95+ Points

Our 2008 vintage Estate Cabernet Sauvignon's intrinsic aromatic notes of dry sage, black licorice and smoky earth terroir are wrapped in a cloak of dense black cherry and raspberry cream. Layered with provocative nuances of... Read More

Adi Badenhorst is a central figure in the rise of Swartland, and this bottling demonstrates why the district has become so revered. The wine is named after the yellow-coloured granite rocks found in this vineyard, planted in 1966.... Read More

95pts Tim Atkin, Master of Wine: The Palomino grapes from this coastal Swartland vineyard are always delivered with a little sand, but it’s the limestone bedrock that has a greater influence on the style of this incredible... Read More

Terroirs Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru NV is an assemblage of four Côte de Blancs Grand Cru cuvées from old vine plantings in Avize, Cramant, Oger and Oiry. This Terroirs is 40% from the 2018 and 2019 vintages... Read More

Not yet bottled, the 2020 Mourvedre is one heck of an impressive Mourvèdre, offering textbook savory red, blue, and black fruits as well as herbes de Provence, dry-aged beef, pepper, and some spicy, floral nuance. Full-bodied... Read More

Anne Gros, the daughter of Francois Gros, took over her family’s winery at the end of the nineteen eighties. The Gros family dates back as a winemaking family within the Cote de Nuits, more specifically Vosne-Romanee since... Read More

Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by beautiful aromas of blueberries, black currants, acacia flowers, licorice, and spice. The tannins are softer than I remember, but this is certainly one of the vintage’s most extraordinary... Read More

This is just one component of the final blend. It is a vineyard that was planted in 1964. It is block 3 … it went into the 1971 Ridge and 1974 Conn Creek. Joe used to call it gold. This is full bodied and rich with a beautiful... Read More

The Arietta White Wine “On The White Keys” is a blend of hillside Sauvignon Blanc and old vine Semillon. We ferment and age the White Keys for nine months in a combination of new and second-use oak and stainless steel... Read More

Arriving in 2006, winemaker Sam Kaplan continues to fashion rock star wines from this Howell Mountain estate. One of the best whites from Napa, as well as one of the most ageworthy, the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Estate gives up serious... Read More

Winemaker Chris Peterson is on fire making world-class wine in Washington! You may know him as the celebrated winemaker at DeLille cellars, but Peterson has branched into other projects in the Yakima Valley, in particular a partnership... Read More

A closed, grassy nose at first but underneath there's a restrained beautiful sophistication and youthful charm. Distinct but faint RD tones towards mushroom truffle and mineral saltiness. Slowly booming in the glass and not... Read More

Absolutely sensational, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Howell Mountain is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. It reveals a strikingly provocative aromatic display of blue and black fruits, crushed rocks, violets,... Read More

Displaying an even more opaque purple color, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate exhibits a glorious nose of blueberries, black raspberries, plums, graphite and crushed rocks. This exquisite Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is... Read More

Truffles, blackberries and blueberries on the nose. Full body, with silky tannins and a fruity finish.

Currants and blackberries on the nose. Spicy and intense undertones. Full body, with juicy fruit and a soft, very silky texture and a long, long finish. Polished and very pretty. Best Carraudes ever

Currants and blackberries on the nose. Spicy and intense undertones. Full body, with juicy fruit and a soft, very silky texture and a long, long finish. Polished and very pretty. Best Carraudes ever

A very lovely and fresh, bright expression of 100% Napa Cabernet with nicely delineated dark fruit, liquorice, and tobacco notes. A wonderfully textured, medium-to-full-bodied wine with tremendous concentration on the palate and... Read More

So pure and beautiful with perfumes and cedar as well as currants. Dark mushrooms and bark. A medium-bodied wine with dark berry, currant, chocolate, hazelnut, and fine tannins. 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot. Better in... Read More

Leafy herbs, red and blue fruits, tobacco, cedarwood, and iron notes all emerge from the 2020 Camaspelo, another up-front, charming, soft, surprisingly supple red from this team. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fine... Read More

Ripe black raspberries, iodine, spring flowers, gamey meats, and pepper all emerge from the 2020 Syrah En Chamberlin Vineyard, a deeper, broader, medium to full-bodied Syrah with ripe, rounded tannins, a great mid-palate, and... Read More

Moving away from the Rhônes-styled efforts and the most up-front and perfumed of the Bordeaux blends (just ahead of the Widowmaker), the 2010 Flying Pig is a Cabernet Franc-dominated blend that incorporates 37% Merlot and... Read More

Tight and closed, with notions of bloody blue fruits, iodine, rose petals, and cedarwood, the 2020 Impulsivo hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a nicely balanced, layered mouthfeel, and ripe tannins that emerge... Read More

This is meaty, with ripe dark berries, plum skins, smoked bacon, cocoa and ground spiced and pepper. Medium- to full-bodied with firm, chalky tannins and a polished texture, with crushed-stone minerality and dried orange peel.... Read More

