2016 Booker Vineyard My Favorite Neighbor

Community Tasting Notes (43) Avg Score: 92.8 points

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  2/24/2024 - Rossodio Likes this wine: 93 Points

  This was very, VERY good, especially given the price point. I purchased upon release and stored at 55F ever since. From what I have read/heard this cuvee took a downturn beginning with the 2017 vintage due to pushing out to using grapes from an expanded list of sites which is a shame.
  
  This shows wonderfully from the get go. there was a significant amount of sandy sediment, so be aware of this. Tannins still maintain some grip but soften with about 30 minutes of air. The nose is wonderful, with almost a cross between some weaker southern Rhone wine notes and Cali cab, and the palate with this wine outdoes the nose overall. Very enjoyable and pleasing, but significantly elevated by being paired with appropriate food. Duck or other game would work well, though I enjoyed with a pork tenderloin with a pomegranate-based sauce and sweet potato gnocchi.
  
  This is clearly (to me) at peak after having been stored at 55F for its entire life. I have one bottle left and will plan to enjoy within the next 18 months. It may already have started to fall off but this is difficult to judge based upon this one bottle.
  
  Phenomenal value, considering what one would pay for a similar quality wine from Bordeaux or Napa.
  
  Enjoyed at Camp; I had half of the bottle.
  Vvv

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  12/22/2023 - MattB72 Likes this wine: 91 Points

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  11/11/2023 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Eric Jensen says people who buy this wine should be charged with larceny, and that he would put it in a blind tasting against the big $300 Napa Cabs. "I may not win but I won't be last." It's a big sturdy Cab, a mouthful of strong flavor, great fun to drink. Bravo, Eric!

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  10/28/2023 - RayT Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Drank 8 different wines and this was WOTN. We were going through bottles pretty fast so this was a PNP. Drank great from the get go although it was a touch fuller 30 minutes in.
  
  This was a complete wine with a beautifully perfumed nose and it tasted as good as it smelled. Concentrated flavors of blackberry, creme de cassis, blueberry, tobacco, and lavender. This wine was well balanced and came across as the iconic iron fist in the velvet glove. Drank 2 bottles of this back to back and both were incredibly consistent.
  
  This is the last year that My Favorite Neighbor actually had pictures of the neighbors on the bottle. I also believe after this vintage they broke this wine off from Booker and created My Favorite Neighbor as another wine company with Harvey and Harriet red and white blends as a second label. They changed to a white label and weirdly the price dropped from $80 to $50 and it is still $50 at Costco for the current vintage. I have tasted several vintages of My Favorite Neighbor and it is a good QPR for $50 but nowhere near the level of the 2016 vintage. I have to believe they added in some lesser vineyards to drop the price like that. I first drank this in a wine bar after a $150 Napa wine and this $80 Paso wine was better. Went out and bought 6 bottles. As good as this is, I have to believe it is at or near peak so drink up!

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  3/20/2023 - ddingley Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Jerb’s note below is right on target—as I drank it last week I’d defer to Jerbs nite which matches my memory. Drank after a 2007 Flaccianello so it was simple and syrupy by comparison, but really this was a fun and tasty wine on its own merits.

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