Yep, i loaded up already on 04 750’s and 10 mags
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Thanks, Chris! Ordered some the other day.
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Yep! That’s how I ordered too. @Chris_Loyd posted details in the Last Bottle thread last week. Appreciate it, Chris! I was waiting to see what showed up at next month’s Marathon.
I also ordered some additional stuff and it was confirmed to me that LB has been getting what they bought of the Elivette piece by piece (or rather, truckload by truckload), so there will be additional Elivette days in the future, and that 750s, mags, etc., will be in the next marathon.
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Ah, i see.
Thanks!
I really need to make sure I’m busy that day…
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I received this info on 11/4, there were no other Elivette options in years or sizes available:
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2006 (750 ml) - $40 per bottle
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2013 (750 ml) - $36 per bottle
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2017 (750 ml) - $30 per bottle
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Update to prior comments with two additional vintages added:
'04- Tertiary characteristics, but some notable fruit left for the age. More body and much more life left than the '05 (out of 750), even with the '04 out of .375. This seems to have aged well and in balance. I tend to prefer a little more fruit, so it had me thinking that the '04 would probably be really good to my taste from 750 or mag (from 375)
'05 - Fruit mostly gone with what’s left being red fruit/cherry, acidity more prominent. Seems out of balance. Maybe slightly better with an hour of air, but did not notice too much of a change. Still enjoyable. I prefer '09 and '10, which are in a great place and better balanced. (from 750)
'06 - There was odd note on nose and odd note on palate that seemed related. Maybe it was the “black tea” described on the SMV website. Still seems to be some fruit left. Didn’t dislike drinking it, but didn’t like it either. Did not change much or blow off after being open two hours. I don’t think it was a fault. Maybe something I’m not used to. Perfect cork. (from 375)
'09- Still needed an hour decant. Just in a great place. Fruit still prominent and noted the cola note stated on the SMV website. In great balance. Sublime. (from 750)
'10- Same assessment as '09. In a great place. (from 375)
'12 - Hour + decant. I did not get quite the same expressiveness or complexity as the '09 and '10. Enjoyable for sure, but, by comparison, thinking it might be better in a few years. (from 750)
'13 - Decanted, as for all of them. Much more tannic and much less fruit than expected after trying the '12 and '15. Was expecting something different after reading Mikko’s note and given my experience with '12 and '15. Really coming from a different place than '12 and '15. Maybe needs more time to balance out given the tannic presence. I put the second half of the bottle into a .375 and put in fridge to try later. (from 750)
'15- Generally similar assessment as for the '12 (from 750)
'18 - Double decanted and gave it a couple of hours. So tight and would not open up. Not expressive. Needs at least another five years. Really not ready. (from 750)
Overall observations:
- '04, '05, '06- These three vintages are so different and have ended up in such different places that I expect most that would taste them blind would not guess they are the same wine. I certainly wouldn’t. (It would be fun to try that with someone that didn’t know!) The clear winner to me is '04, which seems to have aged the best.
- I prefer '09 and '10 by a wide margin right now. It’s perfect drinking window for me with fruit and tertiary flavors the way I like them. '12 and '15 seem to be coming along the same track.
- My wife prefers a little less tertiary and a little more fruit, so she prefers '12 and '15, which I agree are also drinking great. For me, I think another couple years and they will be even better.
- Tasting notes on SMV website are still up, have been almost entirely consistent with my notes. I hope they keep them up there. Pretty detailed. Even with some decanting recommendations, which in some instance vary based on size. For instance, for '04 out of .375, it says will benefit from decanting, for '04 out of 750, it says recommended 2 hour decant! (Who knows when these notes were last updated . . . )
- Were they trying to go for a consistent flavor profile vintage to vintage? Or were they trying to make the best wine with what they had? I think they were going for some level of consistency, even though pretty significant changes in the blend composition year to year. I see consistency in the flavor profile '09, '10, '12 and '15.
Very interested to hear from others with same or divergent opinions, especially those that have had multiple vintages.
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My 13 already had tannins well into the soft category. Not very fruity at all. Little bit of bottle variation I assume. If my bottle had firm tannins it would have felt out of balance for sure.
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We just had the 13 on Thursday. We were disappointed with the lack of fruit and structure. Tannins? Hardly any.
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Clearly quite a bit of bottle variety. Your bottle sounds like mine. I did enjoy it as I appreciated the developed nuances. But I did say if i paid retail id be disappointed.
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I haven’t had the '13 yet, but I have noticed a fair amount of variation in both profile and cork quality. I’ve had the '04 and '06 with perfect corks, followed by ones that crumbled with any pressure. I’ve been through about five vintages and it seems to be the case across the board.
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Well the commonality on the ‘13 assessment is little fruit.
I just reopened the bottle from yesterday. I note little change, which is to say, my bottle remains surprisingly tannic.
Given that, I am really surprised to read these comments about lack of tannins on the ‘13. They are overwhelming on mine in a way that is distracting from any nuances.
Is something up with the ‘13s?
For the record, cork was perfect. And, this must have been a bottle I ordered directly from the SMV sale.
Hard for me to comment on possible bottle variation, other than these contrary comments on the ‘13. I haven’t had more than one of each vintage. And, I have now had quite a few different vintages and the cork condition has been remarkably near perfect even back to the 20 year old vintages.
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I just opened a '13 and I think it’s well balanced now. Good core of fruit and still plenty of tannic structure. It can go awhile longer.
But I opened another '13 last week and the cork was so soft that I could not salvage it with a regular double hinge corkscrew. The product itself I suspect was TCA tainted as the fruit was very faded. I opened the most recent '13 with a durand just in case.
Glad someone else experienced the tannic structure on the ‘13.
It did get better second day after another few hours of being open.
Some notable raspberry fruit notes. Still tannic. Still not in balance. But, potentially another few years with softening of the tannins, it could be good.
It was less enjoyable than the ‘12 and ‘15 now, and there is less obvious potential than those two, but the potential is a bit more apparent second day after ALOT of air. I wonder if it would have blossomed more after another day and even more air.
I’m still not sure. It’s just generally missing the fruit I get on the other vintages.
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Our shipment came in Friday. I opened a 2011 last night, and it needed about 30 minutes, but it was really drinking nicely. At first it felt muted, but that was because the last wine we had two nights prior was a Realm BTK. I am terrible with formal notes but the 2011 Elivette was in a great spot.
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Sipping on a 2008 after 2 hr of air. Stellar wine, juicy elegance and sophistication come to mind—-not for those who like ‘em big!
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Had a 2013 the other evening. After a 2 hour decant it was fantastic but was very acidic and tannic before then. Drinking well and will continue to drink well over the next couple of years.
Reached out to Last Bottle last week and they still have a mix of 750s and magnums available. Here is the latest list- I picked up magnums of ‘08 and ‘09 and 750s of ‘06 to try before I open the ‘06 magnum I purchased as part of the harvest marathon. Cannot say enough good things about Last Bottle and their service!
750ML:
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2004 $40
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2006 $40
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2013 $36
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2017 $30
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2016 $36
1.5L Magnum:
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2004 $110
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2008 $110
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2009 $110
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2005 $110
Spring Mountain Vineyard Red Blend Elivette Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2001 $110
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Weird. I emailed them last week as well and heard back monday that they had nothing left.
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