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Inventory updated: Tue, Aug 18, 2026 04:02 PM cst
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| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | USA Red |
| Arrowood Vineyards |
2002 |
Reserve Speciale Cabernet Sauvignon  |
$109 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (6/2012): Made from the estate’s finest fruit and aged 23 or more months in a combination of French and American oak, it comes from multiple sources in Sonoma, including the Monte Rosso Vineyard (now owned by Gallo). A wine of great stature and richness, it boasts an inky/ruby/purple color along with a stunning bouquet of loamy, dusty soil, lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, kirsch liqueur, licorice and barrique smells. Full-bodied and opulent, with some tannin still to be shed, it is a classic, All-American style of northern California Cabernet Sauvignon that is approaching middle adolescence. It has another 20-25 years of life left. Bravo! |
|
|
2008 |
Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$25 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 90 (6/2012): (raised in a mix of French and American oak): Deep ruby. Ripe cherry, cassis, tobacco and vanilla on the nose, with a subtle herbal undertone. Fleshy dark fruit flavors are supported by gentle acidity, taking on spiciness with aeration. Finishes sweet and persistent, with the dark berry and tobacco qualities lingering. This nicely balanced cabernet is approachable now. Josh Raynolds. |
|
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | USA Red |
| 21 Grams |
2008 |
Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$75 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Abreu |
2008 |
Thorevilos Red Wine |
$395 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98 (12/2011): As Outstanding as all the Abreu wines are, if I had to choose one that stands apart from the others it would be Thorevilos. The 2008 Thorevilos is the most complete and deeply satisfying of Abreu’s 2008s because the balance of fruit and structure is so impeccable. The 2008 literally explodes onto the palate with masses of dark fruit, tar, licorice and smoke. There is a fleshiness and depth of the fruit here that separates the Thorevilos from the other 2008s. Layers of fruit build towards the massive, masculine finish. In 2008 Thorevilos is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 15% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038.
VM 96-98 (12/2011): As Outstanding as all the Abreu wines are, if I had to choose one that stands apart from the others it would be Thorevilos. The 2008 Thorevilos is the most complete and deeply satisfying of Abreu's 2008s because the balance of fruit and structure is so impeccable. The 2008 literally explodes onto the palate with masses of dark fruit, tar, licorice and smoke. There is a fleshiness and depth of the fruit here that separates the Thorevilos from the other 2008s. Layers of fruit build towards the massive, masculine finish. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Alban Vineyards |
2008 |
Alban Estate Grenache |
$105 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (8/2012): The 2008 Grenache presents an inward yet expressive core of dark red fruit, flowers and Provencal herbs. There is a gorgeous fleshiness in the glass, but the wine needs time to soften and open up. Today, the 2008 shows quite a bit of promise. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. |
|
|
2008 |
Pandora Proprietary Blend |
$140 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95 (8/2012): Layers of silky, polished fruit flow across the palate in the 2008 Pandora (Grenache). As I noted last year, the 2008 is all about textural finesse and pure beauty. Hints of smoke, anise and crushed rocks frame the long finish. This is yet another marvelous wine from Alban. Pandora is 100% Grenache from the chalky, upper hillsides of Seymour’s. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.
VM 94 (12/2012): (almost all grenache from "a very specific block," according to Alban; 15.9% alcohol): Opaque ruby. A heady, exotically perfumed bouquet evokes candied red fruits, incense and candied flowers, along with a smoky mineral overtone. Juicy and precise, offering intense raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that gain sweetness and weight with air. Closes with impressive energy and cut, leaving mineral and floral notes behind. This wine was aged in French oak casks, two-thirds of them new, for 38 months.
JD 93-96 (12/2011): Tasted out of barrel and a beautifully structured and endowed wine, the 2008 Alban Vineyards Pandora, almost 100% Grenache that spent 36 months in a combination of new and used barrels, was dense and closed at the time of this tasting, yet begrudgingly yielded ripe dark fruits, charcoal, chalk, pepper, and edgy minerality on the nose. Full bodied, yet with notable freshness and acidity, this beauty should be left alone for 2-3 years after release. |
|
| Alpha Omega |
2008 |
Krupp Brothers Vyd. Syrah |
$75 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Anomaly |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$100 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 89 (12/2010): This attractive 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits abundant aromas of black currants, cedar, roasted herbs and loamy, earthy characteristics. Medium to full-bodied with ripe tannin as well as a nicely textured, round finish, it comes from a 5-acre vineyard near St. Helena. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. |
|
| Araujo Estate |
2008 |
Eisele Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (375 ML) |
$150 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97+ (12/2011): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is breathtaking. Everything is in the right place in this dazzling, superb Cabernet Sauvignon. Layers of dark fruit, plums, camphor, licorice and espresso emerge from this effortless, gracious wine. The integration of fruit, tannin and French oak (100% new) is simply phenomenal. There is a dark, brooding quality to the 2008 that is immensely appealing. This is a stunning wine from Araujo. The 2008 is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.
JS 96 (2/2011): This is very aromatic, with mint, bay leaves, laurel, lavender, raspberry, and currants. Fruit at the forefront but restrained. Wonderful fruit with a vanilla bean, floral, and blueberry after taste. This is exciting stuff with loads of energy. A nice combination of the power of 2007 and the complexity of 2006.
VM 94+ (6/2011): (89% cabernet sauvignon, 6.6% cabernet franc and 4.4% petit verdot): Ruby-red. Reticent but pure aromas of black cherry, black tea and flowers. Densely packed and youthfully tight, with juicy, high-pitched flavors of sweet dark fruits, leather and licorice. At once lush and perfumed, showing lovely vibrancy for a wine from this hot site. The long, building finish displays the firm tannic structure for a graceful evolution in bottle. This has turned out very well. |
|
| Arrowood Vineyards |
2008 |
Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$25 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 90 (6/2012): (raised in a mix of French and American oak): Deep ruby. Ripe cherry, cassis, tobacco and vanilla on the nose, with a subtle herbal undertone. Fleshy dark fruit flavors are supported by gentle acidity, taking on spiciness with aeration. Finishes sweet and persistent, with the dark berry and tobacco qualities lingering. This nicely balanced cabernet is approachable now. Josh Raynolds. |
|
| L' Aventure |
2008 |
Estate Cuvee Proprietary Blend |
$69 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 94 (8/2010): The finest 2008 I tasted is the 2008 Estate Cuvee, a blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot. Mocha, fudge, blackberry, graphite, cassis, and smoky barbecue scents jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2008. Full-bodied, rich, textured, and layered, this terrific effort is surprisingly soft and accessible. Drink it over the next decade.
VM 94 (12/2010): (50% syrah, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 14% petit verdot; 15.9% alcohol) Inky purple. Cassis, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-coating dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier with air. Strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with remarkable clarity and sweet persistence. This was raised in 100% new French oak, but I'd never have guessed it. |
|
|
2008 |
Estate Cuvee Proprietary Blend Slightly Depressed Cork |
$69 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94 (8/2010): The finest 2008 I tasted is the 2008 Estate Cuvee, a blend of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot. Mocha, fudge, blackberry, graphite, cassis, and smoky barbecue scents jump from the glass of this dense purple-colored 2008. Full-bodied, rich, textured, and layered, this terrific effort is surprisingly soft and accessible. Drink it over the next decade.
VM 94 (12/2010): (50% syrah, 36% cabernet sauvignon and 14% petit verdot; 15.9% alcohol) Inky purple. Cassis, blueberry and smoky Indian spices on the expansive, heady nose, with a sexy floral quality that gains strength with air. Deep, sappy and palate-coating dark fruit compote flavors show unlikely energy and become spicier with air. Strikingly expressive, potent and compellingly fragrant wine that finishes with remarkable clarity and sweet persistence. This was raised in 100% new French oak, but I'd never have guessed it. |
|
| Beau Vigne |
2008 |
Juliet Cabernet Sauvignon |
$65 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (12/2010): The less expensive 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Juliet (76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc from the parcel they called Juliet’s Bench) shows off winemaker Dave Phinney’s terrific, sexy, opulent, flamboyant style. Personality-wise, it is more like a 2007 than a 2008. Dense purple to the rim, with glorious notes of graphite and black cherry liqueur intermixed with cassis and blackberry, it possesses a subtle smokiness, a voluptuous texture, and a layered finish that should please both your hedonistic and intellectual senses. It will drink well for 15 or more years. |
|
| Bethel Heights |
2008 |
Casteel Reserve Pinot Noir |
$55 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Betz Family Winery |
2008 |
Clos de Betz Proprietary Blend |
$55 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 95 (8/2010): The Bordeaux-styled wines begin with the 2008 Clos de Betz, a multi-regional blend from four renowned vineyards, and composed of 66% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 16 months in 65% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it surrenders an expressive nose of pain grille, graphite, Asian spices, a hint of balsamic, black currant, and blackberry. On the palate it admirably combines elegance with power. It has superb concentration, incipient complexity, layers of fruit, and a lengthy finish. Give it 6-8 years of additional cellaring and then drink it through its 25th birthday.
VM 93 (12/2010): Deep, full ruby-red. Dark berries, licorice, bitter chocolate and graphite on the nose and palate. Densely packed but showing superb energy and lift to the flavors of dark berries, cocoa powder and violet. There's nothing rustic about these classy wines. Finishes with terrific clarity and lively minerality. |
|
|
2008 |
La Cote Patriarche Syrah |
$40 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 93+ (11/2010): (from Red Willow Vineyard) Deep, full bright ruby. Very primary aromas of blackberry and cocoa powder. Dense, thick and very intense, with wonderfully pure fruit-driven flavors of blackberry and loganberry. Offers a superb balance of fruit, acids and tannins. Finishes very long and pure, with lovely aromatic lift and nuance. An Outstanding wine in the making. These 2008 syrahs aged in 50% new oak, but Betz noted he's now using a higher percentage of slightly larger 300-liter barrels, and more Burgundy barrels. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 93 (8/2010): The 2008 Syrah La Cote Patriarche was sourced from the Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima Valley, site of the oldest Syrah planting in Washington dating from 1986. It, too, was aged for 12 months in 50% new French oak. Dense purple in color (like the La Serenne), it sports a nose of brooding black fruits, lavender, Asian spices, smoked meat, blue berry, and plum. This leads to a plush, full-figured Syrah with well-concealed tannins, excellent depth of flavor, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. |
|
|
2008 |
La Serenne Syrah |
$55 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (8/2010): The 2008 Syrah La Serenne is sourced entirely from the Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley. It is aged for 12 months in 50% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it delivers a brooding bouquet of smoke, Asian spices, incense, lavender, game, blueberry, and plum. Dense, layered, and powerful, it manages to maintain a sense of elegance and balance. It has enough structure to evolve for several years and should drink well through 2023. |
|
|
2008 |
Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon |
$69 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96 (8/2010): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Merlot sourced from 3 regions and 4 vineyards. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it gives up an expressive perfume of sandalwood, mineral, truffle, espresso, incense, violets, and blackberry. Suave on the palate with well-integrated fine-grained tannins, this sweetly-fruited, dense, layered offering will benefit from 6-8 years of cellaring and will have a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2038.
VM 94+ (12/2010): Good deep ruby-red. A slight element of reduction quickly dissipated to reveal aromas of cassis, minerals, mocha and licorice. Deep, silky and compellingly sweet, but with brisk acidity that's a bit intrusive today. Best today on the firmly tannic, extremely long aftertaste. This superb cabernet boasts a stunning core of sappy fruit, with a licorice note from a bit of petit verdot that gives it a Pauillac-like character. It would be infanticide to open this anytime soon. The finishing breadth and spreading tannins are spectacular for Washington wine. A retaste of the superlative 2007 Pere de Famille indicated that this wine was beginning to shut down in bottle, but its acid/tannin structure gives it the sheer grip for a long and positive evolution in bottle. It will be fascinating to compare these two vintages side by side in seven or eight years. |
|
| Robert Biale Vineyards |
2008 |
Royal Punishers Petite Sirah |
$35 |
6 |
|
| |
|
| Black Cordon Vineyard |
2008 |
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$69 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Boudreaux Cellars |
2008 |
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
$75 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (10/2022): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is immaculate, with a lush and focused nose that is still compact and primary. Full-bodied, the wine expands on the palate, revealing focus, precision and power with a still-tight frame and firm tannic edge. The Cabernet concludes with long, lingering flavors of black plum essence, oak spices and notions of crème de cassis. Even though it’s a 2008, it has plenty of life left; so be patient, and reward your future self. |
|
| Bovet (Round Pond) |
2008 |
Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon |
$80 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Buccella |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$149 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95 (12/2010): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from multiple fruit sources in Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, Coombsville, Oak Knoll and Carneros, was aged in 100% new French oak. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits an opaque purple color, great intensity and a sweet nose of blue and black fruits intermixed with toasty oak, lead pencil shavings and forest floor. Rich, layered and full-bodied with silky tannins, this broad, savory 2008 should drink well for 15 or more years.
VM 93 (5/2011): (15.1% alcohol; includes 2% each cabernet franc and merlot and 1% petit verdot): Dark ruby. Fascinating nose melds dark berries, licorice pastille, violet, coriander, cumin and mint. Fat and sweet for the year, with palate-saturating flavors of crushed black fruits and minerals. The broad, dusty tannins arrive late and build, but there's more than enough mid-palate sweetness to support them. This is riper and deeper in the bottle than a barrel sample I tried a year ago. Rebekah Wineburg makes this wine, with Celia Welch serving in a consulting role. |
|
| Cadence |
2008 |
Bel Canto Red Mtn. Cara Mia Vyd. Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) Signed Bottle |
$100 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 91 (12/2012): The 2008 Cara Mia Vineyard Bel Canto – with 25% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot blended into its Cabernet Franc – features mint chocolate, cassis, and an alluring amalgam of Chenin-like quince and flowers on a silken palate, finishing with soothing persistence if not quite the complexity or mineral dimension of the couple of best Cadence releases I tasted. Still, this is very pure-fruited; lovely in its gentle way; yet possessed of subtly vibratory energy, and might well acquire additional complexity over the next half dozen or so years. |
|
|
2008 |
Camerata Cara Mia Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) Signed Bottle |
$110 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (3/2023): The 2008 Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard lifts from the glass with an intense burst of medicinal cherry and cloves balanced to a hint of animal musk and a lifting whiff of mint. It's seamlessly silky and refined, casting notes of dried cherries and plums across the palate while taking on pleasant inner earth tones toward the close. The 2008 leaves adolescent tannins to linger, along with blackberries and mentholated herbal tones that keep the style wildly fresh. What a beauty this is today, and still slowly climbing to maturity. (Drink between 2023-2030) Eric Guido. |
|
|
2008 |
Ciel du Cheval Vyd. Red (1.5 L) Signed Bottle |
$80 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 93+ (12/2010): (38% cabernet franc, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 17% petit verdot and 12% merlot) Bright medium-deep red. Cherry, raspberry, licorice and flowers on the nose, plus a hint of tobacco leaf; lightly medicinal in a Cheval Blanc way. Then juicy, pure and tightly wound, with superb depth of bright red berry and floral flavors supported by firm acidity and solid tannic structure. Plenty of density and sweetness here but also energetic and light on its feet. Spreads out impressively on the back end, with the tannins reaching the incisors. Seems tighter than the 2007 version at a similar stage and really calls for five years of cellaring, even if it could be enjoyed today with food. Proprietor/winemaker Ben Smith describes 2008 as "a compressed harvest and a structured vintage for us." He normally picks on the early side (the pH here is 3.68) but notes that this wine is just over 14% alcohol. These are some of Washington's most Bordeaux-like wines, and Cadence is now firmly in the top tier of the state's producers: recent vintages have brought sweeter fruit and greater density of material without any loss of structure or verve. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Tapteil Vyd. Red (1.5 L) Signed Bottle |
$80 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 92+ (12/2010): (50% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 20% cabernet franc) Good bright deep red. Wild, soil-driven aromas of cinnamon spice, fresh herbs, red licorice, iodine and sage. Then quite backward and firm in the mouth owing to its strong acid/tannin spine. The 2007 Tapteil was sweeter and silkier at the same stage, but this wine's subtle intensity, complexity and claret-like structure suggest it will ultimately merit an even higher score. Today the finish is a bit less sweet and the tannins less refined than the 2007 Ciel du Cheval. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Caldwell |
2008 |
Clone 400 Caldwell Vyd. Petit Verdot |
$40 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Chad |
2008 |
North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
12 |
|
| |
|
| Continuum |
2008 |
Premiere Napa Valley Proprietary Blend |
$350 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 92 (2/2019): The 2008 Proprietary Red is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, and 71% of the fruit this year came from the Continuum estate on Pritchard Hill. It has a deep garnet-brick color and reveals an earthy, spice box, bouquet garni and fruitcake-scented nose with wafts of balsamic, prunes and iron ore. Full-bodied with a good core of dried berries and mineral sparks in the mouth, it has a firm, chewy texture and finishes a little rustic. |
|
| Corliss |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$75 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 95 (6/2013): More perfumed and lively aromatically, yet more firm and backwards on the palate, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a knockout 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 30 months in 70% new French oak. Classically styled, with black currants, toasty oak, violets, licorice and background meatiness, it is a full-bodied, structured and age-worthy 2008 that will evolve gracefully for 15+ years. It improves over the evening but should ideally be given another handful of years in the cellar. Drink now-2028+.
