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Inventory updated: Mon, Dec 15, 2025 04:02 PM cst
100pt Perfection
 Flickinger Wines has a fantastic selection of 100-point wines from prominent producers from across the globe all available in-stock. This list is dominated by a who's who of California and Bordeaux’s greatest wines from Solaia to Screaming Eagle, Abreu to Ausone and many more. Every wine here is a highlight, so take the time to browse this incredible list and add some of these perfect wines to your collection today - happy hunting!!
The following are the wines remaining from the offer sent on Monday, December 15, 2025. Please enter your desired quantities and click the 'Add' button.
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Ausone |
2009 |
St. Emilion  |
$895 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (2/2012): Incredible nose of currants and blueberries. Flowers too. Licorice. Such purity on the nose of Cabernet Franc. Full body, incredible structure, with fabulous tannins and a long, long finish. Built out of stone. The perfect Ausone. Try after 2022.
WA 98+ (2/2012): A masterpiece in the making, proprietor Alain Vauthier’s 2009 Ausone boasts a dense purple color along with notes of powdered chalk, crushed rocks and wild blue, red and black fruits. Extravagantly rich with great minerality, precision and freshness as well as a voluptuous texture (unusual for a baby Ausone), this is an extraordinary wine. Sadly, there are fewer than 1,200 cases ... for the world. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060+.
VM 97 (3/2019): The 2009 Ausone has a sumptuous bouquet with pure blackberry, raspberry, rose petal and orange blossom aromas. The wine is beautifully defined blossoms with aeration. It becomes very liquorice and menthol-like after 10 minutes’ aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It is not a powerful 2009 and it feels sleek and quite tensile. Pure red fruit linger in the mouth with a very deft, almost understated finish. So elegant, so Ausone. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. Neal Martin. |
|
|
2021 |
St. Emilion (1.5 L) 2021 en Primeur Release |
$1,350 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 97-100 (4/2022): A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot, the 2021 Ausone is a strong candidate for the title of wine of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild blueberries and raspberries mingled with rose petals, violets, exotic spices, vine smoke and blood orange, it's full-bodied, seamless and sensual, with a satiny attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate of breathtaking precision and intensity without weight. Built around bright acids and ultra-refined tannins and concluding with a resonant, perfumed finish, this profound young Ausone represents the essence of this great limestone terroir. I am not in the habit of drinking six-month-old Bordeaux cask samples, but this is one wine that would have sorely tempted me to make an exception to that rule if my appointment at the estate hadn't been one of the first of the day!
VM 93-95 (5/2022): The 2021 Ausone was picked on September 30 for the Merlot and October 4–6 for the Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cabernet Franc because some of the Merlot was deselected into the Chapelle. Matured in 90% new oak, this has a fragrant and floral bouquet, more iris than violet, revealing a hint of seaweed in the background. The palate is well-defined, quite strict and focused, certainly one of the more mineral-driven Ausones that I have encountered at this stage. The limestone terroir is evident on the finish. Again, this is a little leaner and less flamboyant than recent vintages. Having tasted Ausone at this prenatal stage for over 20 years, I don’t find the thrilling "drive” or the pyrotechnics of the 2001, 2010, 2016 or 2019. Yet this Ausone is compelling in its own uncompromising way, and I wouldn't want it any different. |
|
| Ch. Canon |
2020 |
St. Emilion |
$149 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 100 (4/2023): The brilliant 2020 Canon looks set to surpass both the 2019 and 2016 as this estate's finest wine since the post-war period, though like many of the best 2020s, it will require more patience than its 2019 counterpart. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with notions of exotic spices and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with vibrant acids and beautifully polished, chalky tannins. Pure and precise, it concludes with a long, mouthwatering finish. This beautifully constructed wine communicates the essence of this superb limestone terroir, and it will be worth a special effort to track down and cellar.
VM 98 (11/2024): The 2020 Canon is very succinct on the nose, beautifully defined with extraordinarily pure red fruit laced with pressed violet and iris flower. The oak is perfectly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, fresh and almost citric, very vibrant and precise with a quite peppery finish. God made wine so that it can taste as good as this. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Drink between 2030-2065). Neal Martin.
JD 97+ (3/2023): Another brilliant Saint-Emilion, the 2020 Château Canon actually reminds me of the 2019 with its pure, elegant, yet concentrated profile. Based on 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, it reveals a deep ruby hue as well as classic upper plateau notes of perfumed red and black fruits (black raspberries, darker cherries), wildflowers, graphite, and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, perfectly integrated tannins and acidity, and flawless overall balance. As with the 2019, it's not the blockbuster style of the 2015, but it’s lively, elegant, and pure class. It needs 7-8 years of bottle age to hit maturity and will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity. (Drink between 2030-2060). |
|
| Ch. Cheval-Blanc |
2010 |
St. Emilion |
$999 |
6 |
|
| |
JD 100 (6/2019): Showing even better than a bottle a few years ago, the 2010 Chateau Cheval Blanc is perfection in a glass and wine doesn’t get any better. As with the 2009, it’s a powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc, yet it has a slightly dark, cooler profile in its smoky black fruits, graphite, new leather, crushed rocks and cured meat aromas and flavors. Where the 2009 hits the palate with a sunny, sexy style, this stays more inward and masculine, yet it still has incredible sweetness of fruit, flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, a great mid-palate, and a finish that goes on for over a minute. It opens up with time in the glass and offers incredible pleasure today, with an exotic masculine yet sexy style, but feel free to enjoy this legendary wine any time over the coming 3-4 decades.
WA 100 (3/2020): Deep garnet in color and made of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot, the nose of the 2010 Cheval Blanc is a bit subdued to begin, measuredly opening out to reveal achingly provocative notions of molten chocolate, preserved Morello cherries, baked blackberries, boysenberries and blueberry compote with wafts of underbrush, cigar box, cumin seed and sandalwood. Full-bodied, the palate is a full-on atomic bomb waiting to go off, with very tightly coiled, slowly maturing black fruits eking out glimpses of a vast array of nuances. Still very youthful, it finishes with an incredibly persistent, jaw-dropping display of earth and mineral fireworks. I’d leave this one for another 5 years and drink it over the next 50.
JS 100 (11/2013): The aromas here are crazy with flowers, mushroom, forest floor, and fruit. It seems like I am walking through a row of the vines in Cheval Blanc when I have my nose in the glass. It's full-bodied, with fabulous layers of ultra-fine tannins and milk chocolate, raspberries, and a phenomenal finish. Truly one of the greatest Chevals ever. Better than 2009. Try in 2020.
WS 98 (3/2013): This is stone-cold shut down right now, but why worry? You'll want to wait at least a decade before breaching a bottle as massively endowed as this, with loads of loamy bass notes thumping along underneath a riveting track of licorice snap, pastis-steeped black currant fruit, maduro tobacco and espresso. And then there's an echo of petrichor at the very end that hints at the aromatic fireworks to come with cellaring. Should compete for wine of the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2040.
VM 95+ (7/2013): Good bright, deep red. Captivating scents of cassis, violet, minerals, bitter chocolate and wild herbs. Extremely fine-grained but also very dense and chewy for young Cheval Blanc, showing great cabernet franc lift and perfume and a downright velvety texture. This deep, multilayered wine was a bit dominated by its brooding tannins and big structure when first poured, but I found my score going steadily higher as the wine benefited from air. My rating may look too conservative a decade from now--or three or four decades hence. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Ch. Haut Bailly |
2020 |
Pessac Leognan |
$115 |
5 |
|
| |
VM 97 (2/2023): The 2020 Haut-Bailly has developed into an elegant, richly-textured wine with all its elements in balance. Classy and polished to the core, the 2020 is a Haut-Bailly that favors finesse over power. It's a wine of extreme precision and persistence more than anything else. Red-toned fruit, dried flowers, spice and blood orange are some of the many notes that open over time. The 2020 spent 15 months in barrel, with 50% new oak. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96 (3/2023): The 2020 Château Haut-Bailly is a quintessential expression of this terroir and shines for its incredible purity, balance, and elegance. Revealing a ruby/purple hue as well as a terrific bouquet of ripe red and black fruits, Asian spices, smoked tobacco, and leafy herbs, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a layered, seamless mouthfeel. Reminding me slightly of the 2016 with its pure, balanced, classical style, give bottles just 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two to three decades. President and CEO Véronique Sanders continues to do incredible job at this Château, and you won’t find a more classy, elegant wine out there.
JS 99-100 (4/2021): This has incredible power and drive with blackberry, black olive and graphite. It’s full-bodied, yet dynamic and agile, with so much polished and muscular tannin. Yet, it remains in harmony and balance. So much character. The head of the chateau calls it diabolical beauty. 25% less production than the 2019. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.
