7/2/2023 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

For a 25 year old Napa valley wine this was amazing! Poured through a strainer, decanted, & enjoyed over the next hour or so with a steak with garlic, butter, chimichurri sauce & salad. Fruit & oak were well integrated. Well rounded aged cab sauvignon like. Hints of port toward the end, but amazing given the age. Stored in a 55 degree cellar since purchase

1/1/2023 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

This was included in a wine club allocation from our local wine store.

Decanted for 1/2 hour and drank over ~ 2 hours. The grapes come from Amuse Bouche’s Calistoga vineyards and is made up of 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. Very Pomerol-like. Soft on the palate, with a bit of a short finish. While delicious, I think the retail price point is too high for the quality.

8/29/2022 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Delicious.

Deep golden/amber color. Moderate petroleum notes on the nose as well as peach and tropical fruit. Mid-weight but not overly sweet. Somewhat oxidized, but didn’t detract. Drank over an hour or more with an unworthy meal. Wish we had more.

8/26/2022 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Distinct prune notes. Stored well (~56 F) Unfortunately we still have 2 more.

8/2/2022 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Had in a restaurant tonight. Good acid and structure, well balanced. Smooth easy drinker, very soft and approachable, not overly tannic. Did not decant. Drank slowly over an hour and a half and it stayed great throughout. Probably would have lasted quite a bit longer but we’ll never know because we finished it with the last course!

10/6/2021 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Was very young and acid forward so decanted an hour before the meal. Very little fruit on the nose at this stage but improved after decanting. Paired well with bbq tri-tip.

10/6/2021 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Lots of blackberry and cassis, but also moderate alcohol. So fruit forward it seemed almost zin-like. Made for drinking now.

10/2/2021 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Wasn’t sure what to expect from this since morisolis aren’t really known for aging. The the cork was in great shape which was a great sign. I decided to decant because sattui doesn’t typically filter. The wine was inky with black fruit notes during decanting with a bit of sediment toward the end.

The wine was well integrated. There was some fruit but not a lot. Tannins were almost completely gone.

We drank this over the course of a couple of hours and during that time it maintained its structure throughout.

Overall for a 25+ year old wine it showed fantastically and i wish that it wasn’t my last of this vintage. It gives me hope however for the other sattui wines of this era that are still in the rack.

9/29/2021 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Even though this was theoretically 10 years past its prime this bottle was still very good. The cork was tight and firm. We decanted because the wine has tons of sediment. While decanting the color was black and inky. We drank this bottle over the course of a couple of hours and it held up throughout.

The wine still had great structure. Morisoli is known for huge body and fruit - at 18 years old the stong black fruit was subtle but still there. Tannins were stronger but well integrated.

I’m impressed that a wine that was theoretically dead 10 years ago was showing so well.

9/29/2021 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Completly dead. Very soft cork. Had acid but was thin and brown with no tannins or fruit at all.

6/18/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

3rd wine of the night. Delicious, with the traditional Bordeaux funk that I love. Floral notes on the nose. Roses? Dark red fruit & coffee notes on the palate. Very balanced still. One glass was accidentally left out overnight and, while not up to the prior night, wasn’t vinegar as many go. Has at least another 10 years+. Will wait at least 5 years to open our remaining bottle.

6/18/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

The 2nd of 3 bottles opened for dinner. The others were also 2005:1) Beringer Marston Vineyard (Spring Mtn), & 3) Leoville Poyferre.

Very characteristic of valley floor fruit vs Spring Mtn. Delicious. Well balanced, med-long finish.

6/18/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

One of 3 bottles opened for dinner. Should have given it at least an hour or so to open up. Delicious with sous-vide rib-eye & salad. Muted but still delicious dark fruit. Balanced. Long finish.

6/19/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

This Elivette is simply awesome. A full bordeaux blend, its fruit forward, rich, inky and unctuous with hints of black fruit, roses, spice, cassis, coffee.

Tasting at the winery, buying several!

2/15/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Beautiful nose on opening but not so much in glass. Decanted, little to no sediment. Somewhat weak tannins, acid forward on the palate. Expected more given reputation.

