Spring Mountain, Elivette, Napa Valley

From 1.5 liter. C: As dark as the day it was bottled. N: Huge aromas of red fruit, fruit punch, some tropical notes, cedar, ripe strawberry. P: Full bodied and extremely rich, this was awesome. Tons of complex fruit, cedar, tobacco, delicate flowers and silky tannin. Medium acidity. F: A mile long and incredibly fresh. This gained in complexity over two hours and was stunning. What a great bottle. 94-95

2010 vintage

Same vintage as my daughter and enjoyed with her on her birthday. Tawny rimmed deep purple. Dark fruits, prune, currant, vanilla, earth, spice, beautifully integrated tannins. Looong finish. Superb.

2000 vintage

Great with the age - drinking beautifully.

2000 vintage

Recent reviews of this wine seem to be divided between those who think it's thoroughly tired out, and those who say it needs an hour of decanting. I'm firmly in the latter camp. Tight on opening, but a little time reveals slightly overripe, dry, dark red fruits: black cherries, prunes, red figs, currants. The earth has been there all along, graphite and sous bois. A bit of tea-like tannin holding on. This is intellectually stimulating and provides enough basic pleasure …

2000 vintage

This is my second bottle of the 2000 vintage recently, and unfortunately, the trend continues: the cork split in two upon extraction. However, a quick inspection showed no signs of leakage, suggesting the seal remained intact. In the glass, the wine has clearly lost its luster. The fruit is noticeably in decline; while it showed some character initially, it lost its appeal after an hour of air. By the end of the evening, it was no longer drinkable. Having many …

2000 vintage

Delicious and very nicely aged Napa cab. Still with nice purple fruit and perfume. Steady on day 2 too.

2000 vintage

Similar to another note I left for the full bottle. Green bell peppers, dark cherries, smoky, bacon fat and mineral

2000 vintage

From 375. This was absolutely wonderful! Very old world IMO, with plenty of complex dark fruit and dried herb. The perfect balance of tannin, acid and fruit. I'm probably rating this a bit low as it may be one of my favorite vintages of Elivette. It got better and better in the glass and never strayed into overly tertiary notes. Alos, probably the loosest cork I've come across in an Elivette and was very brittle.

2000 vintage

Very enjoyable and certainly ready to drink.

2000 vintage

This was probably quite good a few years ago. It was well beyond its drinking window though.

2007 vintage

This is the second magnum of these that I've had and it's just like the last. Perfect color with no signs of age. N: Dark fruit , black licorice, oak and cedar. P: More of the same, wit a black cherry note. Moderate acidity and tannin. This didn't change much over the course of two hours. I swear this has shown better from 375, so it may just be young. I'll have to try another split tonight to see.

2007 vintage

From 375. C: Dark and deep with the slightest notes of bricking. N: Vibrant red fruit, earth, sweet herbs and a whisper of cedar. P: More of the same with a delicious cherry notes and bright acidity. Minimal tertiary notes and this presented far younger than expected. Medium bodied. F: Long and silky, this was an outstanding bottle. There is obviously quite a bit of bottle variation with all vintages, but when they are on, they are awesome. 93-94

2000 vintage

Popped and poured. Fairly youthful appearance with wa dark ruby core and onlu thr skightest bricking around the edges. Nose is classic aged cab, led by cedar and a touch of cassis. Similar on the palatte. Still has good length and some grip. Contrary to some reviews, I didn’t find this over the hill. It’s a fairly classic aged Napa Cab, and ones’ enjoyment of it probably correlates to their enjoyment of tertiary and secondary characteristics . 91

2000 vintage

Heard this is over-the-hill in a few reviews I saw. No way. This is really mellow and nicely structured/rounded out wine.

2000 vintage

Magnum from LB. Did a double decant to get off a decent amount of sediment about two hours in advance. Drinking beautifully right now for a party. Had as in intro to some bigger wines and it was perfect for that but easily could have been the man wine with beef or lamb. Thought the body was very good and there was no need to age it any further. I didn’t have any issue with the cork.

2007 vintage

Well made wine with a nice depth of flavor

2011 vintage

It’s over the edge, flattened out and while enjoyable…I much prefer this wine at 10-15 years rather than 26.

2000 vintage

Fruit present but diminishing and flavor complexity almost gone. Therefore, I kept the bottle covered after every pour. However, the wine was still pleasant since is was a powerhouse in its youth.

