Candace Rhodes

9.9

Perfect after being quarantined and recovered from Covid-19 and now working from home with kids still home school closed... appropriate time to open this bottle — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Today, the Ferragamo family, with the help of Enologist Niccolo’ D’Afflitto have been working to develop the practices that have been used at Il Borro since 1760 under the ownership of Medici-Tornaquinci. A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cab Franc, 10% Syrah & 5% Petit Verdot, deep Ruby with a berry earthy spice nose. On the palate good full dark berry flavors with a nutty oak character. Fine rustic tannins, lingering ending with earthy berry tones. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The nose reveals; dark currants, blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries. Black tea, expresso roast, anise, crushed dry rocks, big vanilla, clove, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, woody notes with dark fresh & withering flower bouquet.

The body is big and lush. The tannins are big, meaty and tarry. Very dark currants. Blackberries, heavy black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries and some blueberries & strawberries as they open up. Black tea, expresso roast, steeped fruit tea, anise, crushed dry rocks, dry clay, big graphite, big vanilla, dark spice, clove, light dry herbs, a little nutmeg, dry underbrush, sweet tarry notes, leather, cedar with violets dark fresh & withering flower bouquet. The acidity is round, fresh and beautiful. The big, long, well balanced finish is excellent and look forward to having this in 15-20 years. This one will be a stunner!

Photos of, the barn where they make wine and hosts tastings, our private tasting area inside William’s old office. William desk and their outside terrace area.

Producer history & notes...Seavey Vineyard is located along Conn Valley Road in the eastern hills of Napa Valley, about 15 minutes from the valley floor.

This historical property was originally a cattle ranch. However, records indicate grapes were planted on some of the hillsides as early as the 1870’s. The stone dairy barn, still in existence, was built in 1881.

William & Mary Seavey purchased this property in 1979. The estate was originally founded by the Franco-Swiss Farming Company in 1881 which, closed down when Phylloxera destroyed their grape vines and the Volstead Act (Prohibition) went into effect. At the time of their purchase, they were a horse and cattle ranch. They quickly planted the slopes with grapes and initially sold their fruit to Raymond Vineyards. They have never purchased grapes, all their wine is made from estate grapes. Their vineyards are separated into 20 plus individual blocks.

Today, the property is about 200 total acres of which, 40 acres are planted to vine. Their hillside vineyards produce low yields of rich concentrated fruit. A small block of Chardonnay grows in a cooler lower part of their property. Besides grapes, they also raise cattle which are used to graze the hillsides. They feed the vineyard with the cattle cuttings. In 2003, they were one of the first Napa wineries to install solar.

Mary passed away in 2008 and William died in 2016. There daughter Dorie returned to the family business and now oversees the winery operations. Her brother Arthur also handles national and some small international sales, primarily to restaurants. However, most of their wine is sold direct to consumers.

Seavey’s first commercial vintage was released in 1990 a year after they renovated the stone dairy barn into a working winery. Today this stone building is the centerpiece of the property and is where tastings are hosted.

Since 2011, Jim Duane has been their day to day Winemaker. He’s worked at Robert Mondavi and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. It should also be noted that Philippe Melka Winemaker/Consultant has been with Seavey since 1995...one of Philippe’s two initial wine making jobs in the Napa Valley were with Seavey and Lail Vineyards.

Seavy makes about 3,200 cases annually depending on what mother nature brings. They make around two hundred cases of Chardonnay, slightly more Merlot and the rest is of the production is comprised of their Caravina and Estate Cabernets.
— 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

