California Red Wines

wines

The 2012 Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard lags the Chardonnay but is still a brilliant wine. Framboise, black cherries, strawberries, forest floor, and earthy nuances all emerge from this Burgundian, layered, powerful 2012 that has loads of sweet fruit. Brought up in new French oak, it doesn't show a hint of oak, has full-bodied richness and depth, and a great, great finish. Drink it anytime over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2012 Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard, which comes primarily from the Calera clone (although I suspect there are a few mystery clones in their plantings), always seems to remind me of a grand cru from Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, particularly Morey-St.-Denis. Dense ruby/plum, its sweet nose of strawberries, black cherry liqueur, fresh porcini mushrooms and forest floor is followed by a dark, full-bodied, rich and concentrated wine that is supple, dramatic, and even flamboyant. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.Robert Parker | 97 RP

Another perfect wine from Ann Colgin and her winemaking team is the 2013 IX Proprietary Red Estate, a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. An absolutely compelling wine, with notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry and cassis, it has the full smorgasbord of black and blue fruits, wonderfully integrated, toasty oak, acidity and tannin, a floral note that is unmistakable, and great richness, density and purity. It is an utterly exceptional wine and a tribute to not only a great vineyard, but impeccable winemaking and upbringing. It should drink well for 30+ years as well.Robert Parker | 100 RPI probably would have rated the 2012 IX Estate a triple-digit score if it hadn’t been followed by this otherworldly 2013 IX Estate. One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, this insanely good effort offers a complex, layered bouquet of darker currants, white truffle, iron, tobacco, graphite, and lead pencil. Possessing more than a passing resemblance to the 2009 Château Latour, it’s full-bodied, has a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It doesn’t get any better, and this legendary Napa Valley red can be drunk any time over the coming three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-black in color, the 2013 IX Estate needs a LOT of swirling to begin to bring out notes of beef dripping, charcuterie, garrigue, mossy tree bark, and black truffles, giving way to a muted core of stewed plums, blackcurrant pastilles, candied violets, and dried mulberries. The full-bodied palate explodes with a powerhouse of black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super velvety tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and multilayered. It needs time!The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2013 IX Estate is a wild, exotic wine. In a sense, it marries the savory aromatic intensity of the Tychson Hill with the fruit richness found in the Cariad. It is another wine that has aged impeccably. There’s plenty of mountain tannin and savoriness, along with the underlying structure to age well for many years to come. In a word: magnificent!Vinous Media | 99 VMThe aromas to this are perfect with black truffle, sage, blueberry and wet earth. Changes all the time. Full body with lots of richness and fruit. The intensity is electric. Chewy tannins yet polished and silky. It lasts for minutes on the palate. A joy to taste (drink) now but it’s made for long-term aging.James Suckling | 98 JSThis has an exotic edge, with a burst of chocolate-covered açaí berry leading off, followed quickly by plum and blackberry puree flavors. Delivers a deeply buried cast iron note, but feels overall open and very friendly through the finish, with a kiss of sweet toast and a flash of Black Forest cake. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2034. 1,880 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSIn this vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon formed small berries with thick skins, so the wines inevitably were powerful and tannic. Plums and blackcurrants dominate the nose, which also shows mocha tones. Plump, opulent, and very concentrated, this is nonetheless not overblown. It’s still taut and youthful, with firm tannins. Assertive, it packs a punch and has a long finish.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

