November 5, 2023 - Decanted off sediment for 30min and back to bottle. Followed for an evening.
This went through many phases and profiles over the course of a few hours. Nose was lovely and complex with leather, cedar, cigar box, and dark fruit underneath. Palate has a nice tannic blanket that overlays subtle blueberry compote slathered over minerals and rocks. Finish showed a lot of dusty earth.
Over time, a much truer Coombsville profile showed. Lovely dark and blue fruits, classic Coombsville mineral earth, blue florals. Some eucalyptus and mint on the nose.
Lovely, well-made wine with a nod to classic styling, but didn’t hit the way I anticipated. I think this needs food, not steak but maybe a nice duck breast. Very high quality but not one I would drink by itself. Early in the bottle, you could blind this as Bordeaux. Later on it became more clearly new world. The tannins were certainly large but not cumbersome and integrated over time. Acidity was a touch lower than I would have liked. Very strong effort but could have used an extra gear.
92-93
October 22, 2023 - PnP and ready to go from the start. Raspberry, earthy notes, balanced yet restrained for Napa. I loved this wine.
June 8, 2023 - Amazing nose. Crazy complexity. Pungent complex nose of strawberry, leather, hay cigar box, freeze dried wild blueberries. Great mouthfeel. Sour cherry, blueberry hints.
This wine has evolved beyond expectations. Great wine.
April 1, 2023 - Second wine served with a dinner with friends, paired with beef bourguignon. Wonderful and complex. Subtle dark fruit notes, graphite and cocoa. Understated yet multi-dimensional. Smooth and elegant tannins. A big hit with our friends.
November 30, 2022 - Double decanted and back in fridge 12 hours, then decanted for 2-3 hrs prior to serving - this one clearly benefited from lots of air. Dark dense purple and a little ruby color. Initial bubblegum aromas on initial pour before decanting, but when serving 14-15 hrs later had apple, blueberry, hint of mint, and mineral earthiness on the nose. Very Bordeaux-like on the palate and extremely smooth and rounded, with red apple, ripe raspberry, a little blueberry, and some graphite on the palate with a long lingering ~45 sec finish. Very reminiscent of Bordeaux with slightly stronger fruit presence, this was beautifully executed. Should be careful with pairing, as I can see this being overpowered by foods if one makes the mistake of expecting a bold Napa cabernet - its complexity is subtle and perhaps better drinking without food.
November 22, 2022 - Bought on release, first of my ‘13s. PnP with with quick shake decant to impart quick air, followed a ‘13 Bevan Sugarloaf so was disadvantaged before it started. That being said, wow, just wow!
Nose-impressive, dried cherry, earthiness like a BDX but without the barnyard BS. Luden cough drop, hint of mint/eucalyptus, off to a great start.
Palate—waxy cherry, elegant, sophisticated, frankly, I’m stumped in trying to identify the menagerie of deliciousness. Everything resolved and this is ready to roll—my mind is telling this needs food. Not a hard edge anywhere. My eldest War Eagle said this was delicious, but fell just shy of the Sugarloaf—guess it runs in the genes—she was right.
To be honest, this bottle was like going to a gentleman’s club with the world’s most gorgeous and elegant ladies smiling at you telling you they love you—- but no one showed the goods. With food, I dare say the ‘gloves’ would have been off. I’m crushing here. I always felt patience was needed with these wines, 9 years is the minimum for my palate, and we’re at floor scoring here. 95 with room to run up to 97-98 with more age and complexity.
I was an early buyer, and I’m sitting here wishing I bought more despite my too early note and opinion on the ‘14, which, and I am eating crow, was off kilter. Despite that note, I kept buying, and now I feel justified! Touché on the prior note. Shame on me! AG got this one right!
September 30, 2022 - Green, disjointed and grainy on night one. However after an overnight this evolves very nicely. Bright cherry, plum, tart greens, dark chocolate, cassis and tobacco. Still very young but also tons of complexity. Old School style but not shy with density and ripeness. Drink or hold.
June 17, 2022 - See Todd French’s note from 3/2022. Spot on. Nose was very French/Bordeaux. Passed it round and everyone thought it was Bordeaux. Soooo different from other Farella wines.
March 4, 2022 - Perfumed, dark fruited, nice hint of graphite on the nose, very Bordeaux-like. Herbal and bright on the palate, blue and black fruits, some dried flowers and anise, really nice, more of that slightly bitter graphite quality and a stone/rock component - grippy tannins not yet integrated but carrying some of the fruit profile, long finish, nice acid. Glad I was able to source this so I know what the rest of my Di Costanzos will be like.
December 24, 2021 - Lovely aroma on the pnp. Decanted 3 hours and it was in a perfect place - as much as I love di Costanzo (one of the my top five producers in my cellar) I haven't had much with age on it. If this is what they all end up being when they grow up, I am a goddamn genius for having bought and laid down so much of it. This is not all you want in a Napa wine. It's all you want in a Margaux or a St Julien from a classic vintage. It's complex and lingering, aeromatic, ever changing on the tastebuds, and a joy to drink. We tried it with a beef stew that a young Chappellet had gone with - this wine also went with it, but was sort of lost. Much better to admire on its own. Truly wonderful and one of my WOTY.