USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
First wine, brought mostly for Valerie...my Chardonnay drinker. Chilled, PnP at the restaurant.
Medium gold color. Citrus fruits, melon, saline/oyster shell on the nose. Creamy palate showing orchard fruits, pear, vanilla, mineral and some batonnage. Medium body and finish with mild vanilla oak, buttery notes
Just great, as expected. Was fortunate to buy a few cases of this at a favorable price from Gary's. Heidi Barrett's wines consistently very good in my experience. This is a classic high end Calif Chardonnay, hitting all the notes but not overdone
Brought this to Blue Bottle (Hopewell NJ), dinner with Stephanie and Chris. Last bottle from a pair purchased at release. Heeding my own note from a year ago, this was opened and decanted about 3 hours before we drank it, re-bottled to go to the restaurant. Cork came out clean.
Notes from 12/23: "Color was a dark brick/garnet, minor separation. Nose of black currants, baking spice. Bright red fruits, cherry, red currant, fig. The red fruit has a bit of sweetness, candied cherry quality on the mid palate. Picking up fig and some balsamic. Classic Dr Crane red fruit profile. Tannins resolved and sweetened. Full/medium body (by Napa standards), long finish."
Mostly consistent with those notes. The signature Dr Crane cherry was the center, notable texture, the fig and balsamic more prominent - or maybe I was just looking for it. The sweetness of the fruit through the mid palate is reminiscent of nicely aged Brunello's...Full body, finish 30 sec+
Sadly, my last bottle of this vintage and designate. 2011 was a much maligned vintage in Napa, this bottle shows that great wine can be made in any vintage by talented vintners. Whatever flaws the growing season experienced didnt seem to effect fruit from Dr Crane...:)
Hats off to Juan and his team for this wine - I think this may have been the first vintage Philippe Melka made the wine(?). In any event, this has more years ahead of it based on this bottle, but...why wait when its this good now. It was good when first opened but REALLY great after 3 hours. Drank prior to an 06 Sassicaia, this was WOTN for me.
Dinner at Blue Bottle (Hopewell NJ) with Chris and Stephanie. Last tasting of this vintage was 2016. Bottles purchased from Italian Wine Merchants circa 2010. Taking advice of more recent tasters, this was opened and decanted about 3 hours before we drank it, re-bottled to go to the restaurant. Cork broke, stored clean, no effect on the wine.
Medium garnet color, some separation. Nose showing red fruits, tobacco and earth notes. Palate from this tasting showed was plum, cherry, baking spice, cedar. Picking up herbs/garrigue in the mid palate. Texture has lightened Fruits persist through the mid palate. Medium body and finish
Still very good, from memory it has lost some of the length it once had. Nicely aged at this point, well into a secondary phase. I might give this a shorter decant next time as the gap between when first opened ands when we drank it wasn't big, in fact it may have been best at around an hour.
I dont think it will improve much from here. 06 was a lauded vintage in Italy and the Super Tuscans were priced accordingly. I would say this was still very good, but a step down from last tasting. Will try next bottle with a one hour decant.
2021 Fantesca Chardonnay Russian River Valley 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
First wine, brought mostly for Valerie...my Chardonnay drinker. Chilled, PnP at the restaurant.
Medium gold color. Citrus fruits, melon, saline/oyster shell on the nose. Creamy palate showing orchard fruits, pear, vanilla, mineral and some batonnage. Medium body and finish with mild vanilla oak, buttery notes
Just great, as expected. Was fortunate to buy a few cases of this at a favorable price from Gary's. Heidi Barrett's wines consistently very good in my experience. This is a classic high end Calif Chardonnay, hitting all the notes but not overdone
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2011 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
Brought this to Blue Bottle (Hopewell NJ), dinner with Stephanie and Chris. Last bottle from a pair purchased at release. Heeding my own note from a year ago, this was opened and decanted about 3 hours before we drank it, re-bottled to go to the restaurant. Cork came out clean.
Notes from 12/23: "Color was a dark brick/garnet, minor separation. Nose of black currants, baking spice. Bright red fruits, cherry, red currant, fig. The red fruit has a bit of sweetness, candied cherry quality on the mid palate. Picking up fig and some balsamic. Classic Dr Crane red fruit profile. Tannins resolved and sweetened. Full/medium body (by Napa standards), long finish."
Mostly consistent with those notes. The signature Dr Crane cherry was the center, notable texture, the fig and balsamic more prominent - or maybe I was just looking for it. The sweetness of the fruit through the mid palate is reminiscent of nicely aged Brunello's...Full body, finish 30 sec+
Sadly, my last bottle of this vintage and designate. 2011 was a much maligned vintage in Napa, this bottle shows that great wine can be made in any vintage by talented vintners. Whatever flaws the growing season experienced didnt seem to effect fruit from Dr Crane...:)
Hats off to Juan and his team for this wine - I think this may have been the first vintage Philippe Melka made the wine(?). In any event, this has more years ahead of it based on this bottle, but...why wait when its this good now. It was good when first opened but REALLY great after 3 hours. Drank prior to an 06 Sassicaia, this was WOTN for me.
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2006 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 94 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia
Dinner at Blue Bottle (Hopewell NJ) with Chris and Stephanie. Last tasting of this vintage was 2016. Bottles purchased from Italian Wine Merchants circa 2010. Taking advice of more recent tasters, this was opened and decanted about 3 hours before we drank it, re-bottled to go to the restaurant. Cork broke, stored clean, no effect on the wine.
Medium garnet color, some separation. Nose showing red fruits, tobacco and earth notes. Palate from this tasting showed was plum, cherry, baking spice, cedar. Picking up herbs/garrigue in the mid palate. Texture has lightened Fruits persist through the mid palate. Medium body and finish
Still very good, from memory it has lost some of the length it once had. Nicely aged at this point, well into a secondary phase. I might give this a shorter decant next time as the gap between when first opened ands when we drank it wasn't big, in fact it may have been best at around an hour.
I dont think it will improve much from here. 06 was a lauded vintage in Italy and the Super Tuscans were priced accordingly. I would say this was still very good, but a step down from last tasting. Will try next bottle with a one hour decant.
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