Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.

There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.

This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.

The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.

The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.

The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.

Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 6 years ago

Eric W Brown

9.3

Delicious wine to watch a spring snow storm.
Lots of cherries. Very smooth — 7 years ago

Darren Clayson

9.1

My favourite house champagne at a tasting of 15. Good depth with yeasty notes — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, dark fruit profile of; blackberries, black cherries, black raspberries, cherries, poached strawberries, dry dark florals, dark soils with light volcanic minerals. On the palate, M-M+ tannins, black raspberries, raspberries, black cherries, blackberries, cherries, poached strawberries, black licorice, sweet lifting spices, strong; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, blue fruits round out the longer finish, big chalkiness, some leather & volcanic minerals. The tannins soften & fruits lean on the longer finish with good round acidity. Photos of another vista outside Queenstown, long shot of the tasting room and outside garden grounds. — 9 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.2

Very good wine from CB. Nice balance to it, lots of flavor. Had it with a nice steak. Great pairing. — 9 years ago

Bob Barry

General Manager Winebow

9.2

Really pretty. Another of those strong female wines I like 😉. — 10 years ago

Pam Bushman

8.9

I consider this a more full bodied wine. Typically a Cab drinker but this Merlot was quite good. Strong plum and cranberry flavors with a bit of a peppery finish. Alcohol content seems high with half glass consumed! Surprised that I am enjoying this one as much as I am. — 10 years ago

Morgan Hall

9.5

A beautiful balance of fruit, spice, tannin.. True expression of the grape & place, rather than process (a non-carbonic Gamay) — 11 years ago

Kelly Reed

9.7

Definite favourite — 11 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.2

I first drank this wine in 2004 as a 22 year-old wine neophyte—with duck confit & spaetzle at the late great Earth & Ocean in Seattle—it blew my mind. As Swift said, “I drink no memories” so how does it hold up?

Quite respectably. Opening palate is fresh, mouthwatering, the memories of great Beaujolais crus past. Mid-palate with currant & slate. Excellent acid-tannin accord, cherry liqueur finish. Glorious with roast chicken & black trumpets. — 6 years ago

with Alsu

JKT

9.1

In Dublin hotel dinner brought by Hsing. Well made new world Aussie Shiraz with fruity well balanced nose of red fruits and cherry. Silky smooth texture for this style and long finish. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Quite delicious for its price point. I would say it slightly over delivers. Just misses 92.

Nice mousse, green apple, golden apple, lemon, lime zest, grapefruit, pineapple, guava, lychees, cream soda, bread dough, soft, moist chalkiness and powdery, soft chalkiness, jasmine, white spring flowers, nice acidity and a rich, polished and well balanced finish.

Good pair with our Brie and goats cheese.

Photos of; the House of Laurent Perrier, branded iron gates, their storage caves with bottles on A-frames and one of their Grand Cru vineyards. — 7 years ago

Kyna Love

9.0

Very bright and jammy out of the gate, and quite tart in a pleasant way. — 8 years ago

Thomas Bennett-Stroud

9.1

Vibrant, expressive, feminine. Superior biodynamic quality of fruit, not masked by oak. — 8 years ago

Naomi Hendricks Scharkopf

9.1

One of my favorite Long Island wineries! — 9 years ago

Chris LoRusso

9.5

Very special Chardonnay from Spring Mountain with a perfect balance of Oak and acidity. — 9 years ago

B

10

1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia. Second set of reds we tried at house dinner w A&C BG and MR&GR. This wine we tried alongside the '01 Dalla Valle Maya. This wine is gorgeous, but much bigger and muscular than the Maya. We always love this wine. — 10 years ago

Jeff Smith/Vintner

9.4

Rumor has it that the cuttings of SH came from Inglenook, which ultimately came from DRC. Interesting theory. SH has always been an odd duck in Napa. Spring Mt Pinot, that is muscle and elegance in one package. So I'm going with it... Beautiful wine. Elegant and powerful at the same time. Loads of red currant, Asian 5 spice and rose oil. Pure aromas and fruit. Perfumed, exotic and texturally sleek. Minor alc on the finish, but I've tasted many hotter Burgs. What most new world Pinots wish to be! — 10 years ago

David Monaghan

8.9

Oak and spice and all things nice.... Bold and brilliant - inviting to the nose and dances like a ballerina on the front of the tongue — 11 years ago

with Baroness

Roger Ray

9.1

"displays aromas of berries, spiced and cocoa. it shows complexity on the palette of plum and mature red fruits balanced with subtle tannins intense blackberry flavors and spice offset by ripe fruit characteristics". A wonderful wine by a beautiful, great new Texas Hill Country vineyard. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

@Plate & Bottle Dinner

Dessert Course, Warm Berry Cobbler, House Made Vanilla, Lemon Verbena Ice Cream.

Amazing dessert. Pairing the cobbler with the Ruinart Rosé and the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve as well. Both good/appropriate for the dual aspects of the cobbler.

Dessert has blackberries and raspberries with lemon and crumble on top (tiny bit of cinnamon) and vanilla lemon verbena ice cream. There are flavors here that call for Rosé & Blanc de Blanc Champange.

Photos of, the dinner & our friends Jeff & Hedy beautiful backyard. — 6 years ago

Bill Wynne

9.2

My current FAVORITE table red. Fruity with adequate tannins and excellent finish. Pairs with everything from steaks to Italian. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Grabbed a bottle to close the Summer on Labor Day weekend. Blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir this wine was rich and complex. Pale yellow, vibrant bubbles, Crisp fruit aromas, apples and pears. Palate shows generous mineral and toasty oak notes integrated with the fruit. Absolute a must on your list, a true house staple for me. Great Champagne value. Overall nice summer, a tad wet back east! — 7 years ago

Scott Stewart

9.3

Spoils of War... love Doug's wines! — 8 years ago

Philip Faure

9.1

Lovely and creamy — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Delamotte is the sister house to Salon. The Delamotte generally gets the grapes that do not go into Salon. The 07 while tasty is a little simple. Nice green apple, lemon/lime zest, grapefruit, grapefruit pit, touch oily, citrus blossoms, nice minerality & acidity but missing the level of chalk you'd expect. Honey & butterscotch candy comes out as it sits in the glass awhile. — 9 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.4

Sometimes you don't want to analyze, and just enjoy. This was one of those moments. — 10 years ago

with Lynne

Kimberly Donahoe

10

I absolutely love this fresh and citric wine. There are elements of pineapple or passion fruit with no hint of floral notes making it a delicious and crisp white wine. — 10 years ago

Jeff Taylor

8.9

Good, not too bright or acidic, mild minerality
— 11 years ago

Sanjuana Walters

Skurnik Wines Domestic Portfolio, Freelance Writer

8.9

Very bright and lively — 12 years ago

with Skurnik