Ron Siegel

10

Domaine Bizot lunch today hosted by their winemaker Thomas Berry. This is a producer who’s wines are virtually impossible to find. They have 9 plots with an average yearly production at 9000 btls. Whole cluster with some new oak, very small yields & small amounts of sulphur added. Their wines are lush & pure with no intervention showing purity of fruit, sweet spices along with floral notes. They are so delicious now you can drink them young but will reward long term cellaring. (Aka Liger Belair) — 4 years ago

Kyle Harvey

9.2

Wine #2 -minimal intervention Cru Beauj - funky, tart cherry, surprisingly clean finish. Perfect for first slate of NFL games on European time. — 6 years ago

Neethu

8.9

I found this to be an easy wine to drink with minimum tannins. — 6 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.3

Aged 6 Months minimum aged in bourbon barrel. Strong Bourbon note. Very soft and dry. — 6 years ago

with Kristi and Brady

Justin Gilman CSW, CSS

9.3

Domestic #Chardonnay #wine striking a pose of #Chablis.

Minimal intervention to the extreme. Superior balance. Reminiscent of Chablis. Bright gold color. Tangy acid, sharp TA. Lasting finish. Opened 7/20/17 — 7 years ago

Paco Suro

9.0

In a great spot. Bright. Good fruit here! Let open for over an hour minimum. — 7 years ago

David L

9.4

05' Decant for 2 hours at a minimum. — 7 years ago

with James

Matt Sterr

9.0

50 year old vines minimum. 25 g sugar. Not cloying or too sweet. Pleasant. — 8 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

8.9

Straight forward crisp SB. This is what makes NZ so reliable. Any random supermarket bottle meets the minimum cut off. This one is great for a quick Christmas Eve lunchtime quaff and to add to all the sauces we’re prepping for tonight. 😊 — 4 years ago

Tom Inners

9.4

So old world in its interpretation and how it showed with graceful age here in 2019. Very little intervention in the winemaking as I have come to understand it from Randall and getting to know these wines past and present. A surprise winner of the bottles opened as part of dinner in good company. I will keep my eyes peeled for more bottles of the 1980’s vintages from LG as I have seen a few pop up across Sonoma County’s wine honey holes 🍯 — 6 years ago

Cameron Etezadi

9.3

Good structure but too young to be opened and consumed. Needs five to ten years at a minimum before you should be drinking this. Bright red with bold tannins and a high acidity make this delicious but painful today. Left my mouth still watering for the long finish. Plums and blackberries dominate the body profile. — 6 years ago

with Eric

Benjamin Lehrhoff

9.0

Nothing like having a friend who has to hit a club minimum in one day. — 6 years ago

Sergio Licea

9.1

Blueberries, stewed cranberries, blood orange, roasted marshmallows, smoke, white pepper. Lively acid, silky-juicy texture, light bodied, fruity-floral finish. Complex minimal intervention glou glou. — 7 years ago

David Lincoln

9.0

This wine is supposedly one of the top American wines of the last 25 years. Tannic as hell. Needs many hours of air before the fruit is revealed. Nose is lovely. Long finish. This needs six more years of bottle age minimum. So much potential. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Mid Lemon. A Chenin Blanc blend with some Chardonnay, Palomino etc. A full bodied mouthful of flavour with minimum oak influence and medium + intensity on the palate. An unctuous almost syrupy wine with low acid. — 7 years ago

with Hugh and Georgina

Joe Gillies

9.2

Needs more time or a long decant. Tannins are still showing prominently.
30 min decant, minimum aromas. Traditional style. Cherry, floral violet, and smoke charcoal. Paired perfectly for pizza night in the outer banks — 5 years ago

Matt Sterr

9.4

15 years age minimum. 1,000 (approx) bottles released per year from this solera. Motor oil color, perfect for dessert. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Opened 375ml bottle. Made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca by blending wines that are matured for a minimum of 10 years. Nice topaz color with gentle sweet aromas of spice and almonds. On the palate dried red fruit flavors, well balanced with lively acidity, very fresh taste. Lingering finish ending with pleasant oak and honey tones. One of the best 10 year Tawny's I have tasted. The 375ml was a perfect size. — 6 years ago

James Hayasaka

8.9

Delightful after decanting for three hours, minimum. — 6 years ago

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. — 7 years ago