Enjoyed alongside some other Napa legends from the 80’s and 90’s. The 1985 is lovely and came more than willing, with a mix of tart, ripe and desiccated red fruits, Montmorency cherries, red currants, graphite, toasted coconut, leather and nuts. There was a slightly sherried character early on the nose but the structure seemed to defy age. No need to cellar further as this is delicious now and well stored examples should continue to be through 2030+. — 21 days ago
2023 vintage. From Coravin. Syrah for Cabernet drinkers. Massive, smooth body and currently without any of the quirky, bretty Syrah flavors that can pull a full frontal assault on the palate. Delicious. Would love to taste in a decade to see what weightiness has left the building and how it has been replaced by the wine nature abhors a vacuum flavors. 10.23.24. — a month ago
Honeydew melon and pineapple everywhere.. broad and expansive on the mid-palate. Moderate and honied sweetness is tucked in with complementary acidity. A beauty. — 13 days ago
Nose: elegantly herbal.
Palate : delicious. Sweet cherry. Some spice. Salivatory.
Long finish.
47% stem. — 23 days ago
2014 drunk in 2024. I kept a bottle of this $14(!!) wine—2015 price—for 8 years on a hunch that it would hold up, and it did. I don’t know what it costs now, but back then it was head and shoulders the best American supermarket wine. — 17 days ago
Just drinking great and loaded with complex and integrated fruits, cola and other. Nice long finish — 16 days ago
Vasanth Balakrishnan
After sending back an oxidized, tired 2020 Rossi di Montalcino, the Somm had the waiter bring back this wine at around the same price point. Don’t sleep on #barberadalba from a great producer. Raspberry, plum, dusty dark fruit nose. So vibrant on the palate with lush yet tangy dark red fruit on the entry, gossamer tannins on the finish. Corking it after dinner and after the next day in the wine fridge still as alive. — 24 days ago