An exquisite effort, the 2002 Melbury Proprietary Red boasts a dense purple color to the rim along with a sweet perfume of acacia flowers, blueberry pie, licorice, and a hint of hot rocks. A wine of great intensity, tremendous voluptuousness and opulence, fabulous purity, low acidity, and silky tannin, this stunning 2002 can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years.

Robert Parker | 96 RP

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Enormously rich, like biting into a warm chocolate truffle with a cherry-blackberry core. Ultrasmooth, a bit soft and melted, but oh, so supple and velvety, with fine, firm tannins. Completely dry and balanced, this is a wine of harmonious complexity.

Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

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A stellar wine, the 2002 Melbury is super-expressive today. Rich, ample and inviting, the 2002 is endowed with soft contours, radiant, rich fruit and fabulous balance. Mocha, smoke, leather, red stone fruit and sweet spices build into the resonant, deeply satisfying finish. The 2002 is one of the more overtly ripe, forward wines in the first flight of this tasting.

Vinous Media | 94 VM

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Firm, pure, rich and concentrated, dense and youthful, this delivers blackberry, wild berry, olive, currant, mocha and black licorice flavors, ending with chewy tannins and excellent length.—2002 California Cabernet blind retrospective (May 2012). Drink now through 2022. 700 cases made. — JL

Wine Spectator | 94 WS

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