Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Notes on a half-hour decant. $59.99 at Costco; which shows again there is a wine glut out there in the marketplace. All the Napa wineries have stepped up their frequency of emails, added texts and backed up w/ personal calls. They have all raised their pricing over the years and now an abundance of fruit being sold for less, but less buyers these days due to a troubled economy & new generation(s) not buying wine like previous ones. They might have to rely on very good AI to figure out those issues.

The nose is; dark, lush, ruby; dark currants, blackberries, elderberries, black plum, boysenberries, some blueberries, dark cherries, plum & raspberries. The core is black currants, sweet tarriness with anise that runs into black licorice. Dark chocolate, dark cocoa, soft baking spices; vanillin, cinnamon, nutmeg & clove, cedar with shaved oak, shaved coconut notes, fresh tobacco, new leather, dark, sweet, turned earth w/ dry leaves & twigs, under toned dark spices, dash of fresh & dry herbs, dry stone, crushed limestone, liquid, ruby, candied, dark fresh & withering flowers framed in lavender & violets.

The M+ tannins are big, bold, round & coated with dust. Bigger & bolder than most other 21’s I’ve had. It is still beastly and definitely needs another 5+ years in bottle before opening and will last two decades w/ change. The sense of the 14.9% palate ABV seems more 15.7 at this point, but believe it will tame with more bottle age. Lush, ruby, dark currants, blackberries, elderberries, black plum, boysenberries, some blueberries, dark cherries, plum, raspberries w/ strawberries notes. The core is also black currants, sweet, deep tarriness with anise that runs into black licorice. Dark chocolate, dark cocoa powder, a little more pronounced baking spices; vanillin, cinnamon, nutmeg & clove, big, dry cedar with shaved oak, shaved coconut notes, dry tobacco, new leather, dark, sweet, turned earth w/ dry leaves & twig, grey volcanic ash & clay, charcoal w/ ash, bolder, dark spices; which penetrate the tongue with heat, a dash of fresh & dry herbs, dry river stone, crushed limestone with volcanic rock, liquid, ruby, candied, dark fresh & withering flowers, red roses, framed in lavender & violets. Good, round acidity with a huge finish that shows big structure & tension, not quite in balance yet as it needs to resolve further, the promise of more elegance and a lasting long finish landing squarely on earth & spices.

This shows all the elements that promise another two, maybe three points with better aging.

86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot & 3% Malbec. Aged 20 months is 80% New French Oak Barrels.

Photos of; their estate vines, tasting room & patio, swing on the small lake that sits on/near the estate. . — 6 days ago

Paul T HB

9.3

Its the Chardonnay from Charles Heintz Vineyard. Not bad — 3 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Absolutely smoking hot tonight. Competed with the Mica and Modus Sage Ridge. Coravin’d and presented so well. Soft and pure palate. Blueberry pie nose. Medium tannins with a broad shouldered structure. Nice balance with excellent weight and texture. Bright acidity and sweetness finished off what I considered to be the best vintage I’ve tasted from Sinegal — 6 days ago

with Mo

Ron R

9.5

Outstanding example of Cali Pinot. Even more so since this is 2012 vintage. Overripe cherries and coffee notes explode on the nose. The palate displays crunchy black fruits along with syrop de cassis. Superb grainy tannins combine with bright acidity. A reference point in Sonoma/Cali.

Here are my top 2023 tastings by type. Let me know what your favorites are…

2023 Wines of my Year
Sauvignon Blanc - Modus Operandi (2021) - $45
Chablis - Domaine Genot-Boulanger Puligny Montrachet (2020) - $85
Chardonnay - Kongsgaard (2020) - $120
Pinot - Aston Estate (2012) - $70
Cabernet - Sinegal (2019) - $75 &
Cabernet - Lewelling (2019) - $59 — a year ago

with Anne-marie

Paul T HB

9.4

Another 2nd day wine with 3 hour decant. Doesn’t have that typical fruit forward nose like the Sinegal. Distinctive & on par with old school Heitz. Hopefully new ownership keeps this style.
Store notes,

Lot C-91 is a new wine from Heitz, inspired by a very old one! In the fall of 1969, Joe Heitz played with creating a high-end blend of small lots from some of Heitz's top single-vineyard sites. He dubbed it "Lot C-91." Some 47 years later the current team at Heitz has once again taken select barrels of fruit from legendary sites such at Martha's (Oakville), Trailside (Rutherford) and Linda Falls (Howell Mountain), to create this Napa Valley "Super Cuvée." This wine beautifully showcases the incredible 2016 vintage in Napa, which I think will go down as one of the all-time greats. — 3 years ago

Raul Puga

9.0

Good but a bit pricey — 3 months ago

Brit Young

9.3

Great cab! Rich, ripe dark fruits - blueberry, blackberry, limestone? Gravel? Trying too hard? Hehe — 3 months ago

Yoly Sardinas

9.9

Amazing wine! Well balanced. One of my favorites wineries in Napa .
At home w some grill churrasco. — 2 years ago

Nathan Renfro

9.3

Big and bold. One of the early wines I purchased a case of. Drinking well. 1 hour decant, prob could use more. But very approachable now with lots of life left. Big black cherry and dark fruit, lots of oak, vanilla, nice long finish. — 2 years ago

Haelee Kim

9.1

2019 vintage. Dark fruit, slight sweetness in a good way and very full bodied. Good. — 3 years ago