The 2016 Beringer 'Private Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely fantastic and seems to be even more impressive than last years outstanding wine at this early stage. Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petite Verdot sourced from vineyards in Howell Mountain (60%), St. Helena (20%), Oakville (15%), and Mount Veeder (5%), which spent 20 months in new French Nevers oak (83%), and 16 months in bottle prior to release. It instantly opens to wonderful aromas of dark currants, spiced plum, graphite, baking spices, cedar, fresh sage and dusty nuances all taking shape beautifully in the glass. On the palate this medium-plus to full-bodied, displaying remarkable overall balance with gorgeous velvety tannins and a wonderful seamless texture. It goes on to impress with excellent poise and concentration, as flavors of red and dark currants combine with exotic spices and expand gracefully through the long, polished finish. This is a sensational showing from Beringer, which is already extremely appealing, however also possesses the characteristics to thrive in the cellar over the course of the next two decades. — 6 years ago
Dark purple in color with a purple rim.
Fruity nose with cherries, plums, blackberries, black currants, vanilla, licorice, spices, oak, leather, earth, chocolates, coffee, light vegetables, graphite and black pepper.
Full-bodied and smooth with medium-plus acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, cherries, sweet raspberries, tobacco, spices, wood, vanilla, cloves, dark coffee, chocolates, bitter herbs, cola, earth, vegetables and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a nice Napa red blend. Still young, but already enjoyable even by itself. Needs a year or two to balance itself out. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel. A little bitter on the ending, which will disappear in time. This is very enjoyable.
Needs 2 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.
A blend of 60% Petite Sirah, 20% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Zinfandel and 3% Syrah.
14.8% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$23. — 7 years ago
I bought my first vintage from this producer & terroir beginning with the 2010 vintage and what a vintage to start. I bought four bottles for right around $50 or a little less. They were so amazing, I drank through them in no time at all. For those of you that read my posts, that’s not normally what I do. I like to drink one & age the rest. Since then, I have looked & looked for more. I’d finally given up hopes of finding more until recently I struck gold. I should have bought all nine bottles but a calmer head prevailed. It’s definitely changed since having it fresh. On the nose, the fruits are slightly macerated. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, glazed nuts, soft, delicate, chalky minerals, a touch of jasmine & yellow lilies. The body is much rounder & thicker than when it was young. Waxy. So, beautifully layered across the palate. Much of the palate matches the nose. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, apricots, peach, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, slight molasses character & glazed nuts with citrus blossoms, yellow lilies & jasmine. The minerals are much more grippy & bold as they cut across and set on the palate. The acidity round & phat. The texture is amazing as is the length, balance & beautiful, rich, long finish that lasts two-minutes plus. So glad I found more of this wine! Hubert Lamy seriously over deliver the terroir & the price point by a country mile. If you are not buying this wine on pre-arrival, you are missing great wine and excellent value. Can’t say enough good things about it. Especially, the 2010. I expect the 15 to hold similar quality. Photos of; Olivier Lamy, Olivier working in this vineyard, barrel room and their Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Vineyard. Producer notes and history...There have been Lamy’ s growing vines in St-Aubin since 1640, today it is run by Olivier Lamy. Olivier is a new breed of Burgundian grower keen to progress. He trained Méo-Camuzet & made a number of vintages before taking over in 1996 from his father Hubert. Hubert Lamy used to sell fruit to négociants, but that stopped in 1997. He grubbed up and sold off peripheral vines, keeping only the best and oldest sites. Currently he is experimenting with different planting densities in a quest to capture even greater expression of terroir. The Domaine produces both reds and whites and now has 16.5 hectares of vineyards, mostly in St-Aubin but also own a few parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet and a tiny plot in the Grand Cru Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Yields are kept low and recent innovations have been introduced with selection tables in the cuverie to ensure that only the healthiest and ripest grapes are used. His more recent move to reduce the amount of new oak with the introduction of demi-muids 300-600 liter barrels have also helped to improve the wines. Vinification is traditional and the wines are matured with only 20-30% new oak for 12 months before minimal filtration and then bottling. The quality is very high and is often superior to many wines from much more prominent villages that sell at twice the price or more. — 7 years ago
