Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

First Pinot produced from this Kendall Jackson vineyard named after Jess Jackson’s daughter, Julia. Fruit forward with tons of fruit aromas, herb and oak notes, aged for 12 months in French oak, 25% new, making this wine fresh and vibrant good for drinking now, and some short-term aging. The 2016 was a good year with an early harvest with perfectly ripe fruit. On the palate, strawberry and cherry flavors with baking spice and gentle oak. Fine tannins, lingering ending with fruit and subtle spice character. — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This took a while to open that seemed a little disjointed at first, fruit forward with cherry, currant, mineral & spice — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Lush, fruit forward. Candied dates, prunes, clove, roasted character on the front. Gives way to a darker smoked meat character. Was the best with the homemade salad dressing consisting of avocado, fresh basil, Greek yogurt, green onion, garlic and parsley. In a way I could see all of these characteristics in this wine. In the past these have seemed a little tight and a bit closed off on the finish, but this wine was ready for the show. I think this producer is really quite underrated when it comes to the time it takes for these to really start expressing and I would put these up against any of the South African 'first growth' wineries. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The nose reveals; dark currants, blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries. Black tea, expresso roast, anise, crushed dry rocks, big vanilla, clove, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, woody notes with dark fresh & withering flower bouquet.

The body is big and lush. The tannins are big, meaty and tarry. Very dark currants. Blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries & strawberries as they open up. Black tea, expresso roast, steeped fruit tea, anise, crushed dry rocks, dry clay, big graphite, big vanilla, dark spice, clove, light dry herbs, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, cedar with violets dark fresh & withering flower bouquet. The acidity is round, fresh and beautiful. The big, long, well balanced finish is excellent and look forward to having this in 15-20 years. This one will be a stunner!

Photos of, the barn where they make wine and hosts tastings, our private tasting area inside William’s old office. William desk and their outside terrace area.

Producer history & notes...Seavey Vineyard is located along Conn Valley Road in the eastern hills of Napa Valley, about 15 minutes from the valley floor.

This historical property was originally a cattle ranch. However, records indicate grapes were planted on some of the hillsides as early as the 1870’s. The stone dairy barn, still in existence, was built in 1881.

William & Mary Seavey purchased this property in 1979. The estate was originally founded by the Franco-Swiss Farming Company in 1881 which, closed down when Phylloxera destroyed their grape vines and the Volstead Act (Prohibition) went into effect. At the time of their purchase, they were a horse and cattle ranch. They quickly planted the slopes with grapes and initially sold their fruit to Raymond Vineyards. They have never purchased grapes, all their wine is made from estate grapes. Their vineyards are separated into 20 plus individual blocks.

Today, the property is about 200 total acres of which, 40 acres are planted to vine. Their hillside vineyards produce low yields of rich concentrated fruit. A small block of Chardonnay grows in a cooler lower part of their property. Besides grapes, they also raise cattle which are used to graze the hillsides. They feed the vineyard with the cattle cuttings. In 2003, they were one of the first Napa wineries to install solar.

Mary passed away in 2008 and William died in 2016. There daughter Dorie returned to the family business and now oversees the winery operations. Her brother Arthur also handles national and some small international sales, primarily to restaurants. However, most of their wine is sold direct to consumers.

Seavey’s first commercial vintage was released in 1990 a year after they renovated the stone dairy barn into a working winery. Today this stone building is the centerpiece of the property and is where tastings are hosted.

Since 2011, Jim Duane has been their day to day Winemaker. He’s worked at Robert Mondavi and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It should also be noted that Philippe Melka Winemaker/Consultant has been with Seavey since 1995...one of Philippe’s two initial wine making jobs in the Napa Valley were with Seavey and Lail Vineyards.

Seavy makes about 3,200 cases annually depending on what mother nature brings. They make around two hundred cases of Chardonnay, slightly more Merlot and the rest is of the production is comprised of their Caravina and Estate Cabernets.
— 7 years ago

Mike Cleland

9.6

Surprisingly fruit forward for 25 years. Dark fruit and plum flavors with smoothed tannins. Good bottle bouquet. Cork fell apart but there was no taint to the bottle. Bottle well kept for at least the last 15 years - and supposedly the first 10 before I got it from a private buyer. I would not believe this review if I had not done the tasting myself. I had an 88 and a 90 in recent years that had not held up - flat flavors and thin color — 8 years ago

SF

9.0

Lovely #whitepeach #strawberry at first sip, finishing with hint of #whitepepper, bright acidity and fruit forward. Just enough of fizzy zinc . Perfect for a warm late spring day in NYC — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Foot of the Andes Mountains on banks of Maipo River in Upper Maipo Valley, 650 meters above sea level, vineyard dates back to mid-19th century, when first pre-phylloxera French varieties were brought to Chile, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits & mineral notes, a blend of 92% Cab Sauv & 8% Cab Franc, aged for 15 month in French oak (65% new). On the palate flavors cherry & blackberry with powerful tannins, long finish, very tight, ending with mineral and tobacco notes. Needs ten years. Tasting Sample! — 6 years ago

Andy Hall

9.3

My my this is aging well. A couple of years ago I opened an ‘09 and was disappointed this first night it was open but it came into its own the next day. After another couple of years of bottle age, this vintage is coming into its own. Very balanced and nuanced. While its still a big cab, I would say it has some feminine characteristics (not a bad thing). I think this will continue to develop with more age. Looking forward to opening another in 18-24 months. — 7 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.2

