastic wine! — 11 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.0

I really the the philosophy behind these wines. Made by Mike Etzel and Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, the fire comes from Jory soils, the flood from willakenzie . A powerful, big, and unmistakably new world pinot -- but remarkably balanced and not without grace. Fleshy raspberries, cinnamon, and scorched earth. I could drink many of these -- if however they weren't so aggressively priced... — 11 years ago

with Elena

Anita Krutel Colburn

9.6

Fire Mountain John Scarborough wine maker I really enjoyed this. — 13 years ago