WA 96-98+ (5/2021): A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Haut-Bailly was harvested from the 9th to 25th of September. It has an alcohol of 14.3%. Deep purple-black in color, it prances out of the glass with naturally beautiful notions of fresh black cherries, violets, mulberries and boysenberries, giving way to hints of redcurrant jelly, star anise, tilled soil and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate is delicately crafted with velvety/grainy tannins and fantastic freshness framing the perfumed red and black berry layers, finishing on a lingering fragrant-earth note. |
|
| Ch. L' Eglise Clinet |
2022 |
Pomerol 2023 en Primeur Release |
$349.95 |
9 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): Straight-up gorgeous, I'd put the 2022 Château L'Eglise-Clinet up with the top tier Pomerol in the vintage, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass the 2020 as well. Ripe black cherries, violets, spring flowers, graphite, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Compared to the 2005 by owner Noëmie Durantou (who has done an incredible job taking over the estate after the loss of her father), this rich, concentrated, incredibly impressive Pomerol is going to need 7-8 years of bottle age but will evolve for 30 years in cold cellars.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked from 3 to 9 September for the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 5 and 9 September, matured in 85% new oak. It has an exquisitely-defined bouquet with succinct floral, pressed iris and clay notes percolating through the black fruit. With breathtaking focus, these scents seem to cast a spell over you. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins that frame the mineral-laden, peppery black fruit. There's not a hair out of place, exuding the essence of this Pomerol estate with an exceptionally long, intense and paradoxically tender finish. It's a wine that may leave you spellbound...just like this barrel sample. Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. La Mission Haut Brion |
2019 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$289 |
4 |
|
| |
| JS 99-100 (6/2020): A tight and structured La Mission that takes you deep into the glass with super intensity and power. The tannins are omnipresent and envelop the palate. It’s full-bodied yet agile and complete. Iodine, sweet-tobacco and blackberry character. It seems never to finish. Another WOW wine that reminds me of some of the great classics of this estate, such as the 1955. |
|
| Ch. Lafite Rothschild |
2000 |
Pauillac Very Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$1,100 |
1 |
|
| |
WS 100 (3/2003): Subtle aromas of currants, leather, tobacco and cedar. Classic cigar box nose, with fruit. Full-bodied, with an amazing texture of silky, ripe tannins. This wine completely coats your palate, but caresses it at the same time. This is the best young Lafite ever made. A triumph. Best after 2012. 18,000 cases made.
WA 98+ (6/2010): Since I gave this wine a perfect score, I suppose some could see this as a downgrade. I found everything still there for a perfect rating, but I was just struck by how tight and backward the wine was. A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years. Tasted next to a 1996 several days after the 2000 tasting, the 1996, which is a perfect wine, was far closer to full maturity than the 2000.
VM 96 (6/2003): Full medium ruby. Flamboyantly perfumed aromas of cassis, graphite and tobacco, lifted by a floral nuance and stony minerality. Very young and precise but not austere or forbidding. A remarkably rich, silky, seamless Lafite with superb vibrancy for the vintage. Tannins are noble and the aristocratic finishing flavors go on and on. I tasted this from a 375 ml. bottle, but from all reports this wine is equally approachable right now from a standard bottle. Has more sheer density than the beautiful 2001 and may well soon shut down in the bottle. |
|
|
2010 |
Pauillac |
$899 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 100 (3/2020): Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Lafite Rothschild is a little mute on the nose at this stage, opening to reveal warm blackcurrants, baked plums and boysenberry scents with hints of chocolate mint, violets, cedar chest and pencil lead. Full-bodied, rich and densely packed with perfumed black fruit layers, it has a rock-solid backbone of fantastically ripe, grainy tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing very long and minerally. Still very youthful!
JS 99 (2/2013): This is shy and not giving its all at the moment. Yet it is full and intense with a tightly intertwined tannic and fruit structure. Ethereal blackberry, currant, cedar, and nutty flavors. Dried flowers too. Cedar jewel box smell comes out with time. Great finish. So, so long and harmonious. Try in 2018.
WS 97 (3/2013): Rather tight, with an alluring whiff of cocoa that lures you in before disappearing into the core of steeped plum, roasted fig and blackberry coulis notes. Sandalwood, black tea and loam elements fill in on the long and expansive finish. This seems to be lying in wait for what could be a very long time in the cellar before unfurling fully. Best from 2018 through 2045. 15,833 cases made.
VM 96 (4/2020): The 2010 Lafite-Rothschild has more vivacious bouquet than expected with veins of blue fruit and iodine tincturing the black fruit. It is well defined if just missing the audacity of the Latour. The palate is approachable on the entry with fine grain tannins. It feels a touch more mature than the other First Growths, though the pliant and poised finish has a sensuality uncommon in Lafite. Superb. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Latour |
2003 |
Pauillac Ex-Chateau 2025 |
$949 |
5 |
|
| |
WA 100 (4/2006): There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.
WS 98 (3/2006): Intense aromas of blackberry, licorice, currant and mineral. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a long, long finish. Very refined and beautiful. Goes on for minutes. This reminds me of the fabulous 1996. But even better. Best after 2012. 10,000 cases made.
VM 97 (6/2006): Red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum liqueur, currant, minerals and lead pencil. Huge, lush, sweet and utterly seamless; this has the palate-caressing texture of liquid velvet. About as deep as this extreme vintage gets. Finishes with noble, compellingly sweet tannins and great length. This is amazing wine, and only its exotic character prevented me from giving it an even higher score. Interestingly, the IPT here is 65, compared to 67 for the 2005. But this voluminous and powerful wine will be more fun to drink than the 2005 for many years simply due to its sensual appeal, even if the 2005 should ultimately surpass it in verve, minerality and overall aromatic complexity. (Incidentally, Latour's third wine, simply called Pauillac, is extremely good in both 2005 and 2003-the former vintage showing terrific energy and loads of early personality, and the latter fat, round and exotic, with what Engerer described as a "Napa nose.") |
|
| Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion |
2020 |
Pessac Leognan |
$148.99 |
10 |
|
| |
VM 100 (2/2023): The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97-98 (4/2021): Exotic fruit aromas of blackberry, blueberry, peach and orange peel. It’s full-bodied with a vertical flow of layered, chewy tannins that are integrated and intense. Extremely polished and focused. Crushed stone to the fruit in the aftertaste. Some bark and forest flowers, too. Great potential.
JD 96-98 (5/2021): On another level, the flagship 2020 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one heck of a dense, backward, concentrated wine that’s going to require bottle age. Coming in with the same technical analysis (acidity and alcohol) as the 2018, this full-bodied beauty offers a thrilling nose of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, charcoal, and gravelly earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with a terrific mid-palate and wonderful purity, it holds things close to its vest yet has flawless balance, impeccable purity, and just a great, lengthy finish. Nevertheless, this is one big bruiser of a wine that’s going to demand bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three to four decades.
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion issues forth a beguiling array of savory scents—black olives, charcuterie, bouquet garni and Sichuan pepper—over a core of bright redcurrant jelly, black cherries and cassis scents, plus fragrant hints of rose petals and preserved mandarin peel. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegantly styled yet with a rock-solid backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This is a stunning expression of the vintage that should be long lived and age with fantastic grace. |
|
|
2020 |
Pessac Leognan 2020 en Primeur Release |
$148 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (2/2023): The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97-98 (4/2021): Exotic fruit aromas of blackberry, blueberry, peach and orange peel. It’s full-bodied with a vertical flow of layered, chewy tannins that are integrated and intense. Extremely polished and focused. Crushed stone to the fruit in the aftertaste. Some bark and forest flowers, too. Great potential.
JD 96-98 (5/2021): On another level, the flagship 2020 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one heck of a dense, backward, concentrated wine that’s going to require bottle age. Coming in with the same technical analysis (acidity and alcohol) as the 2018, this full-bodied beauty offers a thrilling nose of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, charcoal, and gravelly earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with a terrific mid-palate and wonderful purity, it holds things close to its vest yet has flawless balance, impeccable purity, and just a great, lengthy finish. Nevertheless, this is one big bruiser of a wine that’s going to demand bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three to four decades.
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion issues forth a beguiling array of savory scents—black olives, charcuterie, bouquet garni and Sichuan pepper—over a core of bright redcurrant jelly, black cherries and cassis scents, plus fragrant hints of rose petals and preserved mandarin peel. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegantly styled yet with a rock-solid backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This is a stunning expression of the vintage that should be long lived and age with fantastic grace. |
|
| Ch. Mouton-Rothschild |
2022 |
Pauillac |
$679 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that's still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a powerhouse. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2022 is a real head-turner. The combination of intense dark fruit, strong gravelly/mineral notes and imposing structure clearly bring to mind another great Mouton, and that is the 1986. In a word: magnificent. The blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-99 (5/2023): A brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate's production. |
|
|
2022 |
Pauillac (6.0 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$7,195 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that's still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a powerhouse. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2022 is a real head-turner. The combination of intense dark fruit, strong gravelly/mineral notes and imposing structure clearly bring to mind another great Mouton, and that is the 1986. In a word: magnificent. The blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-99 (5/2023): A brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate's production. |
|
|
2022 |
Pauillac (1.5 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$1,425 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that's still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a powerhouse. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2022 is a real head-turner. The combination of intense dark fruit, strong gravelly/mineral notes and imposing structure clearly bring to mind another great Mouton, and that is the 1986. In a word: magnificent. The blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-99 (5/2023): A brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate's production. |
|
| Ch. Petrus |
1990 |
Pomerol Base Neck Fill; Slightly Raised Cork |
$4,300 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2009): The 1990 Petrus remains incredibly young, one of the least evolved wines of the vintage (along with Montrose and Beausejour-Duffau). This dense ruby/purple-colored effort is beginning to hint at the massive richness and full-bodied intensity lurking beneath its wall of tannin. The vintage’s sweetness, low acidity, and velvety tannins are present in abundance, and the wine is massive in the mouth as well as incredibly pure and well-delineated. I thought it would be drinkable by now, but it appears another 5-10 years will pass before it begins to reach its plateau of maturity. This wine is capable of lasting at least four more decades. An incredible achievement!
