California Collector Wines

wines

Aged in 50% new and 50% second-use American Oak from the Duncan family’s The Oak cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. Matt Duncan joined me for my tasting, and he says the Petit Verdot in the blend, of which there is 0.4%, is co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon, intended to bring focus to the Cabernet fruit. A compelling, brooding, muscular rendition of Cabernet from Alexander Valley with gorgeous boysenberry notes, black currants, and rose petals laced with vanillin notes and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied with black currants, ripe blackberry and black cherry notes framed by velvety tannins laced with that irresistible vanillin note. Toasty oak spices lend a hint of sweetness, balanced by grippy acidity. Long and complex, revealing umami, garrigue, and crushed slatestone on the finish. It’s a terrific wine from the Alexander Valley.Decanter | 95 DEC

Layered aromas of dried violets and roses, ripe red and black fruit, coriander and a hint of eucalyptus. Full-bodied with bright, humming acidity that amplifies the flavors of dark fruit and mint. Densely packed flavors of melted chocolate, espresso and overturned earth. Chewy finish. Simply delicious. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard comes from vines planted in 2006. The wine was bottled at the beginning of July 2020. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it starts out with beguiling scent notions of crushed rocks, tilled soil, truffles and garrigue over a core of kirsch, red currant jelly and black raspberries before giving way to a spicy, fragrant perfume of cardamom, Provence herbs and lavender. The full-bodied palate is super intense and fantastically layered, offering a rock-solid backbone of racy freshness and firm, fine-grained tannins. It finishes on a persistent earthy/ferrous note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard brings together some of the aromatic breadth of the UV with the textural resonance of the CIX. Rose petal, lavender, spice, menthol, kirsch and dark cherry fruit build in a Pinot that balances density, power and energy. Rich and layered in the glass, with striking inner perfume, the UV-SL is superb.Vinous Media | 96 VMElegant and harmonious, with powerfully structured flavors of dark fruit and Asian spice, backed by rich acidity and supple tannins. There’s minerally snap midpalate, with a finish that shows hints of anise and black olive. Best from 2022 through 2028. 1,202 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2021 Les Pavots is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. It’s a beautiful wine you could drink now or stash in the cellar, with a concentrated, broody yet polished profile. It has pure scents of blueberry liqueur, lilac, cast iron, grilled meats and soy sauce plus hints of wild thyme and truffle. The full-bodied palate offers a structural balance of clay-textured tannins and bright acidity, deriving its power from its sheer depth of dark fruit, and it has a long, detailed finish. 2,769 cases were made, and the Les Pavots will be released in February of 2024.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe blackberry and sage character comes through clearly, with some orange blossoms, graphite, dried tomatoes, green tobacco and stone. A rich and juicy red with lots of berry and chocolate character, with a full body and layered rich tannins. It’s flavorful yet hemmed in with firm yet rounded tannins. Muscular. 62% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc, 7% merlot, and 6% petit verdot. This needs four or five years to come together and show its true self. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JS