2000 vintage

Pronounced aromas and flavors of violets, chocolate, black cherry, blueberry, vanilla, cinnamon, bbq sauce, meat, coffee Dry, high alcohol, full body, high tannins, medium+ acidity, long finish

2011 vintage

Maybe I just got lucky with this bottle or there is significant bottle variation. I quite enjoyed this. Still lots of fruit, but more dried fruits, slight leather. This almost drank like a Pinot at times. In a good place now and doesn't feel over the hill or tired at all. 90 points.

2000 vintage

Just signing. At its peak with tertiary flavors. Mushroom, tobacco, leather and dark fruit. A balanced with with gentle finish. Can’t get enough!

2000 vintage

From 1.5l. C: As dark as they come, with no signs of age. N: Huge amounts of red fruit, cedar and some spice. P: Big and bold, with ripe strawberry, candied cherry, orange peel, cassis, cedar and a whisper of mushroom. Full bodied, with bright acid and velverty tannin. The bright cab franc notes of red fruit really shine. F: Long and delicious, with plenty of red fruit and acid. My only knock would be a whiff of alcohol near …

2010 vintage

From 1.5l. C: Looks as fresh as ever. N: Light fruit and some spice. It really needed a swirl to show much at all. P: Dark fruit with some spice, but somewhat simple at first. The acid and tannin seemed disjointed, but with a bit of air, it opened up and smoothed out, but was never particularly interesting. Barely medium bodied, it showed somewhat young, but I don't see where any time or a decant will make much difference. Fair …

2007 vintage

well past its window.

2000 vintage

Second of the four bottles in my cellar. First bottle was not impressive in the slightest. This bottle, however, is singing. Good amount of fruit left, dusty and graphite, dried herbs and eucalyptus. Cork was in ok condition (maybe a little dry), with tons of crystals on it. Drink these up as it seems there’s bottle variation, most likely due to its age.

2000 vintage

Still surprisingly young tasting, and holding up great even in light of an unfortunate summer transcontinental drive. Definitely showing some age in terms of bricking, secondary elements, and softening of the tannins. The nose maintains a vibrant cassis character, with a palate that seemed to evolve with more time open (decanted 40 mins or so to start) - moving from purple fruited graphite, to blackberries, to a little bit of chocolatiness. Bottles in good condition probably have some time in …

2002 vintage

Dark red with a subtle brownish hugh where it touched the glass. Dark fruit, tobacco and chocolate. Long silky finish with subdued tannins. This was a pleasant surprise!

2000 vintage

Slightly past its prime but not by much - the fruit didn’t show but leather, spice and long finish still there

2000 vintage

Still remarkably fruity and powerful. Not the most acidic or tannic (duh, it’s 23+ years old) wine but these Elivettes are built to last. I was so enthralled at how powerful the fruit was at this age. I could see this wine cruising another 15-20 years in cool cellars. What an absolute treat this wine was. 93+

2002 vintage

Great wine. Tannins are super soft and great acidity. Got eucalyptus, lots of dark fruit (black currant, blueberries, dark cherries), crushed gravel, green bell peppers, vanilla, wet leaves and some cigar box.

2000 vintage

Hanging onto its rich purple color with a bit of brown starting to show. Noticeably old, musty oak on the nose. Tight for the first 20 minutes, signs of opening up over the next 20, and awesome from there with different flavors popping up over time. Dark fruits, leather, and tobacco notes. Cork held together (but was fragile) and some (but not overwhelming) sediment.

2000 vintage

Damaged cork + taint. Had to dump. Storage on these, since they’re from a now discontinued line, might be questionable.

2000 vintage

From 375. As before. I still feel that this is obviously a cooler vintage and doesn't show the varietal character I normally associate with canbernet. Of all the Elivette I've tried, this is delicious, but the least complex and interesting. Still a good wine, but not special, IMO. I also didn't see much difference with a two hour decant.

2011 vintage

80–84: Drinkable but forgettable — simple, unbalanced, wouldn’t buy again. 85–89: Good everyday — pleasant, balanced, reliable but not distinctive. 90–92: Very good — some depth, personality, and polish. Worth rebuying, will never fail. 93–95: Excellent — complex, expressive, layered, clear sense of place. 96–98: Exceptional — powerful yet elegant; truly memorable wine. 99–100: Benchmark — near-perfect, transcendent, one of the best ever. Deep garnet center with brick rim. Very aromatic dried red fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco, dried herb. Fruit …

2000 vintage

Wow. This is 25.5 years old. Other than the abundant “flavor nuggets” you would think it is only a kindergartner. Seriously, I didn’t decant, but strained into glass (must strain). About half hour in the glass to open up. Out of caution, I used a Durand. Cork was in perfect condition. Amazing with bleu cheese and herb crusted lamb chops. I am half bummed that I only got 4 bottles - but I got almost every vintage in decent quantities. …

2000 vintage

Just a good bottle of wine. Has all of the basics you want in a Napa BDX blend. Not super complex, not mijd blowing, just good.