The is from Morlet Families inaugural vintage of 2006. I must say it’s beautiful with a fair amount more of life ahead. The nose reveals dark cassis and a good presence of cinnamon stick. Blackberries, liqueured dark cherries, plum, poached strawberries, pomegranate extract, black raspberries float through, blueberries, vanilla, light clove & cinnamon, dark fresh florals and violets. The nose is intoxicating! The body is round, ripe and rich. The tannins nicely resolved. The structure, balance, tension and length are in an excellent spot. Mmmmm! Blackberries, liqueured dark cherries, plum, poached strawberries, dry cranberries, pomegranate extract, black raspberries float through, blueberries, vanilla, a touch of bramble, light clove & cinnamon stick, dark rich soils, dry crushed rocks, a little leather, dark fresh florals & violets. The acidity is a waterfall on the palate. The finish is; spectacular elegance, richness, balance and lasts two minutes. One of the best CA Pinot’s we’ve had in a very long time. It deserves an amen & a hallelujah! I paid $65 for this amazing wine 9 years after it’s release (the 2015 released at $115); which brings me back around to a repetitive point of mine. Look for great wines on the secondary market and pay less than producers current release pricing. That is to say, it will aid in keeping you from drinking your new releases too young that are not nearly ready to enjoy! If you are not doing this, you are doing a disservice to your palate and your wine budget. Photos of; their old historical brick building they’ve converted into their winery, interior tasting area, Luc Morlet and their Estate vines. Producer notes and history...Winemaker Luc Morlet is a fifth-generation of a French winemaking family. Growing up in Avenay-Val d’Or, he spent all his spare time working on his family’s estate. His university studies of viticulture and winemaking were put into practice during years of work in vineyards and wineries in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the south of France. Luc left France in 1996 to join his wife Jodie in her native California. Starting in 2006, Luc Morlet began handcrafting Morlet vineyard designated wines and cuvées of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the Napa Valley. As well as; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, a white Bordeaux-style blend and a Late Harvest Sémillon from Sonoma County. Luc is also the brother of Nicolas Morlet the Winemaker of Peter Michael fame. Luc is another producer I respect for his meticulous farming and low intervention winemaking techniques. While his roots are based out of France, he has adapted his skills well to the Napa Valley soils and climate. Morlet styles his wines in a harmonious and refined fashion. Their logo is based upon 19th century French artist Mathurin Moreau’s sculpture entitled, ‘L’Harmonie.’ In August 2010, Luc and and his wife Jodie purchased an estate, just north of the town of St. Helena. Since then, they have converted the historic stone building, built in 1880, into their family winery. The building was originally the Castner Winery that closed during Prohibition. Morlet is located St. Helena Appellation. The estate is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and is the exclusive fruit source for their ‘Morlet Estate’ label. The Morlet’s ‘Mon Chevalier’ vineyard is located on the hillsides of Knights Valley, overlooking the western slopes of Mount St. Helena. The vineyard benefits from their proximity to the mountain. Warm and windy climate is ideal for the long ripening of the red Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. They recently planted the 20 acre ‘Cœur de Vallée’ vineyard. These Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines are located on the Oakville Bench, If one such exists. I read a quote from a grower who has been growing in Oakville for many years. He said, “the only bench in Oakville is the one in front of the Oakville Grocery Store.” While it may or may not be true, it’s certainly a funny quote. In addition to these family acres, they buy from farmers under long-term contracts in Fort Ross-Seaview, Russian River Valley, Bennett Valley, Dry Creek and Napa Valley. All of the Morlet’s wines are handcrafted using classical Burgundy and Bordeaux winemaking techniques and are matured in 100% French oak barrels. — 8 years ago
Концентрированный аромат, море черных ягод, джем из тёмной сливы, вишни, очень насыщенно. В развитии сливочные ноты, пломбир, корица. Полное тело, высокий алкоголь умело спрятан. Во вкусе ликёр из черешни, чёрная смородина, много ванили, молочного шоколада. Жирно и сладко; держать. 16,5+/20 — 9 years ago
two things: gave this to my brother a few years back. he hadn't opened it and I almost stole it back from him. Also: it's really great, and by no means worth what some people will pay for it. — 11 years ago
I had great experience with their estate Merlot, and this reserve cab is quite impressive as well.