VM 94+ (11/2011): Bright red-ruby. Aromas of blueberry, cocoa powder and licorice; one can smell the sexy Taransaud barrels here. Silky on entry, then sweet and superconcentrated in the middle, spreading out to saturate the entire palate with dark berry and coffee flavors. A wine of extraordinary energy and clarity. Most impressive today on the echoing, juicy finish, where the ripe tannins are already in perfect harmony with the wine's fruit. As with the Corliss Red Wine, I would not be at all surprised if this wine merited an even higher score by the time it's released in the fall of 2013. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Red Wine |
$55 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 94+ (6/2013): Just about as good, the Bordeaux blend 2008 Corliss (formerly reviewed as Red Wine) is comprised of 34% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec that spent 30 months in 65% new French oak. Almost a meal on its own, it has full, rich aromas and flavors of currants, smoked herbs, milk chocolate and potpourri to go with a full-bodied, beautifully textured and balanced palate. Youthfully structured and tannic, it needs another 1-2 years of bottle age and will keep for 10-15 years.
VM 93+ (11/2011): Good red-ruby. Sexy aromas of plum, pie cherry, Asian spices, minerals and cocoa powder, with a floral quality from the cabernet franc component. At once suave and penetrating, with terrific energy and definition to the flavors of sweet cherry, minerals and spices. This classy, vibrant wine finishes with sweet, broad tannins and terrific lift and length. It will no doubt be even more complex and harmonious by the time it's released in late 2013. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Syrah |
$55 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 92+ (11/2011): Deep red-ruby. Very primary aromas of dark berries, cherry, licorice, violet, white pepper, jasmine and musky minerality. Lush and seamless on entry, then juicy, spicy and intense in the middle, in fact even a bit imploded today. This densely packed, very young syrah, bottled in June, really saturates the palate with flavor on the pure, long finish. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 89 (12/2012): Aged in majority new 500 liter casks and otherwise reflecting the same source and approach noted in my review of its 2007 counterpart, the Corliss 2008 Syrah leads with penetrating, pleasant high-tones of mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, violet, blueberry distillate and creme de cassis. On a dense and fine-grained but manifestly tannic palate, there is a bit of bifurcation between tart and bitter skin and pit of berries on the one hand and macaroon-like manifestation of caramel on the other. As this took on air, more of the herbal components signaled in the nose, as well as a hint of tar, joined the sweet confitured berry and caramelized notes, but a slightly drying spot remained in an otherwise overtly sweet finish. I don’t feel competent to speculate on this wine’s bottle evolution except to say that I certainly don’t expect it to fatigue within the next half dozen years. |
|
| Dancing Hares |
2008 |
Mad Hatter Proprietary Blend |
$35 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Proprietary Blend |
$99 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Dominus |
2008 |
Proprietary Blend (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,932.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (12/2010): Made in a more masculine style, the 2008 Dominus has all of that along with bigger body and more structure, fat, density and texture. Both are brilliant wines and they represent the finest back-to-back vintages for Dominus since 2001 and 2002 or 1990 and 1991. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years.
VM 93 (6/2011): (a blend of 83% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot): Good full red-ruby. Fresher on the nose than the Napanook, showing raspberry, plum, mocha and tobacco aromas. Round and plummy in the mouth, with a restrained sweetness to the flavors of milk chocolate, mocha and licorice. A wine of moderate ripeness for the vintage, and in a shell today. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and notes of plum, mocha and chocolate. I don't find quite the structure or grip of the best years. |
|
| Dunham Cellars |
2008 |
Lewis Vyd. Syrah |
$75 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (10/2011): The 2008 Syrah Lewis Vineyard offers a similar aromatic and flavor profile but lacks the depth and concentration of the 2007. |
|
| Efeste |
2008 |
Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon |
$60 |
6 |
|
| |
|
| Ehlers Estate |
2008 |
Merlot |
$30 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Epoch Estate Wines |
2008 |
Paderewski Vyd. Block B Syrah |
$65 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Etude |
2008 |
Temblor Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$40 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Favia |
2008 |
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$175 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Figgins Estate |
2008 |
Red Wine |
$65 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 94 (8/2011): The 2008 Figgins Estate Red Wine is the inaugural release of a wine made by Chris Figgins, son of Leonetti Cellar founder, Gary Figgins. The fruit was sourced from the Figgins Estate Vineyard which is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The wine was aged in 70% new French oak for 22 months before bottling without fining or filtration. A total of 831 cases were produced. Sandalwood, exotic spices, sage, cherry blossom, cassis, and blackberry aromas inform the nose of a dense, rich, elegant, beautifully proportioned wine that has enough ripe, fine-grained tannin to blossom for another 4-5 years. It offers a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2023, perhaps longer. All in all, not a bad debut.
VM 93+ (10/2011): (a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot, from vines planted by Chris Figgins in 2004 and 2005 on silt and loam soil at an altitude of 1,500 to 1, 750 feet, a half mile east of Leonetti's Mill Creek Upland Vineyard): Saturated ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackberry, licorice, coffee and bitter chocolate. Dense, thick and sweet, but with harmonious acidity giving shape and lift to the pungent pomegranate, spice and tobacco flavors. Wonderfully seamless, vibrant wine with terrific underlying structure and a very long, sappy finish featuring sweet, broad tannins. This eagerly awaited inaugural release from Chris Figgins' new venture offers Outstanding quality, particularly for a wine from such young vines. |
|
| Robert Foley Vineyards |
2008 |
Claret |
$109 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (12/2010): The 2008 Claret (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) has that ethereal nose of spring flowers, boysenberry, blueberry, black currant, and spice. Following that seductive aromatic display, Foley’s brilliance is again exhibited in the mouthfeel of this seamless wine, which has full-bodied flavors, no hard edges, gorgeous layers of fruit, and loads of complexity already, but is still a youthful wine with its best days ahead of it. This is brilliant winemaking, as some of us have come to expect from Bob Foley, and it should age well for 15-20 years. |
|
| Force Majeure |
2008 |
Ciel du Cheval Collaboration Series Reserve Syrah |
$60 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 95 (6/2013): More exotic and meaty, with serious coffee bean, roasted herbs, game, smoke and blacker styled fruit, the 2008 Ccollaboration Series Reserve Syrah also comes from the top-class Ciel du Cheval Vineyard in Red Mountain and is 100% Syrah (previous vintages had small amounts of Viognier co-fermented). Made by Ben Smith (Cadence Winery) and aged for 38 months in all-new French oak, it is a serious, age-worthy effort that has full-bodied richness, awesome concentration and a detailed, focused finish. More backwards and dense than normal for this cuvee (both the 2005 and 2006 were much evolved and open-knit on release), it integrated its oak component beautifully over the multiple days I followed the bottle and only improved with air. Give bottles another 3-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following 10-15 years. Drink 2016-2026. |
|
| Force Majeure (Grand Reve) |
2008 |
Collaboration II Red Wine |
$65 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 94 (6/2011): Showing even better than a year ago, the 2008 Grand Reve Vintners Collaboration Series II Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, a blend of 40% Grenache, 38% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, and 1% each of Viognier and Roussanne, aged in 30% new French oak, delivers a stunning array of blackberry and cassis fruit, roasted meats, leafy herbs, and black olive on the nose. This is followed by a medium to full bodied wine that is youthful and fresh, possessing a seamless, pure texture, ripe tannin, and a classy, long finish. Evolving beautifully and gaining in both complexity and palate richness, this should continue to drink beautifully for another 10-12 years.
VM 90 (11/2011): Good deep ruby. Sexy, musky aromas of mulberry, mocha and pepper. Sweet and spicy, with peppery lift and nicely integrated acidity giving clarity and grip to this juicy midweight. Hints of herbs and menthol contribute complexity. Finishes with firm tannins and very good persistence. Nicely understated wine in a rather French style. |
|
|
2008 |
Collaboration III Red Wine |
$65 |
5 |
|
| |
| JD 96 (5/2011): Made by Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery, the 2008 Grand Reve Vintners Syrah Collaboration Series III is 100% Syrah that was aged in 40% new French Burgundy barrels. Paul McBride describes the goal of this wine as highlighting the style of Washington State Syrah, and I can say that this delivers on all marks. A big, upfront wine, with brilliantly pure blackberry, ground pepper, licorice, and spice aromas literally jumping from the glass, it’s both intense, and yet restrained and elegant at the same time. More graphite and chocolate like notes develop on the palate, where the wine is full bodied and seamless, possessing superb balance, amazing purity of fruit, and an excellent finish where dusty tannin emerge. While there’s no harm in drinking now, after seeing how the ’06 is developing, this should really be given 3-6 years in the cellar, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this drinking superbly in 2025 or later. A drop dead gorgeous example of what Washington State can do with Syrah! |
|
| Fortunate Son |
2008 |
Naughty Wicked Witch of the West Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$149 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Frank Family |
2008 |
Reserve Zinfandel |
$20 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Zinfandel |
$25 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (12/2011): The 2008 Zinfandel shows excellent depth in its sweet red cherries flowers and licorice. This is a subdued style of Zinfandel, yet the wine’s overall balance is quite good. The blend incorporates 16% Petite Sirah. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. |
|
| Gorman |
2008 |
The Bully Cabernet Sauvignon |
$60 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 93 (10/2011): The 2008 The Bully Cabernet Sauvignon contains 15% Petit Verdot and was aged in 100% new French oak. Fragrant aromas of sandalwood, exotic spices, violets, earthy minerals, and assorted black fruits are followed by a sweetly-fruited, plush, layered wine with outstanding volume and balance. This lengthy effort will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring and will deliver prime drinking through 2023.
VM 88+ (11/2011): Medium ruby. Currant, blackberry and licorice on the nose, lifted by a violet topnote. Juicy, spicy black fruit flavors are still youthfully tough but there's good sweetness here. The back end is a bit clenched, with substantial tannins coming across as a bit dry and medicinal, but solid supporting extract suggests that this will reward some patience. Stphen Tanzer. |
|
| Gramercy Cellars |
2008 |
John Lewis Reserve Syrah |
$75 |
2 |
|
| |
| JD 96 (6/2011): A selection of the top barrels, the 2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah John Lewis Reserve is 100% from the Les Collines vineyard, made with a fair bit of whole cluster, and aged predominantly in larger, neutral 500L French oak barrels. Sharing some aromatic traits with the straight ’08 Syrah, only more focused and slightly more rich, the wine is beautifully complex with smoky cassis, wild herb, hung game, smoked meats, pepper, and olive characteristics all showing on the nose. This is followed by a medium to full bodied palate that shows brilliant finesse and elegance to go with loads of fleshy, ripe fruit, a superb texture, and a classically styled, focused and very long finish. This needs considerable airtime if drinking anytime soon, and showed best on the second and third day after opening. It should be ready for prime time drinking in around 3-5 years, and have 15+ years of longevity. In short, this stunning Syrah highlights the uniqueness and profile that only Walla Walla can deliver and should not be missed! |
|
|
2008 |
Lagniappe Syrah |
$59 |
2 |
|
| |
| JD 92 (6/2011): A blend from the cooler climate site that comes across as softer and more approachable than the straight Syrah, the 2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah "Lagniappe" is a perfumed, delicious wine that shows loads of spice box, dried flowers, lavender, and smoked meat characteristics that are wrapped around a core of ripe berry fruit. Medium to full bodied on the palate, the wine is fleshy and open, showing perfectly ripe fruit, good acidity, superb balance, and a rock solid finish. No complaints from me, and this should deliver over the coming 8-10 years. There was no co-fermented Viognier this year due to the freeze in the Forgotten Hills vineyard. |
|
| Grgich Hills |
2008 |
Miljenko’s Old Vine Zinfandel |
$75 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Hanzell |
2008 |
Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir |
$69 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 89 (5/2012): Pale, bright cherry-red. Briary cherry, raspberry, herbs and earth on the nose, complicated by cola and smoked meat nuances; became more chocolatey as it opened in the glass. Supple on entry, then silky in the middle, showing flavors of redcurrant, cherry, plum and spicy underbrush. A rather understated, earthy pinot, finishing with a fine dusting of ripe tannins that turned a bit dry with aeration. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir Torn Label |
$69 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 89 (5/2012): Pale, bright cherry-red. Briary cherry, raspberry, herbs and earth on the nose, complicated by cola and smoked meat nuances; became more chocolatey as it opened in the glass. Supple on entry, then silky in the middle, showing flavors of redcurrant, cherry, plum and spicy underbrush. A rather understated, earthy pinot, finishing with a fine dusting of ripe tannins that turned a bit dry with aeration. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Hayfork |
2008 |
Lewelling Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon |
$59 |
6 |
|
| |
| WA 94+ (12/2010): Some investment in patience will be warranted with this wine, which is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot from the Llewelling Ranch at the base of St. Helena’s western hills. Aged in 100% new French oak, the wine is tight and restrained, but bursting with potential. Oodles of minerality, black currants, graphite, tobacco leaf, and spice box are all present in this deep, full-bodied, concentrated and powerful wine. However, the tannins are still present and the wine in need of 4-5 years of cellaring. It should keep for 20-30 years. |
|
| Januik |
2008 |
Champoux Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$115 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 93+ (11/2011): Bright red-ruby. Knockout nose features aromas of cassis, blackberry, cocoa powder, licorice and flowers. Suave and seamless, showing an old-viney creaminess complicated by sexy Taransaud spice notes. Conveys an impression of restrained sweetness thanks to its bright acidity. Very concentrated, sappy and long. Lay this one down. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 93 (10/2011): The purple-colored 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard is a step up, not surprising given this vineyard’s track record. Exotic spices, incense, violets, earthy minerals, black currant, and blackberry aromas inform the nose of a rich, plush, dense offering with enough fine-grained tannin to evolve for another 3-4 years. It is likely to see its 20th birthday in fine form. |
|
|
2008 |
Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 90 (11/2011): Good bright red with ruby highlights. Sexy aromas of dark raspberry, tobacco, licorice and menthol. Sweet and suave, with noteworthy fruit intensity and inner-mouth energy. Finishes with fine, dusty tannins and very good lift. A strong vintage for this basic cabernet release. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 90 (10/2011): The Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is Januik Winery’s best selling SKU from year to year. The 2008 is composed of 45% Champoux Vineyard fruit which may explain its popularity. Blended with some Cabernet Franc and Malbec, it offers up an alluring nose of cedar, spice box, tobacco, black currant and blackberry. This leads to a wine with savory flavors, good depth, and enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years. It will drink nicely from 2013 to 2023. |
|
|
2008 |
Reserve Red Wine (1.5 L) |
$125 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 94 (10/2011): My favorite of the portfolio (as it was in the 2007 vintage) is the 2008 Reserve Red Wine, a blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot from the Champoux and Weinbau vineyards. Aromas of sandalwood, exotic spices, violets, earthy minerals, black currants, and blackberry lead to a dense, plush, concentrated wine with extra layers of flavor. Beautifully proportioned and lengthy, it is likely to have a 20 year lifespan.
VM 93 (11/2011): Bright red-ruby color. Dark berries and sexy oak on the nose. Sweet, suave and rather voluptuous, but with a firm spine of acidity giving shape to the broad, mouthfilling flavors of dark berries, cocoa powder and rose petal. The long finish features dusty, cheek-coating tannins and a hint of minerality. These 2008 reds have pHs between 3.65 and 3.75, which is "about normal," according to Mike Januik. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| James Johnson Vineyard |
2008 |
Bisou Cabernet Sauvignon |
$59 |
6 |
|
| |
| VM 94 (12/2011): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Bisou comes across as more powerful than the 2007. The flavor profile is slightly darker than normal and everything is just a bit richer, deeper and more balanced than the wines I have tasted from this site previously. Dark cherries, plums, menthol and licorice wrap around the sensual, textured finish. This is a terrific showing for the Bisou. (Drink between 2013-2020). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Jones Family Vineyard |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$79 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Robert Keenan |
2008 |
Cabernet Franc |
$75 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94 (12/2010): Cabernet Franc has performed brilliantly at this height, and this is another example of the potential of Spring Mountain. This dense purple-hued wine is richly fruity with a beautiful floral, blueberry, raspberry and black currant-scented nose, good underlying minerality and a gorgeous fruit intensity without any sense of heaviness (14.3% alcohol). Elegant, pure and well-textured, this is a stunning Cabernet Franc to drink over the next decade.
VM 93 (5/2011): Bright ruby-red. High-pitched, perfumed nose offers sexy aromas of blackberry, cherry, violet and musky brown spices. Densely packed and energetic, with a mountain berry intensity that's accentuated by ripe, integrated acidity. A complete but very youthful cabernet franc that finishes with broad tannins and lingering perfume. A sentimental favorite. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Mernet Reserve Proprietary Blend |
$65 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95 (12/2010): The 2008 Mernet Reserve Proprietary Red (350 cases produced) is composed of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve never liked the name that much, but I sure love the wine. Another prodigious effort from Keenan, it boasts an inky/purple color as well as a sweet nose filled with blackberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with mocha and chocolate. Full-bodied and rich with an enticing suppleness as well as admirable length and texture, it should drink well for 15 or more years. For those who haven’t noticed, Michael Keenan appears to be ratcheting up the quality with every new vintage. Bravo!
