For me, the second of recent atypical vineyard OR wines (the first was a Momtazi vyd Kelly Fox). Although, this time, by accident. I had purchased the Offer #7 from HS’s BD16 which included a 2016 Bednarik. That’s what I was reaching for when I realized that it wasn’t a Bednarik but a Shea! How I missed this “little” detail when I entered it into my inventory remains a mystery. (I’d like to put the responsibility on my husband but am struggling to find a way… )
In any case, the occasion was a drink with a new friend in the wine retail business. I made the short trip over to see them, trying to think of a new reasoning for my wine choice than that it would show classic WV structure. This wasn’t hard to do, after all I was now dealing with Shea vyd. We had the wine PNP, swirling vigorously for the first 10 or so minutes before there was little need. A fruit filled nose, with some graphite. I tasted red cherry, plum. Pepper, Brazil nut in the back, a fleeting hint of sandalwood. Good acid and mild tannins. A beautifully aged drink that was enjoyed all round, especially once my expectations were reoriented!
Sipping on a 2018 Cadence Tapteil Vyd. (Red Mountain) red blend. The label says 47% cab sauv, 33% cab franc, and 20% merlot. Not sure which BD gave me this wine – either BD13 or BD 14 – but I remember it was some kind of awesome case discount with free shipping. Berserkerday is good like that.
Anyway, every bottle I have opened of this over the years has been excellent. Dark red fruit, a bit of coco and tobacco leaf, and enough acidity to give the wine some lift. Great stuff!
Opened the NV Van Hunks Cap Classique Brut from Culture’s South African Trio Pack. First time trying a South African sparkler and definitely enjoyed it. Notes of green apple and yeast on the nose well past an hour of opening. Good stuff. Reminded me of the NV sparkling wines from Central Otago in New Zealand.
Just cracked the 2022 Claire Hill Grist Syrah and it’s really nice. Lots of baking spices on the nose, I swear I’m getting graham crackers but that sounds crazy. Bunch of dark fruits early on the palate with some minty herbal notes to close it out. Down to a sole surviving Claire Hill zin from last year’s BD, they’ve all been very good.
Okay, feeling liberated, I opened a 2016 Bougetz Cellars Ardante Cab Sauv. I think I got six of these on BD13, maybe 14. No matter. I never opened one before because i thought a wine made from Mt. Veeder fruit would need time to open up. I also have had some Jovana bottles from Bougetz that are drinking very well, and I have been happy to check in on those while letting the Ardante unwind.
As much as I have enjoyed the Jovana bottles I’ve tried, this wine is on another level. I love it. It definitely is on the front edge of its drinking window and still has some sweet tannins that could integrate more. That said, even without food, this is crushing. Dark in the glass, floral with red fruit in the nose, this is a silky smooth wine full of red berry fruit in the mouth. Recognizing that I suck at describing the actual experience of drinking a wine, I will say that this one is “really good” and likely to “get even better” over time.
@Thomas_Bougetz Much respect. I don’t remember what it was about the offer that made me take the plunge but, wow, sure glad I did. Well done, sir.
Great note Brad…I have been buying @Thomas_Bougetz wines on BD for a long time, I still have a bunch of older Jovana’s, they are really nice right-bank styled wines, especially for the BD price! My favorite Bougetz wine has been the Eminence Cabernet, with the 2011 (suppossedly a poor vintage) a real fine drink, it’s got more of an “old school” Napa Cab profile, which I love…I have never had one of the “Ardante” Cabs, I will have to give them a try on the next BD!
Paul: Thanks for chiming in. Your enthusiasm definitely resonates. Sometimes, my approach to BD is go go in search of new producers whose wines I have never tried. I will be on the lookout for opportunities to acquire more Bougetz wines.
Hi Brad, thanks for posting your observations on the 2016 Ardante Mt Veeder Cab Sauv. This quickly became one of my favorite vineyards that I work with, and the 2016 vintage is the one that turned my head. I also think it’ll be in a really good drinking spot over the next 5 years. Enjoy!
cheers tom
Opened up a “Marina” Mission from @Adam_Frisch tonight and it was a delight. I’ve never had a mission wine before, and this made me regret my past ignorance. I drank it slightly chilled. The nose was big red fruit, with a little bit of earth. Started out with some nice cherry, tart raspberry, and a really great mid palate herbal kick. As it got more air and warmed a bit, some spice and oak arrived to the party to add a little bit of weight to a previously very light wine. The evolution in the glass was really interesting, and perfectly exemplified the “alive” nature of wine that I love so much. Accompanied some fig & goat cheese pizza nicely.
Noice. At the moment, I am too busy watching the Final Four to say anything intelligent about Adam’s wines, but a 2020 Mission “Hernan Somers Vyd.” bit the dust tonight, and it was fantastic. A few days ago, Adam said that his 2018 Mission I previously tried was bigger than he liked, and I get it now. What a contrast!
Not bad versus good; more this versus that. That said, I love these wines and support the direction Adam has chosen to pursue.
Opened a Royer 23 Chardonnay and 22 Riesling over the last several days. Both were very tasty and paired well with our dinners. The Chardonnay was with my wife’s spin on Chicken Cordon Blue by making it into meatballs, and the Riesling was with a shrimp boil.
The notes in the BD16 offer were pretty darn spot on. Glad I have several more bottles of each.
We had a Sabelli-Frisch 2022 Laterna Flame Tokay with dinner last night (spicy grilled chicken and garlic green beans). It was terrific both with and without food.
Sabelli-Frisch pinot. Really enjoyable. @Adam_Frisch promised it was kind of “natural,” but it’s clean and fruity with what I’d describe as a pleasant sweetness on the finish. Don’t think I’d get to pinot blind, I’d probably stammer something about a … stemmy sangiovese? Maybe I’m just used to a particular strain of CA pinot. Regardless, I like this a lot. Definitely one where sip leads to another and the bottle will disappear before your eyes.
)
