Jay Kline

9.4

Poured into a Swan decanter immediately prior to service and enjoyed over a several hour period. The 2013 “Villero” pours a deep garnet with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears and no signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with a gorgeous, powerful bouquet of dark and red fruits: black cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, tar, roses, talcum powder, and dry stony earth. On the palate the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, grippy a freaking delicious. This is showing really well but there is no end in sight. Drink now with patience but this should reward an even great bounty done the road and turn heads through 2045+. — 9 days ago

Nicole Taylor

9.0

Honey. Melon. Mineral. — 4 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Sourced from the Saint Joseph and Grand Crus subzones of the appellation, which give fine, stony wines, from 80-year old vines. A high-lying sandy parcel gives more complexity, structure, and acidity to the wine. Medium Ruby with red fruit and floral spice aromas. On the palate flavors of red raspberry, cherry, banana and earthy mint. Vivid acidity, fine tannins, medium+ finish, ending with fruit and spice. Very good, bottle age will benefit! — 8 months ago

Peter Sultan

9.1

Compared to the last Becker dry Spatlese tasted, this was less inviting: a bit more mineral & stony, with none of the fruit flavors associated with Riesling to be found. Very chiseled & imagine needs time in bottle/ long decant. You can still taste the precision though. — 2 months ago

with Owen

Paul T- Huntington Beach

9.4

Once I read this had a drinking window of 2008- 2040 by John Gilman I had to try it. Definitely not close to being a pop & pour so maybe he’s on to something with these. 2010 vintage has a drinking window to 2060😳 — 3 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A nice blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Musque pale lemon with aromas of tropical and citrus fruits with smoky floral notes. On the palate flavors of apple, melon, pear and lemon citrus notes with nice balance, crisp medium finish ending with fruit and stony mineral notes. Nice value! — 5 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Along with 02, 04 and the majestic 2010, 08 is one of my absolute favorite vintages from Raveneau and it’s absolutely rocking tonight showing superb weight, density and waxy yellow fruit that’s layered with stony minerality and piercing lemony acids. 08 Raveneau is all about that Chablisian balance: proper levels of richness and acid, ripeness and minerality. Code yellow ftw 🙌🏻 — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured. The 2021 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a deep ruby color with a deep but transparent core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe red and black brambles, spiced meat, black pepper, some purple flowers and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This comes across lighter and more Burgundian than the last handful of vintages; almost giving me some 2014 vibes (which is a vintage in the last decade that I adore). It’s really good and shows a bit more elegance that I quite like. Looking forward to tracking this vintage as time goes on. Drink now with some patience and should be cracking through 2041 with ease. — a month ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.7

My nomination for Wine of the Year and it’s… a Napa Chardonnay?!? This wine challenged and expanded my beliefs about what this region, site and variety could be.

Also, we seem to be catching this wine at exactly the right point.

This Spring Mountain estate was focused almost entirely on white wines until recently and has some of the region’s oldest Napa plantings of Riesling and Chardonnay. (Of course now that they’ve been acquired by some PE group for an absurd sum, Cab is being planted everywhere but that’s a story for another day)

Their Chardonnay is idiosyncratic — no malo and low abv (the 2012 vintage is a mere 13%), but you wouldn’t know from its richness.

Mindblowingly complex and - most importantly - indulgently delicious (in other words, I blew my wine budget for two months on two bottles good).

Initial aromas of plastic / petrol (like riesling) that take on more of a toasted vanilla / caramel flan with air. On the nose and palate: pear and lemon, salt and stone. The flavors are concentrated and intense on the attack and yet the wine has such a light touch on the palate and a graceful finish — toasted hay, salty and flirting with bitter marzipan — that just goes on and on and on.

It brings me back to that afternoon on Spring Mountain with the perfect fall light, changing leaves and the coyote we saw crossing our path as we made our way up the winding drive way.

Absolutely fucking brilliant. — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium ruby with medium pink ruby rim . Slightly smoky dark plum and cherry, quite reserved and still young with a granite like , stony notes, after a while a touch of that garrigue . On the palate nice ripe dark plum and cherry notes , black pepper , touch of spice , refreshing acidity and quite gritty tannins , fills out well on the palate , with a saline tinge on the medium length finish . Drinking well now though could improve over the next 5 years or so and last well a further 5 . — 9 months ago