VM 88 (5/2018): Bright, dark medium ruby. Blackberry and licorice aromas show a faintly weedy quality and a violet high note. A juicy wine with moderate flesh to its flavors of black fruits, herbs and spices, plus a hint of stewed tomato. Not my favorite style but nicely filled in and pliant, with a touch of sweetness even if the Merlot herbacity comes through. Finishes with serious, tongue-dusting tannins and a slight mounting dryness. This Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend isn't going anywhere but there's no hurry to drink it. (Drink between 2018-2026). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Kosta Browne |
2008 |
Amber Ridge Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$75 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 92 (6/2010): ivid ruby. An intensely floral bouquet displays wilted rose, magnolia, black raspberry and incense. Supple and broad on entry, turning more tangy and energetic in the middle and offering lively red and dark berry flavors and an exotic candied floral quality. The finish repeats the red fruit note and lingers with very good tangy persistence. I'll bet that this will be even better in a year or two. |
|
|
2008 |
Koplen Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$69 |
3 |
|
| |
| VM 92 (5/2010): Bright ruby. Intensely perfumed bouquet displays red berries, potpourri and star anise. Michael Browne told me that he used a lot of whole clusters this year "to increase the spiciness. The fruit is always powerful and I wanted to bring an extra dimension." Pliant, juicy red fruit flavors are complicated by notes of cinnamon and spicecake, with slow-building smokiness. Finishes with refreshing tangy cut and a strong echo of raspberry. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Larkmead Vineyards |
2008 |
Firebelle Red Wine |
$55 |
11 |
|
| |
WA 94 (12/2010): The 2008 Firebelle (55% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Malbec; 1,050 cases produced) exhibits a dense opaque purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of creme de cassis, white chocolate and cocoa, great fruit, purity and intensity, a full-bodied, layered mouthfeel and elegance and finesse. Already evolved, complex and delicious, it should continue to drink well for a decade or more. This is an estate where the 2008 may actually eclipse the 2007.
VM 92 (5/2011): (55% merlot, 27% cabernet sauvignon and 18% malbec): Ruby-red. Plum, dark chocolate and licorice on the nose, plus a whiff of woodsmoke. Lush and sweet, with a distinctly glyceral texture and attractive gravelly lift to the dark raspberry and tobacco flavors. The tannins arrive late, allowing the wine to expand on the aftertaste. I like this. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$99 |
6 |
|
| |
| VM 93+ (5/2011): (a blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 18% cabernet franc and 9% each merlot, malbec and petit verdot): Ruby-red. Distinctly gravelly aromas of plum, minerals, menthol and tobacco. Dense but bright and high-pitched, with lively black fruit and bitter chocolate flavors complicated by licorice and flowers. Really conveys the energy of the best 2008s. |
|
|
2008 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$155 |
5 |
|
| |
WA 96 (12/2010): Made from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot (550 cases), the prodigious 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Reserve is an opaque purple-colored, multidimensional wine displaying silky sweet tannin along with copious quantities of blackberry, creme de cassis, crushed rock, licorice and camphor characteristics. Powerful yet elegant with layers of depth, this is a wine of great nuance, complexity and nobility. A dead-ringer for the compelling 2007, the 2008 should drink well for 20-25 years or more.
VM 93 (8/2019): Healthy dark ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, dark raspberry, coffee and violet reminded me of a wine from Saint-Emilion. Not large-scaled but intensely flavored and suave, with its dark berry and dried cranberry flavors accented by Vermouth-like herbal complexity. This wine delivers the creaminess of the vintage's better examples. Finishes with smooth, nicely buffered tannins that saturate the teeth. Easygoing and perfect to drink now, this wine should go on for a while on its balance and underlying gravelly minerality. Two thousand eight is a perfect example of how this hot site can excel in less-heralded vintages. (15.2% alcohol; 4.01 pH) (Drink between 2019-2028). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Leonetti Cellars |
2008 |
Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$109 |
2 |
|
| |
| VM 94 (10/2011): (14.6% alcohol; 70% new oak): Deep, saturated ruby-red. Sweet aromas of cassis, coffee and licorice. Superconcentrated, voluptuous and seamless, with Outstanding density of fruit. The compellingly sweet, urgent dark berry flavors carry through to an extremely long, broad, sweetly tannic finish. Not at all dominated by oak; Chris Figgins told me that his family is using less and less American oak, and that no new American barrels were used for this cabernet. |
|
| Lewelling Vineyards |
2008 |
Wight Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$89 |
5 |
|
| |
| WA 95+ (12/2010): The slightly more expensive, opaque purple-hued 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard (aged 18 months in 100% new French oak) is essentially a barrel selection. Obviously, the more structured wines with more density and aging potential were chosen for this cuvee. Very backward compared to the Napa bottling, the Wight Vineyard exhibits more graphite and toast along with creme de cassis, smoke and floral characteristics. Deep, rich and reserved with plenty of tannin, it needs time in the bottle, so cellar it for 4-5 years and drink it over the following three decades. |
|
| Lewis Cellars |
2008 |
Alec’s Blend |
$50 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Hillstone Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$115 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Hudson Vyd. Syrah |
$59 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Napa Valley Syrah |
$40 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
$150 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Linne Calodo |
2008 |
Overthinker |
$55 |
3 |
|
| |
| VM 93+ (12/2010): (a blend of 50% grenache and 25% each syrah and mourvedre) Glass-staining purple. Ripe, smoky aromas of blackberry and boysenberry preserves and cherry-cola, with complicating notes of licorice and dark chocolate. Broad and sweet on the palate, offering chewy dark berry flavors and a slow-building bitter chocolate quality. Distinctly rich but in no way ungainly; in fact, this is very energetic for its heftiness. Finishes supple and sweet, with a repeating licorice note and a whiplash of smoky dark fruit. Josh Raynolds. |
|
|
2008 |
Sticks and Stones |
$55 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (8/2010): One of my favorites among the 2008s is the Sticks and Stones, a blend of 57% Grenache, 29% Mourvedre, and 14% Syrah, (which sounds like a Chateauneuf du Pape). Moreover, tipping the scales at 15.8% alcohol (and not a bit of it showing), this wine has a subtle resemblance to the great Chateau Rayas. Kirsch liqueur, dark raspberries, loamy soil notes, lavender, and spice box are all present in this medium to full-bodied wine, which is extraordinarily elegant, focused, and pure. A delicious wine with good acidity, this is a sensational red from Paso Robles, and a tribute to the blending skills of Matt Trevisan. It should drink well for 5-7 years. |
|
| Long Shadows Wineries |
2008 |
Chester Kidder Proprietary Blend |
$55 |
6 |
|
| |
| VM 92 (12/2012): (a blend of 61% cabernet sauvignon, 29% syrah, 6% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc; aged in 90% new French oak for 30 months): Bright, deep ruby-red. Expressive nose offers currant, cherry cola, graphite and dark chocolate. Silky, sexy and intense, with firm, vibrant cabernet fruit complicated by licorice and spices. Finishes lively and very long, with sweet tannins and solid structure from the cabernet, some of which spent up to 40 days on its skins. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Feather Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
6 |
|
| |
| WA 92 (8/2011): The 2008 Feather is a multi-regional 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made by Randy Dunn of Napa Valley renown. Sandalwood, licorice, dark chocolate, Asian spices, and black currant aromas set the stage for a tight, structured, well-balanced wine that requires another 4-5 years to fully unwind. This lengthy effort should see its 20th birthday in peak condition. |
|
|
2008 |
Pedestal Merlot |
$60 |
6 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (8/2010): The 2007 Pedestal Merlot is the project of Michel Rolland. This latest release is composed of 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot aged for 20 months in 80% new French oak. It reveals a fragrant nose of sandalwood, incense, sage, cinnamon, black cherry, and black currant. Elegant on the palate despite its ample size, it is loaded with succulent fruit set off by enough ripe tannin to support an additional 3-4 years of cellaring. It will deliver prime drinking from 2013 to 2027. |
|
|
2008 |
Pirouette Red Wine (1.5 L) |
$125 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (8/2011): The 2008 Pirouette is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc with the balance Petit Verdot and Malbec aged for 22 months in 70% new French oak. The wine was made by Agustin Hunneus, Sr,.and Philippe Melka. It offer slightly sweeter fruit and more complexity than the 100% varietal Dunn offering. Spicy, rich, and nicely proportioned, it will evolve for 2-3 years and provide prime drinking from 2013 to 2023. |
|
| Mayacamas |
2008 |
Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon |
$180 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Peter Michael Winery |
2008 |
Les Pavots Proprietary Blend |
$179 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 95 (2/2011): Peter Michael’s Bordeaux program is built around their flagship Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, Les Pavots. The 2008 Les Pavots, a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 11% Merlot, offers up notes of roasted coffee, cocoa, chocolate fudge, black currants, licorice and a hint of truffles. This full-bodied, beautifully rich red boasts an opulent texture, impressive purity and a long finish. Impressively made with impeccable attention to detail (it is sorted berry by berry rather than grape bunch by grape bunch), this 3,500-case cuvee should drink well for two decades or more. Quality-wise, the 2008 is just a notch behind the stratospheric 2007.
VM 94 (6/2011): Glass-staining ruby. Alluring aromas of red- and blackcurrant, cherry compote, incense and pipe tobacco. Lush and creamy on entry, then firmer in the middle, offering sweet dark fruit flavors complicated by notes of candied rose, licorice and smoky herbs. Supple and palate-staining wine with superb finishing clarity and lingering sweetness. |
|
| Robert Mondavi |
2008 |
Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
14 |
|
| |
|
| Mount Eden Vineyards |
2008 |
Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
4 |
|
| |
| VM 91 (8/2012): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful fleshy wine laced with sweet tobacco, licorice, tar, game, grilled herbs and dark red raspberries. It shows fabulous depth and richness with great personality. Firm tannins frame the finish in this exquisite beauty. The 2008 is more complex than the 2009 tasted alongside it, but will also require slightly more time. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9% Mourvèdre, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec, all from five vineyards in Saratoga and Los Gatos. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| O'Shaughnessy |
2008 |
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon |
$95 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94+ (12/2010): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is comprised of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest six other grapes - Merlot, Malbec, St. Macaire (how often do you see that!), Petit Verdot, Carmenere, and Cabernet Franc - and is aged 20 months in three-fourths French oak. It has a dense purple color, a wonderful, crystalline nose of crushed rock, camphor, creme de cassis and spring flowers, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. The tannins are moderately high, but they are soft and well-integrated. This is a wine of tremendous intensity and plenty of up-side. Give this wine 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 20-25 years.
VM 93 (6/2011): (81% cabernet sauvignon, along with merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot, carmenere and St. Macaire; as with the 2004 and 2006 bottlings, this wine includes all seven varieties planted in this vineyard): Bright ruby-red. Perfumed nose offers plum, black cherry, graphite, mocha, cedar, chocolate mint and sexy toasty oak (75% new). Compellingly sweet and pliant, with a velvety texture given shape by harmonious acidity. Still a bit ungiving on the firmly tannic finish, which hints at menthol. This very rich, pure wine needs time in bottle to develop more complexity and should be long-lived. |
|
| The Ojai Vineyard |
2008 |
Presidio Vyd. Syrah |
$45 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 95 (7/2013): The 2008 Syrah Presidio is just now beginning to show the early signs of development in its aromas and flavors. Sweet tobacco, grilled herbs, melted road tar and licorice add complexity to a core of dark fruit. At once powerful yet wonderfully nuanced, the 2008 Presidio impresses for its impeccable balance and crystalline, pure finish. This is yet another marvelous showing from Adam Tolmach and Fabien Castel. (Drink between 2015-2025). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95 (8/2013): The most masculine and gamey of the lineup, the 2008 Syrah Presidio Vineyard is gorgeous. Meaty and peppery, with green herbs, bacon fat, smoke, mineral and loads of dark fruit, this medium to full-bodied Syrah has superb purity and definition on the palate. Still backwards and tight, it needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and will thrill through 2024. Drink 2016-2024. |
|
| Outpost |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$105 |
6 |
|
| |
| WA 94+ (12/2010): An outstanding value in Napa Cabernet, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon’s opaque ruby/purple hue is followed by copious notes of crushed rock, blueberry pie, pen ink and black fruits. Full-bodied, opulent and fleshy with impressive purity and a long finish, this terrific Cabernet can be drunk now or cellared for 15+ years. |
|
|
2008 |
True Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$169 |
4 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (12/2010): The single vineyard 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard exhibits fabulous aromas of white flowers, graphite, crushed rocks and sweet blueberry, black currant and black raspberry fruit. Precise and full-bodied with layers of concentration, minerality and structure, this stunning 100% Cabernet Sauvignon should drink well for 25-30 years. |
|
| Paloma |
2008 |
Palomita Hamilton Vyd. Syrah |
$39 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Joseph Phelps |
2008 |
Insignia Proprietary Blend (6.0 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,813.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 96 (1/2011): I really like the mint and floral notes on the nose that opens up to dark fruits. Full bodied and rich, with plums, berries, and currants. This starts off slow, then takes off with a bang. A stylish wine with wonderful potential. This will be bottled in January 2011.
VM 93+ (6/2011): Full medium ruby. Black fruits, minerals, licorice, tar, menthol and sweet oak on the nose. Sweet and creamy on entry, then quite penetrating and tight in the mid-palate, showing a medicinal reserve for the vintage. A backward and rather powerful Insignia with the structure to require, and reward, considerable aging. This was a good quantity year for this flagship bottling, with about 16,000 cases produced.
WA 93 (11/2013): The 2008 reveals an opaque purple color in addition to blueberry and blackberry fruit notes intermixed with incense and violets. Barely approaching adolescence, it is still a grapy, primary, full-bodied beauty that will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should drink well for 20-25 years. The weather in May was unusually hot, and the grape bunches seemed relatively irregular and loose, with lighter than normal clusters. However, this proved to be an advantage with good air flow promoted by the loose clusters. The summer was warm, but never terribly hot, and the Indian Summer Napa enjoyed allowed for a stress-free harvest. The 2008 (16,650 cases produced), which achieved 14.7% natural alcohol, is composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot, all from estate fruit. |
|
| Casa Piena |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$95 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon Bin-Soiled Label |
$95 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Quilceda Creek |
2008 |
Columbia Valley Proprietary Blend |
$64 |
10 |
|
| |
| WA 92 (8/2011): The Quilceda Creek lineup begins with the 2008 Red Wine made up of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Aromas of cedar, spice box, mineral, incense, black currant, and blackberry inform the nose of a ripe, savory, smooth-textured wine. In the glass it displays more minerality, excellent volume, and enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. Enjoy this first-class effort now through 2020. |
|
|
2008 |
Palengat Proprietary Blend |
$119 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97 (8/2011): The 2008 Palengat Proprietary Red Wine is made up of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, with the balance Merlot and Petit Verdot. The fruit was sourced entirely from the Palengat Vineyard. Pain grille, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense, violets, dried herbs, black currant, and blackberry aromas compose the bouquet of this impeccably balanced offering. It opens in the glass to reveal plush, succulent flavors, superb concentration, plenty of ripe tannin, and at least 4-5 years of aging potential. It will deliver optimum drinking from 2015 to 2028.
VM 94 (10/2011): (76% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc, 7% merlot and 3% petit verdot; this used to be a single-vineyard wine but Palengat is now used as the name for a proprietary Bordeaux blend): Expressive aromas of cassis, cocoa powder and brown spices. Sweet and smooth on entry, then intensely flavored and tactile in the middle, with a plush creme de cassis flavor framed and intensified by mounting graphite minerality. Wonderfully suave wine with terrific back-end volume, very smooth tannins and lingering spiciness. Paul Golitzin describes 2008 as "focused and complex," while the 2009s, he says, are "ripe and fruity, like the 2005s." He says that he may prefer 2009 at this stage. |
|
| Ramey |
2008 |
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
5 |
|
| |
| WA 95 (2/2012): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon impresses for its layers of dark, plush fruit. Hints of cassis, grilled herbs, tobacco and cedar develop in the glass, adding further complexity and depth. Firm tannins frame the long finish. This is a very classic and beautiful Cabernet. In 2008 the blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, sourced from a number of sites, including Somerston, DeSantis, Lamoreaux and Snowden. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028. |
|
|
2008 |
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$125 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 95 (2/2012): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon impresses for its layers of dark, plush fruit. Hints of cassis, grilled herbs, tobacco and cedar develop in the glass, adding further complexity and depth. Firm tannins frame the long finish. This is a very classic and beautiful Cabernet. In 2008 the blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, sourced from a number of sites, including Somerston, DeSantis, Lamoreaux and Snowden. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028. |
|
| Rasa Vineyards |
2008 |
Creative Impulse DuBrul Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$59 |
5 |
|
| |
| JD 95 (6/2011): Rasa’s 2008 Rasa Vineyards Creative Impulse DuBrul Vineyard is a beauty! A blend of 69% Cabernet and 31% Merlot that was aged for 30 months in 60% new French oak, the wine delivers brilliant aromas of black currant and brambly blackberry styled fruits that are intermixed with lead pencil, meat juice, tobacco, and background floral nuances. This is followed by a full bodied, impressively balanced wine that possesses a mouth-filling, rich texture that stays light and airy, good acidity, sweet fruit, and a long, structured finish. It should evolve positively for 3-5 years, and drink well through 2025. A serious, beautifully done wine. |
|
|
2008 |
Principia Reserve Syrah |
$79 |
5 |
|
| |
| JD 94+ (6/2011): A blend of 100% Syrah that’s sourced from 4 separate vineyards (Les Collines Vineyard, Seven Hills Vineyard, Lewis Vineyard, and Portteus Vineyard), the 2008 Rasa Vineyards Syrah Principia Reserve saw 30 months in 24% new French oak. Starting out reticent and slightly closed on the nose, it yields first-rate aromas of smoky black fruits, spiced meats, toast, coffee grinds, and crushed flowers with air. Full bodied on the palate and brilliantly textured, the wine possesses notable balance, beautifully sweet, polished fruit, and a long finish that picks up a chocolatey edge. While I prefer the ’07, this is still a straight up stunning Syrah that should easily evolve and drink well for 15+ years. |
|
| Realm |
2008 |
The Bard Proprietary Blend |
$100 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 91+ (5/2011): (14.9% alcohol; 81% cabernet sauvignon with 13% petit verdot and 6% malbec): Full ruby. Reticent but pure aromas of black cherry, cassis, menthol and woodsmoke. Lush and sweet on entry, then a bit youthfully clenched in the middle, with bright acidity framing the purple fruit, chocolate and licorice flavors. In a tougher and more obviously tannic style than the Falstaff bottling and in need of at least three or four years of bottle aging. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
The Tempest Proprietary Blend |
$95 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (12/2010): The 2008 The Tempest (a blend of 50% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot) is a tribute to the Right Bank wines of Bordeaux. Its opaque purple color is followed by abundant aromas of graphite, white chocolate, blackberries and cassis. This is an extraordinarily endearing wine, already irresistible, and it should drink well for at least a decade or more. Virtually all of the grapes came from the Stagecoach Vineyard in the hills east of Oakville, with a small quantity of Petit Verdot coming from the Dr. Crane Vineyard in St. Helena. |
|
| Ridge Vineyards |
2008 |
Lytton Springs |
$55 |
5 |
|
| |
WA 93 (2/2011): Striking, intense black cherry and blackberry fruit with some spice and earth jump from the glass of the 2008 Lytton Springs, a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignan. Dark ruby with a nice tannic overlay, the wine was aged 15 months in American oak. Spicy, impressively rich, with good acids and loads of concentration, this is a beauty to drink over the next 5-7 years.
