
A perfect wine? Perhaps. Not many Napa wines can have this kind of horsepower at 19 years old (I was always told Napa wines fall apart after 15 years). I’ve never had Screaming Eagle or Grace Family or any of the new “premier cru” wines. What I will say, though, is that I have a hard time imagining a wine being better than this. Plush, with a solid core. Very little fade. Let it breathe, but it was drinkable right out of the bottle, rich with refined tannins, so much fruit, so much pleasure. The oak is now seamless with the wine, not an addition, but a part of it. If you had told me this was a more recent vintage, I would have believed you. This was Cosentino’s top of the line and what a top it was. Age has allowed for more complexity (I did taste this when it was newly bottled) and development, but this is a young wine, still. Nothing out of place. It is one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. Quintessential Napa, the best the valley has to offer. I forget the story of “the secret clone” but knowing what all the steps are in making great wine, having this clone was just one of the many right choices in making this. This one may outlive me. It is in its prime with no end in sight. Perfect? I’m not sure. But I’ve not had better. — 2 years ago
Sauvignon sublime — 8 months ago
One of my favorite Chablis producers. Classic Chablis: Lemon zest, oyster shell, hint of salinity with screaming acid. So good. — 4 years ago
This vintage doesn’t reach the heights of the amazing ‘16, but it is very nice. Classic sangio, medium bodied, screaming to be paired with a hearty meal. — 6 years ago
You definitely get the Merlot here. 67% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet.
2016 an excellent vintage. This still needs more cellaring.
The mouth entry is round, lush & velvety. Fruits lead mid toned but nice blackberries, plum, strawberries cherries, raspberries and a touch of black raspberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, dark, rich, slightly sweet forest floor, light fresh tobacco, excellent softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, hints of granite, red cola/licorice. Beautiful, dark, red florals, red roses petals, near perfect acidity, excellent balance/tension/structure with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and falls evenly on fruits & beautiful earth. — 3 months ago
Wow. Just classically awesome gg out of the gate.
Nose: screaming white and yellow flowers. So intense. A dusting of powdered minerals. Perfect. As this opens gods white flower perfume. Intense. Clean. Perfect.
Palate: perfection on the attack. Minerals form yellow flowers and stone fruits. Amazing density. Pulls no punches. Utterly delicious. Perfect balance.
A textbook nahe Riesling.
Honestly it’s so delicious I want to guzzle a bottle with a bag of potato chips. But it’s so good I just want to smell it’s all night.
Fass selections — 9 months ago
Tom Garland
1.5 hour decant(little fine sediment). A striking dark magenta color. On the nose: Inviting notes of dark berries, sandalwood, herbaceous, smoked meat, potting soil. Taste: silky, layered, balanced wine with dark plum/cherry, dried herbs, spice, and a cedar/mocha java lingering long finish. YUM!! — a month ago