Seth Morgen Long

Broker • Arterberry Maresh / Winemaker • Morgen Long

9.4

Youthful, bright, long, maybe a touch gritty, and green in the best kind of way. — 6 years ago

LM Segal

9.1

Really yummy, tastes as if just bottled. Chocolate-laced gritty tannins and lots of dark earth tones. — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

Inky purple with gritty tannins, spirited fresh silky fruit. A substantial brooding wine with miles and miles left in the tank but so damn good right now. The ‘08s and ‘09s from the North CA Coast that I felt were impenetrable fruit bombs the last few years are really blooming now. Drink up but decant. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Blueberries leap out of glass with black licorice, violets, dark currants, loamy soils, vanilla & caramel. Dry, sticky, meaty, chewy M+ tannins, dark currants, dark chocolate, mocha powder, vanilla, caramel, blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, black raspberries, bright violets, grippy, gritty volcanic minerals, a good level of spices, warm, semi-sweet dark, soils, solid acidity with a ripe, round, lush, juicy fruit finish. Barrel tasted the 2016 vintage at the Nickel & Nickel. Photos of Sofia relaxing in the cellar and attendees enjoying lunch. — 8 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Classic Grezeaux aromas. Tobacco, tea leaf, cigar, dead leaves, blackberry fruit, elegant and ripe, amazing tannins, a bit gritty as it always and so fresh. — 9 years ago

Vann R

9.1

Left it in the decanter over night. Got smoother, with more refined tannin an acidity, but slightly more gritty. This won't be a knock out in a 5 more years, but it'll be closer. — 9 years ago

Monica Lewis

9.2

Ligbt bodied bit powerful in aroma. Cherries, Rosemary, gritty tannins but in a good way. Great for the price — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.1

Grape wood, yellow oak leaves, baked apple, dried blackberry, jasmine incense smoke, pine bark, cran -black cherry fragrances, elegant mouthfeel, aggressive tannin initially, though balanced between fruit and oak, red currant, cranberry, stone-licking, dusty and dry. Twigs and berries on the stiff fruit and cedar wood finish. I like this immensely, but certainly not for everyone. This is cave tools made of flint for gritty combat, not fruit bombs dropped by mad scientists in the hopes of sugaring the masses to death. Hirsute cave ladies, the moon is full, I think you know it's time for bone rattling, plaintive ululating and the coming of Boognish. — 10 years ago

Gerry Baker

9.0

Anise wrapped in dark fruit, tannin a little gritty — 10 years ago

Brad Hemmer

9.3

Love the deep purple color. Mint, dark fruit, gritty texture, dried herbs. Glad we have another. — 11 years ago

with Jenny

Brad Hemmer

8.9

Smoke at first, a little chocolate after. Dried raspberry, dried rosé petals. Blackberry, big tannins, gritty texture. Big wine. Lots going on on the nose! — 12 years ago

with Jenny

Mark Flesher

9.3

Nice, aged Cabernet. Debated opening this one. This started more on the plum and raisin side and a little muted. 15 minutes later? Fig and mushroom with basil and oregano, but not a whole lot of fruit. 30 minutes after that? Dirty black cherry, plums, seemed to find itself after a 31 year sleep. Rather substantial weight in the middle. Finishes with a gritty note. Tannins are definitely dropping here and this one is showing all it has. Good time to drink now! — 7 years ago

with Dan, Shay and 1 other

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Boom💥...there it is! Might as well be my 3,500 post. Not many better ways to kick off a Friday night. Cheers! 🥂

Love the leaner, ripe & slightly sour fruits of, strawberries, cherries, white peach, tangerine, watermelon near the rhine, black cherries, powdery razor sharp chalkiness, gritty grey volcanic minerals, sea shell/spray, baguette crust, pink rose petals, beautiful acidity and rich, round reductive, long beautiful finish.

