California Wines

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The 2021 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains) is a gorgeous wine that captures the essence of the house style. Bright, lifted and wonderfully transparent, the 2021 is all class. Sweet spice and citrus accents complement a core of bright red-toned fruit. Whole cluster accents add layers of nuance. This is such a gorgeous Pinot.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Fresh aromatics of red fruit, dusty currant, and petrichor with ripe raspberries and fresh mint. The palate is lively and elegant, with cut strawberries, wintergreen, and crushed stone. There is ample structure with lovely acidity, and for the price, this wine feels like you’re stealing.Decanter | 92 DECAromas of ripe plums and blackberries with sweet spices and cedar. Full-bodied with polished, chalky tannins and juicy dark berries in the middle. Round and compact with a chocolaty finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2021 EE Red Wine is ripe and powerful, with smoky red and black fruits as well as lots of background oak, graphite, espresso, and dark chocolate-like aromas and flavors that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has plenty of background oak, the building tannins of the vintage, and a great finish. A gorgeous wine, it will benefit from 3-4 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard offers up a wonderful range of dark fruit—black cherries, cassis and blackberries—couched in hints of dark chocolate. Like almost all the Bevan wines, it’s full-bodied, richly concentrated and velvety in texture. This one finishes long, with a mocha and cocoa-stained finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2021 Red Blend EE is one of the more overt wines in the range. Super-ripe red cherry, blackberry, chocolate, spice, gravel and licorice are all amplified in this heady, exotic Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend. The 2021 is a powerhouse.Vinous Media | 93-96 VM

An absolutely riveting Cabernet showing a deep ruby-purple colour. Gorgeously fragrant at the cork’s pull with terrific violets and loads of black currants and dark dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied with chiselled, precise tannins that build and build on the palate. At this early stage, the wine is full of ripe blackberry and black currant fruits that harbour impressive clarity of flavours, growing even more expressive with beautiful sagebrush nuances. Philipp Togni remarked that this vintage reminds him of St. Julien. Indeed, it is incredibly aromatic, elegant, and structured, and it is also a complete and seamless wine. 82% Cabernet Sauvignon is joined by 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet France, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink:2024-2060.Decanter | 100 DECThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is an outrageously beautiful wine and also one of the wines of the year. A soaring, exotic bouquet makes a strong opening statement. Pliant and creamy, with mind-blowing textural finesse, the 2021 dazzles from start to finish. Hard candy, mint, lavender, Kirsch and spice linger on the close. The 2021 possesses mind-blowing purity and exceptional finesse.Vinous Media | 99 VM