Citrus forward. Acid. Notes of minerals. Grapefruit Lemon. First had it at Tribeca Grill. Today. 17 Summer I'm Lodi. — 7 years ago

Andrew Keenan

9.0

Moores. 2017. $19. Always one of the first rose’s to make it to the states. Looking forward to the 2018’s. Hopefully Sunday — 7 years ago

Dock Hooks

9.0

Road trips deserve respites. Beaufort, SC’s Old Bull Tavern spinning Marvin, Jimmi, and Stevie while casually offering up perfect garlicky oil bathed snails set upon crazy freshly baked chewy sour dough simply screams for, oh yeah, the wine. This fine Pomerol waits, wanting , her dangerously dark scarlet skin shimmers as she spins in the early evening tempted by the tunes revealing her marooning shades, darker bleeding berries, showing lighter in the wafting inconsistency of candle light. Another spin , a tilt, a voyeur’s gaze, a twirl, and a first kiss’ earthy wet spice on the front succumbs to plum its well-balanced acid clutches begging another spin, The I sip slow seductive deep kiss as she floods forward - I swallow, but she clings slowly, gradually, teetering touching sliding slowly, stealthy, soothingly, seductively signaling - have another hit... Don’t miss this wine or place, both picture perfect dripping southern edge and charm with a French accent and kiss🍷🌀 — 8 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.0

Not sure what the stats are on the 2014 vintage in NZ, but this one touched on elixir for me at first. It tightened up a bit with the Ramen at Kitchen Door, but I would be curious to taste past vintages, and looking forward to future releases. — 8 years ago

Kyle “cat man” Kovacovich

9.2

One of my first bottles I put in my cellar over 5 years ago. Wanted to make sure there were no issues with storage and I was not disappointed. Drank great. Black fruit. Very oak forward. Well done Bordeaux. — 9 years ago

Elizabeth Neilson

9.3

Another wine in the time of quarantine! Looking forward to the first opportunity to take a road trip for replacements — 6 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

I get it, I get it. This is the first Chateauneuf that’s really wowed me. Having been left a little underwhelmed by the 2004 Beaucastel I had over Christmas (though I rated this highly at the time), I looked to Isabel Ferrando and her Domaine de Saint Préfert for some confirmation - in my untrained mind - as to the appeal of CNDP. And boy, did this bottle deliver.

This wine boasts a very powerful aroma, which drove me to profanity when I first smelled it; a mix of blueberry, liquorice, bergamot and coffee much of which continues on the palate. It’s incredibly ripe, full, seductive and has everything in check: fresh acidity, gentle tannin, and a long, velvety finish (think Turkish delight). My initial thought on composition was that this must be a Grenache-dominant blend given the ripe, fruit forward profile and high alcohol (15%), so as an amateur I was pleased to find out that, indeed, it’s 85% Grenache with 15% Cinsault.

A great wine that will age gracefully. I wish I had more. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Dark tawny with some scarlet. Almost opaque. Fruit forward nose. Notes of ripe bing cherries, sandalwood, flowers and ripe rhubarb. Rich fruit in the mouth balanced against some big shoulder structure. This was flabby at first, fruity and hot (representative of the vintage)... but with air everything came together. A nice surprise. Still young but enjoyable if you give it a ton of air. — 7 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.8

I love smelling the wines of Randall Grahm. He makes savory walk and talk and jump through hoops. This wine, the 30th anniversary vintage of Cigare, brings it home like it always does. It shows a medium dark color in the glass and on the nose. There is cassis and licorice, but the savory notes carry the load. Black olive is the first smell I get, followed by a bit of tar and a whiff of smoke. Cigar box, leather and bacon fat finish out a complex aroma package. The palate is delicious as always. Grahm says the ‘13 is “less muscular” than the ‘12, but I think there's more to it. This Cigare drinks with the weight and elegance of a Pinot Noir. Black fruit is forward, while more savory aspects of sage and mint come in to join it. The tannins are gentle, the acidity fresh and the finish long. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I can’t pour enough praise on Dan and his talents. I don’t give many wines near perfect scores, but this merits one. The nose is a beautifully balanced mix of floral fruits, earth and spice. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, lilacs, violets and lavender. The balance is incredible...one of the most balanced wines I’ve had. The structure, tension and length are so close to perfect. It’s in the OMG realm. The tannins are nicely resolved but still have teeth. It’s gorgeously lush and rich. Blackberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, black raspberries, poached strawberries, hues of blue fruits haunt the palate, dark moist soils, loamy dry soil/clay, raspberry cola, black licorice, touch herbaceous, smoked meats, medium dark spice, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, black & white pepper, dry crushed rocks, stones, lilacs, violets and lavender. The finish is heaven all the way around. To borrow Bordeaux terminology, this is First Growth Shiraz. If you don’t seek out Dan’s wines on the secondary market, you are missing something special. Not at all meant to be enjoyed young. This wine is in a very good spot and has another 10 years of life going forward. — 8 years ago

Charlie Tapp

8.9

Fruit forward. Less well rounded than their first wine, but decent value. — 9 years ago

Andrew Davidoff

9.5

Delightful. My first taste of this. Super fruit forward yet not jammy or sticky in any way. Consistent and bright throughout - this was a treat for the palate. — 9 years ago

with Karan