JS 100 (6/2016): This is a legend and lives up to it. Dense and opulent with layers of ripe, powerful, pure and rich fruit across the board. I have been lucky enough to drink this a number of times and it doesn't change.
NM 98 (10/2011): Tasted at Hof van Cleve in Belgium. The 1990 has one of those bouquets where a choir of angels seem to sing from heaven when you take you first sniff. It is utterly compelling, with crystalline dark fruits, truffle and even an outrageous hint of melted marshmallows. The palate possesses brilliant tension, quite edgy for a 1990 with ebullient dark fruits, Vervain tea, a touch of dark plum and something sweet like fresh fig. There is an effortless quality to the 1990 that is completely entrancing, and of course, a length that is longer than Southend Pier (the longest in the world.) Brilliant.
WS 98 (10/2004): That hasn't changed. A classy wine that's almost as great as the awesome '89. Expressive and sophisticated, with wonderful ripe fruit and vanilla aromas. The palate is extremely silky with superb flavor concentration. It's very muscular but refined and toned. Still too young to open.--Petrus non-blind vertical. Best after 2007. 3,700 cases made.
VM 97 (11/1993): Black-ruby to the rim. Remarkably vibrant red and black fruit, mineral, and licorice nose has an almost Chambolle-like framboise tang to it. Massive on the palate; tremendous extract. As dense as this is now, it already shows remarkable clarity and depth of flavor. Powerful structure and length, with extraordinary subtlety of flavor. Based on the bottle sampled, this is an early candidate for wine of the vintage.
MB [*[***]?] (6/2000): First tasted from cask in June 1991. Dense, full of fruit and flesh. Less tannic than the '89. Twelve months later, a week before bottling, a potential 5 stars. Next tasted blind, at the frequently mentioned Eigensatz tasting of 144 of the world's top '90s. It was in good company, including La Tache, Pavillon Ermitage, Latour, La Turque (eastily top of the 'flight') and so forth. It had nothing to be ashamed of. Coincidentally it was again set against La Turque in a Rodenstock 'flight' (also blind) of '90s in 1996. Only half a point separated them, the Petrus tough and tannic. The following year at the Union des Grands Crus dinner, before Christie's best-ever one-owner sale: deep and velvety; full of fruit and flesh. Very impressive, very tannic. Most recently, the last of Eddie Penning-Rowsell's '10-year' first growth tasting of the '90s: still very deep; thick, chunky, fleshy nose but one could smell the sweaty tannins; fairly sweet, full, rich, complete but with a dry, rather coarse finish. Well, I suppose it is gilt-edged and will soften with time. A matter of taste. Drink 2015-2025. |
|
| Ch. Pichon-Longueville Lalande |
1982 |
Pauillac Base Neck Fill; Signs of Old Seepage; Bin-Soiled Label |
$800 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (12/2022): Several years ago, I purchased a case of the 1982 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from a frigid Alsatian cellar where it had lain undisturbed since release, and from these bottles, it continues to very much merit a three-digit score. One of the most flamboyant, sensual wines of the vintage, it offers up a sweet bouquet of blackcurrants and blackberries mingled with notions of orange rind, violets, licorice and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with melting tannins, ripe acids and a long, cedar-inflected finish, it continues to deliver magical drinking. Having drunk the 1982 six or seven times this year, however, I am forced to concede that bottles that show this level of vibrancy and flare aren't so easy to find, so now is a great time to start pulling corks in earnest. This may not prove to be the very longest-lived wine of the vintage, but its star certainly did burn bright!
NM 98 (11/2012): Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. The Pichon-Lalande ’82 almost embarrasses the Pichon Baron ’82. It has a seamless nose of blackberry, cassis, graphite and cedar, again, with an almost sorbet-like freshness and vitality that you want to keep returning to repeatedly. The palate is beautifully defined with filigree tannins and so much freshness and poise, a citric theme from start to finish. There are notes of blackberry, cedar, graphite and a spray tan of glycerine. This is a Pauillac that challenges the First Growths and I would argue with the exception of Latour, is equal to them.
MB [*****] (4/2001): With and without food. Masses of notes - well, 20 to date, most over the past decade: prettily coloured, well-upholstered, delectable. Sweetness and fruit. Being an '82, dry finish. Last noted at the La Reserve tasting of '82's, Just tuck in.
WS 95 (11/1998): A voluptuous red. Very dark ruby-garnet. Aromas of currant, meat and berries. Full-bodied and velvety, with lovely ripe berry and earth and a long, ripe finish of caressing texture. This has always been a great wine. I marvel at it each time I taste it.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.
VM 95 (8/2002): Deep red-ruby color. Liqueur-like aromas of currant, cedar, lead pencil, truffle and smoked meat. Magically sweet and silky in the mouth, with superb depth of flavor and a complete absence of rough edges. A huge wine with utterly compelling sweetness and great terroir character. Powerful if somewhat unrestrained. Finishes ripely tannic, long and sweet. Many tasters still rank this among their two or three favorites of the vintage. Drink now to 2015. |
|
| Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte |
2020 |
Pessac Leognan |
$139 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2023): Absolutely pure gold and reminding me of the 2009 (or is it the 2010?), the 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte sports a dense purple hue to go with incredible aromatics of blackberries, blueberries, scorched earth, wood smoke, and acacia flowers. One of the most concentrated, rich, and sexy wines in the vintage, this massive and extraordinarily opulent 2020 shows the vintage's pure, elegant profile yet backs it up with sensational levels of fruit and texture. Based on 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it already offers pleasure given its wealth of fruit, but it deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40-50 years. Not enough can be said about the quality of these wines. Bravo to Florence and Daniel Cathiard, as well as to director Fabien Teitgen, for another incredible achievement.
VM 97 (2/2023): The 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte is every bit as captivating as it was from barrel. Ample, rich and explosive, the 2020 offers up an exciting mélange of dark fruit, chocolate, spice, gravel, leather and dried herbs, with a touch of new oak that adds raciness. This towering, vertical Smith Haut-Lafitte won't be ready to drink for a number of years, but it is super impressive. Even with all of its intensity, the 2020 retains terrific freshness and energy. Antonio Galloni.
WS 95 (3/2023): Exotic and lush in feel, with well-steeped plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors rolling through, scored with hints of espresso crema, dark tobacco and black licorice along the way. Very polished in feel, but with a late flicker of savory and a subtle tug of earth to keep this honest in the end. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2037. 10,000 cases made, 2,400 cases imported.
JS 99-100 (4/2021): So much blackcurrant, graphite and iodine character. Full-bodied. Incredible quality to the tannins. They are polished yet powerful. It’s so long and complete with such depth and toned muscles. Vertical. Very fresh and energetic. Will it be better than the famous 2015? Maybe the best ever. From organically grown grapes. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
WA 98-100 (5/2021): A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aging in 60% new barriques, the very deep purple-black colored 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte makes an impactful entrance, opening with flamboyant notes of blackcurrant pastilles, chocolate-covered cherries and molten licorice, leading to nuances of ground cloves, woodsmoke, crushed rocks and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit preserves and shimmering mineral sparks, framed by exquisitely ripe and fantastically firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epically long-lasting earthy and savory layers. This is the singular voice of Smith Haut Lafitte at its finest, and wow-oh-wow is it worth a listen. This 2020 has an alcohol of 14.5% with a pH of 3.65. The tannins this year were a little higher than 2018 and 2019. A little less than a third of production went into this grand vin. |
|
| | Bordeaux White |
| Ch. d' Yquem |
2001 |
Sauternes (1.5 L) ex-Negociant |
$1,550 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (9/2021): Just weeks after tasting the 2001 Château d’Yquem at the estate, another bottle was served at a lunch in London and it was perfection. The aromatics are practically identical and likewise the palate, but this bottle, which had been decanted, displays a scintilla more tension, perhaps more "vibrancy" that so effortlessly counterbalances the richness. Irrespective of points, it is simply one of the most magnificent wines of any kind that can pass your lips. Neal Martin.