VM 92 (5/2011): Saturated ruby. Dark berries, cherry, sassafras and smoky Indian spices on the nose, with an intense vanilla quality and a hint of dried violet. Opulent, palate-coating blackberry and mulberry flavors show a spicy, oaky quality, with gentle acidity providing lift. Dusty tannins add grip to the vanilla-tinged finish, which clings impressively. I have no doubt that this wine will absorb its oak with a few years or so of bottle age. |
|
|
2008 |
Monte Bello (1.5 L) |
$450 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97+ (8/2011): The 2008 Monte Bello is striking. It is a decidedly muscular Monte Bello endowed with layers of dark fruit. Tobacco, mint, asphalt and crushed rocks develop in the glass, adding tons of complexity and finesse. A long, saline finish rounds things out beautifully. In 2008 the cold growing season stretched into October and the wine definitely has the feel of a cool vintage. The spring frost and the second year of drought conditions lowered yields significantly. Yields were just 1.25 tons per acre on average, but some of the older vineyards came in at less than 1 ton per acre. The balance of fruit, tannin and structure is simply extraordinary, but the wine needs time, most likely lots of it. In 2008 the blend is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038.
VM 95+ (11/2011): (72% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot; 13.3% alcohol): Glass-staining ruby. Powerful, pungent aromas of cherry-vanilla, cassis, candied licorice and graphite, along with a suave floral oil quality that gains strength with air. Deeply pitched dark berry flavors show a liqueur-like intensity, as well as notes of smoky Indian spices, violet and vanilla. Ripe but quite vibrant, wih superb finishing clarity and persistence. This extremely young wine makes the case that high alcohol isn't a prerequisite for intensity or power in California cabernet. Josh Raynolds.
JS 95 (5/2012): I love the nose to this wine. Aromas of currants, blackberry, flowers and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with super refined tannins and a long gorgeous finish. This is all in finesse and length. Made from 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot. Drink in 2015, or decant a couple hours before serving. |
|
| Rivers Marie |
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$79 |
6 |
|
| |
|
| Mark Ryan |
2008 |
Dead Horse Cabernet Sauvignon |
$51 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Dead Horse Red Wine |
$51 |
8 |
|
| |
| VM 92+ (12/2011): (a five-variety Bordeaux blend based on 62% cabernet sauvignon): Good deep red. Aromas of dark cherry, blueberry, minerals and pepper lifted by violet. Pliant, concentrated and sweet; lush and tactile but at the same time firmly built. Finishes with strong but integrated tannins and a serious structural underpinning. Very impressive. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Long Haul Red Mountain Red Wine |
$51 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Water Witch Klipsun Vyd. Red Wine |
$55 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2008 |
Water Witch Red Mountain Red Wine |
$55 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 92 (10/2011): The 2008 Water Witch is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 2% Malbec sourced entirely from the Klipsun Vineyard and aged in 92% French oak. Toasty oak, earthy mineral, lots of spice, violets, black currant, and blackberry aromas set the stage for a large-scaled, voluminous, structured wine with layers of savory fruit, 3-4 years of aging potential, and a lengthy finish. Its drinking window will extend from 2014 to 2023+. |
|
| Sawyer Cellars |
2008 |
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon |
$30 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Saxum |
2008 |
Bone Rock James Berry Vyd. Proprietary Blend |
$119 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (8/2011): The 2008 Bone Rock comes across as quite delicate and perfumed in its expressive bouquet. Hints of smoke, mint and tar add complexity to the dark, black fruit in this beautifully balanced wine. I find a bit more complexity and nuance in the 2008 than in the 2009. I especially like the aromatic lift and freshness here. The 2008 Bone Rock is 83% Syrah (75% whole clusters), 13% Mourvedre and 4% Grenache. The wine spent 30 months in French oak and was bottled in January 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020. |
|
|
2008 |
Booker Vyd. Proprietary Blend |
$125 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 98 (8/2010): The 2008 Booker Vineyard (92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre, which had also been bottled immediately before my visit) has an opaque purple color and a wonderfully sweet nose of black cherry, black currant, licorice, incense, and some Asian spices. The wine has seamless lushness, a voluptuous texture, stunning purity, and a very long, 40-second-plus finish. Booker is another top site that I believe was planted with Justin Smith’s help. It is a 40-acre vineyard sitting on similar limestone soils. This incredible wine would probably benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, as the structure is more present, no doubt due to the high level of Syrah in the wine. It should evolve for 10-15 more years.
VM 94 (11/2010): (syrah with a bit of mourvedre) Inky ruby. Raspberry and cherry preserves on the nose, with complicating notes of rose oil, Szechuan peppercorn and allspice. Impressively complex, sappy red berry compote flavors are given grip by a touch of cherry pit and gain sweetness with air. For such a massive wine there's uncanny energy here as well. The finish repeats the floral and spice notes and clings with superb clarity and intensity. |
|
|
2008 |
Booker Vyd. Syrah |
$119 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 98 (8/2010): The 2008 Booker Vineyard (92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre, which had also been bottled immediately before my visit) has an opaque purple color and a wonderfully sweet nose of black cherry, black currant, licorice, incense, and some Asian spices. The wine has seamless lushness, a voluptuous texture, stunning purity, and a very long, 40-second-plus finish. Booker is another top site that I believe was planted with Justin Smith’s help. It is a 40-acre vineyard sitting on similar limestone soils. This incredible wine would probably benefit from a couple of years of cellaring, as the structure is more present, no doubt due to the high level of Syrah in the wine. It should evolve for 10-15 more years.
VM 94 (12/2010): (syrah with a bit of mourvedre) Inky ruby. Raspberry and cherry preserves on the nose, with complicating notes of rose oil, Szechuan peppercorn and allspice. Impressively complex, sappy red berry compote flavors are given grip by a touch of cherry pit and gain sweetness with air. For such a massive wine there's uncanny energy here as well. The finish repeats the floral and spice notes and clings with superb clarity and intensity. |
|
|
2008 |
Broken Stones Proprietary Blend |
$109 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 94 (8/2010): The 2008 Broken Stones (79% Syrah, 13% Grenache, and the rest Mourvedre) has a bluish purple color to the rim, with the classic nose of camphor, charcoal, black currant, and blackberry with hints of licorice and smoke. This intense wine displays great fruit, some structure, and a beautifully seamless texture. It is more evolved and open than the 2007 was at the same time, and just slightly less profound. It should drink nicely for at least a decade.
VM 93 (12/2010): (79% syrah, 13% grenache and 8% mourvedre) Opaque purple. Exotic, floral and spice-accented black and blue fruits on the nose, with hints of fruitcake, vanilla and cola emerging with air. Impressively deep and powerful, offering sweet dark berry preserve and smoky spice flavors and a touch of candied violet. The extremely persistent finish is broad, sweet and penetrating, leaving smoke and spice notes behind. I like this wine's blend of depth and energy. |
|
|
2008 |
Heart Stone Vyd. Proprietary Blend |
$105 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (8/2010): The 2008 Heart Stone, a blend of 47% Syrah, 39% Grenache, and 14% Mourvedre, is very elegant but evolved and supple, with beautiful kirsch and black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, camphor, pepper, and a hint of lavender. More evolved than the 2007 was at a similar stage, but with slightly lower alcohols, its velvety tannins stand out in this rich, plush, opulent, voluptuously textured wine. Drink it over the next 7-10 years. |
|
|
2008 |
James Berry Vyd. Proprietary Blend |
$139 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 98 (8/2010): The 2008 James Berry Vineyard (52% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, and 17% Syrah) saw some of its Grenache aged in the concrete eggs that are now catching on among some of the top producers on California’s Central Coast. With strong minerality from the limestone soil, this exuberant, fleshy, full-bodied wine is already drinking well. (I believe it was actually bottled just a day or two before my visit, which makes its performance that much more remarkable.) Dense purple, with sweet notes of barbecue smoke and meats as well as roasted herbs, extravagant black cherry, black currant, and blackberry fruit are all present in this wine, but there is plenty of underlying structure that comes from both the minerality and the Mourvedre component. Pure, full-bodied, but again, impressively elegant and nuanced, this is a tour de force and another prodigious example of this extraordinary vineyard site.
VM 95+ (12/2010): (52% grenache, 31% syrah and 17% mourvedre; 15.8% alcohol) Glass-staining ruby. A drop-dead bouquet displays red and dark berry preserves, potpourri, incense and smoky minerals. Sweet, sappy and penetrating, with open-knit raspberry and blackberry flavors complemented by notes of candied rose and violet. The palate-staining finish is broad, spicy and extremely persistent. This wine is approachable now but really deserves a good five more years of age. |
|
| Schrader |
2008 |
Beckstoffer To Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$395 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 98+ (12/2010): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Schrader, which comes from Clones 4, 6 and 337, is slightly more structured and perhaps not as velvety as the CCS or RBS. Again, blue fruits, black fruits, camphor, charcoal and burning ember characteristics are presented in a full-bodied, powerful style that balances intensity with elegance and an uncanny equilibrium. This is another stunning wine that should benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and keep for 25-30+ years. |
|
|
2008 |
GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$375 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 97 (12/2010): The 2008s were bottled in early summer, 2010. From the Beckstoffer Vineyard, the opaque blue/purple-colored 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon George III Clone 337 rocks out of the glass with brilliant aromas of creme de cassis, Christmas fruitcake, cedarwood, licorice and incense. The wine is deep, full-bodied, dense and concentrated with Outstanding purity, texture and length. It is approachable now (one of the seductive characteristics of these wines) yet is capable of lasting 25 or more years. |
|
| Shafer |
2008 |
Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon |
$229 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 93+ (5/2018): Bright, full medium ruby. Extravagant, superripe aromas of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, graphite, minerals and espresso. Wonderfully plush, liqueur-like and sweet, showing a distinctly herbal quality that energizes the deep dark fruits in the middle palate. Very dense, thick wine with the stuffing to support its firm tannins. The extremely long, slowly rising finish conveys repeating notes of liqueur-like ripeness yet comes across as quite youthful, even backward. This wine should continue to evolve and harmonize with further aging. Incidentally, this bottle showed considerably more pliancy, sweetness and richness than a much tighter sample that was part of my extensive vertical tasting at the winery two years ago and I have extended my projected peak drinking range substantially as a result. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 93 (12/2014): Vanilla, toast, blackcurrants, graphite, earth and foresty notes are all present in the 2008 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. It has great fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and quite a perfumed personality, but not quite the intensity and length of its predecessor. It could be one of those troublesome pairings where this just happened to follow an out-of-this-world compelling wine. The 2008 is certainly outstanding, just not one of the all-time greats. |
|
| Sheridan Vineyard |
2008 |
Block 1 Cabernet Sauvignon |
$119 |
5 |
|
| |
| WA 98 (8/2011): The 2008 Block 1 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak for 30 months. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it reluctantly gives up a brooding bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, creme de cassis, black currants, floral notes, and earthy minerals. Dense, layered, and long, it will evolve gracefully for 6-8 years and will see in its 20th birthday in fine form. |
|
|
2008 |
Cabernet Franc |
$40 |
4 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (8/2011): The 2008 Cabernet Franc (100%) from a vintage Greer considers to be “classically structured” spent 24 months in 50% new oak. Notes of dried herbs and spices, incense, cherry blossom, cassis, and black currant inform the nose of an already complex, ripe, savory wine with an elegant personality. Velvety, layered, and long, it will evolve for 2-3 years and drink well through 2023. |
|
|
2008 |
L’Orage Proprietary Blend |
$65 |
7 |
|
| |
| WA 95 (8/2011): The 2008 L’Orage is composed of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc aged for 26 months in 50% new oak. Super-fragrant notes of clove, cinnamon, incense, violets, black currant, and blackberry are followed by a wine that deftly combines elegance and power. Concentrated, ripe, and lengthy, this nicely proportioned wine will evolve for 4-5 years and drink well through 2028. |
|
|
2008 |
Singularity Syrah |
$55 |
4 |
|
| |
| WA 98 (8/2011): The 2008 Singularity is a cuvee of 100% Syrah aged in 100% new French oak for 30 months. Room-filling aromas of smoked meat, game, lavender, foresty notes, mocha, plum, and blueberry lead to a wine of both finesse and power. Mouth-coating, rich, and already complex, it will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring and drink well through 2023. |
|
| Sine Qua Non |
2008 |
The Duel Grenache |
$379 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 97 (8/2012): Sine Qua Non’s 2008 Grenache Estate The Duel boasts extraordinary richness, power and sheer depth. Tobacco, leather, mint and spices are woven together in this large-scaled Grenache. There is plenty of intensity here, but the 2008 has just a touch less aromatic definition than the very finest wines at Sine Qua Non. I imagine some of that may be the result of extended aging in oak. The 2008 is 82% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 2% Viognier and 1% Roussanne, all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills. A portion of the Grenache was fermented using whole clusters. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.
VM 94-96 (10/2011): (includes 17% syrah, 2% viognier and 1% roussanne; all estate fruit, from the Krankls' Eleven Confessions vineyard): Glass-staining purple. Deeply pitched black and blue fruit aromas are complemented by mocha, potpourri and musky herbs. Very rich but lively as well, with intense dark berry compote, cherry-cola and spicecake flavors that show no rough edges. A sexy note of candied flowers comes up with air and carries through an extremely long, sappy, spice-accented finish. |
|
|
2008 |
The Duel Syrah Cracked Wax Capsule; Heavily Bin-Soiled Label |
$399 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (8/2013): A prodigious effort that possesses overflowing richness and depth, the 2008 Syrah The Duel (88% Syrah, 6% Grenache and 6% Viognier, all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard) delivers an off-the-hook drinking experience with decadent cassis, blackberry, smoked meats, crushed flowers and hints of spice all soaring from the glass. A full-bodied, unctuous Syrah that stays fresh and elegant, with vibrant acidity, it needs a solid decant if drinking anytime soon and will see its 20th birthday in fine form. Drink now-2028.
VM 96 (1/2015): The 2008 Syrah The Duel, from Manfred and Elaine Krankl’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard, is also impossibly young, with little in the way of flavor development. I typically enjoy the Sine Qua Non reds either upon release or around age ten, so I probably should have followed my own advice. The 2008 is beautiful, but it will clearly be even better in another few years’ time. This is one of the most reticent bottles of the 2008 I have tasted. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Snowden |
2008 |
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 92 (12/2010): A dramatic upgrade, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve exhibits aromas of creme de cassis, burning embers, licorice and smoked herbs. It ratchets up the body, concentration and depth yet possesses silky smooth tannins and a forward style. This beauty should drink well for 15+ years. |
|
| Soos Creek |
2008 |
Champoux Vyd. Proprietary Blend |
$55 |
5 |
|
| |
|
| Sparkman Cellars |
2008 |
Kingpin Cabernet Sauvignon |
$65 |
6 |
|
| |
|
| Spring Mountain Vineyard |
2008 |
Elivette Proprietary Blend Lightly Wine-Stained Label |
$110 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 88 (5/2013): (75% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 1% malbec): Good medium-dark red. Dark cherry, mocha, tobacco leaf, fresh herbs and a rather intrusive woodsmoke quality on the nose. Fine-grained in texture but with the smoky oak element currently overshadowing red and darker fruit flavors. Owing to its modest sweetness of material, the tannins turn a bit dry with air. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Stags' Leap Winery |
2008 |
Ne Cede Malis Petite Sirah |
$40 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Sterling Vineyards |
2008 |
Napa Valley Cabernet Franc |
$30 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Tenor Wines |
2008 |
1:1 Proprietary Blend |
$70 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 88+ (11/2011): Saturated ruby. Black cherry, plum, mocha and licorice on the nose. Smoky on entry, then a bit gritty in the mid-palate, with substantial tannins cutting off the wine's fruit on the end. More saline and chocolatey than primary-fruity. This will require patience. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 87 (12/2012): Morell’s 2008 1:1 – whose elevage and blend hardly differ from that of the 2009 save for 5% more Cabernet Franc – is possessed of the same bitter sort of dark berry concentration and gum-numbing tannin as that successor, suggestion that an extra year in bottle is insufficient to have any significant effect in that department. Arbor vita, juniper berry, dark tobacco, rosemary and black pepper all add to the rather somber and austere as well as piquant and pungent impression made by this big-boned blend. I guess I have to hope to be able to revisit these wines after several years in bottle (though happily the 2007 was more harmonious and expressive). |
|
|
2008 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$52 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 91 (12/2012): I’m very sympathetic to Morell’s view that Washington State wines should be taken on (and encourage perception in terms of) their own unique terms, but I certainly had a strong feeling of kinship with Bordeaux when I stuck my nose in a glass of Tenor 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon and encountered band-aid, pencil lead, cassis, olive, dark tobacco, and toasted nuts. The tannins here are so fine that despite their manifest density the effect is almost creamy; and the bittersweet elements inform a finish that while broodingly low-toned, possesses considerable primary juiciness unhindered in its flow by a regimen of 20 months in new barrel. I hope this wine is indicative of where more of the Tenor wines are headed, whether in the bottle or in future vintages.
