Matti Jokelainen

9.0

Light golden hue. On the nose this is like spätlese or auslese riesling with combination of apples, lime, wet stone like minerality. Maybe some hints of ripe white currant. On the palate it has just a tick of residual sugar with high acidity keeping things almost austere before fading and giving the sweet fruit to take center stage. Hints of oak giving creamier mouth feel and light sensation of vanilla. Aftertaste turns bit tangy towards end before leaving with very pronounced granny smith apple taste that lingers on for almost a minute. This is very interesting combination where the nose suggest sweeter wine where as the palate is almost completely dry. Very food friendly and worked fabulously with our risotto that had grilled turkey breast, zucchini, herbs and blackhorn mushrooms — 6 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.0

The AVA for Friuli apparently extends into Slovenia, due to historical boundaries. Did not know that! — 7 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.2

Batasiolo Wine Dinner / Pour #5
One of their top 2 Barolo cuvées, from the historical La Morra cru they share with Gaja, Chiarlo, Damilano and others. Black currant, eucalyptus, balsamic, licorice, and rose. — 8 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2014 vintage. From the oldest part of the historical Sanford § Benedict vineyard, planted in 1971. Bright transparent ruby. Sour cherries, strawberries, fresh herbs and a mineral touch in the nose. Elegant and well-balanced with very pure Pinot Noir fruit and a subtle spiciness. Perfectly integrated oak and nice depth. Long mineral finish. Another winner from ABC. 48 euro. — 8 years ago

Ron R

9.4

As a “once was” Brit, I observed (not celebrated) July 4th. The number of peeps who wished me a happy 4th!!! If only they could make the historical connection, I could be left in peace, on what is a somber day for the vanquished. 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Sermon over - Stunning wine, as is every vintage from Scarlett. — 8 years ago

with James and Benny

Ross Hensley

9.3

Citrus notes with slightly sweet first taste. Balanced and good depth and nice finish — 9 years ago

with J and Melba

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

8.9

At the end of its life but of great historical interest. Fruit has been displaced but still interesting — 10 years ago

Chris Madrid

9.1

1991 Vintage. What an honor to taste such a famous and historical label! — 10 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2014 vintage. This historical estate with great terroir surrounded by famous neighbours like Angélus, Ausone, Pavie etc. is going from strength to strength after it was bought by Denise and Stephen Adams (also owners of Château L'Enclos in Pomerol and ADAMVS in Napa Valley). 2014 vintage. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Biodynamically farmed (since 2009, certification in 2020). Intriguing attractive nose with an amazing minerality, intertwined with cassis and a hint of truffle. In the mouth it is initially a bit severe, if classy. I would recommend decanting or taste it over several hours. After a few hours the fruit shines through compensating the tight tannic structure and the acidity. Built to age, I feel this will deserve a higher score in 5 or 6 years. It's a very classic restrained wine that definitely has an understated class. Nice value at under 50 euros if you like this style. — 6 years ago

Jeff Loo

9.2

Always fun to drink this with fellow wine lovers, such a fun wine but sad to see the price tag that you have to pay for it now. — 7 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.
— 8 years ago

Chris Wheaton

9.5

Always love this wine... seems ageless! Still thick and full of fruit. I believe the mid oughts from Pax will be historical reference pieces for what can be done with CA Syrah. — 9 years ago

Amy Yan

9.3

#Election2016 wine to commemorate a historical occasion. Lots of fruit. #grandcru — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

1958 vintage. From Jay. 1958 Bartolo Mascarello - Brief Note from Galloni Historical Retrospective Held in London April 26, 2016. From 1.9L format. Very light rose colour. Typical nose of crushed roses and violets mixed with ancient saddle leather and a hint of very old crushed mint. The wine still posses good fruit although it is clearly in the twilight of its life. Some medicinal elements on the palette but these are enjoyable and well integrated. Otherwise the palette is both ethereal and elegant. It has both poise and elegance and remains a gorgeous expression of Nebbiolo despite its maturity. Fraises sauvages, raspberries, and hints of slightly unripened pomegranate blend together seamlessly. The finish is smooth with medium length. I have been fortunate enough to have this wine on three separate occasions in the last twelve months and my notes have been consistent. 96/100. Drink Now. — 10 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.0

128-yr. old vines. Super-rich, but I wish they had picked a bit earlier. This winery sources great Zin fruit from unique historical sources but they’re always over 15%. I cant help but think the wines would be more interesting and flexible if they picked earlier. In any event, this is quite good and shows very ripe Zin character, but the acids are low and the effect of some bottle age is a flatter mouthfeel. Still very good. — 7 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.2

Can’t think of a better Tuscan IGT at this price point. Beautiful blending of historical grapes here yielding a velvet texture along with the typical tobacco/leather/cherry profile. — 7 years ago

Mustafa Camlica

10

This historical bottle coming from Uzan family cellar. Bought in 2004 government auction after family assets were seized by Turkish Government. Great example for a 30 year old Krug Clos Mesnil. — 7 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.1

(Delectable, please consolidate all these Wendouree wines! Sure, A.P. Birks is the proprietor and historical name, but the wines are only ever referred to as ‘Wendouree’. Please tidy up your database!!) Still youthful, but secondaries starting to come through, particularly on the nose. Blackberry, dried flowers, cocoa, leather, hints of dried fruit. Persistent acid and tannins, fine structure. Grippy finish and plenty of length. Still just hints of what’s to come in time. It’s an old soul in a young body. (Had this with duck and cherry sauce. The pairing didn’t work at all. Food and wine were both delicious separately.) — 8 years ago

with Sam

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

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. — 9 years ago

Rob Moose

9.7

A historical treat from 375! Honeyed apricot with steely underpinning, this felt like a prime moment to drink. Delighted to share with a human product of the vintage! — 10 years ago