WA 100 (8/2019): I have had the very good fortune to taste the 2001 d'Yquem perhaps a dozen times since its release and have never been less than absolutely floored by its combination of poise, purity, precision and layer upon intricate, jaw-dropping layer of flavor nuances. It is among a very small clutch of incredible wines that crash through the 100-point ceiling and rocket beyond the stratosphere! A testament to that magic that can be created when an uncommonly great vintage for Sauternes brings out the best of an extraordinary vineyard and is skillfully, sensitively crafted, the 2001 is a true wine rarity that must be tried to be believed.
WS 100 (11/2005): (WS #10 wine of 2005) The greatest young Yquem I have ever tasted from bottle. Yellow, with a golden hue and an almost green tint. Intense aromas of botrytis, spices and blanched almonds follow through to honey, maple syrup, dried apricot and pineapple. Full-bodied, sweet, thick and powerful, with layers of fruit and a bright, lively finish. Coats the palate yet remains exciting. So balanced and refined, showing the pedigree that only this Sauternes estate can deliver. Best after 2012. 10,000 cases made. |
|
| | Italy |
| Piero Antinori |
2021 |
Solaia Ex-Negociant |
$350 |
3 |
|
| |
VM 100 (7/2024): Antinori's 2021 Solaia is another wine that captures all of the potential I sensed when I tasted it some months ago. More than anything else, the 2021 is a fine example of the style Antinori favors these days, an approach that favors finesse more than opulence. Dark plum, mocha, licorice, chocolate, spice, lavender and menthol build effortlessly in the glass. Oak and tannin are impeccably balanced. The 2021 spent 18 months in wood, three months in once-used barrels during the malolactic fermentation and then 15 months in 100% new barrels for the rest of its aging. Antonio Galloni.
WA 97 (3/2024): All said and done, the Marchesi Antinori 2021 Solaia is a monument to perfect winemaking. This coiffed supermodel does not show a single hair follicle out of place. However, it doesn't quite have the same sex appeal of the Tignanello. In my conversations with Estate Manager Renzo Cotarella during this tasting, it was expressed this way: "Tignanello is unexpected. Solaia is expected." Whereas Tignanello is a wine of vertical lift and energy, Solaia is a wine of lasting power. The wine offers generous depth and layering with soft tannins and some of the spicy pink peppercorn you get from the 9% Cabernet Franc (added to 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Sangiovese). The finish is extremely velvety and soft, but I notice that the flavors seem to become sweeter and riper the longer this wine stays in the glass. This newest release will hit the market in September. |
|
| | USA Red |
| Abreu |
2010 |
Howell Mountain Proprietary Blend |
$349 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (11/2013): The 2010 Howell Mountain is simply magnificent. Inky, deep, and full-bodied to the core, the 2010 blasts out of the glass with graphite, pencil shavings, menthol, melted road tar, plum, cassis and licorice notes. The 2010 is an exciting, viscerally thrilling wine that takes hold of the sense and never lets up. Today, it is firing on all cylidners. The Howell Mountain is the only Abreu wine that incorporates Malbec, a variety that seems to work magic here. The 2010 is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 5% Merlot.
WA 94-97 (10/2013): An absolute blockbuster, the 2010 Howell Mountain includes Malbec and Petit Verdot blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a sumptuous perfume of barbecue smoke, lead pencil shavings and wet rocks. This ripe, smoky, intense, full-bodied wine reveals a boatload of tannins, but also richer fruit and a deeper, multidimensional mouthfeel and finish than the 2009, which appears to be more broodingly backward and structured. This appears to be a great success. Consume it over the next 25-30 years. |
|
|
2013 |
Thorevilos Proprietary Blend Bin-Soiled Label |
$739 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (5/2024): The 2013 Thorevilos is a wild, exotic wine. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, pencil shavings, cloves, licorice and dark chocolate all run through this potent, deep red. Young and vibrant, as all the 2013s are here, the Thorevilos possesses tremendous energy from start to finish. A whole range of savory and floral notes linger on the huge, tannic finish. This is sculpted and delicious, but it still needs time. Antonio Galloni.
WA 100 (10/2016): Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2013 defines what Thorevilos is all about, with copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries, truffles, violets, crushed rock, forest floor notes and oodles of glycerin in its full-bodied, incredibly pure and amazing texture and length. It is a spectacular wine, with the cascade of fruit hiding what must be some considerable tannic clout. It’s not showing through just yet, but I suspect it will come as the wine closes down in bottle once it gets into a cold cellar. This is simply other-worldly and a tribute to all things Napa, California, and in a way, America. Drink it over the next 50+ years. |
|
|
2013 |
Thorevilos Proprietary Blend Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$739 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (5/2024): The 2013 Thorevilos is a wild, exotic wine. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, pencil shavings, cloves, licorice and dark chocolate all run through this potent, deep red. Young and vibrant, as all the 2013s are here, the Thorevilos possesses tremendous energy from start to finish. A whole range of savory and floral notes linger on the huge, tannic finish. This is sculpted and delicious, but it still needs time. Antonio Galloni.
WA 100 (10/2016): Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2013 defines what Thorevilos is all about, with copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries, truffles, violets, crushed rock, forest floor notes and oodles of glycerin in its full-bodied, incredibly pure and amazing texture and length. It is a spectacular wine, with the cascade of fruit hiding what must be some considerable tannic clout. It’s not showing through just yet, but I suspect it will come as the wine closes down in bottle once it gets into a cold cellar. This is simply other-worldly and a tribute to all things Napa, California, and in a way, America. Drink it over the next 50+ years. |
|
| Bella Oaks |
2021 |
Proprietary Red |
$275 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Proprietary Red Wine is exquisite. A wine of exceptional balance and class, it hits all the right notes. Specifically, the 2021 shows the finesse of the year, but it also possesses an extra kick of mid-palate resonance that sets it apart from so many other wines in this vintage and places it among the most elite wines of the year. A dollop (5%) of fruit from Ecotone rounds out the blend. Tasted two times. (Drink between 2028-2041). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98+ (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon can perhaps be thought of as a mix of the 2018 and 2019 or a more concentrated 2018. Cassis, darker currants, graphite, crushed stone, and hints of violets all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a concentrated, deep, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and outstanding length. This tiny site in Rutherford has again delivered a world-class wine that I think will surpass the 2018, and probably merit a perfect rating at maturity. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and it will evolve for at least two decades. Bravo! (Drink between 2027-2047).
WA 98 (4/2024): The final blend of the Bella Oaks 2021 Proprietary Red Wine ended up at 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. With a compelling nose of dusty earth, dried spices and mixed red and black cherries, this full-bodied wine boasts an elegant texture somewhere between silk and velvet with a gentle wash of silky tannins on the long, mouthwatering finish. |
|
| Bevan Cellars |
2018 |
Dr. Crane Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$360 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): I always seem to compare great wines from this site with Haut-Brion, and I think the comparison holds here, although it’s a Haut-Brion on steroids! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard reveals a dense purple color as well as a powerful nose of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, earth, coffee beans, and gravelly earth. All of these carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied and has a deep, layered mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. Hats off to the talented Russell Bevans for another brilliant, singular wine that’s going to keep for 20-25 years. (Drink between 2021-2046.)
WA 100 (2/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard was aged for 19 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of redcurrant jelly, Black Forest cake, blackcurrant pastilles and rose oil with suggestions of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and tilled soil plus a waft of fragrant earth. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated with firm, exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, it delivers an incredible mineral and perfumed red fruit firework display finish. Fans of Dr. Crane are going to LOVE this expression, masterfully crafted by Russell Bevan—an absolute must-try! |
|
| Bond Estates (Harlan) |
2015 |
St. Eden Proprietary Blend |
$569 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2019): Moving to the 2015s tasted from bottle, this is an incredible vintage for this estate and there are two perfect wines in the lineup. First up, the 2015 St. Eden, from a hillside of red volcanic soils near Oakville, boasts a saturated purple color and heavenly notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and huge crushed rock-like minerality. It’s full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, with incredible concentration, yet it stays seamless, pure, and perfectly balanced. It’s a magical wine to drink over the coming 2-3 decades. (Drink between 2019-2049).
WA 99 (10/2018): Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 St. Eden springs from the glass with exuberant blueberry pie, potpourri and spice cake scents followed by a black raspberry, cassis and preserved plums core plus a touch of wild sage. Full-bodied, plush and decadently fruited, it completely packs the palate with layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, finishing very long with those spices coming through.
