Wild blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco and dark spice on the nose. Dried violets, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins and a creamy texture. Intense, yet restrained and refined, with a...

Love the perfume and finesse here with fresh flowers, blackberries, crushed stones and cement. Cedar. Full and very long with tight and muscular tannins that go on for minutes. Tight and thoughtful. Soulful. Try after 2030.

(95-97 points) Not yet bottled, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is all very old vine Grenache from the sandy soils of the Cristia lieu-dit. Brought up in demi-muids and a mix of new and used barrels, it gives...

A really refined, expressive and layered Clos Apalta with fine olives, incense, cigar box, cocoa powder, Spanish chocolate, pencil shavings, graphite and fine spices. Juicy, bright and full-bodied palate with a fine...

Both agile and relaxed, this well-balanced, vibrant and concentrated wine carries layers of crisp apple, pastry crust and lemon curd on snappy acidity that complements a fairly rich texture and medium body. Its...

The Doc's Ranch, as Ross explains, sits just on the other side of a ridgeline from the Coastlands Vineyard, it benefits from the southeastern exposure, and the coastal winds are buffetted by the ridgeline. A stunning...

This full, fruity wine is packed with acidity as well as ripeness. It has a fresh black-currant character, and the structure underneath is strong. It will develop relatively quickly, but then could hold at its peak for...

Bright, vibrant ruby red. Compact nose of rich cherries, black truffle, some pepper, plenty of rich berry fruit in the background ; blackberry and cassis. Densely woven on the palate, with beautiful texture and punchy...

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sails out of the glass with energetic scents of fresh...

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is quite a bit more elegant than most wines in this vintage. Silky tannins and floral top notes make a strong first impression. Plum, spice and sweet tobacco are nicely lifted by bright acids...

A modern slanting wine, the 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino is lush with wooded spices, smoky cigar box, preserved cherry, sweet tobacco, and dried roses. It is full-bodied on the palate but has a compact structure, with ripe...

(98 - 100 points) This note is written before the final blend of the 2021 Continuum. Deep purple-black in color, it hits the ground running with an intense nose of red and black currant preserves, lilacs, baker's...

I was also able to taste the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an utterly classic Napa Cabernet with its layered, expansive mouthfeel and majestic style. Red and black currants, savory herbs, tobacco, new leather, and...

(VN 94-96 points) Inky violet. A wild, smoke- and spice-accented bouquet evokes kirsch, cassis, smoked meat, olive and succulent herbs, with mineral and floral notes emerging as the wine opens up. Firm, sharply etched...

The 8,000-case 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley goes largely to distribution and has to be one of the great values in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon out there. Classic darker currants, tobacco, chocolate, and some...

The 2014 IX Estate is deep garnet-black in color. Scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and blackberry pie jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of incense, iron ore, and camphor with a waft of dark chocolate...

A fine, mature and structured Champagne, this is full of fruit but also with a crispness. Its mineral character has softened but still gives a fine texture. This fine wine, with fruit from the Côte des Blancs, is ready to...

A full and layered red with lots of plums and chocolate with dark chocolate and crushed stones. Full and layered. From old dry-farmed, head-pruned merlot and cabernet sauvignon vines, all Calistoga. From the owner of...

Mineral, macadamia, pine nuts, white sesame and white fruit with a touch of spice. A bright and linear Capellania that shows excellent tension, freshness and complexity. Long and appetizing finish. More taut and...

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Wraith is so floral, with scents of roses and violets over a core of black and red currant jelly, Morello cherries, and wild blueberries plus hints of cardamom, cumin seed, and forest...

A rich ruby/purple, the 2021 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards is ripe and rounded with a perfume of blackberry preserve, damp forest floor, and toasted baking spice. Full-bodied, but with clean lift and without weight, it...

Blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of mint. Full-bodied with very fine, velvety tannins. Turns firm and structured with a fine chewiness and a caressing mouth-feel. Lively, too. 77% cabernet sauvignon and 15% merlot...

(WE94-96 points) Big and powerful this is a wine that is supported by dense tannins. The feeling is dry and firm with a brooding black-currant character.

This has a beautiful nose of lemon curd, cream, sliced green apples and cardamom buns. Some toasted hazelnuts, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied with a deliciously creamy, gently spicy palate, married with vibrant acidity...

Lail's 2021 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon blends lots from several high-end vineyards, including Heimark (Calistoga), Vine Hill Ranch (Oakville) and Steltzner (Stags Leap), plus Lail's own Mole Hill on Howell...

A generous and rich red with round and chewy tannins. So much lovely ripe fruit with currant and hints of walnut character. Full and beautiful. Gorgeous wine. 40% cabernet, 25% merlot, 24% carmenere, 8% petit verdot and...

After falling into decline in the 1950s, Château Brown was revived after it was bought by businessman Bernard Barthe in 1994, to be taken over again 20 years later by the Mau family. Now led by fifth-generation...

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...