Community Tasting Note
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msuwine wrote: 88 points
March 8, 2018 - This plummy and rustic wine is easily the worst Benoit Tocquette wine I've ever tasted (and I even liked his 2011s!). This wine was all over the map to me: at first it was prickly and backward, then it was raisiny and sweet, then it was gamey and meaty. I'm confident as to the provenance (i.e., reputable retailer), but I'm disappointed as to my conclusion: this wine is a mess.
Dark purple in color, medium in body, nose of blueberry pie, prune, and chocolate bar. Tastes of cherry pie, licorice, cocoa, and vanilla, with a tight and sweet finish. 14.1% alcohol. Blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Syrah, and 5% Petit Verdot. Improved after an hour of air. Better on second day.
I adore Benoit's work with Realm and Fait Main, along with Kata, Jack Quinn, and Hartwell. I opened this expecting a solid JV effort at a decent price (similar to the Teeter Totter): maybe a little rustic, maybe a little shallow on the mid-palate, but still providing a punch and polish that Benoit can deliver unlike few others. Instead, this just seemed a little too close to flying over the Cuckoo's Nest: too ripe, too rustic, too gamey. Give it a year, and hope for the best.1 person found this helpful 2,199 views
2 Comments
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joe40 commented:
3/12/18, 8:11 PM - Disappointing to read this comment, I just purchased a FA 2015. I really enjoy his Realm wines. I was hoping this would be close to a Realm Bard in quality.
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msuwine commented:
3/12/18, 8:39 PM - Hi, joe40 - sorry to cause disappointment! I really do think my comments should be limited to the 2014. I think Benoit is one of the best winemakers working in Napa, and it could have just been an off-vintage for this particular wine. I'll be curious what you think about the 2015 - and I'll hope for the best! God knows we need cheaper Realm substitutes...
By the way, another Benoit wine to think about trying is the Hartwell. I've found these to be the most stylistically similar to the Realm wines - mostly Cabernet (no Syrah, etc.), new oak, good ripeness, nice polish. (Heck, Realm even bought a lot of the land from Hartwell to build their winery and make their Moonracer wine.) Hartwell's entry level Cabernet retails for around $75, and I think it's a solid value, especially the 2012 and 2013.
Hope you enjoy the 2015 - look forward to reading what you think!