VM 96 (12/2018): The 2015 St. Eden is another wine in this lineup that is not quite as expressive as it can be. Firm tannins dominate over softer contours that so often make St. Eden such an alluring wine. Time in the glass brings out an attractive set of dark cherry, plum, leather and tobacco notes. Even so, the 2015 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. (Drink between 2022-2032). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Cirq |
2019 |
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (1.5 L) |
$359 |
2 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (7/2023): The 2019 Pinot Noir is a jeweled ruby hue and has layered aromas of pristine cherry, cardamom, rose petal, and sweet herbs. It has incredible clarity and focus, with and a silky texture in its notes of raspberry liqueur and violets, and somehow seems to have more depth after the wine is gone. It offers fantastic balance and a sunny feel, with great refinement that lasts for ages. This wine is outstanding. Drink 2023-2032.From winemaker Michael Browne, also of CHEV and co-founder of Kosta Browne, CIRQ only produces a single Pinot Noir wine from their home in the Russian River Valley. |
|
| Colgin |
2010 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend Bin-Soiled Label |
$509 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (10/2013): The 2010 Proprietary Red Cariad reveals great intensity along with abundant notes of unsmoked tobacco leaf interwoven with blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit, charcoal and coffee bean nuances as well as a Pauillac-like lead pencil shaving character. This blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 14% Cabernet Franc is one of the finest wines I tasted over the 12 days I spent tasting in Napa Valley in late August and early September. This remarkable 2010 should drink beautifully for 20 or more years.
VM 97 (12/2012): The 2010 Red Wine Cariad is incredibly shut down at this stage. Dark raspberries, flowers, mint and tar emerge over time, but the Cariad remains quite a bit tighter and more introspective than the other wines in this lineup. At the same time, there is a level of purity in the fruit that is striking. This is the tightest of the estate's 2010s. Accordingly, it will require a few years to open up. This is the lowest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever used in Cariad.
VM 95+ (6/2013): (a blend of 48% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, 14% petit verdot and 10% cabernet franc): Saturated, bright ruby-red. Deeper and darker on the nose than the Tychson Hill cabernet, offering vibrant scents of blackcurrant, graphite minerality and bitter chocolate. At once round and delineated in the mouth, with dark berry and mineral flavors displaying Outstanding depth without excess weight. With its very firm tannic structure, this typically Medoc-like wine will need a good eight to ten years to evolve in bottle and may ultimately merit an even higher rating. These vines in Madrona Vineyard in St. Helena were planted on an alluvial fan in the 1980s.
JS 95 (5/2014): Lots of ripe fruit, chocolate and iron. Full body, with loads of velvety tannins and a round and rich palate. It is round and mouthfilling yet fresh and beautiful. Delicious already but will improve with age
WS 92 (10/2013): Notable for its charcoal and graphite woodiness, along with its edgy entry into the core of dark berry fruit. Keeps you at arm's length, with the flavors both concentrated and nuanced. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2024. 550 cases made. |
|
|
2018 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend |
$425 |
5 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2022): What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2048)
WA 98 (3/2024): One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish. |
|
|
2018 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$1,050 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2022): What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2048)
WA 98 (3/2024): One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish. |
|
|
2021 |
Tychson Hill Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$590 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (3/2024): Supremely rich and concentrated, Colgin's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard nevertheless remains vibrant and energetic. Hints of bay leaf perk up scents of dark chocolate and black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied, plushly textured palate glides easily into a prolonged finish redolent of loamy earth and red raspberries. Like so many of the world's greatest wines, it's a series of seeming paradoxes—in this case, ripeness and freshness, fruit and earth, density and vibrancy—that complement each other and emerge as an elegant, harmonious whole. |
|
| Fairchild Estate |
2016 |
Stones No. 3 Tench Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$586.95 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2019): This full-bodied, remarkably pure, seamless Napa Cabernet comes from the Tench Vineyard outside St. Helena and reveals a saturated purple color as well as sensational notes of blueberries, currants, camphor, scorched earth, and hints of lavender and violets. Deep, layered, still tight and backward, yet with incredible purity and focus, it’s a monumental beauty that’s going to benefit from at least 4-5 years of bottle age and cruise for 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Philippe Melka and the team at Fairchild Wines for this incredible wine.
VM 97 (12/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 3 is another superb wine from Larry Fairchild. Dense, powerful and explosive, with tremendous depth, the 2016 captures all the magic of this Oakville site. Black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol infuse this sumptuous, extravagantly rich Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet, ripe tannins add to the wine's considerable immediacy and sheer appeal. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Harlan Estate |
2015 |
Proprietary Blend |
$1,295 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2019): The 2015 Harlan Estate is a beast of a wine that shows the sexy, opulent style of the vintage married to the classic structure and depth of this estate. A downright smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed rocks, graphite, smoky camphor, cured meats, and dried tobacco aromas all emerge from the glass, and it shows the deep, concentrated style of the vintage yet still has awesome complexity and nuances. Deep, powerful, and structured, yet opulent and incredibly sexy on the palate, it reminds me of the 2002. A brilliant wine from this estate, it's already approachable given its wealth of fruit yet has the tannic backbone and density to keep for 3-4 decades or more.
WA 100 (10/2018): Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Harlan Estate is a little closed, slowly unfurling to reveal black cherries, crème de cassis and plum pudding with nuances of potpourri, baking spices and tilled soil plus wafts of garrigue and wild sage. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated with exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic poise and depth with a long, decadently fruited finish.
WS 97 (10/2019): A huge red, with powerfully rendered dark fig, macerated black currant and steeped boysenberry fruit framed by a bittersweet chocolate note. With time in the glass, the fruit unwinds slowly, allowing anise and loam accents to fill in on the fleshy finish. There's some serious heft here through the back end too, with a long echo of smoldering tobacco and a great tug of dark earth. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,839 cases made.
VM 97 (12/2018): The 2015 Harlan Estate has developed into an arrestingly beautiful wine. Racy and sumptuous, the 2015 is already quite showy, with tons of dark cherry, plum, mocha, espresso, licorice, spice and tobacco character. Today, the 2015 comes across as a bit brooding and hard to read, although some of the rougher edges in the tannins I saw last year have softened. Even so, I would prefer to cellar 2015 for at least a few years. There is so much to look forward to. Antonio Galloni.
JS 99 (12/2018): Incredible aromas of fresh flowers, such as roses and violets, and blackcurrants. Full body and defined levels of fruit and tannins too. Love the brightness and texture. An excellent finish. Production was down by a third because of bad berry set. Try in 2021. |
|
| Hors Categorie Vineyards |
2015 |
Walla Walla Valley Syrah |
$325 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2018): The 2015 Syrah from Hors Catégorie is spectacular, bursting from the glass with a stunning bouquet of smoked charcuterie, blackberries, licorice, dried violets and rich forest floor. Structured around beautifully velvety tannins on the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered and immensely concentrated, yet it manages to remain weightless. While there's plenty of fruit here, it's this Syrah's mouthwateringly savory qualities that define the protracted, penetrating finish and make the wine so exciting. Cropped at a mere 0.8 tons per acre from a steep hillside vineyard that's trained on stakes à la Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie, this was matured in neutral oak, with the exception of one second-fill puncheon that was eliminated after the first racking, demonstrating that when it comes to new oak and Syrah, less is emphatically more. Having seen this vineyard and tasted this wine, any skepticism that its eye-watering price might elicit is immediately dispelled.
JD 97+ (4/2018): From Christophe Baron and the team at Cayuse, the 2015 Syrah is only the second vintage from this steep, rocky vineyard located south of the town of Milton-Freewater, in the North Fork of the Walla Walla River. Despite coming from a different terroir than the Rocks region, it certainly has some classic gaminess that’s common from that region. Blackcurrants, bloody meats, ground pepper, lavender, and exotic spices all emerge from the glass, and it needs lots of air time to show at its best. Deep, full-bodied, and seamless, with sweet tannin, it’s a singular Syrah that needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will knock your socks off over the following 10-15 years. (Drink between 2022-2032).
VM 95 (11/2018): Bright medium red. Hints of roasted fruits, smoked meat, bacon fat and brown spices on the nose, plus a note of cold ash. Then wonderfully savory and energetic on the palate, conveying an uncanny light touch to its dense flavors of red berries, charred meat, spices and salty minerality. Like a fruit syrup in its mouthfeel but not at all outsized or heavy. Finishes with building tannins that saturate the tongue. This is hard to scrape off the palate. If the extraordinary 2014 bottling was Hermitage-like, this one is more akin to a Côte-Rôtie from the Côte Brune. (Christophe Baron's vineyard in the Blue Mountains is on a very steep slope at about 1,400 feet.) (13.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2021-2030). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Hundred Acre |
2005 |
Precious Cabernet Sauvignon |
$575 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96-100 (12/2007): Made from his vineyards and harvested grape by grape rather than bunch by bunch, the 2005 Precious borders on perfection. A wine of great depth, symmetry, layered complexity, and opulence, the wine boasts stunning concentration, richness, and length. It is similar to the 2005 Kayli Morgan.
