Ron Siegel

9.4

Always a treat with its perfumed aromatics, balanced dark cherry, berry fruits, spice, mineral, graphite, iron, olive, pepper & violets — 7 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was drinking well showing red & black fruits, earth, savory spices, mineral & violets. — 9 months ago

Kurt Schuster

9.2

Developed quickly. Flowers, violets, roses. Dark, thick creosote. Medium bodied. Lovely. — a year ago

with Denise

Conrad Green

9.4

Very soft and open. Violets, cherry, dried herbs. Charming and gentle. Totally resolved and tannins enveloped in the gentle fruit. Lovely — 2 years ago

with Bex, Naoko and 1 other

Ron Siegel

9.4

This needed some air to open showing lots of floral & spice with notes of red cherry, strawberry, plum, orange peel, dried herbs, leather, tobacco & violets. This will need a few more years but should be another great vintage for this wine. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

2016 is such a beautifully, ripe and elegant vintage. The 16 stands tall from the other vintages we tasted.

The body is rich, bold and thick. Beautiful dark fruits of ripe, ruby; blackberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries and amazing blue fruits shine as it sit on the palate. There is more balance in the 16...fruits and earth. Saddle-wood, tobacco, leather, dry soil, dry & moist clay, dry stone, rich dark earth, lead pencil, bright, fresh, red, blue, dark flowers with violets. Very nice acidity with a beautiful finish.

Don’t even touch a bottle for 15 plus years. This nice now but, you will only be cheating yourself out of a very special wine 15 plus years from now.

Photos of; Clyde and Alfred at the bar, their Amphora style cement tanks they ferment part of each vintage now, road signs of the good neighbors they keep and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

John Hagood

8.9

Suggested at Grand Cata on 11/29/2024 when I asked for Ribera sacra bzw. Galicia. $30. L noted Chambers had shipped same wine! Likely natural then, though lacking that liveliness. Drank 11/30/2024. Ash, bubble gum on nose. Puckett tannins will likely settle down with time and warmth. Black fruit, violets, gravel/slate. Long strong finish lingers. — 7 months ago

Joe Weinberger

9.3

Never mad about opening Gonon. Delicious as always. Will be really incredible years down the line. — a year ago

Conrad Green

9.4

A little stinky with a whiff of oxidation. Still great underlying fruit with plum and a woodiness. Violets and sour dark cherry. Excellent — a year ago

with Tony and David

Alexandre Pagliano

9.5

Wow. Kaleidoscopic wine. Dark cherries, dark chocolate, tobacco, roses and violets, a precise, pure, elegant and complex wine that is great now but will stand the test of time. Tanins are polished as can be and the wine is long and same time subtle. Great stuff. Highly recommended. Get one bottle and see for yourself. — 3 years ago

with Adriana

Josh Morgenthau

9.4

This is killer. Slow to reveal its perfume, really needs a decant or slow ox actually. But berry liqueur and violets emerge, some baking spice, then palate has supple texture, super fine and gentle tannins, really nice acid. Truly a wine of pleasure. This wine, like the best from the vintage, combines perfect ripeness with classic elegance and lift. — 5 years ago

Jeff Murray

9.0

Excellent blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Tempranillo instead of Syrah. Works very well. I saw this described as “dusty fruits” which I take to mean earthy, and just slightly subdued. Relatively smooth and opens up nicely with air time. Will keep the other bottles for a while to see how the evolve. Another good effort from ONX wines out of Pasa Robles. Cheers — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

The BV Tapestry doesn’t show its real self and value until it approaches 20 years. When you open these inside 10 years, it’s an average to very good wine depending on vintage. I’ve said it many times, you simply can’t get this kind of elegance and flat gorgeous complexity with any amount of decanting. You cannot fake or cheat long bottle evolution.

The one quality I get from this bottling at this age is Cognac with deep caramel flavors.

