Lyn Farmer

9.4

It’s hard to find fully shed classic Viura (white Rioja) anymore but old-school Lopez de Heredia clings to tradition. This wine, nearly 10 years old on release, is fascinating - aged to the point of considerable oxidation yet it retains its fruit ands acidity. Bruised apple, ripe pear, golden raisin, orange peel, flint, wet stones, and hay happily coexist with hazelnut, dried orange peel, coconut, baking spices ands more. The medium acidity is a firm foundation to a richly textured wine, Long finish too! — 9 months 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. — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Fun afternoon at Classic with great company. Glad you could join us Bryan.

This surprised me. Very balanced and plenty of fruit (and life) left here. The baby fat and oak have been shed away showing more pure and ripe blackberries, black cherries and cherry tobacco. Espresso beans with dark cocoa followed by cedar and herbal notes toward the finish. Acidity and tannins keep structure really solid here. Impressed. — 7 years ago

with Dan, Mark and 1 other

Marc S

9.0

Hay and light burned wood nose; plums, blackberries/cassis smooth tannins. 100% Monastrell. — 8 years ago

Bill Bender

9.2

3 good things about a 3 day weekend. Dodgers vs Padres with Kershaw on the hill followed by one of my favorite merlots. The mailbox reserve is right up there with Paloma and Switchback--rich, weighty and lush. Spring mountain does something with merlot that makes me seek them out. The '13 is still youthful and needs time to shed some tannin so I'd hold for optimum enjoyment.....and optimum enjoyment is always the goal. Happy Labor Day weekend 👷🏽💼🍷🍈🍈 — 9 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

Exceptional wine and so classically elegant (not using the B word) except that its hiding an extra point of alcohol (14%) behind an unassuming pale hay glow that looks light and lean. I love the bait and switch.

The delicate sprinkled spices of lemon curd and vanilla and toasted coconut shaving juxtapose the power in the palette - weight and viscosity and length to go the distance.

10 years in, in a perfect spot. — 2 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.0

Nice this year. Grapefruit, pineapple, lemongrass, hay, some oak but not awful amount. Overall solid — 3 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.4

This is beautiful. Smells like an orchard. There’s grass, apples, citrus, some funky hay, lovely. Palate is bigger than expected with apple pie, lemon, hay, well balanced acidity, some funk. Really like this one. Batch 019 — 4 years ago

Steve The Wine Guy

Cellarbrations at Cottesloe Western Australia, Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW)

8.9

Fresh aromatic and citrusy, clean and dry. Really nice — 5 years ago

Severn G

9.0

A nice weeknight Bordeaux Blanc, 60% Semillon & 40% Sauvignon Blanc.

Nose is uncomplicated, white flowers, honey and recently cut hay.
Palate has light honey, squeeze of lime and grapefruit pith, apricot on the finish.

Still several years to go on this bottle until it begins to shed some of its medium acidity. — 7 years ago

JKT

9.3

JL Selbach tasting 11/16/17. Auslese starred. Sweeter. Lower on the hill and warmer. What a beautiful nose of pineapple and flowers and petrol hay minerals. Great body a and finish. Young. $35. — 9 years ago

Keith Herrick

9.1

Not over the hill, but I would have preferred it younger. Dried hay and grass, wet stone, honey and botrytis. Rich mouthfeel. — 9 years ago

Kim Stanbro

9.1

It's a Tempranillo- cloudy, could use some depth, but smells of leather and hay. — 10 years ago

Kadua Tukvaga

10

Delicate stone fruits: apricot, Nectarine, grape,

Hay, blossom, ripe lemon, lemon zest orange peel marmalade.

Medium - intensity
Dry
High acid
Medium finish
Medium- body
Medium alcohol

Delicate taste on stone fruits and lemon, tight

Very good - drink now/ or I would keep it for another year at least as it is suitable for further long-term ageing

Unfined – vegan and vegetarian friendly.

Elevation: 460-480 metres.

Soil Structure: acidic loam over clay on rock. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

They greet you at their new tasting room on Pritchard Hill (formerly Nine Suns) with their Sauvignon Blanc. Full disclosure, I am not the biggest champion of SB. But, this is very nice.

This is the only one I didn’t take realtime notes on. Classic New World SB. The body is a little gluey, waxy, lemon, lime, tropical melons, pineapple, some presence of dry cut hay/grass, soft minerality, good viscosity, yellow flowers, nice acidy and well polished finish.

Photos are from 1/25-24. Stunning view from the property looking over Pritchard Hill, entry way w/ Vinous wall maps of the PH producers & assorted artworks, their gate as you enter w/ your car and face plate of one of their beautiful tanks in the cellar, which they keep spotless. — 2 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.2

Color- medium golden hay. Nose - a distinct grassy lemon, apricot and mineral aroma blend with honey and floral notes. Taste - high acidity giving the wine a juicy and creamy feel. Apple lemon and pear fruits fill the palate throughout finishing with pineapple-almond flavors. A nice long finish gives this wine its beautiful end. — 5 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Michael Chelus

8.9

Apple, ripe pear, lemon curd, limestone, hay and hints of dried apricot. Good acidity and balance. — 7 years ago

Joanne

9.0

A lovely easy to drink red with dinner. — 8 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.3

Hay and a little salinity, finish of fino and yellow apple. Starts off fuller bodied with a bit of viscosity, finishes more crisply. — 9 years ago

with Lynne

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.2

Nice crisp, lean, limey, snow peas, hints of sage and hay, juniper. Flinty. Very enjoyable. 👍 ps: very cheap too✌️️ — 10 years ago