VM 90+ (11/2011): Good medium ruby. Complex nose melds plum, currant, smoke, violet and dusty minerality. Juicy and firm, with sweetness restrained by the wine's underlying minerality. This seriously structured, very young cabernet finishes with solid tannins and rising, chocolatey persistence. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Merlot |
$52 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 89 (11/2011): Good dark ruby-red. Blackberry, licorice, minerals and violet on the lively nose. Offers lovely sweetness but also good restraint to its dark berry and dark chocolate flavors. Finishes with firm tannins and very good length. Tenor is Matthews' high-end line. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Tensley Wines |
2008 |
Colson Canyon Vyd. Syrah |
$55 |
4 |
|
| |
| WA 96 (8/2010): The 2008 Syrah Colson Canyon exhibits notes of scorched earth, smoked meats, blackberries, cassis, and flowers. The complex, northern Rhone-like bouquet is followed by the exuberant, unapologetic, ripe fruit of California. Boasting extraordinary intensity as well as abundant smoky barbecue notes, stunning, full-bodied opulence, and a powerful, layered mouthfeel, this terrific Syrah should drink well for 10-12 years. Fortunately, there are 1,650 cases available. As longtime readers know, Tensley has two wines (200 cases each) that are offered in magnum only. |
|
| Terlato Vineyards |
2008 |
Episode Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$150 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Andrew Will |
2008 |
Champoux Vyd. Proprietary Blend |
$55 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 95 (8/2011): The 2008 Champoux Vineyard is made up of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It sports an inviting bouquet of sandalwood, rose petal, Asian spices, a hint of leather, black currant, and blackberry. This is followed by a succulent, plush, pleasure-bent wine that deftly conceals enough structure to evolve for 5-7 years. It offers a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2028+.
VM 91 (11/2011): Bright ruby-red. Spicy redcurrant and nutty oak on the nose and palate. Sweet, broad and concentrated, with concentrated currant fruit given a slightly dry edge by substantial dusty tannins. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Ciel du Cheval Proprietary Blend |
$55 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 93 (8/2011): The vineyard blends begin with the 2008 Ciel du Cheval. It is composed of 36% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 32% Cabernet Franc. Alluring aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, violets, incense, black currant, and blackberry inform the nose of a spicy, layered, impeccably balanced and structured wine that will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring.
VM 93 (11/2011): (a blend of 36% merlot and 32% each cabernet sauvignon and franc): Deep red-ruby. Fresh aromas of dark berries, violet and cocoa powder, with a note of blueberries in cream emerging with air. Lovely sweet, generous berry fruit saturates the palate and carries impressively on the lively, very long finish, which hints at espresso. This broad, youthful wine is at once more structured and more friendly than the Champoux Vineyard offering. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2008 |
Two Blondes Vyd. Red Wine |
$55 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 90 (6/2013): The most evolved and ready to go of the lineup, the 2008 Two Blondes Vineyard (42% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc and 9% Malbec) is an open-knit, supple and perfumed blend that gives up notions of plum, mint and aged beef to go with a delicious, medium-bodied, supple mouthfeel. Drinking at the early stages of maturity, it should continue to evolve and drink well for another 5-8 years.
VM 89 (11/2011): Medium red. Redcurrant, strawberry and a hint of mocha on the nose. Plush, broad and spicy, with a nutty quality to the strawberry and raspberry fruit flavors. Finishes with slightly dry tannins and moderate verve. I'd drink this blend on the early side. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Woodward Canyon |
2008 |
Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) Signed Bottle |
$115 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 93 (8/2011): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series (which contains 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Syrah) has a superb pedigree with 76% of the fruit coming from the Champoux Vineyard in which the winery is a partner. It is a layered, savory, impeccably balanced effort that will continue to develop for another 3-4 years and drink well through 2023+. |
|
|
2008 |
Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) Signed Bottle |
$149 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 94 (8/2011): The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines is a full-bodied, rich, mouth-filling, heavyweight of a Cabernet that offers a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2028. |
|
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Ausone |
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!
JA 95 (4/2022): Violet edging, jewel red depths. There is austerity on the tannins here, but also great depths through the palate, with controlled but juicy loganberry and raspberry fruits, and waves of saffron, creamy red-fruit puree, crushed rock, cold ash and salt-cracker salinity. Subdued, with hidden power and complexity. A tough year for this stable of wines - or rather proof of their exceptionally high standards, making a half production of Simard, no Haut Simard, tiny amounts of Fonbel and almost certainly no Moulin St Georges. The last year that Ausone will be recorded as a Premier Grand Cru Classé A, before publication of the new ranking in September 2022. Harvest September 30 to October 6, 100% new oak. In conversion to organic farming since 2020, Philippe Baillarguet cellar master. Average vine age 55 years.
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. Cheval-Blanc |
2020 |
St. Emilion (6X750ML) 6-Bottle OWC |
$3,500 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Cheval Blanc checks in as a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was raised, as always, in 100% new French oak. As usual with Cheval Blanc, it's primarily about finesse and elegance, as well as complexity, and exhibits a deep purple hue as well as a kaleidoscopic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, spring flowers, spicy incense, loamy earth, and smoke tobacco. Absolutely flawless on the palate, it's full-bodied, has perfectly integrated oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc offers pleasure even today but warrants 7-8 years of bottle age and will see its 40th birthday in fine form.
VM 99 (2/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc is eternal, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. All the elements are so well put together. Rose petal, blood orange, raspberry jam and cinnamon all take shape in the glass. Above all else, the 2020 Cheval Blanc is a wine of mind-blowing balance. Hints of mocha, raspberry jam, pomegranate and spice emerge with time in the glass. Cheval is quite simply one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Antonio Galloni.
JA 99 (5/2021): Spice, anis, rosemary, blackcurrant leaf, redcurrants, mint and peonies - the full array of aromatics are on display here, and there is an enveloping aspect to the fruit once you get to the body of the wine. The tannins are compact and powerful but they are wrapped in plump raspberry and blackberry brambled fruits. The wine feels full of life, with acidity that pulls the palate forward from the first moment, before austerity kicks in on the finish and closes things in, suggesting an extremely long life ahead. Hard to argue with this. 71% of overall production. The driest year at Cheval Blanc for 50 years (since 1959). Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points.
WA 96 (4/2023): The 2020 Cheval Blanc wafts from the glass with aromas of mulberries, plums and cherries mingled with hints of rose petals, licorice, sweet spices and lilac. Full-bodied, broad and voluptuous, it's layered and fleshy, with a ripe core of fruit, sweet tannins and a long, expansive finish. While purists will gravitate toward the purer and more precise and perfumed 2019, the 2020 will appeal to readers who love the richest, most powerful expressions of Cheval Blanc. |
|
| Ch. Clinet |
1989 |
Pomerol |
$694 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (10/2002): One of the great modern-day Bordeaux, the 1989 Clinet still has a saturated purple color and a sweet nose of creme de cassis intermixed with incense, licorice, smoke, and mineral. As the wine sits in the glass, more blueberry and blackberry notes emerge, intermixed with some toasty oak, earth, and spice. This spectacularly concentrated, full-bodied, multi-dimensional wine is the stuff of dreams. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.
MB [*[**]] (9/1998): Three notes. First a double magnum in 1995, very tannic, very oaky but with good nose. Next in 1997 over-extracted and too tannic. Not my favourite syle of wine. More recently, deep, medium intensity, a bit smelly (tannins?0: unusual distinctive flavour, hefty, rich, raw. Its raw tannic finish tamed by spicy beef. |
|
| Ch. Conseillante |
2018 |
Pomerol |
$212.50 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 96-98+ (4/2019): The 2018 La Conseillante is a blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, with a 3.65 pH and 14% alcohol. Yields were 32 hectoliters per hectare; Merlot was harvested September 19 to October 1, and Cabernet Franc was harvested on October 4. Very deep purple-black colored, it comes charging out of the gate with energetic notes of wild blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries and warm black plums plus hints of lilacs, damp soil, cardamom and cloves with gentle wafts of cast iron pan and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with elegant black fruit and earthy layers, framed by soft, velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.
VM 95-98 (5/2019): The 2018 La Conseillante is magnificent. A wine of real vertical lift and explosiveness, the 2018 is distinguished by its spine of energy, freshness and purity of fruit. Inky blue/purplish berry fruit, mocha, lavender spice and mint develop in the glass, but it is the wine's overall sense of harmony that truly stands out. The 2018 showed tremendous vibrancy and vitality, with superb mid-palate richness and phenomenal balance all three times I tasted it. It is without question one of the wines of the vintage. The blend is 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc. This is the first vintage that includes a touch of wine aged in amphora, just 3%. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
JD 97-100 (5/2019): The 2018 Château La Conseillante checks in as a blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc brought up in 70% new French oak, with a small amount in amphora. Yields here were a light 32 hectoliters per hectare, and the 2018 is a respectable 13.5% natural alcohol. Winemaker Marielle Cazaux commented that the secret to the vintage was to be a lazy winemaker (i.e. hands off). Her 2018 boasts a saturated purple color as well as incredible purity in its blue and black fruits, spice, liquid flower, and violet-like characteristics. Full-bodied, pure and seamless on the palate as well, it’s flawlessly balanced, with building yet sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. It's going to flirt with perfection. Hats off to Marielle for another magical wine from this estate, which has quickly risen into the top echelon of estates in Bordeaux.
JS 97-98 (4/2019): This is a forceful red, showing blueberry and blackberry character with violets and light wet earth. Clarity and beauty with so much transparency and focus. Full-bodied, firm and silky with lots of white-pepper and salt undertones. |
|
| Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou |
2009 |
St. Julien ex-Chateau 2026 |
$395 |
26 |
|
| |
JD 100 (10/2023): Starting a duo of magical vintages, the 2009 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is one of those wines that always seems to deliver the goods. A normal blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that hit 13.5% natural alcohol, it has a soaring bouquet of sweet blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, minty herbs, graphite, and assorted spicy nuances. It's full-bodied, broad, expansive, and flawlessly balanced, and has still present yet sweet, fine-grained tannins. It's in a much sexier, more showy style compared to the 2010, but I suspect it will nevertheless be just about as long-lived. This is pure perfection in wine. (Drink between 2023-2098).
WA 98 (8/2020): Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou bursts from the glass with bombastic crème de cassis, black cherry compote and preserved plums notes followed by hints of menthol, hoisin, dusty soil and incense plus fragrant wafts of candied violets and baker’s chocolate. Full bodied, rich and spicy in the mouth, the palate offers a beautifully plush texture and bags of freshness, finishing long and layered. An absolute powerhouse!
VM 97 (7/2022): The 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou is a fantastic wine. Here it bursts from the glass, perhaps less Pauillac-like than previous bottles, beautifully defined with a smorgasbord of red and black fruit laced with cedar and tobacco. There is no hedonism here, just wonderful intensity and focus. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity, very poise yet powerful with a multi-layered finish that just lacquers the mouth. It probably needs another 5-6 years in bottle, but what a wine. Stunning. Tasted at the Ducru Beaucaillou vertical at the château. (Drink between 2025-2065). Neal Martin.
JS 96 (2/2012): The purity of fruit is wonderful in this, with plums, currants and hints of fresh mushrooms. Hints of cloves too. Full-bodied, with chewy, creamy tannins and a bright fresh finish. Super energy and intensity. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Better in 2018. |
|
| Ch. L' Eglise Clinet |
2022 |
Pomerol 2023 en Primeur Release |
$349.95 |
5 |
|
| |
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.
JA 98 (5/2023): Turns the intensity and exoticism of the vintage on its head, unpacking it carefully, and layering up depth and character. Grilled cedar, fleshy damson and casis fruits, this is all about carefully-considered and delivered juice and flavour. Intense, with balance and carefully-extracted juice, and the precision that you want at L'Eglise Clinet, even in such an ovewheming vintage. 85% new oak, harvest September 3 to 9. Noemie Durantou and Olivier Gautrat. |
|
| Ch. La Mission Haut Brion |
2015 |
Pessac Leognan |
$325 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (2/2018): Rose petals, sandalwood and currants with some plums and fruit tea. Full-bodied, tight and focused. Incredibly straight and minerally. Toned muscles here. Tannic. Traditional and unwavering. Try in 2024.
WA 98 (2/2018): The deep garnet-purple colored 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is a blend of 58% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Youthfully mute with bright, youthful red currants, black raspberries, cassis and freshly crushed blackberries notions, it slowly unfurls to reveal an earthy/minerally undercurrent of damp soil, charcoal, iron ore and truffles plus a waft of violets. Medium to full-bodied, decadently fruited and yet wonderfully elegant with very ripe, very silky tannins, freshness that sits well in the background and an almost electric intensity of vibrant red and black fruit flavors, it finishes long and minerally. Just. Beautiful. Consider giving it 6-7 years in bottle before broaching and drink it over the next 30+.
JD 98 (11/2017): More opulent, sexy and concentrated, the 2015 La Mission Haut Brion is a tour de force that has everything you could want from Bordeaux. A huge nose of smoke tobacco, gravelly earth, graphite, cassis, and blackcurrants gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, perfectly balanced beauty that has incredible depth of flavor and intensity, yet with no weight. While the overall impression is upfront and in your face, it has incredible elegance and length on the finish (as well as ripe tannin), and will keep for three decades.
VM 98 (7/2019): The 2015 La Mission Haut-Brion is blessed with an outstanding bouquet of brilliantly focused and delineated black fruit laced with graphite and cedar - pure class. The medium-bodied, harmonious palate delivers fine-grained tannin and impressive depth. There is a slight savory element (just like the Haut-Brion) that infuses the middle, and brown spices and sage linger on the finish. This is a profound La Mission Haut-Brion that dares surpass Haut-Brion on this showing. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Leoville Las Cases |
2022 |
St. Julien (3X750ML) 3-bottle OWC |
$900 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Looking at the Grand Vin 2022 Château Léoville Las Cases, it has an almost Pauillac-like style in its ripe, powerful aromatics of graphite, lead pencil shavings, cassis, and liquid rock-like minerality. Full-bodied, massively concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, has just about off-the-charts purity, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. This will clearly rank with the truly greats from this address and reminds me slightly of a mix of the 2016 and 2018. It is not, however, going to be for those looking for instant gratification.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 Léoville Las Cases is stunning. Fine-grained and nuanced, the 2022 Las Cases is breathtaking. Red/purplish fruit, rose petals, lavender, spice and mocha open gradually but what impresses most about the 2022 is its sublime finesse. Silky, plush and exceptionally beautiful, the 2022 Las Cases is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98-100 (5/2023): One of the wines of the vintage this year is the 2022 Léoville Las Cases, a monument in the making that combines unerring classicism with unusual sensuality and charm by the standards of this estate's sometimes youthfully forbidding wines. Exhibiting deep aromas of dark berries, violets, pencil lead, rose petals and tobacco leaf, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with terrific concentration, beautiful purity of fruit, abundant but refined tannins and a long, vibrant finish. On the several occasions that I tasted it, the 2022 was surprisingly open for a young Las Cases, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were to shut down after a few years in bottle. It's a blend of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot.
JA 97 (5/2023): Heading to Léoville Las Cases in a super ripe year is always a good idea, as the musuclar tannins are balanced by a riper mouthfeel. As quietly confident as you would expect, this is packed with depth and intensity, taking the 2022 vintage and reshaping it in the character of this St Julien powerhouse. Graphite, crushed rocks, liquorice root, cassis, bluberry, slate, saffran, smoked earth, all held in by tannins with grip and length. 3.8ph, and high alcohols for this estate, giving a seductive mouthfeel that is unusual in young Las Cases. 84% new oak, 37hl/h yield. Harvest September 8 to 30. |
|
| Ch. Leoville Poyferre |
2009 |
St. Julien |
$229 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (2/2018): The greatest wine I’ve ever tasted from this address is the 2009 Leoville Poyferre, which is a step up over both the 2000 and the 2010. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and the balance Cabernet Franc that hit 13.9% alcohol, it offers everything you could ask of a wine and reveals a saturated purple color as well as incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, lead pencil, exotic Spices, and dried flowers. Incredibly full-bodied, super concentrated, deep, and opulent, yet still pure, fresh, and lively, it has sweet tannin and a hedonistic vibe that hides its underlying structure. Drink it anytime over the coming three decades.
WA 100 (2/2012): One of the more flamboyant and sumptuous wines of the vintage, this inky/purple-colored St.-Julien reveals thrilling levels of opulence, richness and aromatic pleasures. A soaring bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, graphite and spring flowers is followed by a super-concentrated wine with silky tannins, stunning amounts of glycerin, a voluptuous, multilayered mouthfeel and nearly 14% natural alcohol. Displaying fabulous definition for such a big, plump, massive, concentrated effort, I suspect the tannin levels are high even though they are largely concealed by lavish amounts of fruit, glycerin and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.