The 2013 Insignia (their 40th vintage) is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This wine is aged 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels, and the production can vary from just over 10,000 cases to nearly 20,000 cases in a very abundant vintage. There were 12,300 cases produced in 2013, and this vintage of Insignia is certainly going to turn out to be one of the great ones. The wine offers a stunning inky blue/purple color, a gorgeous nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, pen ink, graphite, new saddle leather and barrique. The wine has fabulous concentration, a full-bodied, multi-layered mouthfeel, and tremendous finish with moderate tannin. It’s interesting to note that the Phelps winemaking staff had been gradually reducing the amount of Merlot in this wine over recent vintages. The 2013 should hit its peak in 5-7 years and last for 35-50.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThe mighty Insignia shows a vibrancy of purpose and craft in this, its 40th vintage, combining 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Together they find a higher calling of perfumed violet, dark plum and berry along with graphite and an edginess of dried herb. Firm, structured tannins show tremendous potential for aging and decanting. This is a near-perfect effort from a blockbuster vintage.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThe 2013 Insignia is just as magnificent as it has always been. Refined and polished to the core, but with all of the power of the vintage, the 2013 simply has it all. Crème de cassis, lavender, plum and exotic spices infuse this deeply expressive edition of the Phelps flagship wine. The 2013 is remarkably silky for such a big wine.Vinous Media | 97 VMLovely, with a mouthfilling core of perfectly melded açaí, blackberry and mulberry fruit flavors inlaid with alder, black tea and dried anise. Long finish, with a subtle graphite spine for support as the fruit keeps the upper hand. Displays exemplary precision and focus. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2036. 12,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSExtravagant aromas of crushed blackberries, mint, eucalyptus and flint. Full body, round and velvety textured. Rich and flavorful finish. Lusciousness with form. Reserved palate. Very attractive now but better in 2020.James Suckling | 95 JSInsignia has been built as a regional blend since its first vintage in 1974, becoming an estate-grown wine in 2004. It’s based on cabernet sauvignon grown in six vineyards, from Suscol in the south to sites in Oak Knoll, Stags Leap and Rutherford, up to Phelps’s Spring Valley Home Ranch in St. Helena. Ashley Hepworth has fine-tuned the style, so Insignia is still a rich wine, but now, especially in 2013, shows the kind of firmness of structure that makes the richness profound. This vintage is fresh and lively, even while it is dense and powerful, as if the power is coming out of the black raspberry fruit as well as the bright, sparkling-fresh mineral tones of the tannins. Delicious now if you give it several hours in a decanter, this is destined to evolve into a classic.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 95 W&SInsignia is typically blended around a backbone of Stags Leap District AVA fruit (40% in this vintage), with Southern Napa, Rutherford, Oak Knoll and St Helena making up the balance. It spends 24 months in 100% French oak, and in this vintage the blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. The warm 2013 vintage has given ripe black fruit on a supple, forward palate, the lengthy finish framed by granular tannins. Drinking Window 2020 - 2050.Decanter | 94 DEC

I love the 2012, but honestly the 2013 just has the edge, because it is just as concentrated and full of fruit but acidity and floral nuance balances out the richness. Dark deep rosemary spice and black olive paste deepens the flavours through the mid-palate and you just have to hang on as this goes spiralling through, drawing the flavours out to a lengthy finish. 2% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 18 days skin contact.Decanter | 100 DECThe greatest Opus ever. Terrific aromas of crushed black currants, blueberries, and flowers with hints of sweet tobacco. Roses continue to exude opulence and class. Full body, superb balance of ultra-fine tannins and vibrant acidity. Complex aftertaste of black fruits and citrus fruit. Extremely persistent. So approachable now and enjoyable. But will be even better in 2019 and beyond. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 6% petit verdot, 2% malbec. This will always be beautiful to drink. | 100 JSThe 2013 Opus One, a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, is a beauty. Velvety textured, without a had edge to be found, notes of crème de cassis, blueberry, subtle wood and floral notes gently rise from the wine’s dense purple color. Beautifully full-bodied and extraordinarily elegant and pure, this is certainly one of their great achievements over the last 37 years. The wine has an exquisite finish and can be drunk now or cellared for 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPThe 2013 is a powerhouse. Dense, heady and massively structured, the 2013 is impossibly young. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of intense dark red fruit in this potent, brooding wine. Graphite, smoke, cedar and tobacco run through this virile, statuesque wine. The wine’s sheer youthful intensity is truly remarkable. I wouldn’t dream of touching a bottle before age ten, and even that may not be enough. The 2013 Opus One is shaping up to be an iconic wine.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGSeductive from the get-go, with a supple entry to the layers of complexity, mixing flavors of mocha, currant, plum, licorice, spice and cedary oak. Well-proportioned, showing a grip of fine-grained tannins that will benefit from cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Drink now through 2028. 26,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Starting off an incredible lineup of 2018s, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard has a purple/blue hue as well as a powerful bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, smoked tobacco, and new leather, with a kiss of background graphite. Full-bodied, utterly seamless, and flawlessly balanced, it’s impossible to resist today yet will cruise for 20-25 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDSituated toward the base of Howell Mountain, too low to be included in that AVA, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard boasts ample complexity in its scents of pine needles, blueberries and cassis, all framed by vanilla and cedar. Did I mention lots of vanilla? It’s a full-bodied wine, silky-plush and almost too easy to drink, with a long, menthol-tinged finish. There’s a certain coolness, an aloofness to this wine, which one might more charitably call restraint but which left this taster only majorly impressed, not completely wowed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RP

