(98+ points) The 2021 Dominus is a 3,700-case blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, with 40% of the wine matured in new French oak. Black cherries and cassis lead the way, accented by scents of crushed...

Deep ruby-purple, the 2017 True Believer Reserve features pure scents of red and black currants, potpourri, aniseed and exotic spices. The palate offers generous, graphite-laced fruits supported by abundant, pixelated...

Super savoury and terrifically precise aromatics reveal capsicum and dried sage, bay leaf and blood orange citrus, cocoa nibs and dried violets dusted with white pepper. Plump and unabashedly full-bodied, with voluminous...

A beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also...

The star of the show is the 2022 Ontogeny, a broad, layered, richly textured 2022 that has gorgeous cassis and blue fruits as well as integrated oak, some classic Cabernet graphite, iron, and smoked tobacco. It’s rich...

The 2019 Melange Rouge is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Graciano and Petite Syrah. A rich boisterous wine, the 2019 packs plenty of punch. Super-ripe red/purplish fruit, lavender, licorice, rose petal and menthol all run...

Vivid cherry red, medium intensity, pared back and moreish. Enticing charred plum and spiced black cherry, restrained and savoury, chalky tannins, good lift through the palate without losing the creaminess of the fruit, a...

The 2021 Paradise Hills Vineyard Proprietary Red is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.8% Merlot, 2.9% Cabernet Franc, and 2.3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with pure notes of...

The 2018 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard has really shut down since I tasted it last year. Energetic and vibrant, the 2018 sizzles with all of the energy of this cool, late-ripening vintage. Time in the glass...

All these 2016s from winemaker Graeme MacDonald are straight-up brilliant wines. Starting with the 2016 Proprietary Red, which is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it...

This is dense and still tightly wound, with hints of dried iris, sweet bay and tobacco leaf peeking out from a core of dark currant preserves and plum reduction. The long finish shows wet earth and cast iron accents that...

If sunshine could be bottled it would be this. Aromas of fresh succulent stone fruit, a hint of yeast, citrus blossoms and notes of quince on the nose. The mousse is creamy and light with baked red apples, blood orange...

Packs warmed cassis and plum reduction notes coated in melted black licorice. Gains good cut from a fresh tobacco edge, showing loamy drive through the finish. Solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit...

The 2020 Hora is a powerful, driving wine. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, rose petal, spice, gravel and incense add to an impression of somber gravitas. Ideally, the aromatics could be more focused, but the 2020...

A generous burst of blackberry and mulberry fruit leads the way but is quickly caught from behind by cast iron, dried sage and singed mesquite notes. The fruit keeps pace with the grippy back end, and there’s solid...

A blend of Merlot, Petit Sirah, Malbec, and other varieties, the 2022 HG III is a juicy, medium-bodied, wonderfully delicious red that has pretty red and black fruits, some nicely integrated background oak, soft tannins...

The 2021 Hora is the entry-level wine from the Cathiards’ estate in Napa, and it’s a balanced, medium to full-bodied, impressive wine offering ample red and black currant fruit, nicely integrated oak, a round, layered...

Potent and dense, with brooding flavors of blackberry and cherry accented by bitter chocolate, cracked pepper and savory meat tones as this builds tannins on the finish. Grenache, Syrah and Petit Sirah. Best after 2025...

The 2021 Lytton Springs is based on 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, and the rest Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Cinsault, and Counoise. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort has a juicy, lively, medium-bodied style as well as...

Impressive from first sip, the MV Brut, made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with 10 to 15% reserve wine, opens in a world of buttered toasty notes, spicy pear, and hazelnut. The oak and fruit shine amidst a...

This wine has a feral edge to it, as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and bit players come together in a 10-variety ‘kitchen sink’ blend. Pungent floral aromas give way to dark chocolate, mint, and wild mountain blueberries...

The 2019 Relevant Cabernet Sauvignon matured for 20 months in new, once- and twice-filled French oak barrels. Deep ruby, it features pure aromas of cassis, grilled meats, warm chocolate, dried herbs, roasted peppers and...

A supple, flavorful, sleek and densely fruity wine on a full body. The tannins seem to build on the palate, giving a little textural grip to raspberry and red and black cherry flavors and attractive oak spices like...

The 2021 Founding Brothers is brilliant and has a certain Saint Julien-like style in its pure cassis, graphite, smoky tobacco, and floral aromas and flavors. These carry to a full-bodied 2021 that's beautifully...

(93+ points) A strong effort, the 2019 Mernet Reserve—a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged in one-third new oak, delivers plenty of almost grapey fruit, cassis and black cherries, underscored by hints of...

Pahlmeyer's 2022 Proprietary Red is only 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance comprising 4% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot and 3% each Malbec and Petit Verdot. It spent 18 months in 90% new French oak. According to...

The 2021 L'Esprit Des Pavots comes from the Les Pavot Vineyard, with a little more from the Oakville estate, but in this vintage, they started to include these younger 15-year-old vines. It’s built from 38% Cabernet...

This lets copious boysenberry and blackberry puree notes glide through, while melted licorice, sweet toast and warmed fruitcake accents fill in through the generous finish. A crowd-pleasing style. Drink now through 2031...

The 2022 Papillon Red Wine is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% each Malbec and Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot. It also includes a bit more than 5% of 2021 vintage wine, so it is labeled as...