The 2023 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Terraces is a small-production Napa Valley Cabernet from Thomas Rivers Brown, sourced from Oakville Terraces, a site “just below Dalla Valle,” as Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate notes. Decanter adds useful context on place and scale, describing Oakville Terraces as “approximately 0.8 hectares” at the foot of Dalla Valle, and reports the wine is aged in “medium-plus toast Darnajou barrels.” Wine Spectator puts production at “273 cases made.”
Critical response is strong across the board, with several excellent reviews. Jeb Dunnuck leads the chorus at 98 points (from a 96–98+ range), calling it “another sensational 2023” and highlighting “juicy blue fruits, liquid violets, black olive, and darker chocolate,” with “purity, richness, and depth paired with elegance and nuance.” James Suckling (97) emphasizes aromatic lift and structure, citing a “lovely, lingering perfume” over “densely packed black fruit, crushed stones, licorice and cedar,” and “fine-boned tannins” with “tension that cuts through the layers.”
At 96 points, Decanter describes a “super bright and lovely” expression, with “sagebrush and bay laurel alongside cassis and fleshy red cherry,” plus “granular tannins” that turn “finer and more resolved” through a “lengthy, full-bodied finish,” finishing with “true varietal character” and a “satisfying mineral-driven finish.” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (96; 94–96 range) similarly finds “black cherries, slightly herbal leanings and hints of redcurrants,” noting a profile that is “structured and focused,” yet “more silky than the typical Thomas Rivers Brown deep plushness.”
A more reserved take comes from Vinous (95), where Antonio Galloni calls it “potent” and “brooding,” suggesting it is “still coming together,” with a “stronger oak imprint” and “a bit lighter on the palate than the other wines in this range,” though “quite attractive” overall. Wine Spectator (95) frames it as vivid and polished—“mulberry, blackberry and black currant puree,” accented by “anise, apple wood and bay leaf”—and recommends drinking “now through 2038.”