The initially shy nose slowly reveals black and blue berries, cedar, pencil lead, incense, cocoa, and hint of crushed rocks. The slightly ripe palate is round yet delicate, showing its classy with well woven streaking acidity and mellow tannins.
100% Cab from two vineyards from HHH, raised in 100% French oak barrel (45% new) for 20 months. — 5 years ago
Delicious, well made, value Bordeaux from a great vintage. Very giving right out of the gate but with two hours of air the structure really shows. Lovely balance. Black currant, graphite, pipe tobacco. Super drinkable now but will age well. — 6 years ago
60/40 Carignan/Grenache...Opened as midweek foil for Filets and Bakers. Showing little sign of age... vibrant dark berry notes with noticeable ABV... bit more “modern” and fruit/forward than expected. Recall buying two of these at 50% discount. Probably at $15-20 a far price...but tasted fully “Parkerized”. Little if any sense of terroir or connection with place. — 6 years ago
On the nose, a touch of barnyard. Sweet & sour dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, baked strawberries and hues of blue fruits. Dry crushed rocks, dry stones, rich black turned, soft leather, cedar, underbrush, tobacco, light vanilla & clove, medium spice, limestone, fresh & withering dark red floral bouquet.
The body is just full. The tannins are soft, rounded, chewy & sticky and still have some teeth. The wine elegantly guides smooth over the palate...very little that pushes back. It’s still youthful but not as youthful as my expectation. Sweet & sour dark cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, baked strawberries and hues of blue fruits. Dry crushed rocks, dry stones, rich black turned, soft leather, cedar, underbrush, tobacco, some dry herbal notes, sweet tarry notes, light vanilla & clove, medium spice, powdery limestone, loamy clay & top soil, graphite, dark spice with lifting heat, fresh & withering dark red floral bouquet and haunting violets. The acidity is near perfect. The structure, tension, length are in a very place but, will still improve for another 15+ years. The long, finish is ripe, round, balanced and lasts minutes.
Photos of, the Chateau, Technical Director Vincent Millet, beautiful stainless steel tank room and their new barrel room.
Producer notes & history...historic records show that Calon Segur was in existence as far back as 1147, when it was owned by Monseigneur de Calon. He was an important Bishop in the community. This makes Chateau Calon Segur one of the very oldest properties in Saint Estephe. Eventually, the property came to be owned by Nicolas Alexandre de Segur. Hence where part of the name of the Chateau comes.
After passing through generations, the estate became the property of the famous Marquis de Segur. de Segur is an important figure in Bordeaux history, not only for his ownership of numerous top Bordeaux estates in that day but, he also owned Lafite and Latour. de Segur is credited with uttering the words that spawned the idea behind the heart shaped logo of Calon Segur. The story is that de Segur is quoted as saying: “I make my wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is in Calon.” This famous saying lives on the label of Chateau Calon Segur, where the drawing of a heart is prominently featured on the bottle.
Chateau Calon Segur was one of the original three Bordeaux vineyards in Saint Estephe. In 1825 Chateau Montrose was a forest without a single vine belonging to the massive Calon Segur estate. In fact, Chateau Phelan Segur was also once part of the vast Segur estate. The holdings of the Segur family were so large, they included what would later became Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Chateau Mouton Rothschild!
The more modern era by European standards began in 1894 when its Left Bank vineyards were purchased by Georges Gasqueton and Charles Hanappier. Hanappier was a large negociant at the time. The Gasqueton family managed the estate until 2012. Madame Gasqueton ran the estate until she passed away at the age of 87 in late September, 2011.