VM 94 (6/2009): (15.5% alcohol; this was made from press wine from Kayli Morgan vineyard, bottled after a full three years in barrel) Good deep red. Deeper, oakier aromas of musky redcurrant, licorice and graphite. Bigger and even lusher than the regular 2005 Kayli Morgan, but with a more exotic character and less energy. Somehow, this mellow, polished wine avoids coming off as heavy. Finishes with fairly serious tannins and suggestions of dried fruits. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Kinsman Eades |
2021 |
Kaannos Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon |
$525 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (12/2023): Coming from the northern end of Vine Hill Ranch, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaannos is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon raised in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty offers a heavenly perfume of darker, almost blue fruits as well as leafy herbs, flowers, spice cabinet, camphor, and chocolate. I love its complexity on the nose, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a remarkable sense of refinement and elegance, fine yet building tannins, and an incredible finish. This magical, majestic, absolutely jaw-droppingly good Cabernet Sauvignon is a legend in the making. Hide bottles for 5-7 years if you can, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30-40 years. (Drink between 2028-2063).
VM 99 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kannos Vine Hill Ranch, 100% Clone 4, is rich, expansive and broad. Dark cherry, mocha, spice, leather and tobacco all wrap around the palate in a positively stunning Cabernet. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of earthy, floral and savory notes that add character. This fruit once went to one of the most pedigreed wineries in Napa Valley. This is extremely elegant, and the purity here is just unbelievable. (Drink between 2027-2041). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95+ (7/2024): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Käännös is composed of Clone 4 from Vine Hill Ranch. Notes of ripe cherries and dried herbs dominate the complex, elegant nose, while the full-bodied wine flows easily across the mid-palate in gentle, rich waves of flavor, finishing long, velvety and tannic. |
|
|
2021 |
Kodo Cabernet Sauvignon |
$475 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kodo emerges from one of the top sites in southern Oakville—a site I consider as elite as it gets, but that can't be named for the time being. A sensational wine, the 2021 saturates the palate with dense dark fruit, spice, leather and tobacco. But, it’s the textural richness, resonance and persistence that impress most. This is a truly unforgettable wine. I would be thrilled to own it. (Drink between 2027-2041). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95+ (7/2024): Sourced from the M-Bar Ranch (western Oakville, across Hopper Creek from Vine Hill Ranch), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kodo offers up dusty earth notes, mixed red and black cherries, some cassis notes and a hint of dried herbs. It's full-bodied, ripe and rich without being heavy, and it's bright on the long, softly tannic finish. Is there just a touch of alcoholic warmth evident? |
|
| Lail Vineyards |
2018 |
J Daniel Cuvee Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$450.45 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (1/2021): Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 75% new. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with seductive notes of crème de cassis, blueberry preserves and Black Forest cake, followed by suggestions of espresso, yeast extract, black truffles and charcoal plus a fragrant waft of violets. Full-bodied, rich and opulently fruited in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, earthy nuances and savory sparks, framed by firm, finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and fragrant. 1,290 cases were made.
JD 100 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee comes from a mix of terroirs (Howell Mountain, Stags Leap, Oakville, Calistoga) and is brought up in 75% new French oak. Heavenly notes of red and black currants, dried tobacco, sandalwood, flowers, and spice give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, yet weightless texture that carries awesome tannins, no hard edges, and just flawless balance. This majestic, regal wine is going to drink brilliantly for 25 years or more.
VM 96 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée is quite restrained in this vintage. Silky and medium in body, with lovely red berry fruit character, the 2018 has a lot to offer. I would cellar it for a few years, as the tannins are pretty clamped down today. As always, the J. Daniel Cuvée is a blend taken from a handful of top sites in Napa Valley. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Next of Kyn |
2017 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 11 Proprietary Blend |
$275 |
5 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (8/2020): Pure perfection, the 2017 No 11 comes all from the estate Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View and is 48% Syrah, 24.8% Grenache, 12.7% Mourvèdre, 10.6% Petite Sirah, and the balance a mix of white varieties including Petit Manseng and Roussanne. Fermented with 23% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 68% new French oak, this incredible 2017 boasts a saturated purple hue to go with full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, bouquet garni, ground pepper, white chocolate, and cured meats. Incredibly complex, flawlessly balanced, and with a seamless texture that needs to be tasted to be believed, this is a magical blend from California that can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 15-20 years. Hats off to the Krankl family for another truly special wine! |
|
|
2017 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 11 Proprietary Blend |
$449 |
8 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (8/2020): Pure perfection, the 2017 No 11 comes all from the estate Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View and is 48% Syrah, 24.8% Grenache, 12.7% Mourvèdre, 10.6% Petite Sirah, and the balance a mix of white varieties including Petit Manseng and Roussanne. Fermented with 23% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 68% new French oak, this incredible 2017 boasts a saturated purple hue to go with full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, bouquet garni, ground pepper, white chocolate, and cured meats. Incredibly complex, flawlessly balanced, and with a seamless texture that needs to be tasted to be believed, this is a magical blend from California that can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 15-20 years. Hats off to the Krankl family for another truly special wine! |
|
|
2017 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 11 Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$550 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (8/2020): Pure perfection, the 2017 No 11 comes all from the estate Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View and is 48% Syrah, 24.8% Grenache, 12.7% Mourvèdre, 10.6% Petite Sirah, and the balance a mix of white varieties including Petit Manseng and Roussanne. Fermented with 23% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 68% new French oak, this incredible 2017 boasts a saturated purple hue to go with full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, bouquet garni, ground pepper, white chocolate, and cured meats. Incredibly complex, flawlessly balanced, and with a seamless texture that needs to be tasted to be believed, this is a magical blend from California that can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 15-20 years. Hats off to the Krankl family for another truly special wine! |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend |
$295 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend |
$395 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$585 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Outpost |
2016 |
True Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$349 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 100 (7/2019): Coming from the nine-acre True Vineyard up on Howell Mountain and produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep purple-black colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard strides confidently out of the glass with incredible poise and pedigree: warm cassis, blackcurrant cordial, baker’s chocolate, licorice and truffles commingled with hints of underbrush, violets, woodsmoke and stewed plums plus a waft of fragrant earth. Full-bodied, concentrated and built like a brick house, it has wonderfully firm, ripe, grainy tannins with a fantastic line of seamless freshness and a powerful, multilayered expression of place coming through on the epically long finish. A decadent beauty right now, this is going to be even more mind-blowing in 15 to 20+ years, and it should go on for 40 or more.
JD 99 (1/2019): Another heavenly wine from this estate is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard, 100% varietal from three blocks in the vineyard that was aged in 80% new French oak. Possessing truly thrilling purity in its crème de cassis and blueberry fruits, white flowers, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and building yet fine, polished tannins. This beauty has real Howell Mountain character, a complex, nuanced, yet powerful style, and a finish that won’t quit. Get it if you can. (Drink between 2019-2044).
VM 96 (12/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard is one of the most complete wines I have ever tasted from Outpost. Medium in body almost shockingly refined for a young Howell Mountain Cabernet, the True Vineyard has so much to offer. In the glass, the True presents a stunning combination of intense plush fruit and vertical structure. I imagine the 2016 will be even better in a few years' time, but it is super-impressive and inviting even in the early going. (Drink between 2021-2031). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Realm |
2018 |
The Absurd Proprietary Blend |
$825 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): As always, the 2018 Absurd is a cellar selection of what the estate thinks is the absolute best they can do in the vintage, and in this reviewer’s opinion, they succeed brilliantly. (I’ve rated four of the five vintages I’ve tasted 100 points.) The 2018 reveals a dense purple/blue color to go with a monster bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth/burning embers, tobacco, lead pencil shavings, chocolate, and gravelly earth. I’ve often compared this wine to a great Pessac from Bordeaux given its incredible minerality and cold fireplace-like nuances, and the 2018 has these in spades. Concentrated, full-bodied, and built like a skyscraper, it builds beautifully with time in the glass and has incredible purity, silky, polished tannins, and a dense, layered mid-palate. As with the majority of Realm’s 2018s, the cellar is going to be your friend, since this needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age, but it will be incredibly long-lived. Hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette and the entire team at Realm for yet another magical, legendary wine.
WA 99 (10/2020): The 2018 The Absurd—the estate's über-blend of the best elements from the vintage—displays a deep garnet-purple color, offering alluring notes of baked plums, crème de cassis and boysenberries with suggestions of chocolate box, aniseed, iron ore and candied violets plus a perfumed hint of Indian spices. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in decadence, coating the mouth in black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, supported by velvety tannins and beautifully integrated freshness, finishing epically long and fragrant. |
|
| Ridge Vineyards |
2013 |
Monte Bello (375 ML) |
$189 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (5/2018): The 2013 Monte Bello is a very special vintage for this great wine. Amazingly, it has yet to shut down, unfurling in the glass to reveal a bouquet of black raspberries, cassis, rich espresso roast, cigar wrapper, subtle black truffle and burning embers that has already integrated its 100% new oak remarkably completely. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, powerful and multidimensional, with a lavishly textural attack that segues into a stunningly layered, richly structured mid-palate endowed with incredible depth and concentration underpinned by succulent acids. The finish is long, vibrant and beautifully delineated. The 2013 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, and it attained 13.6% natural alcohol. Analytically, this ranks as one of the most tannic vintages of Monte Bello ever produced, but the tannins are of such high quality and cloaked in such a wealth of fruit that Ridge forwent their habitual egg white fining this year—beginning a trend that has continued since. This profound Monte Bello will begin to blossom as it reaches age ten and should prove practically immortal.