The nose reveals, dark currants, deep blackberries, dark liqueur cherries, baked, black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, baked rhubarb pie, poached strawberries, anise, heavily steeped tea, limestone minerals, dry, crushed, rock powder, sweet tarriness, soft leather, hints of graphite, dry twig, salted caramel, Cognac, herbaceous notes-bay leaf, dark, rich, turned earth, hints of mushroom, hints of; vanillin, clove, nutmeg, understated, medium, dark spice, saline, peppercorns, dark, red, fresh & withering florals with fields of violets and lavender. Floral heaven and then some!

The body is round & full. The mouthfeel is gorgeously sexy. The tannins are round, soft but, still show some teeth & tarriness. The structure, tension, length and balance are exquisite and still has at least 5 years of life ahead. It’s magnificently on the other side of its peak. Dark currants, deep blackberries, dark liqueur cherries, baked, black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, baked rhubarb pie with golden crust, poached strawberries, kirsch cherries, figs, prunes, dates, anise, heavily steeped tea, limestone minerals, dry, crushed, rock powder, sweet tarriness, soft leather, hints of graphite, dry twig, salted caramel, dark chocolate, Cognac, herbaceous notes-bay leaf, dark, rich, turned earth, hints of mushroom, hints of; vanillin, clove, nutmeg, understated, medium, deep, dark spice with shades of palate heat, saline, peppercorns, dark, red, fresh & withering florals with fields of violets and lavender. The acidity is flat out perfect. The long finish is; extremely well balanced fruit & earth, elegant, gorgeous, sexy, silky, ripe, lush, captivates the whole body, persists until you go to bed and even intrudes on your dreams.

While 94, no ordinary 94 with its age, complexity & beauty. It’s a WOW wine that rocks your mind, body & soul if you are deeply passionate about wine as I am. You want to slowly sip this all night.

Photos of, all the amazing scenery in and around BV...a Napa pioneer & legend. — 6 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Big 18 sunshine nose. Violets, mulch and spice. Some nice sweet wood as well. But just enormous spice. Very Fruh. Palate is so elegant and full of violets and wonderful inner mouth florals. Really nice opulent texture and just floats. Let’s see what air does. After air this gets more linear and gains edge and energy. Really different now than when it was p and p. — 9 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium deep ruby with ruby pink rim. Spicy cassis , dark blackberry , violets , red pepper. A touch herbaceous with tobacco and graphite. On the pallet, nice volume, ripe blackberry , dark cherry, cassis, with that herbal touch from the nose. Quite firm sweet tannin and balanced acidity . Medium length graphite and cassis tinged finish. This is still quite young but approachable, will last well over the coming 10 years or so. — 9 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (54%), Merlot (38%) and Cabernet Franc (8%). Dark ruby color with purple highlights. Dark fruit aromas with hints of charcoal, bramble, mint and violets. Black cherry leads the palate along with notes of blueberry, plum, currants and dark chocolate. Hint of minerals and fresh herbs on the long finish. Juicy, fresh tasting and well structured. Thanks for sharing, James W. — 2 years ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.5

Oh sooo elegant. Blackcurrant, licorice, dark cherries, and a hint of violets on a dense and concentrated Pauillac. Accessible from the beginning but lots of tension showing the wine still requires a few years in bottle. To revisit in 2026. Great bottle !! — 4 years ago

with Adriana

Thomas Epps

9.7

Wonderful! — 5 years ago

with Jeannie

Diana Eng

9.6

Wild strawberries, tart red cherries, raspberries and pomegranates enveloped by fully bloomed red roses and violets. Some iron and red clay, cinnamon and nutmeg, black tea. Med plus acid, med tannin, med plus finish. So expressive. — 6 years ago

with EatSommThings

Ron Siegel

9.2

Dark cherry, kirsch, earth, wild herbs, black olive, pepper & violets. Still somewhat primary that is approachable now but still needs more time. — 6 years ago