1/16/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Very dark in color. Amazing nose of dark fruit & floral (violets?). Could have smelled this all night it was so wonderful.
Had this with steak & salad and it needed the fat to cut the tannins. Absolutely delicious, though. Well balanced. Sorry this was our only bottle from this vintage. Will definitely last another 10 years.

12/29/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Opened this at cellar temperature as a counterpoint to an older oaked Chardonnay. Tons of fruit on the nose, apricot and citrus with great acid and body on the palate. Was wonderfully refreshing as a palate cleanser after the Chardonnay, and stood up very well to the Chorizo, cheese and pate appetizers. Tried a bit that was left over after 24 hours open and it was still fantastic with tons of grapefruit and lemon notes on the palate. This wine doesn't seem meant for aging but seeing how it stood up after 24 hours of air this seems to be a truly great sauv blanc.

12/29/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

From magnum. Medium gold color. Floral nose. Well integrated oak without oakey/buttery character. Hints of vanilla on the palate with some fruit still present. Went extremely well with the Spanish chorizo, pate, & cheese appetizers. Lovely bottle, wish we had more.

12/29/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

From magnum. Opened 2 hours before dinner & re-corked. Well integrated tannins, very soft on the palate. Leather, chocolate, & cherry notes. Lovely aged wine. Excellent with the prime rib. Our taste runs more toward Bordeaux/Barolo than California Cab; because of this we don't generally drink a lot of Silver Oak but this is honestly the finest bottle of Silver Oak we've ever had.

12/15/2019 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

15 yr old zin from 3L bottle. Fantastic fruit, still very young. Continued to evolve throughout the evening - it just kept getting better!

12/15/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Huge, chewy inky wine. Drinking range was said to be through 2020, but this is still a baby!

Great balance, still has firm tannin, well integrated. Unfortunately my last one.

11/28/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Selected this 3L engraved bottle of Lamborn Family Zin for our Thanksgiving family gathering and it did not disappoint! The wine was still relatively young with great body and dark fruit, with no trace of that overbearing typical overripe “California zin” character. This was a mature zin with spice and polished character. Very happy with this bottle! Hope that the bottle of 2004 that’s still in cellar shows as well.

12/3/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

25 years old, dark fruit on the nose when opened. Dark color, hints of brown but not too much considering the age. Still some fruit on the palate, a bit of prune but not too much. Balance leans more to acid, no tannin to speak of. Showing remarkably well for its age but definitely past its prime.

11/23/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Tried at the winery (nov 2019) and is fairly closed after only a couple hours in decanter. Can be coaxed into opening up a bit with coating the glass. Unctuous mouth feel, beautiful nose, hints of earth, tobacco and red fruit. Needs appx 5 hours in decanter to open up.

10/14/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Decided to try one of our old Sattuies, the 96 Morisoli cab. This was a glorious fruity full bodied cab back when we acquired these.

Decanted. There is quite a bit of acid on the palate, still has fruit on the nose although faint. Slight prune notes which blew off after not too long (it’s 23 years old after all) and almost no tannins but it’s still alive. Shorter finish than I remember but still reasonably balanced.

After opening up a bit there were dusky dark fruit, blackberry, black cherry, mint and earthy notes.

Not much life left, I think, but I’m very pleased it’s lasted this long.

10/6/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

CT drinking range said 2012 through 2020 - NOT! This wine is still a youngster! We decanted before our meal and it continued to open and evolve throughout- toward the end of the meal it’s very clear it had a lot farther to go.

Great acid, tight tannins with violets and orange on the nose that grew as it opened up. Good fruit, earth, cherry and spice on the palate. Medium to long smooth finish after an hour and a half in decanter.

This wine has a lot of life left - glad I have more!

9/28/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Still young, great acid, mild tannin.

9/1/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Remington’s Restaurant Chicago. Decanted & enjoyed over 1.5 hours.

Bright red color. Black cherry, cola, spice notes, & terroir on the nose. Floral too?

Light but substantial enough to go well with lobster deviled eggs, tuna poke w/avocado, & steak. Floral, spicy, cola, & cherry on the palate with a lovely mid palate finish.