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 UV site is right in the middle of Russian River, planted to Calera and Vosne-Romanée (suitcase) clones. The 2019 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard was aged in French oak, 60% new, and bottled at the beginning of July. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the nose is wonderfully perfumed, featuring notes of red roses, underbrush, wild sage and menthol over a core of pomegranate, black raspberries and wild strawberries. The palate is softly textured and beautifully balanced with full-bodied, generous fruit and just enough freshness, finishing long with a red berry lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is incredibly delicate and refined. Freshly cut flowers, mint, sage, dried rose petals and blood orange infuse the UV with notable brightness and energy to match its soft curves. In the glass, the UV is nuanced and so full of complexity. The 2019 UV Pinot is one of the most elegant Pinots I have tasted from Mark Aubert. I would cellar the 2019 for a few years as it has just been bottled.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis crunchy red delivers flavors of dried raspberry and dark currant, with juicy acidity. Ends with toasty richness on the broad and well-spiced finish, with notes of tarragon. Drink now through 2025. 1,155 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

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 2019 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard is bursting with sweet fruits. The nose explodes to boysenberries and raspberries, with wafts of bergamot, dried flowers and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate is super silky and unabashedly flavorful, with bright bursts of juicy acidity that gives this Laguna Ridge an addicting quality—an indulgent reminder that at the end of the day, wine should be delicious!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPI always love tasting the two Pinots from Kistler and, as usual, the 2019 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard is slightly deeper hued and boasts ripe black cherries, mulberries, and strawberry fruits as well as notes of leafy herbs, crushed stone, and spring flowers. Sappy, medium to full-bodied, and ripe yet structured on the palate, this is the finest vintage of this cuvée to date. Give bottles a year or two in the cellar (although it’s certainly brilliant today) and it should drink well through 2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is really crazy, with dried strawberries and magnet shavings. Unique aromas and flavors from the soil. It’s medium-bodied with a compact palate, showing excellent depth and polished tannins. Goes on for minutes. Drink after 2026, but already superb.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge is rich, sumptuous and luxurious right out of the bottle. Silky tannins and soft curves give the Laguna Ridge so much charm and appeal. Here, too, the Laguna Ridge impresses with its superb balance and class. Red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender, mint, spice and blood orange meld into the racy finish. The Laguna Ridge is easily among the top Pinots of 2019, a year that was not at all easy for this notoriously fickle variety.Vinous Media | 95 VMThis has a core of ripe, focused plum and black cherry puree flavors flecked liberally with singed cinnamon, black tea and mulling spice notes. Keeps a good racy edge through the finish, as the fruit takes an encore. Drink now through 2028. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a pretty rich, bombastic wine, especially for Mayacamas. A blast of dark fruit, incense, tobacco, licorice, spice and mocha hits the palate. I would give the 2019 at least a few years in bottle to settle down, as it is quite the powerhouse today. This is an unusually flamboyant wine with plenty of richness and a bit less in the way of subtlety. The opulence of the vintage comes through loud and clear.Vinous Media | 97 VMLoaded with character and energy, this version reveals heavy notes of zesty sweet bay leaf and sassafras that infuse a core of steeped red currant and mulberry fruit, all carried by bright acidity and iron-laced tannins. The long finish pulls everything together, with the fruit, savory and mineral elements in harmony. Showing an old-school touch, this has a long life ahead. Best from 2025 through 2045. 4,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon remains true to the winery’s historic style, offering complex notes of dried herbs and mixed berries, carried across the palate by a wine that’s medium-bodied, crisp and somewhat lean by modern Napa standards. It finishes long and dusty, promising well for the future.Robert Parker Wine Advocte | 94 RP