VM 96 (3/2019): The 2009 Leoville Poyferre has an outstanding bouquet with blackberry, mint and cedar aromas, almost Pauillac in style, very dense and with plenty of horsepower. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins that frame layers of blackberry infused with graphite and white pepper. I love the symmetry and control of this Poyferre, in particular its persistent finish. This is a magnificent wine from Didier Cuvelier. Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' Ten Year On tasting. Neal Martin.
JS 95 (2/2019): Ripe and creamy but also refined and lively, this is a beautiful 2009 Medoc, the fine tannins adding a lot to the long and silky finish. The obvious bitter chocolate note will either delight you or be a touch too much. Drink or hold. |
|
|
2018 |
St. Julien |
$113 |
17 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2021): Every bit as good as the 2009, and I think better than the 2010 and 2016, the 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré is a total thrill that tops out my scale. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible, full-bodied monster of a wine that, despite massive amounts of fruit, tannins, and extract, still stays weightless and ethereal, with incredible purity. Loaded with notions of crème de cassis, spring flowers, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and cedar pencil, it's extraordinarily concentrated, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is a legendary wine in the making. Give bottles 7-8 years, a decade would be even better, and it will keep for 40-50 years. Hats off to the Cuvelier family for another extraordinary wine! (Drink between 2028-2078).
WA 97 (3/2021): A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak barriques, the 2018 Léoville Poyferré comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries, plum preserves and blackberry pie, giving way to nuances of cedar chest, unsmoked cigars, vanilla pod and sassafras, plus a waft of crushed rocks. The palate is full-bodied, rich and decadent, delivering hedonic black fruits and lots of spicy accents with a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and satisfyingly savory. This is a very impressive showing that is delicious out of the gate but has the backbone to give a good 30 years or more of pleasure.
VM 95 (9/2022): The 2018 Léoville-Poyferré performs similarly to the bottle tasted a few weeks earlier in the UK for my in-bottle round-up, although here I sense more opulence on the nose, perhaps more florality. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, broad and sensual, plummy with that beguiling symmetry on the finish. It needs several years in bottle but it will be well worth the wait. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. (Drink between 2027-2055). Neal Martin. |
|
|
2018 |
St. Julien (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$678 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2021): Every bit as good as the 2009, and I think better than the 2010 and 2016, the 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré is a total thrill that tops out my scale. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible, full-bodied monster of a wine that, despite massive amounts of fruit, tannins, and extract, still stays weightless and ethereal, with incredible purity. Loaded with notions of crème de cassis, spring flowers, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and cedar pencil, it's extraordinarily concentrated, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is a legendary wine in the making. Give bottles 7-8 years, a decade would be even better, and it will keep for 40-50 years. Hats off to the Cuvelier family for another extraordinary wine! (Drink between 2028-2078).
WA 97 (3/2021): A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new oak barriques, the 2018 Léoville Poyferré comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries, plum preserves and blackberry pie, giving way to nuances of cedar chest, unsmoked cigars, vanilla pod and sassafras, plus a waft of crushed rocks. The palate is full-bodied, rich and decadent, delivering hedonic black fruits and lots of spicy accents with a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and satisfyingly savory. This is a very impressive showing that is delicious out of the gate but has the backbone to give a good 30 years or more of pleasure.
VM 95 (9/2022): The 2018 Léoville-Poyferré performs similarly to the bottle tasted a few weeks earlier in the UK for my in-bottle round-up, although here I sense more opulence on the nose, perhaps more florality. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins, broad and sensual, plummy with that beguiling symmetry on the finish. It needs several years in bottle but it will be well worth the wait. Tasted at the Léoville-Poyferré vertical at the château with Sara Lecompte Cuvelier. (Drink between 2027-2055). Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion |
2018 |
Pessac Leognan (3X1.5L) 3-magnum OWC |
$895 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2021): The 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a rock star of a wine and is based on a unique blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Offering a deep ruby/purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, violets, damp earth, and truffle, it hits the palate with a full-bodied yet almost understated, building style that carries ripe, supple tannins, gorgeous amounts of smoky black fruits, and an endearing, layered, multi-dimensional texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. A dead ringer for a great vintage of Haut-Brion, it is far from unapproachable today yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age for the fireworks to develop and will have 50-years or more of longevity! Hats off to Guillaume Pouthier for a magical, seamless, singular beauty! (Drink between 2028-2078)
JA 98 (2/2021): A beautiful nuance of salty caramel is clear even on the nose. On the palate, the concentration and focus is immediately clear, uplifted by touches of gentle salinity. There is really a sense of place and of being itself which I always love about this wine. It's closed of course, but with an unrolling of sappy black fruits, and a freshness that gives you confidence in its future. So much pleasure to be had here, with notes of chocolate, peony and liquorice. Extremely successful, as it was en primeur. 3.62pH. 53% whole-bunch fermentation. IPT95. Harvested 13-28 September. Ageing is mostly in large oak casks, 76% new, plus 9% aged in amphorae. (Drink between 2026-2044)
VM 97 (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total knock-out, just as it was from barrel. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, Les Carmes dazzles from the very first taste. Inky red fruits, mocha, new leather, licorice, dried flowers, sage and mint envelop all the senses. Today, the 2018 appears to be slightly closed, but time brings out tons of aromatic energy and nuance. Cabernet Franc plays the leading role, unusual for this part of the region. Franc aromatics and a fair amount of whole cluster savoriness lend energy but also a feeling of richness without weight that is especially appealing. This is a masterpiece from Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier. (Drink between 2026-2048). Antonio Galloni.
WA 96+ (3/2021): The 2018 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is composed of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It was made using 52% whole cluster and has 13.75% alcohol. It was aged in 75% new oak barriques, 16% foudres and 9% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing before bursting from the glass with vibrant scents blackberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, mulberries and Black Forest cake, leading to an undercurrent of pencil lead, black truffles, cast-iron pan and charcoal with an emerging waft of violets. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate dances with red and black fruits before bursting into earth and mineral sparks. It has a sturdy frame of firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. The stem tannins lend this wine a firmness and textural interest, which should integrate further with another 5-6 years in barrel, allowing the nuances to shine through even more, then you can continue to enjoy its slow evolution for a further 30+ years. |
|
| Ch. Montrose |
2018 |
St. Estephe |
$189 |
6 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2021): A full-bodied powerhouse as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Montrose is a final blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. Boasting a deep purple hue as well as awesome levels of crème de cassis and smoky blackberry fruits and notes of tobacco, lead pencil, scorched earth, and chocolate, it's deep, opulent, and incredibly concentrated on the palate, with no shortage of mid-palate depth, tannins, or length. It reminds me a little of a fresher version of the 2003, although there's more Cabernet Sauvignon in 2018 as well as less Merlot. It has that classic Montrose minerality and backward, mineral-laced style, yet I suspect this will be drinkable in just 5-6 years and should evolve into a modern-day legend from this terroir. (Drink between 2027-2077)
VM 97 (3/2021): The 2018 Montrose is dazzling. Whereas so many 2018s are opulent and broad, Montrose is a wine of vertical explosive power. Ripe Cabernet aromatics soar out of the glass, making a strong first impression. Black cherry, leather, licorice, graphite and menthol develop later as the 2018 starts to open in the glass. The energy, vibrancy and drive here are palpable right out of the gate. Montrose is one of real stars of 2018. Don't miss it! (Drink between 2028-2058). Antonio Galloni.
JA 96 (6/2021): Silky, young, clear spice notes, more so than in any other vintage in the lineup except for the 2003. Plenty of stuffing through the palate, with blueberry, cassis, hawthorn, tumeric, saffron but also caramel and black chocolate flavours. It's beautiful, well balanced, with intent and poise, and very clearly a wine that will go the distance. Having said that, it's the only wine in the lineup when I even think about the alcohol, suggesting there is a trace of heat, and certainly you feel the sunshine of the year in a way that you rarely do in Montrose - this takes it down for me from my initial En Primeur score. Harvest September 17 to October 5.
WA 95+ (12/2023): A hulking monster of power and extraction, the 2018 Montrose offers up rich aromas of mulberries, cherries, dark chocolate and violets. Full-bodied, broad and ample, with a textural attack that segues into a sweet core of fruit framed by ripe but chewy tannins, it's a muscular, dense Montrose with structure to burn, concluding with a lingering, floral finish. While its over 14.5% alcohol is impressively well integrated, Médoc purists will want to gravitate toward the 2016 rather than the 2018. |
|
|
2018 |
St. Estephe (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$1,134 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (3/2021): A full-bodied powerhouse as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Montrose is a final blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. Boasting a deep purple hue as well as awesome levels of crème de cassis and smoky blackberry fruits and notes of tobacco, lead pencil, scorched earth, and chocolate, it's deep, opulent, and incredibly concentrated on the palate, with no shortage of mid-palate depth, tannins, or length. It reminds me a little of a fresher version of the 2003, although there's more Cabernet Sauvignon in 2018 as well as less Merlot. It has that classic Montrose minerality and backward, mineral-laced style, yet I suspect this will be drinkable in just 5-6 years and should evolve into a modern-day legend from this terroir. (Drink between 2027-2077)
VM 97 (3/2021): The 2018 Montrose is dazzling. Whereas so many 2018s are opulent and broad, Montrose is a wine of vertical explosive power. Ripe Cabernet aromatics soar out of the glass, making a strong first impression. Black cherry, leather, licorice, graphite and menthol develop later as the 2018 starts to open in the glass. The energy, vibrancy and drive here are palpable right out of the gate. Montrose is one of real stars of 2018. Don't miss it! (Drink between 2028-2058). Antonio Galloni.
JA 96 (6/2021): Silky, young, clear spice notes, more so than in any other vintage in the lineup except for the 2003. Plenty of stuffing through the palate, with blueberry, cassis, hawthorn, tumeric, saffron but also caramel and black chocolate flavours. It's beautiful, well balanced, with intent and poise, and very clearly a wine that will go the distance. Having said that, it's the only wine in the lineup when I even think about the alcohol, suggesting there is a trace of heat, and certainly you feel the sunshine of the year in a way that you rarely do in Montrose - this takes it down for me from my initial En Primeur score. Harvest September 17 to October 5.
WA 95+ (12/2023): A hulking monster of power and extraction, the 2018 Montrose offers up rich aromas of mulberries, cherries, dark chocolate and violets. Full-bodied, broad and ample, with a textural attack that segues into a sweet core of fruit framed by ripe but chewy tannins, it's a muscular, dense Montrose with structure to burn, concluding with a lingering, floral finish. While its over 14.5% alcohol is impressively well integrated, Médoc purists will want to gravitate toward the 2016 rather than the 2018. |
|
|
2020 |
St. Estephe |
$205 |
10 |
|
| |
WA 100 (12/2023): Surpassing the 2019 and rivaling the 2016 as this estate's finest vintage of the last few decades, the 2020 Montrose is a monument in the making. Wafting from the glass with aromas of violets, dark berries, licorice, loamy soil, black truffle and subtle spices, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with a seamless, elegantly muscular profile, terrific purity and energy, beautifully powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. It checks in at 13.7% alcohol, the same as the superb 2009, but it is even deeper, more vibrant and more complex than the 2009.
JD 98+ (3/2023): The Grand Vin 2020 Château Montrose is brilliant and unquestionably in the lineup of the truly greats from this château, including the 1989, 1990, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2019. With an IPT of 80 and a natural alcohol of 13.4%, its deep, saturated purple hue is followed by quintessential Saint-Estèphe notes of pure cassis, graphite, tobacco leaf, acacia flowers, and loamy earth. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless stays incredibly pure, elegant, and seamless, with perfectly ripe tannins. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, is shines even today for its purity and balance, and it should be in the early stages of its prime drink window within a decade. (Drink between 2031-2081).
VM 97 (11/2024): The 2020 Montrose has a gorgeous bouquet with black cherries, raspberry coulis, crushed stone and floral scents. It's quite decadent yet nicely controlled. The palate is very structured with layers of blackberry and bilberry fruit and a touch of white pepper, building toward a spicy and very persistent, almost burly finish. This will need serious cellaring. Outstanding. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Drink between 2032-2065). Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Mouton-Rothschild |
2022 |
Pauillac (1.5 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$1,425 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (2/2025): Bottled in June of 2024, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild checks in as classic blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that was raised all in new barrels. Incredibly concentrated yet light on its feet and graceful, this inky-hued beauty has sensational notes of cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and chocolate that are to die for. It shows the ripe, opulent style of the vintage yet brings sensational purity, loads of tannins, and a gorgeous finish. For the tech geeks out there, this hit 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.86, and an IPT (tannins) of 76. It has the depth of fruit and texture to offer incredible pleasure even today, yet it deserves a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 50-60 years. It reminds me of a mix of the 2009 and 2010. (Drink between 2035-2095).
JA 99 (2/2024): Inky colour, cassis, cocoa bean, cocoa dusting, crushed rose petals, juice, pep, focus and crystalline character, a serious wine that will power for decades, intense and concentrated but with an oyster shell minerality, delicious quality. A great example of how brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon can be in this part of the world, and why it sets the benchmark globally. This is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy director. 49% of production in the Grand Vin, 27% Petit Mouton. 100% new barrels for ageing, harvest September 1 to 26.
Decanter 99 (1/2025): Spicy liquorice, bitter chocolate, tobacco, cigar, and aniseed on the nose. Round and bright, with juicy, delicate fruit and velvety tannins. Super concentrated yet graceful, layering ripeness, freshness, and stoniness. Controlled power - soft in texture but packed with Cabernet structure. Starts juicy and creamy, then surges with depth and length. Sweet black fruit meets cool, steely minerality, giving complexity and definition. Black liquorice on a sticky finish. Bold for Mouton but outstanding, this is going to deliver for decades. 3.68pH. Ageing 100% new oak. (Drink between 2031-2050).
VM 98 (3/2026): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild has a very expressive, floral bouquet that suggests Margaux, with fabulous delineation and focus. It just seems to billow from the glass. The palate is velvety smooth, with fine acidity and a touch of graphite infusing the black fruit. Restrained and, paradoxically, intense on the finish, this lingers wonderfully in the glass. Deeply impressive. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London. (Drink between 2030-2070). Neal Martin.
WA 97 (3/2025): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is one of the most muscular, almost brutally powerful wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries, plums and sweet crème de cassis mingled with notions of espresso roast, pencil lead and petroleum jelly, it's full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with huge reserves of tannin and fruit. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that represents 49% of the estate's production, this is a prodigious Mouton that's built for the cellar. |
|
| Ch. Tertre Roteboeuf |
2016 |
St. Emilion |
$225 |
13 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2019): The 2016 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is flat-out stunning and also one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2016 possesses remarkable depth and intensity from the very first taste. The 2016 is exotic, full-throttle and unapologetically hedonistic. At times, Tertre-Rôteboeuf can be a bit rough around the edges, but the 2016 is totally sublime. In a world in which so many wines are copycats, Tertre-Rôteboeuf is an original. And the 2016 is a great, emotionally moving Tertre-Rôteboeuf. This is a magnificent effort from François and Nina Mitjavile. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-98 (4/2017): The 2016 Le Tertre Roteboeuf is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc cropped at 35 hectoliters per hectare between 14-18 October. This year I was hosted by François' daughter Nina Mitjavile, who has been working alongside her father for several years. It has a wonderful bouquet, very pure and fresh. I anticipated that François Mitjavile might have been tempted to pick a little later like others, but it was an assiduous decision to have the fruit in the vat by the 18 October and lock in that freshness. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannin, extremely well judged acidity, the new oak present at the moment but in proportion with the fruit. This is a stylish Le Tertre-Rôteboeuf, very sensual and luxuriant with layers of crushed strawberry, blood oranges and raspberry fruit. In a word...irresistible. |
|
|
2016 |
St. Emilion (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$1,350 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2019): The 2016 Tertre-Rôteboeuf is flat-out stunning and also one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2016 possesses remarkable depth and intensity from the very first taste. The 2016 is exotic, full-throttle and unapologetically hedonistic. At times, Tertre-Rôteboeuf can be a bit rough around the edges, but the 2016 is totally sublime. In a world in which so many wines are copycats, Tertre-Rôteboeuf is an original. And the 2016 is a great, emotionally moving Tertre-Rôteboeuf. This is a magnificent effort from François and Nina Mitjavile. Don't miss it! Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-98 (4/2017): The 2016 Le Tertre Roteboeuf is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc cropped at 35 hectoliters per hectare between 14-18 October. This year I was hosted by François' daughter Nina Mitjavile, who has been working alongside her father for several years. It has a wonderful bouquet, very pure and fresh. I anticipated that François Mitjavile might have been tempted to pick a little later like others, but it was an assiduous decision to have the fruit in the vat by the 18 October and lock in that freshness. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannin, extremely well judged acidity, the new oak present at the moment but in proportion with the fruit. This is a stylish Le Tertre-Rôteboeuf, very sensual and luxuriant with layers of crushed strawberry, blood oranges and raspberry fruit. In a word...irresistible. |
|
| Domaine de Chevalier |
2018 |
Pessac Leognan (3X1.5L) 3-Magnum OWC |
$555 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 94-96+ (4/2019): This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot to be aged for approximately 18 months in oak barriques, 35% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier starts a little closed before bounding out of the glass with bold expressions of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, black raspberries and fragrant earth plus nuances of lilacs, Sichuan pepper and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate maintains elegance and sophistication, with a lovely ripe, finely grained frame and plenty of freshness to back up the floral and black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed.
