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
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
Seems to be in a good stage of development- nicely softened tannins. Juicy blackberry, game and violets. Drink this with bloody steak or by a winter fire. — 7 years ago
Spicy Fruity. Violets. At Frenchie wine bar — 9 years ago
Lavender and cranberry. Very fine tannins. Violets Violets violets. Delicate and very approachable. — 10 years ago
Do red w/ brick edges; nose of sweet red licorice, violets, and sweet tobacco; silky attack of dusty ripe cherry, with a drying but pretty fruit finish that lingers. — 10 years ago
Mad Men of Riesling 2012 great southern Australia — 11 years ago
Floral nose, with apple skin, blackberry, and violets, leather adds to the palate as this is drinking really well right now with youth and maturity playing tug of war with the palate. Best Mourvèdre ever for me so far! — 12 years ago
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
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
The 14 Insignia out of 750ml.
On the nose, very dark currant/cassis. Expresso roast, nice backing spices; vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & clove. Dark spice, black tea, red florals, violets, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, dry crushed rocks, black, rich soil, volcanic minerals and some black licorice.
The body is full. Tannins are big, rounded, sticky/chewy with a dusty dry long palate set. The fruits are ripe and less dark than the nose. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, cherries, dry crushed rocks, black, rich soil, volcanic minerals, black licorice, expresso roast, backing spices; vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & clove. Dark spice, black tea with bright red florals & violets. Good waterfall acidity. The structure, length, texture and balance are well executed. The finish is beautiful, floral fruits and lasts minutes.
The wine is starting to close down and should slumber for 15-20 years. — 7 years ago
Purchased in Bend, Oregon from local wine shop. What a surprise! Very smooth and light....not jammy at all. — 10 years ago
Delicious! Violets and berries. Hints of vanilla, intensely good — 11 years ago
Violets, aroma that jumps out and grabs you — 12 years ago
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
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
The nose reveals, ripe, brightly floral dark & red fruits. Blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruit heaven, black raspberries, baked strawberries & rhubarb, cherries, prune notes, and dry, slightly burnt cranberries. Mixed berry cola, steeped tea, vanilla, touch of clove, allspice, used leather, limestone minerals, dry stone, whiff of graphite, faint herbaceous notes, dry underbrush, old cedar, tobacco leaf, with withering red & dark withering flowers with violets.
The body is medium to full. The tannins round, nicely softened but still a little tarry. The structure, tension, length and balance are are harmonious and starting its climb to their peak. The mouthfeel is gorgeous and sexy. Brilliantly, bright, laced; blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruit heaven, black raspberries, raspberries, baked strawberries & rhubarb, cherries, and dry, slightly burnt cranberries. Mixed berry cola, steeped tea, vanilla, touch of clove, dark medium spice with heat, allspice, used leather, some sweet tarriness, limestone minerals, rich dark soil, dry stone, whiff of graphite, faint herbaceous notes, dry underbrush, old cedar, tobacco leaf, with withering red & dark withering flowers with violets. The acidity was very good and the finish showed it’s Saint Julien elegance. It’s a beautiful wine now and over the next 15-20 years.
Photos of, Chateau Leoville Barton, the “Gentleman of Medoc”, Anthony Barton, harvest work of their Merlot and their barrel cellar.
An hour and a half in decanter.
— 6 years ago
Violets. #RebouleduRhone — 8 years ago
Very good. Crushed violets/roses in the nose. Smoked meat with tea leaves on the palate. Would like to see it in a few years — 9 years ago
Compost, pulverized stone, fresh violets, spruce, bell pepper, cranberry, black plum. Really lovely. — 10 years ago
Chateau Marmont — 12 years ago
Alexandre Pagliano
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