Shay A

9.4

Opened for a buddy’s birthday party. What a lovely surprise. Cork was a struggle, but hardly any seepage at all. On a table with a ridiculous amount of bottles, including standouts like ‘95 Opus, ‘85 Freemark Bosche, ‘74 Sterling Merlot, ‘13 Salon.

Pop and poured. Excellent youthful color! Deep ruby, hardly any bricking. Gorgeous aromatics of red and black berries, vanilla pipe tobacco, sweet spices. On the palate, it is wonderfully integrated and layered with stewed red and black fruits, fig, espresso, dusty coco (maybe fading signature Rutherford dust?), and a small bit of tannin at the finish keeping this buttoned-up and well structured. Excellent finish and balance. Held strong all evening. Seems as though this had a toe in the early ‘90s style of more bright Napa cabs and one toe in the late ‘90s/early ‘00s style of starting to increase ripeness…great marriage of the two. Pop and enjoy! — 9 months ago

Bill Bender

9.3

I’m not sure who was calling this the Bobby Boucher (Joe or Shawn) but it is nobody’s water boy! Still fully intact at 49 years. I believe this was the first Bosche bottling. Plum, fig and cassis are all present. I get caramel too. Finish fades ever so slightly but it had more tannic backbone than the Insignia, Mondavi and HSS that we’re 20+ years older. Not quite as polished as those three but clearly heartier and more unique. Props to @David L for sharing again. — 6 years ago

Nils Johnson

9.4

There is no setting for the Bosche Merlot. Damn skippy though. Soft tannins and expressive blackberry and blueberry notes mingling with dark cherry. — 8 years ago

Michael Peterson

9.5

Finally opened up and time to drink these if you still have them. Had another a few years ago and it was still firm. The 01 vintage is possibly my favorite domestic cab I’ve had. The 02 is broader and didn’t quite get to the 01 aromatics but was still very good. Sycamore is always such a pretty wine. I prefer it to Bosche. — a year ago

Severn Goodwin

9.4

Just concluded our annual Fall seclusion at our cabin in the Rangeley lakes region of Maine, mobile service up there is mostly non-existent, after several days I am posting again. Notes are somewhat brief, as my focus is relaxing and watching the Common Loons swimming and diving in the cove in front of our camp.

Nose has old leather, semi-dried plum, ripe blackberry, mashed black cherry, over-ripe plum and mild oak, dried (unsweetened) cranberry and trailing washed (whole) green pepper notes.
Palate has ripe plum, ripe blackberry, cedar plank, dried cherry, dried raspberry with still noticeable tannins. This bottle will easily hold another 10+ years, future bottles can be 2025+ without concern.

Blend is Bordeaux in its style. I believe this bottling was started in the early 2000's (01/02) when FAW was doing a multi-vintage blend across their two top vineyards, Bosche and Sycamore. I cannot seem to find my winery notes on this 2005 bottle to confirm percentages or varietal distribution.

I'm pretty certain this is the second, named vintage of the Josephine red blend, we also have 2004, but it's safely out of my hands on our off-site storage. — 5 years ago

Patrick

9.5

Considering that Martha's Vineyard acquired their cuttings from Bosche means that this Rutherford cab doesn't suck. — 8 years ago

Eric Brandt

9.5

Perfect. At 60 bucks it's stealing. — 9 years ago

Paul T HB

9.8

Thats some great juice @Benoit Touquette wine.👍🏼
Winery notes

STORY

Benoit Touquette has continued to serve as winemaker since 2006.

The first vines the family planted were one acre of Bosche clone Cabernet Sauvignon grafted to budwood provided by Dick Grace of Grace Family Vineyards. The first few vintages were also made at Grace Family Vineyards, until the winery on the estate was completed, with Andy Erickson as winemaker. The winery's first release was an estate Cabernet Sauvignon in 1990, which sold out immediately, and with subsequent vintages, Hartwell established a reputation for fine Cabernet Sauvignon.

Over the years, other parcels of the property were planted, allowing the winery to produce other Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as Merlot, a red dessert wine, and a red wine blend. In 2006, the Hartwells purchased a 4.5-acre vineyard in Carneros from which they produce a Bordeaux-inspired Sauvignon Blanc, and brought acclaimed winemaker Benoit Touquette on board to oversee production.


Hartwell Vineyards was founded in 1986 when Bob Hartwell purchased 90 acres of Wappo Hill—the half of Wappo Hill not owned by Robert Mondavi—in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley.

The fruit for the T5 Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the highest point on the Hartwell estate, blocks 14 and 15, which were planted to Bosche clone 30 years ago. The 100% Cabernet wine ages for two years in T5 barriques, rare and prized barrels from famed French cooperage house, Taransaud. These barrels are toasted and crafted from five-year seasoned staves by coopers who have been awarded the title of “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” (Best Craftsman in France). Much like some of the finest wines, they are available only to a select list of customers due to their limited availability.

Each year, a mere 100 cases of Hartwell T5 are produced, available only by allocation to members of the T5 Cabernet Sauvignon wine club. — 4 years ago

KH

9.0

This is a cab drinker’s merlot. Rich and powerful. Comparable to Freemark Abbey Merlot Bosche. But more expensive. — 6 years ago

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.1

Well made and showing Bosche earthiness. Nice wine. — 8 years ago