VM 94-97 (5/2019): The 2018 Domaine de Chevalier is magnificent. Bright, lifted and wonderfully nuanced, the 2018 has so much to offer. Olivier Bernard turned out a dazzling Domaine de Chevalier in 2018 that speaks to precision and nuance above all else. Rose petal, mint, savory herbs and crushed rocks add striking aromatic top notes to this stunning, breathtakingly beautiful wine. The tannins need time to soften, but I doubt readers will be in a rush. The 2018 is simply majestic - that's all there is to it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98 (5/2019): Possibly one of the finest wines ever to come from the Bernard family’s flagship estate near Leognan, the 2018 Domaine de Chevalier checks in as a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot that hit 13.5% alcohol and will spend 18 months in just 35% new French oak. Its saturated purple/plum color is followed by a mammoth bouquet of cassis, black currants, gravelly earth, smoked herbs, and tobacco. Full-bodied, deep, brilliantly balanced, and seriously concentrated, it has polished tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s a heavenly Graves that will keep for 30+ years.
JS 99-100 (4/2019): Wow. I can’t get over the pureness of fruit in this wine with so much currant, tar and wet-earth character. Flowers, too. So aromatic. Full body, yet pureness and brightness of fruit. Layered. Incredible depth and beauty. 65 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 30 per cent merlot and 5 per cent petit verdot. Greatest ever? |
|
| Vieux Chateau Certan |
2018 |
Pomerol (6X750ML) 6-bottle OWC |
$1,650 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 99 (3/2021): The flagship 2018 Vieux Château Certan is based on 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc and was brought up in (I suspect) roughly 50% new French oak. It tips the scale at 14.5% natural alcohol, which is the same as the 2010 (slightly higher than the 2009) and has a pH of 3.78, which is also very close to the 2010. This rock star of a Pomerol offers a kaleidoscopic array of red, black, and blue fruits, white truffle, spring flowers, tobacco, and crushed rock-like minerality on the nose. It has perfectly integrated oak, gorgeous concentration, building yet ultra-fine tannins, and not a hard edge to be found. I was able to follow this bottle for multiple days, and the large Cabernet Franc component became more and dominant, yet it never truly shut down and was always a joy to drink. Nevertheless, a good 7-8 years of bottle age are warranted, and it should evolve for 30-40 years in cold cellars. Again, the Thienpont family produces a heavenly wine that wine lovers should all have in their cellar. Along with Petrus, Conseillante, Lafleur, and a handful of others, it's one of the appellation's most singular wines.
WA 97-100 (4/2019): The 2018 Vieux Château Certan is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Yields were 40 hectoliters per hectare. The wine has a pH of 3.78, 14.4% alcohol and an IPT (total polyphenol index) of 77. Medium to deep garnet-purple—it has a very vibrant color—it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with wonderfully intense, beautifully delineated scents of red roses, black raspberries, kirsch and Darjeeling tea before the powerful, profound black fruits kick in: baked plums, wild blueberries, molten licorice and mulberries with touches of cigar box, cinnamon stick, tapenade and truffles. Full-bodied, rich, densely packed and revealing layer upon layer of red and black fruits with an incredible array of floral and spicy sparks, it has a high level of super ripe, incredibly fine, velvety soft tannins and fantastic freshness (not just from acid but from bright, crunchy fruit). It finishes very long, marvelously layered and with such jaw-dropping brightness from the fruit, the end is almost electric. Incredible.
VM 94-97 (5/2019): The 2018 Vieux Château Certan is a very pretty wine built more on elegance, finesse and aromatic nuance. Relative to the recent past, the 2018 shows a much more mid-weight structure and less of the creaminess of either 2015 or 2016. Much of that is attributable to a blend that includes 30% Cabernet Franc. Lavender, rose petal, mint and blueberry fruit all grace the 2018. Far from an obvious wine, the 2018 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, as it is a wine of total understatement and class. Fine beads of tannin support the understated finish. In 2018, VCC is a wine of refinement and subtlety more than anything else. I don't see the same visceral thrill as in a number of vintages of the recent past. Perhaps that will come in bottle. Antonio Galloni.
JS 99-100 (4/2019): This is a significant VCC with masses of fruit and juicy tannins. It’s fresh, but impresses you with the rich and powerful fruit. A tower of a wine. Incredible depth and density. Thick and muscular. It is 30 per cent cabernet franc, the rest merlot. |
|
| | Bordeaux White |
| Ch. d' Yquem |
2001 |
Sauternes (1.5 L) |
$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. |
|
| | Rhone Red |
| Ch. de Beaucastel |
2007 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin |
$525 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (10/2009): No Hommage a Jacques Perrin was made in 2008, but the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is an utterly perfect wine. Composed of 60% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah, and the rest Counoise and Grenache, this prodigious effort boasts an inky/blue/purple color to the rim in addition to an exceptional bouquet of camphor, roasted meats, blueberries, black cherries, black currants, truffles, beef blood, pepper, and incense. The sumptuous aromatics are followed by a wine of compelling intensity, full-bodied power, perfect balance, laser-like focus, and a finish that lasts more than a minute. The 2007's texture reminds me of the 1998 Jacques Perrin, and the freshness of the fruit and explosive aromatics are to die for. There are only 500 cases of this legend in the making, but for those lucky enough to find any, it will last for 40-60 years.
VM 97 (2/2010): Opaque ruby color. Remarkably complex bouquet of dark berry compote, potpourri, sandalwood, smoked meat and licorice, complemented by a smoky mineral overtone. Broad, palate-coating dark fruit flavors pick up notes of candied flowers and licorice with air and show a pungent Indian spice character. Becomes more floral with air and leaves sweet cherry and floral pastille notes behind. I'd buy all of this that I could afford. |
|
| Jean-Louis Chave |
2015 |
Hermitage |
$495 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (4/2018): Not yet bottled, the 2015 Hermitage has perfection written all over it and reminds me of the 2010. Graphite, charcoal, liquid rock, and sensationally pure crème de cassis notes all soar from the glass of this full-bodied, concentrated, opulent 2015. This is a big, sexy beast of a Hermitage, yet it has the classic minerality, purity, and balance shown by just about every wine made from this estate. Forget bottles for 4-5 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 4-5 decades.
WA 98-100 (12/2017): After tasting several intermediate blends that will ultimately be combined in some proportion to create the 2015 Hermitage, I would not be surprised to see the final result achieve perfection. Although massively ripe and concentrated, there is still a feeling of balance and elegance in the wines that I fully expect to carry over into the final product. As the blending process isn’t complete, Jean-Louis warned that it was too early to say if there would be a Cuvee Cathelin, which is typically an Outstanding parcel that, for some reason, doesn’t work in the rest of the blend.
VM 97 (4/2018): Youthful purple color. Mineral-accented dark berries, star anise, cola, olive and pungent flowers on the explosively perfumed nose. Offers impressively concentrated, expansive flavors of black raspberry, spicecake, smoked meat and candied flowers that are complicated by licorice candy and dark chocolate notes that sneak in on the back half. Sweet, sappy and precise on the floral- and dark fruit-driven finish, which shows Outstanding clarity and round, harmonious tannins that build smoothly and steadily. Josh Raynolds. |
|
|
2018 |
Hermitage |
$359 |
10 |
|
| |
JD 100 (12/2022): I was blown away by the 2018 Hermitage from barrel, and it unquestionably doesn't disappoint from bottle. Reminding me slightly of the 2009, it possesses off-the-charts richness and depth, but like all great wines, stays pure, balanced, and light on its feel. Extraordinary notes of cassis, blue fruits, graphite, violets, and flowers define the bouquet, and this full-bodied, layered, multi-dimensional beauty has ripe tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is pure Hermitage magic. Given its extravagant richness and texture, it should be relatively accessible in just a handful of years yet evolve for three decades or more. (Drink between 2025-2050).
WA 99 (1/2022): Chave's 2018 Hermitage is another in a long list of legends to emerge from this meticulously run estate. Showing remarkably complex aromas of pressed violets, ground cloves and cracked peppercorns against a backdrop of cassis, blueberries and licorice, it's a super effort. Full-bodied, concentrated, rich and velvety in feel, it's seamless and long—just the complete package in a wine that's surprisingly approachable, yet should prove capable of aging effortlessly for two decades or more.
VM 97 (12/2022): Opaque ruby. Powerful, smoke- and spice-accented black and blue fruit, exotic spice, olive, cured tobacco, cured bacon and violet aromas show superb clarity and a bright mineral top note. Deeply concentrated and broad on the palate, offering sappy, alluringly sweet cherry, blackcurrant, fruitcake, salty olive and violet pastille flavors plus hints of licorice and allspice. The wonderfully long, penetrating finish features resonating mineral, spice and floral notes and chewy tannins that build steadily. (Drink between 2029-2041). Josh Raynolds. |
|
| | Germany |
| Weingut Hermann Donnhoff |
2019 |
Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese (1.5 L) |
$149 |
1 |
|
| |
| JS 100 (8/2020): All of nature's springtime joy and the epitome of autumnal ripeness somehow combine with summer-morning dew to offer one of the greatest off-dry German wines made in modern times. Breathtaking finish, so wonderfully light and filigree. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold. |
|
| | Madeira & Sherry |
| Bodegas Toro Albala |
1946 |
Don P.X. Convento Seleccion Pedro Ximenez |
$500 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (8/2013): The 1946 Don PX Convento Seleccion produced with Pedro Ximenez grapes dehydrated under the sun at the time of the Second World War, was only bottled in September 2011. This is an extreme wine, my first descriptor was ultra-mega-super concentrated. It is unbelievably powerful, both in the nose and the palate, full of umami, with sweet cinnamon, Christmas cake, camphor, petrol, lemongrass, Belgian chocolate and butter. Incredibly complex and rich, sweet, balanced and smooth in the palate, it is both very sweet and somehow salty, and with time it develops a black olive note. It combines the texture of the 1962 and the elegance of the 1949. It is as decadent as it gets. 825 bottles were produced. This wine will survive all of us. These wines are kept for generations and offered in very small quantities, but it’s amazing that you can still buy and drink something so old, and I’m even tempted to say that it might represent good value for what it is. A real tour de force sweet wine. Drink it if you ever have the privilege to do so from 2013-2060. |
|
| | USA Red |
| Abreu |
2010 |
Howell Mountain Red Wine |
$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. |
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|
2013 |
Thorevilos Red Wine 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. |
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|
2013 |
Thorevilos Red Wine Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$739 |
1 |
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| |
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. |
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| Alban Vineyards |
2012 |
Pandora Proprietary Blend Lightly Scuffed Label |
$259 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (8/2016): A perfect wine any way you look at it, the utterly profound 2012 Pandora is 100% Grenache that was brought up all in barrel. Massively concentrated and textured, yet ethereal and nuanced, it offers a huge bouquet of black currants, licorice, smoked herbs, chocolate and toasted spice. Bravo to the team at Alban for this incredible, full-bodied, seamless beauty that's easily one of the greatest wines I've tasted from California. |
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|
2006 |
Reva Alban Estate Syrah |
$200 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (8/2010): The 2006 Syrah Reva, coming from parcels of dark, volcanic soil, has off-the-chart richness and intensity. This thick, opaque-purple colored wine offers up notes of scorched earth, ground pepper, and blackberry liqueur intermixed with cassis, licorice, camphor, and tar. The wine is spectacular in every sense. Full-bodied and certainly not for wimps, this is a remarkably concentrated yet very nuanced and intense wine that should age for 20 more years.
JD 98 (11/2010): Truly extraordinary, the 2006 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard is a jaw dropping Syrah, sporting rich, full aromatics of smoky dark fruits, steak tartare, tapenade, and licorice. These carry over to the palate where the wine is perfectly built, possessing awesome concentration, solid, almost burly structure, and a phenomenal texture that coats the palate, but at the same time, stays light, fresh, and clean. I’m a huge fan, and while delicious now, I’ve no doubt this will continue to drink well for 15 to 20 years.
VM 94+ (11/2010): Glass-staining purple. Blackberry, boysenberry and licorice pastille on the nose, with mounting spice and floral notes and a strong wallop of cracked pepper. Deeply pitched black and blue fruit flavors expand with air and pick up strong spicecake and candied flower notes, along with velvety tannins. More backward than the Lorraine today, and showing a darker profile. The finish completely stains the palate and lingers with intense floral and spicy persistence. This is still a baby. Josh Raynolds. |
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| Araujo Estate |
2002 |
Eisele Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$312 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98-100 (2/2005): A sleeper selection, it is by no means a second wine in the pejorative sense of the word. A potential candidate for perfection is the exquisite 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. A 1,650-case blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot made from extremely low yields, it boasts superb intensity, flavor, elegance, and nobility in addition to a marvelously complex nose of minerals, licorice, cedar, creme de cassis, vanilla, and spice. Exceptionally rich, nuanced, and precise, it is a magnificent expression of Cabernet Sauvignon that offers the elegance of a Bordeaux with the power and potency of Napa Valley Cabernet. A tour de force, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for up to two decades.
VM 95 (6/2005): (includes 2.6% cabernet franc and 1.6% petit verdot) Good saturated ruby-red. Superripe, complex, slightly roasted nose combines black raspberry, dark chocolate, smoked meat, maple syrup, toffee, tobacco and licorice. Dense and aromatic in the mouth, with compelling sweetness and suavity of texture. Wonderfully opulent and seamless red wine. This finishes with huge but utterly fine tannins and lush, lingering flavor. |
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| Bevan Cellars |
2018 |
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$360 |
2 |
|
| |
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! |
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|
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! |
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|
2015 |
Sugarloaf Mountain Proprietary Blend |
$215 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 100 (12/2017): Another perfect wine from Bevan is the 2015 Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Proprietary Red Wine and it’s a Cheval Blanc-like blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot brought up all in French oak. This huge, full-bodied, opulent 2015 carries itself like a ballerina and is elegant, weightless and even graceful, with remarkable purity of fruit. Currants, Blueberries, liquid violets, Asian spices and a distinct minerality all emerge from the glass and it has both incredible complexity and richness. Bravo! (Drink between 2018-2038).
WA 98 (2/2021): Sugarloaf is a cooler site in south Napa, above a quarry. It usually allows for a longer hang time, often lending a minty or herbal lift to this label. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain has a powerful nose of black raspberries, black and red plums and warm cassis with hints of tar, eucalyptus, bay leaves and pencil lead with a waft of cedar. The palate is full-bodied with opulent fragrant earth notes and seducing black berry layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing very long and perfumed. Stunning! |
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|
2018 |
Tench Vyd. The Calixtro Cabernet Sauvignon |
$275 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): Pure perfection, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard The Calixtro is a vineyard selection from a great site just beside the winery, on the east side of Oakville. Offering a decadent, full-bodied, concentrated style as well as lots of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, spice, and an almost bloody, iron-like character, it’s a heavenly Cabernet that delivers both intellectual and hedonistic pleasure in spades. It already offers pleasure yet should keep for 20+ years. (Drink between 2021-2043.)
WA 99 (2/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard The Calixtro was aged for 19 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it's a little closed at this youthful stage, revealing glimpses at warm cassis, boysenberries and plum preserves scents with hints of charcoal, espresso, tapenade and violets. Full-bodied and rich, with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, it finishes very long and minerally. Only 109 cases were produced. Those lucky enough to secure a few bottles will want to put them away for at least 4-5 years and drink them over the next 25+ years.
VM 97 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard The Calixtro emerges from Block 1B, which is home to some of the best dirt on the site. A stunning range of mineral and savory inflections races out of the glass, adding layers of complexity to the intense dark fruit. This is far from an easygoing 2018. Readers should plan on cellaring it for at least a few years. (Drink between 2023-2033.) |
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| Carter Cellars |
2016 |
The G.T.O. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$895 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (10/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon The G T O is very deep purple-black in color. Bam! Out of the gate it produces an incredibly alluring nose of freshly crushed black cherries, blackberry compote, blackcurrant cordial and licorice with nuances of violets, fertile loam, black truffles, unsmoked cigars and a waft of beef drippings. Big, full-bodied and powerful in the mouth—without the least bit of heaviness—the palate gives an awe-inspiring array of earth, black fruit preserves and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing epically long and with fantastic freshness. This is To Kalon giving its all! |
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| Colgin |
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. |
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2021 |
Tychson Hill Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$550 |
4 |
|
| |
| 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. |
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| Diamond Creek |
2013 |
Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon |
$425 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (12/2016): From the biggest of the three vineyards, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill comes from pure volcanic, iron-rich, rocky white tufa of volcanic origin. Marginally speaking, this is bluer and blacker than the Red Rock Terrace or Gravelly Meadow. A tour de force of perfection, this wine offers up crème de cassis, blueberry liqueur, licorice, earth, truffle and graphite. It displays spectacular richness, magnificent balance and texture, and a long, incredibly pure finish of close to a minute. This remarkable, full-bodied elixir should drink beautifully for another 30+ years, if not longer.
VM 97+ (12/2016): The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill presents a stunning interplay of ripe, inky fruit and structure. Dazzling from the first impression, the Volcanic Hill exudes richness, with copious amounts of inky blue/purplish fruit, violet, licorice and graphite. This stunning, captivating Cabernet has the potential to offer truly thrilling drinking for a number of decades. The vibrant, salivating finish is a thing of beauty. This south-facing site is the first to be harvested. Antonio Galloni.