JS 100 (7/2017): Amazing aromas of flowers, blackberry, black currant and spices. Purple fruits. Full body, very dense and rich. Yet it has the Monte Bello agile energy and verve. Tannic and so fresh. The Monte Bello magic is here. Great to taste but it needs five or six years to come together. Be patient. Try in 2023. An ageless wine for forever.
VM 98+ (7/2016): The 2013 Monte Bello is utterly spellbinding in its beauty. Finely sculpted and chiseled, with super-expressive aromatics and searing tannins, the 2013 is shaping up to be a modern-day classic. The 2013 is remarkably pure and vibrant for such a big wine. It will be years before the 2013 is close to being ready to drink. Even so, it is magnificent today. Where will the 2013 end up? The future seems limitless for now. Quite simply, the 2013 is a must-have wine. In 2013, Monte Bello is very heavy in Cabernet Sauvignon, partly because Merlot suffered in the drought-like conditions. The 2013 has already begun to shut down in bottle. Readers need to be in for the long haul. Antonio Galloni.
WS 95 (6/2019): This is slowly starting to unwind. The plush tannins pull a well of blackberry and plum fruit along, while smoldering toast and a latent mineral edge linger through the superlong finish. A rival to the 2016. Best from 2022 through 2042. 5,000 cases made. |
|
| Schrader |
2018 |
CCS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon Bin-Soiled Label |
$339 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (1/2021): Just pure gold, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from one of California's greatest terroirs, that was brought up in 100% new French oak. This dense purple-colored effort has a magical bouquet of pure crème de cassis, smoke tobacco, white flowers, crushed stone, truffle, and hints of chocolate. Possessing full-bodied richness, this beauty builds incrementally on the palate, showing lots of ripe, polished tannins, no hard edges, and a rare mix of power, structure, and elegance that's something to behold. Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, or red wine for that matter, just doesn't get any better. Hats off to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown for yet another majestic, singular wine that’s as good as it gets. |
|
|
2019 |
MMXIX "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,450 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (12/2021): A selection put together by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Old Sparky is one of the true gems in the vintage, as well as a perfect wine. Thrilling black fruits, crème de cassis, tobacco, tapenade, and iron notes all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied and has a similar purity to the CCS release, with ultra-fine tannins and one hell of an incredible finish. Napa Valley Cabernet, or red wine for that matter, doesn't get any better. Give bottles 2-4 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades or more. |
|
|
2016 |
MMXVI "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,375 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (10/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Sparky is very deep purple-black in color with a wonderfully pure nose of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry preserves and black cherry pie with nuances of dried bay leaves, dusty soil, garrigue and new leather plus touches of unsmoked cigars and pencil shavings. Full-bodied, concentrated and jam-packed with flavors, the palate is pure hedonism with a solid line of ripe tannins and great freshness, finishing very long. |
|
|
2018 |
MMXVIII "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,595 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (1/2021): There are few vintages of Old Sparky that don't merit a perfect rating, and the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Old Sparky isn't one of them. This flawless wine offers up a wild smorgasbord of aromas and flavors, with loads of crème de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, lead pencil, violets, blood orange, tobacco, and flowery incense all developing with time in the glass. Deep purple-hued and incredibly full-bodied, it has ripe, silky tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that won't quit. This magical wine stays weightless and elegant on the palate, never seeming heavy, cumbersome, or over the top, and it's a wine that just begs to be drunk yet will evolve for decades. Hats off to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown for yet another heavenly Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that could come from nowhere else in the world. Life is too short not to have experienced this cuvée! (Drink between 2021-2041) |
|
| Screaming Eagle |
1997 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$6,399 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (1/2000): It doesn't get any better than 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, a perfect wine. Representing the essence of cassis liqueur intermixed with blackberries, minerals, licorice, and toast, this full-bodied, multi-dimensional classic is fabulous, with extraordinary purity, symmetry, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. It has the overall equilibrium to evolve for nearly two decades, but it will be hard to resist upon release. Anticipated maturity: now-2020. |
|
|
2021 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$2,000 |
3 |
|
| |
VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most brooding, explosive young wines I have ever tasted here. The natural concentration of this drought vintage comes through loud and clear. Huge, youthful tannins reinforce the wine’s potent feel. Waves of graphite, leather, licorice, grilled herbs and lavender saturate the palate, perfectly playing off a core of intense dark fruit. I usually have no issue drinking these wines on the younger side, but the 2021 really does need time. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (2/2023): As with the Flight, I was able to taste through multiple barrels destined for the 2021 Screaming Eagle. Pure cassis and assorted dark fruits, some classic graphite and lead pencil notes, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality were present in all of the barrels, and this will be a medium to full-bodied, elegant expression of Screaming Eagle. I wouldn't expect too many fireworks right on release (although it will offer pleasure), but it should hit its stride about 7-8 years after release and have a long life. |
|
|
2021 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$2,400 |
2 |
|
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VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most brooding, explosive young wines I have ever tasted here. The natural concentration of this drought vintage comes through loud and clear. Huge, youthful tannins reinforce the wine’s potent feel. Waves of graphite, leather, licorice, grilled herbs and lavender saturate the palate, perfectly playing off a core of intense dark fruit. I usually have no issue drinking these wines on the younger side, but the 2021 really does need time. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (2/2023): As with the Flight, I was able to taste through multiple barrels destined for the 2021 Screaming Eagle. Pure cassis and assorted dark fruits, some classic graphite and lead pencil notes, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality were present in all of the barrels, and this will be a medium to full-bodied, elegant expression of Screaming Eagle. I wouldn't expect too many fireworks right on release (although it will offer pleasure), but it should hit its stride about 7-8 years after release and have a long life. |
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| Sine Qua Non |
2016 |
Dirt Vernacular Grenache Heavily Bin-Soiled Label |
$259 |
1 |
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JD 100 (10/2018): One of the finest Grenaches to ever pass my lips is the 2016 Grenache Dirt Vernacular and it’s 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvèdre, 7% Touriga Nacional, and the rest Petite Sirah. Reminding me of an old vine Grenache cuvee from the Maurel brothers in Châteauneuf du Pape, it boasts a huge nose of black raspberries, kirsch liqueur, graphite, ground herbs, and pepper. This is one of those wines that offers incredible intensity and depth, yet still just glides over the palate with no sense of heaviness whatsoever. Full-bodied, rich, layered, and pure, it’s a riveting example of Grenache that could come from nowhere else. Drink it any time over the coming 15+ years.
WA 96 (8/2018): The 2016 Grenache Dirt Vernacular wafts from the glass with heady aromas of kirsch, plums and Griotte cherries that mingle with nuances of sweet spice, rose petals and pepper. It saw 34% new oak (along with 53% used oak and 9% concrete), but it's hardly noticeable—much less so than in some of Sine Qua Non's debut Grenache bottlings. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and chewy, with tangy acids despite its considerable power and ripeness, with a deep, layered mid-palate and a long, lusty finish. It's an eclectic blend of 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvèdre, 7% Touriga Nacional and 2.5% Petite Sirah that was fermented with 43% whole cluster—whole cluster being largely reserved for the Grenache component. The blend is dominated by estate fruit, but some 9% came from the Krankl's blocks at Bien Nacido Vineyard that are farmed to their specifications. 1,208 cases and 600 magnums were produced.
VM 95-98 (9/2018): The 2016 Grenache No Name Yet is fabulous. Rich and voluptuous in the glass, with immense fruit intensity, the 2016 is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. The 43% whole clusters (mostly from the Grenache) are nearly buried by the vibrancy of the red and purplish berry fruit. Sweet, perfumed notes round out a super-expressive wine that hints at the superb potential of the 2016 vintage. The blend is 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvedre, 7% Touriga Nacional and 3.55 Petite Sirah. Antonio Galloni. |
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2004 |
Ode to E Grenache (1.5 L) |
$1,199 |
1 |
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WA 100 (6/2014): Leading off with the Grenache-driven efforts, and easily the greatest expression of the variety I’ve ever tasted from California, the 2004 Ode to E (Grenache) is mind-blowing stuff that will stand toe-to-toe with the greatest Grenache-based wines ever made. Coming from Manfred’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard and comprised of 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier, it sports a still vibrant purple color to go with off-the-hook aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, melted licorice, graphite, smoked herbs and assorted meaty nuances. Full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with incredible purity and a perfect texture, it can be consumed anytime over the coming decade.
