Winery - Chateau Potelle
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Sauvignon shows ripe citrus, fig and melon flavors, while oak and lees add toasty buttercream and vanilla highlights. Best of all is the mouthfeel, which is bright and clean in acidity.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A touch of green herbs accompanies the blackberry flavors, and the finish is sharp in acids. However, the tannins are fine and soft. Blame it on the vintage.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dense and structured, this rating may look conservative in a few years’ time when this wine comes into its own. Right now, it displays some coffee and blackberry notes against a backdrop of toasty oak and chewy tannins, but the long finish bodes well for the future.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Zinfandel from this rugged peak near the southern end of the Mayacamas range on Napa Valley’s west side is rich, ripe and flavorful. Chateau Potelle’s VGS (for “very good s#%&) bottling is consistently one of the best in the valley. The French owners strive for a claret-style Zin and succeed. Flashy and delicious.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Exceedingly ripe, rich and concentrated. There’s not a berry or stone fruit you won’t find. Could strike some as a little over the top, a fruit bomb. But it’s dry and basically well made.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A worthy successor to the ’04, Potelle’s latest Syrah is a monumental wine. It’s decadently good now in its youth, with soft tannins that frame massive black currant, mocha, olive tapenade, grilled meat and crushed black pepper flavors that go on and on through the spicy finish. But 6 or more years of cellaring will see this wine evolve in interesting and possibly dramatic ways.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Distinctive and delicate in the mouth, with crisp acids and very nice flavors, including spearmint, citrus fruits, peaches and sweet oak.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Made in the firm, grippy style typical of Potelle’s reds, this Syrah could use a couple of years to settle down. But once it does, it’ll be fine, with herbal, pepper and meat accents to the chewy berry fruit.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This huge wine captures the essence of mountain fruit. Dense and concentrated in ripe pear, tropical fruit and spice flavors, it also oozes elaborate honey, marzipan and buttered toast from oak. Has the weight and intensity of a great white Burgundy.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Made from the estate vineyard high up on Mount Veeder, the wine has a brilliant intensity and near-perfect balance. It’s big, but not in the usual California style. Rather, it maintains an elegantly supple and wonderfully balanced character. The taste is of mineral-inspired tropical fruits, complexed with Burgundian technique.
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