On the nose, stewed fruits of; black plum, blackberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Mocha, chocolate, mixed berry cola, sweet spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, loamy mineral soils and dry dark florals. The mouthfeel is less concentrated than other vintages of Corison but that's indicative of the 10 Napa vintage generally. The tannins are nicely resolved with another 5-8 years before they are completely resolve. The fruits are; dark cherries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, blackberries with strawberries that dance around the rest of the fruit. There's nice barrel toast, vanilla, nutmeg, light clove, cinnamon, touch of wood shavings, liqueur notes, caramel, mocha chocolate, mix berry cola, loamy soils, dry crushed rocks, bramble, dry stems with nice soft round acidity. The finish is a little lean but tasty. Good balance of fruit and earth with long, rich elegance. Cathy slightly overachieved the 10 vintage as a whole. Photos of; her estate building, Cathy in her vineyard, grapes coming in at night (better to harvest when the fruit is cooler) and her estate vineyard in all it's glory. Producer notes and history...Cathy Corison grew up in Riverside, California. She studied biology at Pomona College and was on their men's diving team, because the school didn't have a women's team. In 1972, she had to take an extracurricular class. She signed up for a trampoline class, but changed her mind upon seeing a sign-up sheet for a wine tasting class. This class was the catalyst that sparked her interest in winemaking. After graduation in 1975, she moved to Napa Valley in California. She received her Master's degree in Enology from University of California, Davis. Upon moving to Napa, she started working in the tasting room at Sterling Vineyards and at a wine shop. During this time, she was getting her Master's degree at the University of California, Davis. She was told by her professor that she would not get a job in Napa Valley because of being a woman. However, if she wasn't the first Napa Valley female Winemaker, she was certainly one of the first. She tried to get a job at Freemark Abbey and was denied because they believed she could not work in the cellar. She almost took a job at Christian Brothers in the enology lab. However, she decided not to take the job and in 1978 she became an intern at Freemark Abbey and eventually became their Winemaker. She joined Chappellet in 1983 and was their Winemaker for nearly ten years. She founded Corison Winery, in 1987. The winery is located in St. Helena, California in a barn built by her husband, William Martin. Corison makes Cabernet and Gewürztraminer. They produce about 3,500 cases a year depending on the vintage. The winery makes a Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and as well as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Kronos is an estate wine that is made from organic grapes. The vineyard is dry farmed. The grapes come from one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Cabernet comes from Rutherford. The Gewürztraminer is called Corazón and comes from the Anderson Valley. — 9 years ago

Charles Garrison

9.3

A beautiful Pinot from start to its lingering finish. Aromatics and palate melded together seamlessly with darker fruits, think cherry and plum, leading the way. This bottle was in that spot where everything is working together. I have a few more and look forward to revisiting this Pinot sooner than later — 7 years ago

Jamie Farmer

9.2

Fantastic as a belated 50th New Year celebration with a good duck foie gras. First experience with d’Yquem - need to start working on the justification for the next. — 7 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.0

Delicate and fresh and lovely. Off dry, with a slightly oily texture that finishes clean. Soft citrus and hints of powdery florals. Very more-ish and also versatile - working beautifully with a tasty blue cheese tonight and would suit spicy Asian food also. — 7 years ago

with Sam

Daniel McGeough

9.3

Amazing tapas wine!! Working with each dish!!! Texture and brightness!!! — 8 years ago

Bob Yoon

9.2

A 10 year old red wine from one of my favorite producers in Tuscany on close out? Sure, I’ll bite! Still very dark and lively. Pairs well with chicken fried beef ribs (yes, you read that correctly), #Minitab and working from the hotel room. — 8 years ago

Michael H

9.2

Still working out how much I love this or don’t. Beautiful gold colour and huge nose mainly of diesel / petrol for first hour or two at least. Calms down and the petrochemical taste subsides which isn’t a bad thing. Sweetness has subsided and integrated itself making a substantial feel and finish. Lovely — 8 years ago

boyd

9.1

Super refreshing. Zippy cranberry, raspberry and citrus. Exactly what you want after a day working in the yard. Even more refreshing than the Radler. — 9 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

Served before the '04 Espectacle, this was a newborn colt, shy nose, mineral core but pure as the day is long. Clear, clean bright red berry fruit, touch of brine. So perfectly assembled but not yet all working together. This felt like it needed another 10 years, kind-of high-end Chateaneuf Grenache vibe. Garnacha. — 9 years ago

Sylvia Bednarz

9.2

When working late...! — 9 years ago

Chris Chiapparelli

9.5

Drinkin nice. Starting to dry out a little so working well with food. — 9 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