2011 vintage

I hadn't this wine since the owners came and did a wine dinner here many years ago. When it came up for sale, I grabbed a couple of bottles. Had my fingers crossed that it wasn't over-the-hill. Cork crumbled and we had to decant through a coffee filter. Turned out to be a wise accident. Initial taste was all tannins and no fruit. But after about 1/2 hour in the large decanter, it bloomed. Fruit was there, but starting to …

2000 vintage

Deep rich color that really doesn’t show any signs of aging. Serious dark fruit, cassis, leather, spice. Initial sips are big, refined, the cab franc comes through, fruit seems a little subdued so hoping it comes alive with some time in the decanter. Opens slightly after 2 hours but overall just presents very smooth and even keeled. I almost wish it had a touch more fruit. It’s in very even harmony now but lacks the wow factor, complexity, depth, finish, …

2007 vintage

Finished the night with this whopper. This time from magnum. Not quite as good as the 3L but wonderful nonetheless. Big nose of dried dusty cranberry. The taste is big and beautiful very much in its prime.

2007 vintage

No detailed tasting notes, just that it was fabulous and amazing. Still drinking well right now, but I wouldn’t wait too much longer.

2010 vintage

Decanted 1 hour, could’ve used more time. For a 14 year old wine, definitely tasted younger than its age. Could age at least a few more years. N: dark plum, tobacco, cigar box, vanilla and baking spices. Really complex and satisfying on the nose. P: Still good fruit notes, good acidity, medium long finish. A delight.

2011 vintage

3L beauty. Dust and dried blackberry nose. Hint of leather and oak. Beauty of a wine with a finish that lingered beyond x-mas!

2007 vintage

Drank from mag. This is a young but bright mountain cab. It’s approachable and fruit forward even after 15 years. Lots of blue fruit but a hint of green pepper. Thing of beauty. Better after 24hrs.

2010 vintage

Cork came out clean but be careful - had the consistency of string cheese. Dark violet with tints of aging. Hot on the nose - red/blue fruit, camphor, some plastic/play-doh. Softer and a long finish on the palate. The rum raisin from age blew off after 30 mins. Very interesting and a meal in itself. Could still use some age to wear off the edges, which is interesting for almost 20 years

2007 vintage

Flat... old, past it's prime. Drank a sip immediately after opening, cork was ok, was super flat. Improved after 1 hour decent, but not enough improvement over 3 hours of drinking.

2007 vintage

2 hour decant and placed back in the bottle. Consumed mostly by itself. Wonderful nose, not huge, but elegant. Flavors are big but refined. Dust, graphite, dark berries, with some heat. At 14 years old this doesn’t show any signs of age. Should have bought more than I did.

2011 vintage

The reviews on this are on the spot. This is a truly interesting and fun wine even after the cork decided to fall apart. I had to strain the bottle through cheesecloth into a decanter. Drank over the course of dinner which was ribroast and herby potatoes. On the nose: I get blueberry with herbs and spice. The taste is a mix of blueberries, dark berries, that leads to earth, tobacco, and umami middle and finished with a graphite, sometimes …

2007 vintage

Great structure, still had a good amount of tannins. Think it's in a good spot now for my tastes, complex had a mix of black fruits, and prunes, cigar box, violets and earth. Long finish with savory spices.

2011 vintage

Needs a couple hours of air. Barnyard, leather, vanilla, cherries. I've had a couple bottles. They all benefitted from air.

2011 vintage

Christmas Party in New Hope (Chez Walker - New Hope, PA) : Fourth of 6 bottles opened for the group to taste through. A favorite spot from a visit some years ago for some of the group. Decanted about 2.5 hours prior to drinking. Last tasting 2023. Cork on this one was tougher, even with a Durand, broke in half. Medium garnet color, some thinning. Nose of red and blue fruits, earth/mushrooms, tobacco, some graphite. Palate is elegant, lots going …

2007 vintage

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Spring Mountain, Elivette, Napa Valley

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