My first time trying this wine. William Segui works closely with Thomas Rivers Brown at Rivers Marie, Outpost and other TRB projects but this wine is he and his wife's own project. The vineyard has been in his wife Mary's, family for 70 years. The wine itself is excellent and for their first time at bat, they hit a home run. Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim. Pop and pour, this took some time to open and was still getting better when the last drop was consumed a couple hours later. Bright and opaque. The nose is really unique. Sure, it has cassis and a bit of blueberries, but there is a coffee and roasted herb quality that is more Rhone-ish which is quite good. Medium tannins. On the palate, this tastes like a broader version of mountain fruit that what I think is valley floor. That is to say, it is quite concentrated and while ripe, it is toned down without being green or under ripe. Cassis and black raspberries over a roasted earthiness -sort of. Wonderful texture; supple yet sinewy. The finish is also unique. My wife described it as port-like without the alcohol or sweetness. That is kind of it I think. The fruit is long and intense but concentrated. We were both very impressed and one would think that W&M wines will only get better as they work with the vineyard and improve their own skills. This is a mailing list to get on. This will pair well with bigger dishes and roasted foods should be perfect. Give it a couple of hours to breathe if serving now. It should continue to improve for five to ten years and be good for ten to fifteen years after that. Still some upside improvement likely from here.