This is a handsome yellow-gold colour with hints of bronze. Still fresh and vigorous yet with a ripe acidity. Wow, this is something else in the mouth! There is a lot going on - firm and tight one moment, then a panoply of sensuous... Read More

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from clone 337 and a site on the western valley floor in Oakville. Whoever gets fruit from this vineyard always seems to get a mixture of aromatic... Read More

A very bold, ripe and complex wine with excellent concentration and a warm, engaging personality (cinnamon and allspice) that's hard to resist. With aeration a hint of dried fruit character emerges. Massive, yet polished finish.... Read More

Armailhac has held its success from en primeur and has further gained in weight during ageing. This is a wine that is changing a little in style, deepening in profile and upping the new oak for ageing from 30% to 50% (and staying... Read More

The 2012 Haut Bailly is brilliant and does nothing to damper my belief that this vintage is underrated in the market. Offering up a classic bouquet of tobacco leaf, cigar wrapper, blackcurrants, lead pencil, and graphite, this... Read More

Floral and fruity red with hints of vanilla. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a crisp finish. Loosely knit. This needs three or four years to come together. Better after 2018.

An evocative nose with perfumed aromas jumping out of the glass. This balances intensity with freshness giving sour cherry, blueberry and raspberry fruit flavours alongside wet stone, salty mineral notes. There is a precision... Read More

Still an infant that needs even more cellaring, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon that brings to mind the 1991 Dominus (maybe not quite as voluptuous). Still vibrant and youthfully color, it... Read More

Another absolute legend in the vintage is the 2005 Château Pape Clément, which is just now starting to hit prime time. Based on 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep, powerful, incredibly seductive... Read More

Even more flamboyant and sexy than the 2000, the 2005 Pavie has everything you could ever want from a wine. Deep, inky purple-colored, an awesome perfume of cassis, blackberries, toasty oak, graphite, and incredible minerality,... Read More

The Derenoncourt consultancy here has produced a wine with pronounced aromas of plum and blackcurrant fruit, vanilla, and smoke. The palate features firm tannins, chewy density, and good length thanks to the blend of two-thirds... Read More

This is the 2019, because Rieussec is no longer showing En Primeur but instead when it is in bottle. Marmalade and bitter orange peel is totally gorgeous, and this is one of the best Rieussec's that I can remember. A ton of... Read More

El Lugar is the passion project of Coby Parker-Garcia & his family. Parker-Garcia made a name for himself at Clairborne & Churchill in Santa Barabara County for Alsatian white varieties, but Pinot Noir and Syrah were always a... Read More

More tobacco, peppery herbs, graphite, asphalt, and crushed stone notes emerge from the 2019 Chopping Block, another rich, powerful, yet still fresh and lively wine from winemaker Connor McMahon. It's going to round into form... Read More

This is extremely perfumed with black cherries, purple fruit and cedar. Some lavender, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, polished tannins and a beautiful finish. Needs time to soften, but already very beautiful. Drink after... Read More

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is exquisite. It has an impenetrable blue/black color to the rim, a gorgeous nose of incense, charcoal, mulberry and blackberry liqueur, a multi-layered texture, and terrific purity... Read More

Heitz produced terrific wines in the drought vintage of 1976, and Martha's Vineyard is, as ever, the queen of the cellar. Aromas of dark cherries, cocoa powder, scorched earth, mint and subtle tobacco leaf are followed by... Read More

Heitz Cellars receives the entire production from the famed vineyard in Oakville for its limited edition of vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon. Its distinctive minty, characteristics, rich flavors, and overall balance have... Read More

95pts John Gilman: The 1990 vintage of Martha’s Vineyard is less ripe and powerful than the 1991 and is one of Kathleen Heitz Myers’ favorite vintages from the decade of the 1990s. One taste and it is very easy to... Read More

Heitz Cellars receives the entire production from the famed vineyard in Oakville for its limited edition of vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon. Its distinctive minty, characteristics, rich flavors, and overall balance have... Read More

The wine blooms with pear blossoms, lemons, lime zest, tangerines, lemon blossoms, then creamy but delicate flavors of butter, vanilla bean, lemon curd, chalky minerals and salinity. Medium- to full-bodied, it finishes long and... Read More

A beautiful nose of olive oil, baked lemon, crushed thyme and wet stone. Medium bodied with lovely nuance and delicacy. Cream and fresh herbs color the fresh citrus and white pepper notes. Elegant. Subtle and long. Drink or hold.... Read More

The 2021 The Judge Chardonnay is slightly more closed than the Napa Chardonnay at this stage, needing some coaxing to bring out notes of ripe apricots, candied ginger, baking bread, and white truffle giving way to nuances of orange... Read More

The 2021 The Judge Chardonnay is slightly more closed than the Napa Chardonnay at this stage, needing some coaxing to bring out notes of ripe apricots, candied ginger, baking bread, and white truffle giving way to nuances of orange... Read More

