Patrick Derdeyn

9.1

A lithe and racy pinot. Took a couple hours of air for the fruit to peak out but started to show bright red fruits with a hint of green pepper then finishes very crisply. These are a low alcohol and high acid style and will probably drink best in a few years as they continue to integrate. — 6 years ago

Jason and Jennie

8.9

13%. Restrained. Better with food. Dark fruit but with a tartness to it. Slight medicinal. Low tannins. Throwing sediment. Only 24 bucks. Interesting find — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

On the nose, bramble fruits of; wild blackberries, plum, raspberries & sweet dark cherries. Green pepper, vanilla, salted caramel, dark soils and fresh & dry dark florals. The body is medium lean, tannins are extremely soft & round. Wild blackberries, plum, raspberries, sweet dark cherries, green pepper, black oil, wood shavings, dry stone, black cherry cola, vanilla, salted caramel, dark soils and fresh & dry dark florals. The acidity pours over the palate. The finish is not quite there but Randy's wines are 20 plus year wines. However, it's well balanced with 50-50 fruit and earth. Only concern here was the green bell pepper. Photo tour of; their Howell Mountain vines, barrel rooms, low yield vines and the legendary Randy Dunn. — 8 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.2

Deep clear ruby color with violet hue on the rim. Nose of ripe dark fruit, plum, vanilla, with a bit grassy sweetness and a touch of tobacco. Taste of right balance between sweetness and acidity, spice, tobacco leaf, and plum. Sweet plum aftertaste with a hint of tobacco and a hint of smoky barrel. Really low on the tannins and round. Don't wait, enjoy it now. — 9 years ago

Mark Eastom

9.4

Holding up nicely! Bit of menthol, a little fruit hanging on and notes of tobacco. Silky tannin and a touch of orange rind on the palate. — 10 years ago

with Alexis and Anabel

Benjamin Hickey

9.0

Low intensity on the nose, very soft, warmer fruit flavours — 10 years ago

Kari Milhofer

9.6

Low tannins, dark juicy fruit. Yummy yummy. — 10 years ago

Bernard Rethore

Owner, Fion Wines

9.1

Back in 2006, I had the good fortune to invest in a box of the Neal vineyard designated bottlings pre-release. They have been sleeping in my cellar ever since. Last night, Tony the Fish, who is a frequent contributor to these pages, arrived with a bottle of the 2010 Neal cab sav. It was a solid effort and Mrs Fish quite enjoyed it. As we finished the bottle I remembered I had some of the 2003 vineyard designated wines in the back of the cellar and figured it was time to check in on them. We started with the Second Chance from Atlas Peak. Generally I am a mountain fruit guy, and like the volcanic soil that yields low yielding structured wines. There was plenty of stuffing left after 11 years, and a nice contrast to the 2010 cab sav blend. We then moved to Chafen. Another mountain- Howell this time, slightly lower elevation vineyard. This wine was bigger than the Second Chance with mouthfuls of ripe cassis, berry fruit and coffee- almost a cocoa powder character to it. The final wine of the night - and best of show - was the Howell Mountain Estate. Dark rich tannins with intense velvety chocolate cake flavors. This was a fun night going from the 2010 blend to the all 2003 single vineyard designates. Most of us aren't patient enough or buy them as a group so you can taste them altogether at once. Everyone should do this from to time. It reminds me at least of how different climate and soil can be in the same year. It's even better with friends. Thank you Mr Fish for the inspiration. — 10 years ago

with Susan

Addison Dee

9.6

So darn good for $8 1.5L — 11 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

Still hanging in there! Such a treat! Thank you to my generous friend John Slattery.! Roasted peanuts, dark soft plummy fruit. Nice acidity. Tannin totally resolved. A little minerally on the lively finish. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

@ £50 - one of my fav pink NV with LP Rose, Bolly Pink NV & Billecart Salmon pink but this NV is a little lighter than normal

🍇 100% PN

🍾 Disg'd Mar 2015

🍷Pale peachy salmon copper pink

👃 Creamy citrus, red currant, apple & cherry, light smoked peachy oak, minerals & red flower

👄 Smooth & refreshing med body of red fruits with tart strawberry, apple, grapefruit & some cherry coming through in a lively bubbled mousse with low+ acidity & big minerality

🎯 Long red dry fruit filled mineral infused — 8 years ago

Nina Liu

9.0

Dark berries and black fruit, acid is medium low, tannin is medium, earthy undertones, good varietal characters, great value at 19.99 — 9 years ago