8/31/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Fizzy/effervescent at first, this wine evolved in glass from a light interesting Sicilian wine with mild spice and floral notes into a well balanced wine with great tannin and structure with strong violet notes on the nose. Paired well with coppa, Gorgonzola dolce, grilled octopus and steak. Would buy again.

8/26/2019 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Dark cherries and spice on the nose, somewhat hot at 14.5% alcohol. Slight prune and cola notes on the palate but not over the hill yet. Still has decent acid with soft tannin. Not perfectly balanced but still showing well.

Given the price point and how it was showing on release I’m disappointed overall with the longevity after just 7 years.

8/17/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Interesting nose with a sense of terrior. Fruit was a bit muted, tobacco notes, maybe a hint of green stems?

Showed at its best after opening up for an hour +. Became more acid forward after 3 hours.

Had with her scallops & steak at Carmel Highlands. 2x markup

8/9/2019 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Past its prime. Prune notes immediately after opening. That primarily disappeared after ~30 minutes in the glass. Minimal fruit. Definitely not an age worthy wine.

7/18/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Cassis, tobacco, a bit of aged funk. Not a lot of acid, mellow tannins.

6/28/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Very interesting wine with slightly funky, earthy, tobacco, earthy and coffee notes. Evolved to slight prune notes after an hour in glass -expected for a wine of this age. Fresh pour from the decanter and back to youth. Outstanding.

5/27/2019 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Slight metalic and prune notes. Stored @51degrees. Time to drink the remaining 2 bottles!

4/18/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Hints of mango & leeche nut on the nose. Small petroleum note on the palate as well as lychee nut, and an unknown element - maybe mango? Or ?? Very enjoyable with Asian food. Not sweet, but not dry. Lovely pairing.

3/26/2019 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Lovely aged cab. Not pruney. Well balanced, with softer fruit notes. Enjoyed with steak & bearnaise sauce. Wish we had more.

2/14/2019 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Well rounded, moderate fruit.Recommended drinking within the next 2-3 years at optimum cellar temps. Nice, aged, Bordeaux from the region. Cellared at 50-55 post purchase.

2/2/2019 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Took 1.5L to a dinner party with good friends. Acquired at a charity auction ~15 years ago, so was a bit nervous how it would be. First taste the wine appeared acid forward, but that blew off and the wine opened up within 15 min or so.

A lot of black cherry and an earthiness to the nose that lasted throughout the meal. Still had some fruit left - probably due to it being a magnum. Well rounded on the palate with a medium finish. Everyone enjoyed it and it paired well with the Chicken Marbella.

12/1/2018 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Had with dinner at Aureole NYC with Braised Veal Cheeks & Carbonara. Paired well.

Nose: red fruit, cherries.

Palate: Mid-weight. A bit spicy. Slightly acid, moderate tannins, mid-palate, ~15 sec finish.

8/30/2018 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Nose of black fruit, black cherry, chocolate, blueberries, hint of almond or maybe orange.

Good balance. Moderate tannins & acid.

This was our first bottle of 3. Will try the next in 3-5 years as this will last 10+ years.

8/20/2018 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Corked

8/6/2018 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Balanced. At this stage needs at least 2hrs decant to begin opening up. Will open another in 3-4 years.

4/21/2018 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Nice nose. Good acid balance. Still crisp & delicious. A hit with the appetizers.

3/8/2018 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Somewhat acidic, good nose, not much fruit left.

1/14/2018 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Tasted at a cheese/wine pairing at the winery. Notes of honey & guava on the nose. Well integrated oak. Not in the oaky/buttery style. More along a rich, burgundy. Delicious.

12/27/2017 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Some port notes on the front palate - otherwise pleasant. More evolved - not much red fruit notes.

6/14/2017 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Screw cap split. A lot of glycerin. Nose of coffee, tobacco, chocolate, molasses, dark fruit, & licorice. Palate: mid-palate. Moderate fruit.

5/23/2017 - Wine&GardenLover wrote:

Inventory actualization

4/2/2017 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine:

Very light oak / vanilla notes, substantially mellowed with age. Clear clean acid, green apple notes on the palate. Beautiful wine that shows what Grgich can become with time.