It’s always educational, and a treat, to taste the latest vintage of Louis Roederer’s flagship Cristal Champagne. This cuvee is sourced from 45 separate plots covering just under 200 acres spread between the villages... Read More

So much dried flower, mushroom, iron, rust, sweet berry, and grilled orange. Full-bodied with very elegant and refined tannins that melt in the mouth and give a real sense of place and integrity. Balanced and harmonious. The finesse... Read More

Deeper colored, the 2017 Proprietary Red Wine is based on 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that saw the same 60% new French oak for 21 months. It offers an incredibly classic, classy... Read More

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard exhibits a rocky, stony, gravelly, hot pebble-sort of nose that I often associate with wines such as Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion. Beautifully sweet blueberry... Read More

98pts- Tasting Panel:

With an attention- getting purple-black hue, this astound- ing red is silky but manages to eke out teeth-grabbing, dusty black-tea tannins. A host of flavors, among them graphite, black raspberry, violets,... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard is brilliant stuff and has to rank with some of the finest releases from this vineyard. Its deep purple hue gives way to a great nose of red, blue, and black fruits... Read More

The purity of fruit here is impressive, with raspberry, iodine and hints of mussel shell. Créme de framboise. Full body with firm, silky tannins and a long finish. The aromatics are crazy here. Great tannin structure. The... Read More

I also loved the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate Vineyard, a perfumed, blue-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon offering classic Mt. Veeder sappy herb, spring flower, sage, and scrub brush-like aromas and flavors. With medium... Read More

A knockout Cabernet from the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. Deeply brooding and explosive aromas of inky blackberry fruit intermix with graphite, exotic spices, creme de cassis, and purple flowers. Luxuriating on the... Read More

Realm took over the management of Farella vineyard in 2018. Since then, winemaker Benoit Touquette explained their focus has been to open out the canopy, creating better exposure for the fruit, aiming to achieve riper tannins.... Read More

Lovely blackberries, violets and blueberries with hints of dark chocolate. Medium to full body with creamy, polished tannins and a flavorful finish. A blend of 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc. Drink after 2022.

Tons of red, blue, and black fruits as well as peppery herbs and liquid violet-like nuances emerge from the 2020 Syrah Distenta II, a full-bodied, concentrated, remarkably balanced barrel sample that's based on 83% Syrah,... Read More

Scheduled to be bottled in August, the 2021 Syrah Distenta III looks to be another insanely good Syrah from Krankl. Checking in as 82% Syrah, 11% Grenache, and the rest Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, and a smattering of white... Read More

The 2021 Nuestra Señora del Tercer Gemelo offers a captivating mix of opulent fruit and energy, all framed by judicious French oak and silky tannins. A dense, full-bodied wine, the Nuestra Señora has so much to offer,... Read More

The sensational 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (their 25th anniversary selection) may be the best wine Staglin has ever made. Tasting like a classic Margaux or St.-Julien, it offers up notes of new saddle leather, cedar, spice... Read More

A ripe and generous red with ripe berry, smoky meat and leather. Full-bodied, round and velvety. Extremely rich style for 2013. Drink or hold.

Still showing brilliantly (and I don't expect that to change), the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has the ripe, expansive, sexy style of the vintage front and center. Loads of crème de cassis, blueberries, crushed violets,... Read More

Tasted six months on from release, the restrained quality of this vintage is shining a little brighter with its lime leaf, floral honey and green mango scents, touches of oyster shell and an emerging floral honey depth, with few... Read More

The nose is shy and subtle, though notions of red apple, peppery rye crumb, stone and lemon emerge with more air. Tightly coiled, the palate suggests spicy riches with its insinuations of white pepper and tangerine peel. A lovely... Read More

95pts Tasting Panel:

Bright and lively, this is one of my favorite non vintage Bruts. Crisp and balanced, with smooth, exuberant, Chardonnay-driven style; racy, elegant, and totally charming; long and memorable.... Read More

Not yet bottled, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has perfection written all over it. A full-bodied, broad, layered, sensational effort with perfumed red and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and loads of spicy notes that... Read More

The 2019 La Muse offers a luxurious and layered perfume of red apple, sweet tobacco, and fresh leather. The palate is generous, with velveteen texture, noes of cassis, violets, and fresh earth, and a weightless feel. The most... Read More

This is such a beautifully nuanced red with tobacco, dried herbs, wet earth and currants. Some leather and rose petals, too. Full-bodied and chewy, yet refined with great polish. It’s rich and intense at the same time. Very... Read More

Refinement and focus to this pretty young red, with currant and berry undertones. Medium to full body, fine tannins, bright finish. Chocolate and clay character, too.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is just as magical as it has always been. In several recent tastings, the 2013 has started to show its first signs of aromatic development. Black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, spice, mocha, espresso... Read More