Reviews

Award of Excellence – Chardonnay

Healthy dark red. Superripe, liqueur-like aromas of red cherry, damp earth, tobacco and dried rose. Lush, sweet and rich but also very pure, conveying a strong impression of terroir to its powerful flavors of dark fruits, minerals, spices and Gevrey earth. Turns drier and more classic on the back end. A very dense example of Charmes-Chambertin, but then these vines are in Mazoyères. Finishes with an enticing combination of sweetness and firm minerality. — Stephen Tanzer

Good medium red. Musky, slightly rustic nose shows more red than black fruits, with complicating notes of underbrush, herbs and pepper. Very rich, tactile, dry and backward, showing more minerality and medicinal reserve than primary berry or cherry fruit in the early going. Tough going today in spite of its depth of texture and richness. Not at all a sweet style. Vincent told me he prefers the easier sweetness of the 2014, noting that, in general, he regards the 2010 vintage as the best compromise between sweetness and energy since he took over winemaking here in 2006. — Stephen Tanzer

Good medium red. Cool, medicinal black cherry, blueberry and violet on the nose. Concentrated, ripe and sappy, showing excellent texture and intense spice character for the vintage. Finishes juicy and long, with some very ripe chocolate tones and big, tactile tannins that avoid dryness. This will need patience. —Stephen Tanzer

The 2013 Syrah The Count’s Selection shows the bacon fat and dense blackberry and cassis fruit of Syrah, with a deep ruby/purple color, a lush medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, supple tannins, and is quite long, layered and rich. It should drink well for at least 10-12 years. It reminds me of a high-class Crozes-Hermitage from France.

The 2013 Proprietary Red the Founder is a Sonoma bottling dedicated to the founding of Buena Vista in 1857. This shows beautiful, concentrated blackcurrant fruit, licorice, graphite and floral notes. It is full-bodied and dense with flawless integration of acidity, tannin, wood and alcohol. This is a big, but rich, provocative and authoritative wine with stunning purity and richness. Built for long cellaring if one wants to, this is certainly accessible now, but seems to have at least 30-50 years of longevity ahead of it.

The 2013 Proprietary Red The Aristocrat from Napa has a beautiful nose of crème de cassis, licorice and floral notes. It is full-bodied with sweet tannin, a multilayered mouthfeel and impressive texture and length. This is a beauty and, while accessible already, should age effortlessly for 15-20 or more years.

The 2013 Zinfandel Riebli Valley Vineyard looks more like Petite Sirah than one normally associates with Zinfandel. This is from apparently over 100-year-old head-pruned vines and low yields. The color is an inky ruby/purple, the wine rich, full-bodied, powerful and just classic Zinfandel. This is a stunner and a wine capable of offering gorgeous drinking for at least another 7-8 years.