VM 97 (8/2015): The 2004 Grenache Ode to E is absolutely stellar. There's not too much more to say. Still young, fresh and vibrant, the 2004 is incredibly impressive. Exotic spice, rose petals, raspberry jam all open up in an effortless, nuanced wine bursting at the seams with personality. Exquisitely nuanced and balanced, the 2004 is a gem. Readers who own the 2004 should be thrilled; as it is a magnificent wine by any measure. My favorite age to drink Sine Qua Non wines is around ten years. The Ode to E Grenache delivers the goods, and then some. The blend is 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier, all from Eleven Confessions. Antonio Galloni. |
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2014 |
Piranha Waterdance Syrah |
$329 |
1 |
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WA 100 (9/2017): Blended of 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and 1% Graciano, sourced from 34% The Third Twin, 35% Eleven Confessions and 31% Cumulus (all estate vineyards), the provocative, inky purple colored 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance was made using 26% whole cluster and hits the scent scene with exuberant, pure crème de cassis, blackberry cordial and blueberry coulis notes with hints of espresso, licorice, garrigue and menthol, plus a gorgeous underlying perfume of red roses. The full-bodied palate is oh-so-elegant and pretty, revealing very finely pixelated tannins that beautifully frame the almost electric intensity, culminating in an epically long, licorice and chocolate-laced finish. Too stunning for mere words and rude to even try-just drink it. 1,839 cases and 600 magnums were produced.
VM 95-97 (9/2016): A striking, vibrant wine, the 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance is beautifully focused and energetic from start to finish. Plum, blueberry, lavender, mint, violet and sweet spices all take shape in the glass. This is an especially nuanced, sculpted Syrah long on class and personality. There is so much to like here. The 2014 is 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and % Graciano, done with 26% whole clusters, all from Sine Qua Non's estate vineyards: 35% Eleven Confessions, 34% Third Twin and 31% Cumulus. Antonio Galloni.
WS 94 (9/2017): Rich, ripe and powerfully built, with deep and expressive smoky beef, cracked pepper and currant flavors that charge like a bull toward big but polished tannins. Best from 2019 through 2025. 1,800 cases made. |
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| The Third Twin (Sine Qua Non) |
2021 |
Third Twin Vyd. Graciano |
$275 |
1 |
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| VM 100 (8/2024): What a wine. Vibrant and dense, with stunning balance, the 2021 is spectacularly vivid from start to finish. All the elements are so harmonious. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, pomegranate, spice, blood orange and leather saturate the palate while salivating acids extend the finish. I have tasted many magnificent wines with Elaine and Mnafred Krankl over the years- their 2021 Graciano is, without question, one of the most memorable. The blend is 87% Graciano, 10% Syrah, 3% Viognier, done with 48% stems and aged for around 33 months in French oak (36% new). Don't miss it! Drink between 2025-2036. Antonio Galloni. |
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2021 |
Third Twin Vyd. Graciano |
$309 |
2 |
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| VM 100 (8/2024): What a wine. Vibrant and dense, with stunning balance, the 2021 is spectacularly vivid from start to finish. All the elements are so harmonious. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, pomegranate, spice, blood orange and leather saturate the palate while salivating acids extend the finish. I have tasted many magnificent wines with Elaine and Mnafred Krankl over the years- their 2021 Graciano is, without question, one of the most memorable. The blend is 87% Graciano, 10% Syrah, 3% Viognier, done with 48% stems and aged for around 33 months in French oak (36% new). Don't miss it! Drink between 2025-2036. Antonio Galloni. |
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| Verite |
2014 |
La Muse Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$632.45 |
2 |
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WA 100 (8/2016): The 2014 La Muse (2,800 cases ) is a legendary effort. The wine offers an opaque purple color and a gorgeous nose of lead pencil shavings, blackberry, incense, Asian spice, cocoa, plum, and a touch of chocolate and barrique. On the palate, more cassis and blackberry come to the forefront. The wine is unctuous, with adequate acidity and a stunning energy underneath the massive fruit and body. This is a spectacularly fragrant and, at the same time, dense wine, with enough structure (somewhat surprising in this vintage) to last 35-45+ years. The final blend was 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.
JD 97+ (12/2017): A gorgeous effort as well, the 2014 La Muse is a Merlot-dominated cuvee blended with 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. This deep ruby/purple-colored beauty boasts a terrific perfume of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, chocolate, and a beautiful earthy minerality. This isn’t your over the top, opulent Merlot and shows incredible class and purity, as well as full-bodied richness, high, yet integrated tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish. It’s not anywhere close to primetime (which is rare for a 2014) and needs 4-5 years at a minimum. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived.
VM 96 (3/2017): A huge, opulent wine, the 2014 La Muse wraps around the palate with tons of super-ripe dark red fruit, chocolate, spice and menthol. La Muse often shuts down after bottling, but the 2014 is still remarkably intense and voluptuous, with soft contours, silky tannins and exceptional balance. The purity of the flavors here is remarkable. Antonio Galloni. |
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| Vine Hill Ranch |
2016 |
VHR Cabernet Sauvignon |
$319 |
1 |
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VM 100 (12/2018): Vine Hill Ranch's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is flat-out epic. Look for the 2016 VHR to be one of the benchmark wines of this great Napa Valley vintage. A year ago, the 2016 was powerful and dramatic. Today, the 2016 is super-polished and regal in bearing. Vertical and deep, with tremendous complexity, the 2016 has so much to offer. A rush of black cherry, plum, menthol, licorice, sage, dark spice and earthy notes build as this statuesque Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its magnificent pedigree. The 2016 is a monumental, towering wine. That's all there is to it. Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (3/2019): Sporting a saturated purple color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR is a total blockbuster that spent 21 months in French oak. It knocks it out of the park with its Pauillac-like bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, lead pencil shavings, and cedarwood. Hitting the palate with a massive texture and full body, it’s a powerful, full throttle effort that has remarkable balance, ripe tannins, and an opulent, sexy texture that’s a joy to drink. Despite its flamboyant style, it’s perfectly balanced and is a sensational wine. Feel free to drink it any time over the coming 20-25 years. Bravo! |
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| | USA White |
| Aubert |
2023 |
Lauren Sonoma Coast Chardonnay |
$239 |
7 |
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| VM 97-100 (12/2024): The 2023 Chardonnay Lauren is the quintessential Mark Aubert wine. Rich, layered and wonderfully dynamic in the glass, the 2023 is another super-complete wine. The Lauren is marked by strong mineral, earthy and savory notes that require bottle age to be at their most expressive. (Drink between 2026-2035). Antonio Galloni. |
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| | Australia |
| Torbreck |
2005 |
The Laird Shiraz (1.5 L) Lightly Scuffed Label |
$1,800 |
3 |
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| WA 100 (12/2010): The Laird is Powell’s new baby, coming from a single 5 acre / 2 hectare vineyard of Shiraz in the Marananga sub-region planted in the 1960s that recently became available for contracting. This is a very different wine from Run Rig. What is most striking about it is the combination of power and elegance in this first vintage, coming from a very good year in the Barossa. Matured for 3 years in new Dominique Laurent “Magic Casks” (Troncais French oak barriques with thicker staves designed for the long aging of Shiraz), 2005 The Laird gives a deep garnet color and pronounced nose that shows savory and spice notes over the fruit, with aromas of hung meat, Peking duck, fertile loam, underbrush, tree bark, anise, cumin seed, menthol, dried roses and lavender over warm black cherries, crush blackberries and fruit cake. The tight-knit, full-bodied palate is very fine with a high level of silt-like tannins and crisp acid running through the concentrated fruit and savory flavors, finishing very long with lingering earth and spice notes. At 14.8% declared alcohol, this is by no means one of the biggest wines in the Barossa, but it is most certainly one of the best. It’s an absolute joy to drink now but it is recommended readers give it 4-5 years more in bottle to soften and marry and enjoy it to 2030+. |
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| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Lynch Bages |
2019 |
Pauillac |
$129 |
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JD 100 (4/2022): The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is stunningly good, and it's going to be interesting to compare this to the 2018 over the coming decades. Based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of pure crème de cassis, freshly sharpened cedar pencil, spring flowers, smoke, and graphite, with an almost liqueur of rocks-like minerality. A massive, incredibly concentrated Lynch-Bages, Jean-Charles has hit a home run in the vintage, and this sensational wine has building, perfect tannins, insane purity, and a finish that won't quit. It has the purity, finesse, balance, and depth to offer pleasure not only today but to evolve for 40 to 50 years. Smart money will hide these for a good 7-8 years, but wow, what a wine. Bravo. (Drink between 2029-2072).
VM 97 (2/2023): The 2019 Lynch-Bages has an outgoing bouquet, the new oak not as well integrated as its peers at the moment, more inchoate by comparison. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite saline with black pepper, controlled and focused towards the classy finish. It oozes sophistication and feels extraordinarily long. Wondrous. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. (Drink between 2026-2055). Neal Martin.
WA 96+ (4/2022): A true classic from this estate, the 2019 Lynch-Bages has turned out brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and sweet blackberry fruit mingled with licorice, mint, cigar wrapper and loamy soil. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it's a deep, multidimensional wine built around a chassis of rich, powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids. The last vintage produced in Lynch-Bages old winery, it will be interesting to compare this benchmark wine with subsequent vintages over the coming years. |
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| Ch. Margaux |
2010 |
Margaux |
$799 |
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