Opened this alongside a 2015 Alejandro Bulgheroni. Both found in the secondary market for a decent price. I preferred the futo slightly over the AB, but both were very nice wines. futo had a bit more precision, slightly more subtle - AB was velvety and luxurious, but a lack of subtlety and a bit of heat.
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Decided to pop the cork on this last night, after unsuccessfully trying to find a bottle of the 2013 vintage.
The past couple times I drank this (6/22/19, 8/23/18), I was nonplussed, but thankfully this bottle performed exactly like the one I had on 6/2/18. Not sure if this was sleeping, but its awake now with a two hour decant.
Just a great bottle of vino, with red fruits showing in glass, a full bodied (but not too much) profile, full mid palate, and integrated tannins. It seemed to perfectly balance the profile of both the Oakville and Stag's Leap sites this wine is derived from.
I dont often go to wine-searcher the night of to try and buy more of a wine, preferring to wait a day and then reassess, but this wine just speaks to me.
96 now with upside over next 3--5 years.
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Popped this last night when I couldn't find a 2016 to grab from the storage spot.
Unfortunately, this bottle exhibits a similar reaction to my last bottle in Aug 2018, instead of a couple I drank earlier last year.
Its not a bad wine by any means, in fact its got many good qualities. It just seems like this wine is either in a dumb phase or, dare I say it, past its prime? I know with Futo wines that they benefit from ageing, but this wine didn't really come to life, even after it being in decanter for 3+ hours.
93 for now with the hopes that in a couple years it can regain its past glory of 95-95+
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Stood up for an hour, then just over an hour breathing under cork.
Drank over 2.5 hours.
Came across much more "OV" than "SL" for me, which was fine with ribeyes. Lots of oak here, and dark fruit that is pretty wound up. Glad we had steak to go with it.
Will hold for several years and expect good things.
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Popped open the last bottle from the home fridge. This seems to have lost a bit of "verve" since the prior bottle 10 weeks ago. Perhaps shutting down a bit? Not sure. Just didn't seem to have the intensity and plush fruit from earlier in the year.
Still a nice bottle, but the other 4 bottles in offsite storage will be receiving a couple years of slumber. So... see you in 2023++
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Similar notes as before- an AMAZING wine that just needs a bit more time in bottle.
Popped one of these since I had recently gotten a 3-pack on K&L for a nice price, and to celebrate my first conversation with a potential BILLIONaire as a client :).
This is delicious now with a 90 minute decant, but if you can wait another 9-18 months, you will be rewarded.
Also, kinda bummed that the winemaker, Jason Exposto, has moved on from Futo. Not sure who his replacement is, but Jason was a nice guy who made great wines...
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Decanted for 2 hours, this young wine peaked with our main course. The initial aromas made my mouth water....black fruit and oak were dominant. With homemade tagliatelle, this bottle of Futo was spectacular...cherries, currant and chocolate flavors with a long finish! Will likely be 99-100 in a few years.
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This wine has an incredible future, but it hasn't arrived yet. I followed the wine over six hours, and it didn't budge: it has tremendous fruit and polished tannins, but the wine's tightness never quite changed. I look forward to trying this in 2020, but - to my palate - only one word matters between now and then: wait.
Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of boysenberry, pencil lead, and dark gravel. Tastes of mountain blueberry, burnt wood, cedar, and spices, with a chalky and tannic finish that coats the mouth (even moreso with air). Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. 14.5% alcohol.
This wine is a strapping bundle of tartness, tannin, and oak - very little of which are resolved at the moment, but all of which I expect will integrate in time. You don't pick tomatoes in May, and you shouldn't drink this wine now. This has the stuffing to develop into something special, but it's not there yet - not by a long shot. A 93 now, it has the potential to be much more by 2020 or later. In a word: wait.
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Decided to crack one of these after spending 6 hours on the couch watching The Madness, and didn't want to drive over to the off site. (Side note- I cannot wait to have my own walk in cellar at the crib one of these years).
This exhibits the tendencies of the vintage perfectly. In the past, I would've never dared to open such a young Futo, but this was showing very nicely after a ninety minute decant.
While most 2015's I have drank have shown a richness and concentration that bordered on extreme, this seemed to walk the fine line. It struck me as a more "sophisticated" wine that will clearly improve with slumber.
Nicely balanced, with an unreal nose and refined finish. I got hints of red fruit, and of the two sites the fruit was sourced from (Stags Leap and the Oakville estate), the former seemed to be more dominant, at least at this stage.
While the regular Stags and OV bottlings hurt the wallet a bit (both upwards of $350-400), the QPR on this (around $175-200) is more manageable for everyday drinking.
If you have several, take a flyer on one now and enjoy, and let the rest hibernate for a couple years.
96 right now, and I could see another 2 points with age on it...
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3/9/2024 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fruit forward upon opening with deeper rich tannins and earthy finish. Needs a bit more cellaring to come into its own.