JS 96 (5/2016): Lots of blackberries, plums and cherries on the nose. Full body, ultra-velvety tannins and a long, long finish. A broad and layered red with refined textures. Very long. Juicy. Riper than the Red Rock and Gravelly Meadow. Better in 2019. 608 cases made. |
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| Dominus |
1991 |
Proprietary Blend ex-Domaine |
$795 |
6 |
|
| |
WA 99 (6/1995): As for the 1991, 6,500 cases were produced of this potentially perfect wine. While this vintage of Dominus contains no Merlot in the blend, every time I taste it I am reminded of a great vintage of Petrus such as 1982, 1989 or 1990. Although different, the 1991 Dominus possesses extraordinary intensity, remarkable opulence, and amazing fruit extraction, all welded to a full-bodied structure. The wine's sensational purity and inner-core of depth must be tasted to be believed. The 1991 will be approachable young because of its sweet tannin, yet it exhibits the potential to last for 25 years. Perhaps 1994 will rival it, but for now, the 1991 is unquestionably the greatest Dominus, as well as a potential legend in the making.
VM 96 (11/2022): This 1991 Dominus was poured blind in Meursault and had me guessing Right Bank, perchance Cheval Blanc! Showing light signs of bricking on the rim, the bouquet unfurls gracefully with melted red fruit, cooked meat, ash and very subtle hints of hung game, all exquisitely defined. Mercurial in the glass, the aromatics seem to broaden out. The palate is beautifully balanced, with a perfect marriage of acidity, fruit concentration and harmony—a wine at that liminal point between primary and secondary phases. Quite savory, I suspected there was more Cabernet Franc in the blend than there actually is (around 10%, to the best of my knowledge). Red fruit, cigar box, touches of rosemary and sage open on long and sensual finish. With one foot in Bordeaux and the other in Napa, the 1991 captures the best of both and is at its absolute peak now. (Drink between 2022-2040). Neal Martin.
Decanter 100 (11/2019): One of the first Napa wines that I fell in love with and still going strong at almost 30 years old, with a good long while ahead of it still. This is delicate yet powerful, a wine that just gets better and better in the glass, showing off the black truffle and undergrowth flavours of a fully mature wine with melted tannins, leather, saffron and rich blackberries. It’s intense and balanced, still opulent and sexy. 40% new oak. Harvest in 1991 was October 6 to 18, but even so they harvested a little earlier in those days than they do today. Dominus is in the Yountville AVA (which was granted in 1999) but in 1991 still Napa Valley AVA. (Drink between 2019-2040) |
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| Kinsman Eades |
2021 |
Kaannos Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon |
$475 |
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. |
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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? |
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| Lokoya |
2014 |
Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon |
$349 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (12/2017): The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is beautifully complete, with a layered, multi-dimensional, elegant profile that's more structured than the Diamond Mountain, yet more seamless and approachable than the Howell Mountain. Crème de cassis, Asian spice, smoked earth, incense and sandalwood note all flow to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that has no hard edges, ultra-fine tannin, incredibly purity of fruit and a great finish. As with all these 2014s, it's not about huge richness and opulence and more about purity, nuance and balance. It's a damn near perfect wine that will only get better with 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for three to four decades. Made by winemaker Chris Carpenter and focusing all on Mountain terroirs, I find the wines from Lokoya to be some of the most compelling, singular, and awesome wines made in the Valley. Unfortunately, the prices are ridiculous and beyond the means of most, myself included. (Drink between 2022-2062)
WA 99 (10/2016): Usually my favorite in many vintages, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is the most backward of the 2014s and actually seems to require 4-5 years of bottle age. The wine has the telltale signs of Mt. Veeder – blackberry and blueberry fruit infused with considerable floral nuances. This wine has all that, then hits the palate with a cascade of glycerin, fruit extraction, and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is full-bodied and opulent, but finishes with some structure and ripe tannin. This is a magnificent wine – full-throttle, extremely pure, and incredibly well-balanced. Give it 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades.
VM 93 (12/2016): The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is a dense, tightly wound wine. Bright red cherry, iron, pomegranate, chalk, mint and white pepper abound. Deep and layered, in the medium-bodied style of the year, the 2014 exudes Veeder personality and tension. The mid-palate needs time to develop, but this is another highly expressive wine from Lokoya. There is plenty of punch and mountain intensity here. Veeder Peak is the fruit source. (Drink between 2019-2034). Antonio Galloni. |
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| MacDonald |
2016 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$916.66 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2019): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is largely cut from the same cloth yet has just a touch more purity and elegance without sacrificing depth or richness. Just a magical wine any way you look at it, this deep purple-colored beauty reveals a heavenly bouquet of crème de cassis, camphor, purple iris, and violets. It’s full-bodied and massive, yet still just dances across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. While it’s already hard to resist today (and don’t feel bad for drinking a bottle), it has the purity, balance, and structure to keep for 3-4 decades. Hats off to the brothers Alex and Graeme MacDonald for this legendary wine.
VM 97+ (12/2018): I am every bit as enthusiastic about MacDonald's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon today as I was last year, when I tasted it from barrel. So many 2016s are silky and open-knit, but the 2016 here is unusually tightly wound and reticent. Gravel, crème de cassis, bittersweet chocolate, spice, lavender and menthol develop in the glass over time. The 2016 does not have a lot of the charm of so many wines, but that is probably a good thing for its long-term prospects. Today, the 2016 reminds me most of the 2014 because of its mid-weight structure and sinewy tannins. Time in the glass brings out a more red-toned and floral profile, but the 2016 is not going to be anywhere ready to drink for a number of years. The only question is how many. Readers who can find the 2016 should not hesitate, as it is superb. Antonio Galloni. |
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| Maybach |
2019 |
Materium Cabernet Sauvignon |
$319 |
3 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (12/2021): If you can believe it, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Materium might be even better, and this beauty tops out my scale. An incredible array of red, blue, and black fruits as well as unsmoked tobacco, iron, hazelnut, and toasty oak all emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, ultra-fine, building texture, perfect tannins, and a huge finish. This pure Napa Valley magic is going to benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and drink brilliantly for another 20-30 years. If this doesn't do it for you, I'd avoid Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon! |
|
| Next of Kyn |
2017 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 11 Proprietary Blend |
$275 |
4 |
|
| |
| 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! |
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|
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! |
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|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$585 |
1 |
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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. |
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| Pax |
2016 |
Sonoma Hillsides Russian River Valley Syrah |
$115 |
2 |
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| VM 100 (4/2018): The 2016 Syrah Sonoma-Hillsides has been nothing less than stunning on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. A wine of extraordinary purity and depth, the 2016 dazzles from the very first taste. The richness and power are simply breathtaking. Bacon fat, smoke, grilled herb and lavender are woven into a graceful, seamless core of inky blue/purplish fruit. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 remains remarkably light on its feet. The Sonoma-Hillsides is a blend of fruit from Castelli-Knight Ranch, Griffin's Lair and Walker Vine Hill, done with 100% whole clusters and aged in a combination of concrete and neutral oak, with no SO2. I am not sure how the 2016 will age, but I am also not sure it will matter, as most bottles will be long gone before that is an issue. Quite simply, the Sonoma-Hillsides is a total pleasure bomb and a modern-day benchmark for Syrah in California. Don't miss it! (Drink between 2018-2026). Antonio Galloni. |
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| Quilceda Creek |
2005 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$189 |
1 |
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WA 100 (6/2013): From a hot vintage and incredible any way you look at it, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon has that laser-like focus of a cooler year, yet the voluptuousness and richness of a warmer year. Smoked black fruits, coffee, truffle and pen ink-like aromas and flavors all emerge from this massive, incredibly full-bodied effort and on the palate, it carries itself perfectly with a weightless, yet decadent texture, masses of polished tannin and blockbuster length. More classic and textbook than the 2007, it is every bit as good. Enjoy it over the coming two decades or more. Drink now-2033.
VM 94+ (11/2008): (includes 3% merlot) Bright, saturated medium ruby. Sexy aromas of cassis, black raspberry, minerals, mocha and smoky oak. Juicy, layered and intense, with superb depth of fruit and an impression of breadth rare for Washington cabernet. This superripe wine shows considerably more finesse of tannins than the estate's red blend. This began with a slightly roasted quality but with time in the recorked bottle it appeared to gain in energy and sheer density. This was a vintage that yielded very small berries, noted Alex Golitzin. |
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| Realm |
2015 |
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$550 |
1 |
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JD 100 (12/2017): One of the most profound young wines I’ve ever tasted is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane. Of all the high scoring wines in this report, if I had to pick one to put at the top of the heap, this would be it. My notes are filled with expletives, but this majestic, opulent, heavenly red boasts a deep purple color and La Mission Haut Brion-like notes of tobacco leaf, blackcurrants, earthy/rocky minerality, cigar box, blueberries, and Asian spices. Huge, opulent, and voluptuous, with a mid-palate that needs to be tasted to be believed, it has no hard edges, incredible density, ripe tannin, and a great, great finish. Don’t miss it and hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette.
WA 100 (10/2017): Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard is an absolute stunner, sporting an inky purple-black color and show-stopping nose of crème de cassis and blackberry pie laced with cumin seed, fenugreek, black pepper and cardamom, plus a transporting earthy undercurrent of black loam, moss-covered tree bark and forest floor. The palate delivers a wall of muscular black fruit accented by exotic spices and decadent floral notions, framed by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length and many, many layers. Amazing. Just 325 cases were made.
JS 96 (5/2018): Powerful aromas of dark fruit with rust and crushed stones. Oyster shell, too. Very aromatic. Full-bodied, layered and powerful. Lots of toasted oak, but tight and focused. Needs time to come together. Try in 2022. |
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2013 |
The Absurd Proprietary Blend |
$950 |
1 |
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WA 100 (12/2015): Another perfect wine (but very limited in production at 200 cases) is the 2013 The Absurd, a blend of 17 components dominated by 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Benoit Touquette told me that this wine is produced with no rules and no restrictions, and is considered their super-blend of the best they have in any given vintage. (I guess I would look stupid if I didn't give it 100 points, given the fact that two other Realm wines already hit that maximum score.) There is something different in this wine, with an opaque purple color for sure, but then there's the cassis, the blackberries, the roasted meats, some spicy pepper, and then an extravagantly rich, cascading palate that seems to be built like a skyscraper, but without one hard edge. This is a seriously endowed, super-rich, incredibly well-balanced wine that should drink well for 25 or more years.
VM 95 (10/2015): A dark, unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Absurd is a terrific example of the Realm style at its best. Surprisingly open for such a young wine, the 2013 offers gorgeous textural richness and voluptuousness. Sweet dark cherry, blackberry, mocha, spices and crushed rocks are laced into the powerful yet seamless finish. The Absurd is remarkably nuanced for a wine with this much intensity. Antonio Galloni. |
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| Ridge Vineyards |
2015 |
Monte Bello |
$235 |
2 |
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JS 100 (10/2018): Stunning depth, power, purity and elegance. The blackcurrants and plums are fresh and intense on the nose with blueberries and gently herbal notes, too. The palate has a keenly articulated array of vibrant tannins that hold long, fresh and pure. It invokes a sense of wonderment at the finish. So long and so pure. This blend of 77 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 11 per cent merlot, seven per cent petit verdot and five percent cabernet franc, is just at the start of a wonderful journey. Try from 2021.
JD 98+ (2/2019): A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is unquestionably going to be one of monumental vintages of this wine. Deep, incredibly concentrated, and powerful, yet also textured and perfectly balanced, this beauty gives up a huge nose of cassis, plums, spice box, graphite, and vanilla bean. With full-bodied richness on the palate, it starts out tight and firm yet blossoms with time in the glass (I followed this bottle for multiple days) and has an awesome mid-palate, building yet perfectly ripe tannins, and a rock star finish. It's about as classic a Monte Bello as they come and will require 4-6 years of bottle age (or more) and shine for three decades or more.
VM 98+ (8/2017): One of the highlights in this tasting, the 2015 Monte Bello will soon take its place among the greatest Monte Bellos ever made. Powerful, deep and explosive, the 2015 possesses magnificent concentration and richness in every dimension. Even with all of its raciness, the 2015 has terrific aromatic presence and regal tannins. The 2015 is a bit less showy than it has been in the past, but it was also just bottled two weeks before this tasting. Readers who own it will be absolutely thrilled. Antonio Galloni.
WA 95+ (7/2018): At this early stage, the 2015 Monte Bello is all about potential. I followed a bottle over several days and only witnessed improvement. The wine unfurls in the glass with a rich bouquet of cassis, ripe plums, espresso roast, black tea and baking chocolate, lavishly framed by minty, spicy new oak—which is often at its most prominent at exactly this stage, when the wine is shutting down after bottling. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with rich, velvety tannins and beautifully succulent, even tangy acidity that lends amazing lift on the finish. The most obvious analogy is the 2005 vintage, though it also evokes a more elegant version of the 1995 Monte Bello. It's a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.5% natural alcohol. Since the wine appears to be shutting down, I'd recommend forgetting it until its tenth birthday. Given its structure and balance, it should enjoy remarkable longevity. |
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| Schrader |
2013 |
MMXIII "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,500 |
2 |
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| WA 100 (10/2015): The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Sparky, which is essentially made from clone 4 from two separate blocks, clone 6 and clone 337, is another perfect wine from the Schraders. I suppose it’s a little boring to say, and perhaps I can be accused of creating unrealistic expectations on the part of readers, but this is as great as Cabernet can be. Tasting like a first-growth Pauillac, the wine is opaque purple and has a fabulous nose of lead pencil, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry and the telltale cassis. There is also some licorice and sweet oak, the tannins are ripe, and the wine full-bodied. Built like a skyscraper, with an incredible finish (like most of these wines) going on for 50 seconds to a minute, this amazing wine should still be drinking splendidly well at age 25 or 30. |
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2018 |
MMXVIII "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,595 |
1 |
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| 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) |
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| Screaming Eagle |
1997 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$6,399 |
1 |
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| 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. |
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2023 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$2,300 |
3 |
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JD 100 (12/2025): The epitome of class and elegance, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon offers pure crème de cassis, liquid violets, crushed stone, graphite, and cedar notes on the nose. It's full-bodied on the palate, with remarkably polished tannins, flawless overall balance, and incredible length. This is never the biggest or richest wine in the vintage, yet the sheer level of purity, structure, and depth is absolutely incredible. Compared to the 2021, this is less powerful and made in a more elegant style, yet it's every bit as profound and compelling. It builds beautifully with time in the glass and already offers pleasure yet won't hit prime time for a decade and will cruise for 50+ years. Drink 2035-2075. (Drink between 2035-2075).
VM 98+ (11/2025): The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a huge bouquet that is immediately captivating. Dark fruit, menthol, licorice, cloves, graphite and dried herbs lend considerable aromatic intensity to play off the wine's deeply layered structure. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. Screaming Eagle is the Lafite of Napa Valley. (Drink between 2033-2053). Antonio Galloni.
WA 98 (5/2026): The 2023 Screaming Eagle is approximately 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. At this young age, the various components haven't yet quite harmonized, such that it's possible to pick out black cherries, graham crackers, redcurrants and faintly herbal notes on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is framed by softly dusty tannins yet shows tremendous focus, energy and length on the finish. Impressive. |
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| Sine Qua Non |
2015 |
"E" Eleven Confessions Vyd. Grenache |
$450 |
3 |
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VM 100 (9/2019): The 2015 Grenache E, from Elaine and Manfred Krankl’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard, is stunningly beautiful. Remarkably light on its feet for such a sumptuous wine, the 2015 has so much to offer. Beautifully expressive aromatics make a strong opening impression. Dark red and purplish berry fruit, mint, sweet spice and licorice develop with air, but it is the wine’s overall feel that stands out most. At times, the E is quite powerful, while in other moments it is much more delicate. That contrast makes for an utterly captivating wine. Antonio Galloni.
WA 100 (6/2019): This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl’s initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 5% Petite Syrah and 1% Viognier, and 56% was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 28% new.
JD 98+ (10/2019): The 2015 Grenache E comes all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard and spent a whopping 38 months in 28% new French oak, with the balance in used barrels of varying sizes. An incredible effort that offers complex notes of cured meats, graphite, ground white and black pepper, flowers, and cassis, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a purity level that’s just about off the charts. Showing the concentrated, powerful, structured style of the vintage, give bottles 3-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade or more. |
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2015 |
"E" Eleven Confessions Vyd. Grenache (1.5 L) |
$800 |
1 |
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VM 100 (9/2019): The 2015 Grenache E, from Elaine and Manfred Krankl’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard, is stunningly beautiful. Remarkably light on its feet for such a sumptuous wine, the 2015 has so much to offer. Beautifully expressive aromatics make a strong opening impression. Dark red and purplish berry fruit, mint, sweet spice and licorice develop with air, but it is the wine’s overall feel that stands out most. At times, the E is quite powerful, while in other moments it is much more delicate. That contrast makes for an utterly captivating wine. Antonio Galloni.
WA 100 (6/2019): This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl’s initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 5% Petite Syrah and 1% Viognier, and 56% was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 28% new.
JD 98+ (10/2019): The 2015 Grenache E comes all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard and spent a whopping 38 months in 28% new French oak, with the balance in used barrels of varying sizes. An incredible effort that offers complex notes of cured meats, graphite, ground white and black pepper, flowers, and cassis, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a purity level that’s just about off the charts. Showing the concentrated, powerful, structured style of the vintage, give bottles 3-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade or more. |
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2004 |
Ode to E Grenache (1.5 L) |
$1,399 |
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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| Verite |
2014 |
La Muse (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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| | Australia |
| Torbreck |
2005 |
The Laird Shiraz (1.5 L) Lightly Scuffed Label |
$1,800 |
1 |
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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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