Andrew Robinson

9.5

Cherry and slight carbonation up front with a blackberry finish. Dank!!! — 7 years ago

Sanjay k

9.1

That was really good.

89 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): The 2013 Three Valleys is a plump, juicy and expressive Zinfandel-based red. Dark cherry, kirsch, sweet spices, dried flowers and tobacco are front and center in a soft, supple red to drink now and over the next handful of years. Once again, the Three Valleys delivers superb quality for the money. Drink: 2015-2020. (Jul 2015) — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.0

Most of the Farrell wines really do strike a very nice balance between buttery and acidic. This one is no different. Definite notes of butter, but also has a more acidic and tart side. The wine poured a medium straw color into the glass. The nose was butter and honey. Quite nice, actually. The entry was immediately more of a softer, full bodied, rounded edged wine that was all butter up front. Melon and mango abounded through the middle of the wine and finished with a lot of sharp acidity. This wine is insanely young. I felt that this one really could have used a 1-hour decant, and probably was murdered tonight, but it was the best option in a cellar of red wine when the chef calls for a white! Drink with a lot of bottle decant, or hold for 1-2 yrs before opening. — 9 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

Although this one did tend to have a citrus rich body, it is definitely a malo mouthfeel and more of a buttery chard. This wine was still quite delicious, and it's not really even my style. I was getting some lemongrass on the front, with a peach and mango note in the middle. The finish is more on the buttery side for my taste, but still went lovely with cheese and meat. Probably would have gone very well with Italian spiced nuts or with an herbal chicken dish. I believe this wine probably would have been more comprehensive if served with food. I think this one definitely has the longevity to age, but I'd put more stock in the Judge chard to do that most effectively. — 9 years ago

with Benjamin

Mark Flesher

9.5

Wine of the night. This wine had EXCELLENT fruit, and showed NO VISIBLE SIGNS of decline. Great powerful blackberry. I was guessing 01 Stag's Leap or Rutherford. Turns out it was Caymus SS 01, but I was second guessing myself on the year because it was a very purple color into the decanter and showing well. The wine had great vanilla on the front, blackberry on the front, and a more youthful middle and finish with some herb. This wine has 10 years left in it no doubt. Whoever cut this one off at 2017 has no idea. This one literally showed no signs of decline whatsoever. Drink by date 2007 - 2030. — 9 years ago

David L

9.4

01' Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay. Color- Light golden. By looking at it, I would've never guessed it's 16 years old. BIG Nose...Green apple, floral. Palate...stone fruits, melon, peach & pineapple. A slight bit of creamy notes on the front & mid palate. A light backbone of acidity. Stone fruits minerality & soft pineapple carry through to a nice finish. Drinking at it peak now. @Ron R Thank you for this simply amazing bottle. Can't wait to tip a glass with you soon. Cheers to you and Anne-Marie! — 9 years ago

Rich Mueller

8.9

It's pretty solid and certainly a big juicy flavor up front. For the price it's excellent but the only downside is the fact that it's gets just a little chalky at the end. I'm nitpicking... — 9 years ago

Andrea Santora

9.3

Beautiful Napa Cab! Soft on the pallet, fresh berries up front, light licorice finish. Can't think of a better way to welcome Autumn on my birthday. Kudos Suzanne!! And thank you! 😊 — 11 years ago

with Dale

Eric Mahollitz

9.0

Lighter color. Mild nose and gentle front of the mouth experience. Blackberries. Cherry. Plum. Then down with a warm, port-ish finale. — 11 years ago