10

Okay my friends. I have finally released my own wine! This rating is for Dr Todd Vineyards cabernet sauvignon from Herron Family Wines. I had to put Papillon in the pic to get this spot. Ive been working on this since 2014!!!!! It is finally ready. Of coarse it is opaque in color. The legs are thick and slow to fall. The bouquet is my favorite blackberry pie fresh out of the oven with a hint of black licorice. The initial palate is exploding with dark fruit: blackberry, black current, dark cherries. The mid palate is exactly what I hoped for, chocolate and spice with a splash of oak! The finish is very long with minimal tannins and moderate dryness. I am very proud if this wine. I want to thank my growers in NAPA. I blended two vines of 100% cabernet , one from Oakville and one from the Silverado trail area near lake Hennessey. We aged it three years in American Oak. I am so proud of my team!!!!! Thank you my Herron Family Wine Crew! This is an awesome cabernet sauvignon. Next is a pinot noir... stay tuned... — 7 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.0

Sometimes you really just need to Goode into a title until it is ready to drink..

Deep,, dark fruits nose, with traces of hazelnuts

Black Forest cherry, mint, Irish breakfast tea, all wrapped up and strained through Dominican tobacco leaves.
Hefty and delicious. — 7 years ago

David Mark

9.1

Recommended from the young guy who's a Red Sox fan working at Vintry. Very very good — 8 years ago

Jean-Francois Pelletier

9.2

Surprise of the night. Garnet color. Very complex nose of red and dark fruit, leather, and herbs. Full body with all the elements working in balance all the way through the long finish. Good stuff. — 8 years ago

with Frankie

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I bought my first vintage from this producer & terroir beginning with the 2010 vintage and what a vintage to start. I bought four bottles for right around $50 or a little less. They were so amazing, I drank through them in no time at all. For those of you that read my posts, that’s not normally what I do. I like to drink one & age the rest. Since then, I have looked & looked for more. I’d finally given up hopes of finding more until recently I struck gold. I should have bought all nine bottles but a calmer head prevailed. It’s definitely changed since having it fresh. On the nose, the fruits are slightly macerated. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, glazed nuts, soft, delicate, chalky minerals, a touch of jasmine & yellow lilies. The body is much rounder & thicker than when it was young. Waxy. So, beautifully layered across the palate. Much of the palate matches the nose. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, apricots, peach, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, slight molasses character & glazed nuts with citrus blossoms, yellow lilies & jasmine. The minerals are much more grippy & bold as they cut across and set on the palate. The acidity round & phat. The texture is amazing as is the length, balance & beautiful, rich, long finish that lasts two-minutes plus. So glad I found more of this wine! Hubert Lamy seriously over deliver the terroir & the price point by a country mile. If you are not buying this wine on pre-arrival, you are missing great wine and excellent value. Can’t say enough good things about it. Especially, the 2010. I expect the 15 to hold similar quality. Photos of; Olivier Lamy, Olivier working in this vineyard, barrel room and their Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Vineyard. Producer notes and history...There have been Lamy’ s growing vines in St-Aubin since 1640, today it is run by Olivier Lamy. Olivier is a new breed of Burgundian grower keen to progress. He trained Méo-Camuzet & made a number of vintages before taking over in 1996 from his father Hubert. Hubert Lamy used to sell fruit to négociants, but that stopped in 1997. He grubbed up and sold off peripheral vines, keeping only the best and oldest sites. Currently he is experimenting with different planting densities in a quest to capture even greater expression of terroir. The Domaine produces both reds and whites and now has 16.5 hectares of vineyards, mostly in St-Aubin but also own a few parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet and a tiny plot in the Grand Cru Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Yields are kept low and recent innovations have been introduced with selection tables in the cuverie to ensure that only the healthiest and ripest grapes are used. His more recent move to reduce the amount of new oak with the introduction of demi-muids 300-600 liter barrels have also helped to improve the wines. Vinification is traditional and the wines are matured with only 20-30% new oak for 12 months before minimal filtration and then bottling. The quality is very high and is often superior to many wines from much more prominent villages that sell at twice the price or more. — 8 years ago

Steve Bozich

9.1

First Rose of the Spring, and my first by Bedrock. Tart, as I like it, strawberry and watermelon and slightly floral. I'm really going to enjoy this some hot July evening, while working the grill. — 9 years ago