Daniel P. Drake

9.8

Over the Easter weekend I opened for friends the 2015 Spottswoode Family Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley St. Helena, California a blend of 89%Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Other.

I let decant for at least an hour on the nose there was black cherry, blackberry, plum, black currant, cedar, spice, roses, crushed gravel and earth.

On the palate there was black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, black currant, licorice, mint, sandalwood, crushed gravel and earth.

This wine was rated 100 by both Jeb Dunnick and Wine Advocate whom I respect highly and can totally understand their exuberance for this wine but I couldn't make it quite there. I found that this is full bodied with a freshness and smooth mouthfeel medium + to high acidity and medium + high grainy crunchy tannins that gives a beautiful long dark fruit gravelly earthy finish. An eceptional wine by any means and I am glad to have a few more at rest in my cellar for this wine has many years to continue to develop. Our Easter weekend was one of excitement and exuberance where we had a baby shower on Saturday for our daughter who is expecting the last week of May first week of June which will be our second grandchild. Easter day we spent with family and friends which the day was spectacular. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend and I wish everyone a wonderful week ahead. Please stay safe and healthy with peace to all. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 3 years ago

Michelle Connely

9.0

Consumed 01/2020. Received in a shipment but not sure when. I am afraid I have cellared it for too long. The cork broke off and I made a mess getting the cork out so that I could strain it into a decanter. The wine stains are evident on the label.. They use for varietals to make this. At the time that it was released it was phenomenal. But now that I have kept it too long, I would say not as good. I need to drink the rest of it pretty quickly. 14.1% alc/vol.  — 5 years ago

Paty Garza

9.4

La MESA rest Cesar Palace LV — 6 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.3

One of the very few Tuscans I reliably enjoy...love the high toned, exuberant cherry and hibiscus tinged with fresh herbs. A fresh, aromatic and lively take on Sangiovese. A “Super Tuscan” that is actually worthy of the title. Maybe I should give the rest of the region more of a chance...*thinks*...naahhhh — 7 years ago

SV

9.3

Honeysuckle, beeswax, chamomile and lemon curd nose. The acid hits first and then evolves into underripe peach, and pith, and aromatic citrus like yuzu or pomelo. A wine that makes you want to stick your nose in the glass and rest your forehead on the rim to enjoy. — 8 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.5

Winner of the night!! Hands down!! Had it an hour in the decanter (should go longer), and it just opened up nicely, as you can tell by the empty glass. Phillipe Melka is at his best with Brand. I need to hide the rest of these from myself for another 6 years. Balanced, beautiful color and a great finish. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from some of CVNE's best vineyards in the Rioja Alta (85% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), aged in both French and American oak for 24 months. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with licorice, vanilla, tobacco & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, wonderful balance, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Very nice! Tried several bottles! — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A fav, Pale yellow with pleasing aromas of citrus and peaches. One of the few barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc's which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor setting this wine apart from the rest. Complex palate of flavors, fresh fruit, lemons, grapefruit, peaches and Asian pears. Slight earthiness with a smooth and creamy well balanced finish ending with a gentle sweet character. Very nice! — 5 years ago

Roman Ochocki

9.2

I don't know why none mentioned a strong and sweet currant nose (blackcurrant or red currant - I won't argue). It striked me hard. The rest: a subtle leather, The palate is mild, I expected some pepper, but I found a chocolate. The finish is short. A nice beginning of the New Year's Eve. — 6 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.3

Nose has lightly oxidized yellow apple peel, wet seashells, freshly cut pear, light creamy oak, fresh lemon pith and light honey.

Palate has light salinity, lemon skin, honey on oak slab and under-ripe peach.

Beautiful wine, great (medium) acidity, yet still young. Likely this will benefit with another 4-6 years of rest. Oliver Lamy is one of the best Saint-Aubin producers, and this bottle is proof, chaotic vintage and still shining.

Decanted ~3hr. Easter 2019. — 6 years ago

edward Simpson

9.4

Purchased after a visite, Sept 2017, was excellent then and for a first excellent when sampled back home, lovely berries, soft tannins, almost note of graphite, of the terroir, lovely 4th Growth, so happy with the visit and purchase...will lay the rest down... — 8 years ago

Lisa Evans

9.8

Wow, this wine takes me back to wine tasting at Arista. While it is still so young, the smells and flavors that you experience while drinking it, take you right back.... lovely!! — 8 years ago

with Rob

Levi Glenn

9.1

Had all the Beaucastel character, but just wasn't firing. Maybe in just a bit of a closed/weird phase. Time to let the rest, well, rest. — 9 years ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Lovely wine. 1 hour in. Opening beautifully. Dark fruit and hint of plum Long elegant finish. Beautiful but will save the rest and watch it evolve. — 4 years ago

with Danielle and David

Wulf Losee

9.6

2011 tasted April of 2021. While the flirtatious wines of Bordeaux will, with rare exceptions, betray my trust, I can always depend on Joseph Phelps to provide me with a solid bottle wine.

Year after year, no matter what the stresses of the vintage were, the wine makers at JP know how to produce perfectly balanced Cabs and Cab blends (but they’re not as successful with the non-Cab varietals).

This bottle of JP’s Cab is decade old, and it’s just hitting its stride. Lots of leather, rust, and a hint of mint on the nose. Ripe cherries and pomegranates on the front. The original velvety tannic balance has become just a wee bit tattered over the years. But this new-found roughness provides a youthful and boisterous counterpoint to the rest of the component that are entering a staid middle age (in wine years that is). It’s like your 45-year-old dad going wild and buying a Harley Davidson, then cruising off down the road. You say, “WTF! That’s is the way to live!” Lots of gravely high notes on the mid palate, but the old velvety tannins reassert themselves on the long finish. This is a damn lovely wine! — 4 years ago

Rob Nohle

9.4

2015. Chocolate and sweet toast nose. Prefer 2016. 47 merlot 42 cab. Rest cf and pv. — 6 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

8.9

Good blend just like previous vintages. Lower rating because I think the wine hasn’t integrated enough yet and needs at least two more years of rest. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.2

Deep, dark extracted fruit. The nose on this one is initially black licorice, a hint of truffle, dark fruit and chocolate. As this wine opened up, it started to develop a LOT of dark, deep blackberry and mulberry. The middle of this wine is dark, deep, black cherry notes start to develop but also an herb note. This is a thick and dense wine. Finishes still with quite a bit of stiff tannin and some acidity. I think that this wine is still developing in bottle, and if you've got one of these, please rest assured that it is just now starting to get to peak, but probably won't be there with a 2-hour decant until closer to 2020. This basically means that my 2012 and 2013 needs to hang out for about 5-6 years before they are anywhere close to ready. — 7 years ago

with Dan and Keith

Ki Punwar

Owner, California Wine Republic

9.3

This wine is massive and still full of potential. Would have enjoyed it on day 2but left the rest for the staff at the restaurant. — 8 years ago

Barbie Fiallo

9.5

Our New Year's Eve dinner bottle. Fabulous! Decanted for an hour or so. Saving the rest for aging. Yummm. @Benoit Touquette does it again!!! — 9 years ago

with Jonathan