In July of 2012, Chateau Calon Segur was sold for 170 million Euros or 215 million US dollars. The buyer was a French Insurance Company, Suravenir Insurance. Jean-Pierre Moueix, the owner of Petrus and the massive negociant company Duclot also took a minority stake in Chateau Calon Segur.
Since taking over Calon Segur, they started renovating the property with the focus on the wine making facilities. They followed a trend to vinify on a parcel by parcel basis. The estate replaced their older vats with new stainless steel tanks that vary in size and number to match the size of the various vineyard parcels.
The new tanks accompany a completely new vat room as well with everything moving completely by gravity. The new tasting room was remodeled as well. The renovations were completed in 2016.
Their cellars also needed work. Immediately after closing, the new owners began an extensive replanting of the Calon Segur vineyard. There were a number of reasons they chose to do this. They needed to increase the level of vine density and add more Cabernet Sauvignon.
The extensive renovation of Chateau Calon Segur cost somewhere north of 20 Million Euros. Other changes, the new owners took full control and brought in Vincent Millet as the Technical Director.
The 55 hectares of Calon Segur are located just north of the small town of St. Estephe and are planted to 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
Chateau Calon Segur is one of the few walled in vineyards in the Left Bank. Calon Segur is also known as being the northern most Classified Growth in Medoc.
The terroir of Calon Segur is a blend of gravel, rocks, clay, sand and limestone soils on the surface with gravel that can be as deep as 5 meters. Underneath, you find marl, clay and limestone.
On average, the vines are 25 years of age. However, they have older vines that range in age from 45-60 years of age.
The vineyard of Chateau Calon Segur remains almost exactly the same as it did at the time of the 1855 Classification.
Since the remodel was completed, fermentation takes place in 70 conical shaped, stainless steel tanks that range in size from 25 hectoliters to 120 hectoliters. Vintages are now aged in 90% to 100% new, French oak barrels for up to 20 months.
Production of Chateau Calon Segur is around 20,000 cases per year. They also make a second wine, which was originally named Marquis de Calon. Now, the second wine is sold under the name of Le Marquis de Calon Segur.
There is also a third wine, which is sold under two names, La Chapelle de Calon, and St. Estephe de Calon Segur, which is produced from vines that mostly come from a specific plot with more limestone. — 7 years ago
Inköpt 2013 på vingården/i gubbens vardagsrum. Helt strålande. Kryddigt, parfymerat och elegant. — 8 years ago
What a beautiful color. Deep, deep purple, almost black, with a Purplish hue and a dark purple rim.
Beautiful on the nose and fruity, with blackberries, figs, raisins, wood, licorice, tobacco, leather, cooked cherries, black plums, currants, vanilla, Cola, spices and light black pepper.
Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and great legs.
Bone dry on the palate with blackberries, currants, plums, cherries, oak, earth, tobacco, light Cola, licorice, vanilla, spices and peppercorn.
Long finish with full, round tannins and lots of spices at the end.
What a great Petite Syrah this is. Still young, but already enjoyable by itself or with hearty food. Already Nicely balanced and complex, but Needs two hours to open up properly.
This wonderful 90% Petite Sirah and 10% Syrah is from the newly established (10 years old) Appellation of San Antonio Valley. Aged in 20% new French oak barrels for 9 months.