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11/4/2023 - sean7711 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened this alongside a 2015 Alejandro Bulgheroni. Both found in the secondary market for a decent price. I preferred the futo slightly over the AB, but both were very nice wines. futo had a bit more precision, slightly more subtle - AB was velvety and luxurious, but a lack of subtlety and a bit of heat.
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2/14/2020 - blarmston Likes this wine: 96 Points
And its baaaaaaack...
Decided to pop the cork on this last night, after unsuccessfully trying to find a bottle of the 2013 vintage.
The past couple times I drank this (6/22/19, 8/23/18), I was nonplussed, but thankfully this bottle performed exactly like the one I had on 6/2/18. Not sure if this was sleeping, but its awake now with a two hour decant.
Just a great bottle of vino, with red fruits showing in glass, a full bodied (but not too much) profile, full mid palate, and integrated tannins. It seemed to perfectly balance the profile of both the Oakville and Stag's Leap sites this wine is derived from.
I dont often go to wine-searcher the night of to try and buy more of a wine, preferring to wait a day and then reassess, but this wine just speaks to me.
96 now with upside over next 3--5 years.
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6/22/2019 - blarmston Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped this last night when I couldn't find a 2016 to grab from the storage spot.
Unfortunately, this bottle exhibits a similar reaction to my last bottle in Aug 2018, instead of a couple I drank earlier last year.
Its not a bad wine by any means, in fact its got many good qualities. It just seems like this wine is either in a dumb phase or, dare I say it, past its prime? I know with Futo wines that they benefit from ageing, but this wine didn't really come to life, even after it being in decanter for 3+ hours.
93 for now with the hopes that in a couple years it can regain its past glory of 95-95+
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9/16/2018 - ageverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stood up for an hour, then just over an hour breathing under cork.
Drank over 2.5 hours.
Came across much more "OV" than "SL" for me, which was fine with ribeyes. Lots of oak here, and dark fruit that is pretty wound up. Glad we had steak to go with it.
Will hold for several years and expect good things.
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8/23/2018 - blarmston Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped open the last bottle from the home fridge. This seems to have lost a bit of "verve" since the prior bottle 10 weeks ago. Perhaps shutting down a bit? Not sure. Just didn't seem to have the intensity and plush fruit from earlier in the year.
Still a nice bottle, but the other 4 bottles in offsite storage will be receiving a couple years of slumber. So... see you in 2023++
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6/2/2018 - blarmston Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar notes as before- an AMAZING wine that just needs a bit more time in bottle.
Popped one of these since I had recently gotten a 3-pack on K&L for a nice price, and to celebrate my first conversation with a potential BILLIONaire as a client :).
This is delicious now with a 90 minute decant, but if you can wait another 9-18 months, you will be rewarded.
Also, kinda bummed that the winemaker, Jason Exposto, has moved on from Futo. Not sure who his replacement is, but Jason was a nice guy who made great wines...
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5/27/2018 - jcampano wrote: 98 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, this young wine peaked with our main course. The initial aromas made my mouth water....black fruit and oak were dominant. With homemade tagliatelle, this bottle of Futo was spectacular...cherries, currant and chocolate flavors with a long finish! Will likely be 99-100 in a few years.
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4/28/2018 - msuwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine has an incredible future, but it hasn't arrived yet. I followed the wine over six hours, and it didn't budge: it has tremendous fruit and polished tannins, but the wine's tightness never quite changed. I look forward to trying this in 2020, but - to my palate - only one word matters between now and then: wait.
Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of boysenberry, pencil lead, and dark gravel. Tastes of mountain blueberry, burnt wood, cedar, and spices, with a chalky and tannic finish that coats the mouth (even moreso with air). Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. 14.5% alcohol.
This wine is a strapping bundle of tartness, tannin, and oak - very little of which are resolved at the moment, but all of which I expect will integrate in time. You don't pick tomatoes in May, and you shouldn't drink this wine now. This has the stuffing to develop into something special, but it's not there yet - not by a long shot. A 93 now, it has the potential to be much more by 2020 or later. In a word: wait.
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3/19/2018 - blarmston Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decided to crack one of these after spending 6 hours on the couch watching The Madness, and didn't want to drive over to the off site. (Side note- I cannot wait to have my own walk in cellar at the crib one of these years).
This exhibits the tendencies of the vintage perfectly. In the past, I would've never dared to open such a young Futo, but this was showing very nicely after a ninety minute decant.
While most 2015's I have drank have shown a richness and concentration that bordered on extreme, this seemed to walk the fine line. It struck me as a more "sophisticated" wine that will clearly improve with slumber.
Nicely balanced, with an unreal nose and refined finish. I got hints of red fruit, and of the two sites the fruit was sourced from (Stags Leap and the Oakville estate), the former seemed to be more dominant, at least at this stage.
While the regular Stags and OV bottlings hurt the wallet a bit (both upwards of $350-400), the QPR on this (around $175-200) is more manageable for everyday drinking.
If you have several, take a flyer on one now and enjoy, and let the rest hibernate for a couple years.
96 right now, and I could see another 2 points with age on it...
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