Vadim T

9.2

Very interesting, youthful Pinot Noir with rather simple cranberry fruit, low tannic and bright acidity, very long aftertaste. Would recommend to cellar for another 2-5 years. — 9 years ago

Alex

9.7

2010 vintage on Nov. 28 2015. Loved it. Would absolutely buy it again, especially for the price (42 on wine list, 18 retail). Full bodied wine with subtle cola and dark fruit. Low tannins. Had it at Barcelona wine bar in Boston. The reserva version was much better. The regular version was only so so. — 9 years ago

Aaron Nishizaki

8.9

Low acid, very fruit forward. — 10 years ago

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.0

Low alcohol (for Chile) at 13.2%. Natural touches with an earthy, bretty edge but very pure juicy red fruit; raspberry, cherries & strawberries. Almost Garnacha-like with an edge of white pepper too. Fun! — 10 years ago

John Paul

9.0

Low acidity, soft tannins, clear fruit. — 10 years ago

James Pendergrass

9.7

This wine continues to please the crowd. Fruit forward and low tannins. — 11 years ago

David Kline

8.9

With a nose like a damp cistern full of river plants, pepper and dried prunes, this black cauldron of fruit and iron mineral magic swims with reptilian potential. Tail of Newt. Becomes somewhat stemmy and tannins seem grainy in the glass long after the witchcraft, but still worth its weight in broomsticks despite the wart on its chin. Oh, and only cost me a low and lucky 13.99! — 11 years ago

with Courtney

Kathryn Nicholson

9.6

Smooth, deep fruit, rich, low tannins — 7 years ago

with Morgan

Carlotta Griffin

9.4

Hands down one of the best wines I have ever had. Smooth, low tannin, fruit forward, rich burgundy in color. Absolutely divine. A bit more complex and fruit forward first day, especially before it opened, than on the second day, but a joy to drink. — 8 years ago

with Melanie

aisforalan

9.1

nice acid. low tannins. dark fruit. cherries. plums. dried roses. raisin skin. buy again. from 7th ave. — 8 years ago

Sharon Velin

9.0

1.5 liter for $5.99 at Total Wine. Perfect for Sangria! — 9 years ago

chris.bottiglieri

8.9

Medium body pinot. Low tannin. Very fruit forward. Cranberries on palate. — 9 years ago

Nicole Conway

9.5

Fantastic! Gamble on this wine, but solid. Similar to a California zin. Smooth mouthfeel, smokey, chocolate and dark fruit. Low tannin. Delicious! Definitely buying again. — 10 years ago

David Lown

9.0

Pop and pour and considering it's a 2013 this rating may be irrelevant. For having a beautiful fruit profile it has a more crystalline package than normal Beaujolais. Definitely can only go up as I'm probably scoring low. — 10 years ago

Rory Pugh

9.9

Low in acid (in the best way), jammy (in the best way), fruit bomb (in the best way) — 10 years ago

Teresa G

9.0

Pretty good. Not a normal Pinot noir fan but this has a great flavor — 10 years ago

with Kimberly

Gigi Pan

9.1

I like it a lot. Medium low tannin with strong aroma and red fruit flavor. (at Alta) — 11 years ago

with Alan

Troy Tonyan

9.9

Our Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon comes from mountain-grown fruit in Alexander Valley. Delicious, ripe blackberries, blueberry pie, cassis and cedar aromas delight with a smooth and harmonious mouthfeel that boasts flavors of Bing cherry, boysenberry syrup, graham cracker and milk chocolate. Velvety tannins generously coat the palate while the finish is supple and long with vanilla and caramel notes from French oak aging.

Vintage Notes
Our mountain vines are dry farmed in shallow, rocky, low-vigor soil that adds impressive depth and concentration of flavors to the wine. Record rainfall in the spring was followed by a mild summer; July being the coolest it’s been in 50 years. The mild weather led to grapes with higher acid levels at maturity, and which display fresh, vibrant, hand-picked-off-the-vine berry character. Harvest began early October, about two weeks later than normal, with the last grapes being picked in late October.
Winemakers Notes
This wine is composed primarily of Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with small amounts of Syrah and Petit Verdot. The hand-harvested grapes enter the gravity-flow winery and are hand sorted, then whole berries are gravity fed into tanks for fermenting before pressing. Individual lots are moved to barrels for malolactic fermentation, then blended and barrel aged for 18 months prior to bottling, allowing for the perfect balance of fruit, tannin and oak.
Appellation Alexander Valley
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot
Cooperage: 40% new French oak, 60% older French oak
Release Day: August 2012
— 12 years ago