Photos of, the House of Billecart, cellar with the bottles A-framed racked and ready to be riddled, cellar-hand crushing grapes and the best time to be in wine country, harvest. — 7 years ago

Mike Evans

9.0

Showing a little oxidation on the nose, but much younger on the palate with a little leather, ripe plum, and slightly gritty tannin. — 9 years ago

with Eric

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Deep ruby red maybe even a purplish hue. Dark berries with a touch of earthiness on the nose. Graphite and bark too. Moderate tannins (6.5/10) and medium bodied. Layered palate but a little tight with a little anise, dark fruits, spices, dark bitter cocoa and black cherries. Dry and slightly gritty texture with a medium finish. Drink till 2024. — 9 years ago

with Sean

Tobin Trevarthen

9.0

Delicious. Gritty berries. Perfect pork chop partner. — 9 years ago

Devin Bray

9.1

Dried roses, graveland potpourri on the nose, nicely tannic and gritty on the tongue with a mixture of baked cherry and some dark fruit. Kirsch on the finish with just a little subdued dry stones. No tar. Some oak. Elegant, refined, and ready to drink. — 10 years ago

Dan Thomas

9.1

Vibrant and full of energy. Gritty tannins. Needs time to show its best. — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.2

Cinnamon -plum with sweet smoke, black cherry smelling very ripe! Medium mouth, underripe black cherry with a gritty earth taste minus any texture. Pointed finish with a dusty point like a twisted cigarette full of cigar tobacco. Graphite. #Dolcetto #piedmontwines #Italianjuice — 11 years ago

with Courtney

Justin Pierce

10

I grabbed this in my mad dash through Kroger. In short, I would do it again. — 12 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Drinks like aged Rioja with a slightly more meaty palate. Gritty tannin with mature notes of licorice and leather. Cool wine. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

Few wines fit perfectly into my wheelhouse. This is one of a few. I picked this up at Seavey last weekend. 1997 is such a historic Napa vintage and this wine lives up to every inch of it. It’s a wine that you want to slowly sip all night.

On the nose; very, ripe; blackberries, sweet & sour dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, huckleberries with slightly baked strawberries haunt the background. Mixed berry cola, vanilla, cherry liqueur notes, some black licorice, limestone minerals, very light clove, soft subtle dark spices, dry crushed rock powder, sweet tarry notes, saddle-wood, very soft leather, forest floor, blue flowers and dark fresh & withering flowers.

The body is gloriously soft, round and beyond elegant. Still has plenty of soft, round, slightly tarry tannins. The structure, tension, length and balance have hit its sweet spot with another 7-10 years of really good drinking left. It’s harmony on the palate. Ripe; blackberries, sweet & sour dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, huckleberries with slightly baked strawberries haunt the background. Mixed berry cola, vanilla, notes of caramel, cherry liqueur notes, steeped fruit tea, some black licorice, just a hint of herbaceous, limestone minerals, very light clove, soft subtle dark spices, dusty tannins, dry crushed rock powder, gritty volcanic minerals, dry clay, sweet tarry notes, saddle-wood, chewy soft leather, forest floor, blue flowers and dark fresh & withering flowers. The acidity is about as perfect as I’ve had. The finish is nothing short of astounding. It’s long, elegant, ripe, well balanced and doesn’t end. One of the more exceptional wines I’ve had in some time.

Photos of, Seavey Winery & tasting room, the stairs the lead up to Williams office and show that late 18th century architecture, Williams desk in his old office and their Estate vines with the hillside painting the background. — 7 years ago

Ben Jones

9.1

Rich, fruity, very good! — 8 years ago

Sue Mohle

9.0

Beautifully floral with the gritty tannins — 9 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Very dark and gnarly blue fruit. Intense, deep gevrey-like fruit. Gritty and powerful. Dark and coiled. Exceptional fruit, intense, but very young. Great promise — 9 years ago

with Howard, Tony and 3 others

John Blazon

Master Sommelier & Educator Spire Collection

9.0

Beautiful balance, finesse - love the gritty terroir Bret ish background. — 9 years ago

Devin Bray

9.0

Rather ripe on the nose for a Bandol, with characteristic wild herbaceousness. Plenty of musky odors, however, like bearskin rug. Smooth on the mouthfeel, rather than gritty and tannic as these wines can sometimes be, packed with lavender and garrigue. There's a long, musky finish that reminds me of a goat pen, with a little peppery sharpness and unripe black berries. — 10 years ago

with Robert, Jordan and 1 other

Glen Hayley

8.9

2012 - More fruit on the nose than I expected by lovely linear drive and gritty texture. — 10 years ago

Jose Ramirez

9.0

Perfecto para una noche fría, buen cuerpo. — 11 years ago

Ehren Jordan

Owner/Winemaker Failla Wines

9.6

Gritty and perfect — 11 years ago