14.8% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago
Freezing my ass off in NYC and back at Cipriani... How many $20 bills have I palmed Fabio over the years, but he parts at least 50 people to give me the best table in the house... This Moses parting this human Red Sea greets me with two kisses and a welcome Mr. Peter... Love this guy... Anyway, Scott & Deb, two of my oldest clients join me... Deb looks exactly the way she looked 20 years ago and Scott looks great... This wine; AIA!!! Velvety, rich, dark, seductive... It's a beautiful woman in a glass... Ornellaia and Sassicaia... Two of my favorites... Still young, but oh so drinkable... — 10 years ago
One of the very best values I've found. About $20 per bottle. Needs to be open for an hour or two before drinking it to get the real balance of flavors. Awesome every time! You can find it in Wake Forest at Bin 275 at The Factory. — 12 years ago
Raul is one of those special and unique producers whose wines stand out in just about any field with others of similar quality. I could fill pages with tasting notes, but I feel it’s more appropriate to simply reiterate that these wines are beautiful, complex, superbly crafted and downright delicious. It is nearly impossible not to drink a whole bottle. I’m giving an extra point or two for the Saint Jacques Mencía cuvée because of the exceptional value it delivers at well under $20. This would embarrass many village level Burgundies at three or even four times the price. — 5 years ago
Another Nebb I was forced to pay attention to as it was paired with one of the courses during dinner. Bigger than the 14' Cascina Fontana - perhaps even the biggest red of the night, but somewhat not unexpected for the vintage. Nevertheless, it's still elegant and polished. Palate was full of dry sweet red fruit and spice, balanced by a clean racy finish and dense minerality. Nose was driven by sweet berry notes, some orange oil, leather, pepper, dried herbs, balsamic. Gripping tannins. Muscular, but finessed. A momentous effort. As expected of CW's choice!
NB: Macerated for 30 days and then aged in large Slavonian Oak (20 HL to 40 HL) for two years, followed by two more years in the bottle. Annual production is usually around 4000 bottles. The write-ups on Chambers St Wines and Vinhulen are nice reads - Ferdinando's change from modern to traditional, to eschewing chemicals in the vineyard and even letting the undergrowth run wild, to the "greatness" of Boscareto. Excellent discovery! — 6 years ago
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
64% cab, 18 Merlot, 14 PV, 4%CF...This was a half bottle and I assumed that it allowed for a little more aging… This probably could have been decanted for an hour or two and been more expressive… A little tight the first 20 minutes and towards the end it really started to open up with the complexity of red fruits and the traditional Jeff White fine/crisp tannin structure! Total class! It seems the 2012 vintage is marked by balance of acidity and fruit sugars — 7 years ago
Stunning out straight out of the gate, blueberry sandlewood cherry nose followed by tannin acid and perfectly balanced fruit. Have had a little bit each hour and it keeps in unraveling in the glass, maybe keep for another year or two! $60 at the tasting room WHAT A STEAL! — 8 years ago
I paid 20 bucks for this 8.5 years ago. This wine still has fruit, body, complexity, life. Absolutely fantastic. But drink now or soon. Open with pizza. — 8 years ago
Well balanced Tuscan blend. 60% Sangiovese, 20% Syrah, 20% Cab. Good tannins and alcohol showing black cherry, leather, light spice and oak. Still a bit tight but would benefit from a hour two in a decanter. Not convinced it warrants WE's 94 rating. The 2011 should have another 3-5 years. — 9 years ago
Wow! This has an incredible aroma of a berry bouquet with an extremely smooth finish! 🍷🍷🎉🎊🎉🎊💃👍❗️💖💖 The vineyard says the grapes were picked from Oct 4th-25th, 100% de-stemmed and then fermented as whole berries before shrine in approximately 20% new oak ✅💃💃💃👍 — 10 years ago
1994
Lauren Hutton
Still beautiful, just not as much as a few years ago
Fruit still solid- deep plum, cherry
Smoky and leathery elements emerging as it ages
Big win for the Coravin!
Tapped half of it four months ago and found it lost nothing since
Decant 20 minutes then enjoy over two to three hours — 11 years ago
JKT
Wow! Opened 2/21/20 and what a beauty! Still recall the distinctive metallic funky notes early on after buying at Gordon’s but for this bottle it is just astonishingly Burgundian. Light ruby color and a perfume floral dried cranberry and rose nose followed by an almost sweet touch of aged port palate and yes that sensual feel long read about but never fully experienced. Lively texture that dances and good long harmonious finish. No sulfur added and biodynamic. Hope others are like this! Well the magic kind of dissipated next day. Perfume and sensual texture went down and it’s more acidic though still very balanced and excellent wine. Score down by two to 9.3. Kind of expected it as a bit of wine left in glass went downhill over couple hours and sour by next morning. Hope the rest have that magic! — 5 years ago