with Erin

Susan Meyer

9.3

2013 Sparkman This Old Porch Rose — 12 years ago

George Chen

9.7

These supposedly off years by old great producers are simply gems... Extreme front to back balance, sun drenched hay, touch of dry peach, apricot pits, crushed pebbles, shells, bits of honeysuckle, and a soft acid backbone that lingers and touches your spine. Better than most grand cru's I have had in famous vintages. Speaks more to development than popular knowledge/science which is never meets great expectations in wine. Try it to love and live it ! — 13 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Opened tonight. And, I feel like a broken record saying that here is ANOTHER great 2011 considering the "damned vintage" that this one received press for being. I have 43 more 2011 Napa wines and I have a feeling that I'm going to be writing the same thing another 43 times. Not powerful, but these wines truly show the complexity that Napa cab CAN be. Nose of iodine, black licorice. Very front of this wine is sweeter black cherry giving way to an herbal infused middle (getting more dried basil with a hint of oregano and cumin). The red clay terroir is unmistakably present here through the middle and finish, which is usually more present for Ponente only at the very finish. The wine finishes with black cherry and black licorice dominated notes. I have a feeling that this wine is still on the way up. Has a few more years until it is at the top of the hill, but drinking OH SO WELL right now. — 7 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

Christopher Brida

9.5

Deep red color. Dry up front with a light sweetness. Had plum notes. — 9 years ago

Paul J

9.1

Extremely fruit forward but not as structured or refined as I would have expected. Flavors of tar and blackberry hit the palate right up front, but tend to fade rather prematurely. Solid wine, but my expectations were way too high. — 10 years ago

with Brooke

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Blind Tasting MOT=90
Color: Solid Red
Nose: Earthy and cherries
Palate: Very sweet for some reason, and a little thin for my liking, initially there was something in the front of my mouth that was off putting (was an 86). As the night progressed that front of the palate feeling went away and came through with cherries and cassis.
Opinion: As I found out this needed more time open — 11 years ago

with India and Sean

Scott Kahn

9.4

Quintessential 19 year old Bordeaux, with barn yard bouquet mixed with wet leather on the front palette. Very long finish. Enjoy this wine and vintage on its own! — 11 years ago

Mark Geller

9.2

Pleasantly surprised how good this was. Dark with more than a hint of sweet fruit up front but little to no mouthfeel and nothing on the end. — 12 years ago

Dan Pugh

9.3

Very nice! Still young but drinking very well already. Sweet, fruity, and floral on the front of the tongue, but rich and complex at the finish. Notes of earth and spice, and a hint of tannin. Will drink well later too. Great! — 14 years ago

Michael Ma

9.0

Balanced but fruit is front and center through to the finish with a soft velvety tongue. The bourbon barrels come through with a deliciously harmonious, and unique surprise. — 7 years ago

Charles Mires

9.0

Extra spice and acidity up front but a fine effort — 8 years ago

Wulf Losee

8.9

2014 opened June 2018. Lots of red fruit and some black pepper on the nose, but not much fruit on the front of the mouth, but it has a jammy mouth feel all the same. Smooth tannins the rest of the way down with just a hint of pucker on the end. Personally? I like a wine that challenges me a little, but this is a very nice Cab. — 8 years ago

Bill Bender

8.9

Still some fruit left but the tannins are front and center. This is throwing off a lot of sediment. Classic old Jordan even as it is on it's way out--tobacco, bay leaf, soft red fruit. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 9 years ago

Geoff Troup

Sales Eder Brothers, Cellar Fine Wines

9.4

Such beauty and elegance. I'm sure some of it is the age, but an AOC known for power emitting such elegance...Wow. Anyhow, jammy raspberries and a whole garden of vegetables on the nose. Palate is quite refined with white pepper, rock and all the trademark CDP flavors. Im never a huge fan of that fruit in the front, but the mid and back arr gorgeous. What's truly remarkable is the balance...The ability to isolate any single flavor to ruminate on, how each nuance to perfectly morphs into the next. Still some pronounced tannin in this guy! — 9 years ago

Jorge Garcia

9.1

Lychee, Papaya, and pie on the front end!! — 10 years ago

Chris Nowakowski

8.9

Pepper notes up front. Fruit is subdued. — 11 years ago

with Brigid

Cinco Coates

9.5

Big flavor up front with a dry finish. Another good one with steak. — 11 years ago

with Carolina

Brandon Ruddell

8.9

Cherry and blackberry hints up front, soft tannins in the finish — 13 years ago

Paul Meidinger

8.9

Very smooth. Yum! — 14 years ago