Bill Easton makes some of the very greatest old school wines of the Sierra Foothills – as well as some of the greatest wine values in all of California. This is his homage to Domaine de Trevallon in Provence.
It’s 1/3rd Cabernet Sauvignon, planted on a prime hillside ridge in 1971, with 2/3rd Syrah, planted in steep hillside vineyards at 2500 feet.
Wine & Spirits rated this 92 points, saying:
Bill Easton blended this wine from two sources—an old-vine cabernet vineyard in Shenandoah Valley and syrah from Monarch Mine Vineyard at 2,500 feet. It’s gruff at first, with an unmovable solidity to its tannins, as if infused with dissolved Foothills granite. Aromas of anise, mint and pine bark gain clarity with air, giving the wine extension rather than just density—an impressive length of flavor that feels true to place, wild and fascinating. Leave it in the cellar for several years before bringing it out for steak.
And the Connoisseurs Guide called it a great value, saying:
Syrah and Cabernet find a most happy union here, and the wine makes a strong and very insistent fruity statement that recalls dark berries one moment and blackcurrants the next. A bit of peppery spice and a note of dusty soil bring a nice bit of complexity to the mix, and the wine impresses as much for its structure and depth as it does for its ongoing fruit. If its modest price might suggest otherwise, this one shows fine aging potential and does not want hasty drinking. It instead calls for a good half-dozen years in the cellar, and those who exercise patience will be glad that they did.
Both of these reviews were from 2015, but Easton believes in aging his wines before releasing them, so seven years after the reviews, this is a current release. And as predicted, it’s really showing brilliantly.
Is it as good as the $75 Trevallon this year? I wouldn’t be surprised.