Lastly, the 2021 The Bard checks in as 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAfter sampling 86 wines over a two-day marathon tasting with Realm Cellars co-owners Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette, I had no doubt that one would make my top 10 list of the year. It would be The Bard, which will be available beginning in 2024. It is a very giving wine that promises great rewards for long-term cellaring and is enjoyable three full nights in a row, never losing its zeal if having one great glass each night is your prerogative. Power and muscle frame the core of this towering red, with its red-toned fruits and rich, toasty oak spices nuanced by bay Laurel and pastis. Full-bodied with tremendous decadence of chocolaty tannins that are pliant and billowy, lifted by supple blackberry and black raspberry fruit, a drizzle of cherry coulis, and resolving with refined tobacco, cedar wood spices, and laced with coriander and cumin aromatics. It has a satisfyingly rich finish. Number five of my top 10 wines of 2023.Decanter | 97 DECThe purity of fruit here is impressive with blackcurrants, bark and black mushrooms. Full-bodied but light-footed and fresh with integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Real transparency and focus. 83% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 1% petite sirah. So drinkable but can age as well.James Suckling | 97 JSA blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Petite Sirah, the fruit for the 2021 The Bard comes from sites across the valley, including some estate fruit and some sourced fruit. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shoots from the glass with vibrant notions of crushed black currants, red currant jelly, black raspberries, and pencil shavings, giving way to notes of lilacs, dark chocolate, and a waft of spearmint. The full-bodied palate is firm with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone framing the tightly wound red, black, and blue fruit flavors, finishing with great length and a real skip in its step.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2021 The Bard is fabulous. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant, the 2021 offers up generous dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, spice, menthol and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2021 flaunts tons of flavor intensity and vibrancy. It’s a gorgeous wine, especially considering it is the largest-production wine at Realm.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The appellation 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, and smaller portions of Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. It’s another fabulous wine from this estate, offering pure cr me de cassis, classy oak, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, plush, integrated tannin, and the vintage’s fresher, focused style, it tastes like it costs three times the price. Drink bottles over the coming decades. Bravo.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDAromas of ripe blackcurrants, dried raspberries, spices, cedar and bark. Full-bodied with a mellow, fruit-forward character and creamy texture to the tannins. Delicious and smooth with a velvety finish. Better from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon deftly balances hints of vanilla and cedary oak against notes of ripe cherries and cassis. While not overly complex, it’s harmonious and supple, a medium to full-bodied wine that will complement a meal rather than overpower it, yet it still has ample concentration, richness and depth. Drink it over the next 10 - 15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Aged 21 months in new barrels, the tiny production 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is brooding and inward yet has incredible purity in its darker currant and cassis-like fruit as well as subtle smoked tobacco, crushed stone, liquid violet, and graphite-driven nuances. These carry to a deep, layered, sensationally concentrated Cabernet that has sweet yet building tannins, a seamless mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It needs to be hidden for a decade if you can, but this is a legend in the making and will have 50+ years or more overall longevity if well stored. For the technical geeks out there, the alcohol is 14.8% and its pH is 3.72.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA blend of Fay and S.L.V. barrels—with the proportions favoring Fay this vintage—the 2021 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon shows a bit more toasty oak at this stage of its development but also some attractive violet and herb shadings, cassis, cherries and blueberries. It’s medium to full-bodied and silky textured across the mid-palate, then lingers elegantly on the finish. It’s a super effort, one that nicely captures the overall feel of the Stags Leap District AVA.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is a selection of the estate’s best barrels. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2021 packs quite the punch. Black cherry, leather, tobacco, incense, licorice and cloves are all beautifully amplified in this dramatic, texturally intense Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Creamy tannins add to its sensual, caressing feel.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is loaded with gorgeous flavors of boysenberry, mulberry and blackberry puree that maintain a sleek and refined feel as violet, iris and anise notes add range, lift and energy. A super fine-grained feel completes the seduction on the lengthy finish, where subtle minerality chimes prettily. Drink now through 2042. 2,175 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe first vintage of Cask 23 ever released was the 1974 vintage, with André Tchelistcheff as the consultant. While tasting all the barrels of S.L.V., Tchelistcheff came across one barrel so exceptional that they bottled it on its own, naming it after the barrel in which it was aged—Cask 23. Originally bottled only in the best vintages until 1990, when FAY was introduced as another single-vineyard expression, Cask 23 became a blend of the two single vineyards, FAY and S.L.V., aiming for a balanced, harmonious expression—a "sum greater than the parts" kind of wine. The 2021 Cask 23 was aged 21 months in 100% new French oak barrels. It displays an opaque purple-ruby colour with a magenta rim. The wine offers super dark fruit aromatics, with notes of sagebrush, fig, dried lavender, and salted dark chocolate. Full-bodied, it boasts incredible tension and mineral-laced, muscular tannins that are fine-grained with tremendous staying power, finishing with cocoa powder and an extravagant flourish. This wine has impressive energy and remarkable tension. The winemaker is Marcus Notaro.Decanter | 97 DECSo pure, supple and creamy in texture, this refined and elegant wine delivers deep, powerful flavors on a very polished frame. Creme de cassis, baked blueberry, dried cranberry, graphite and espresso crema nuances. Full-bodied. Graceful enough to drink soon, but will reveal more complexity and intrigue with further aging. Best from 2029.James Suckling | 97 JSBlack cherry, red plum, cedar and fresh tobacco combine in this wine for an experience that is both savory and pleasingly earthy. Fine while textural, satisfying tannins and juicy acidity carry into a long and alluring finish. Delicious. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Inviting aromas of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries as well as crushed walnuts, cedar and bark. Full-bodied, creamy and structured with firm, polished tannins. Balanced and even with a lingering finish. Better after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSPacked and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over black currant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead. Drink now through 2036. Wine Spectator | 94 WSHefty and grippy, this full-bodied wine is sturdy in tannins, deep in black and blue fruits, and will come around nicely with more aging. Blackberries, blueberries, cocoa and hints of oak char make a good, complex expression on the palate. Best from 2027–2037.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThere are an impressive 50,000 cases of Faust’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. Featuring upfront notes of Ribena-like cassis fruit accented by hints of cedar and vanilla, it’s a full-bodied, generous effort that is softly dusty, plush and easy to drink now, but it has enough tannin to hold for at least another decade. It’s a solid value.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is terrific, as well as a terrific value. Cassis, ripe blackberries, tobacco, and some chocolate oak notes all flow to a medium-bodied, supple, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with terrific purity as well as balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It races out with exuberant notes of black cherry preserves, juicy blackberries, and cassis followed by hints of mint tea, graphite, and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers bright, crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and bags of freshness, finishing with a real skip in its step.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

An exquisite wine, relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon from a single estate. Aromas of lavender, dried herbs and grapefruit pith combine with flavors of firm fruits and cocoa on a structure of abundant, powder-fine tannin and a mouthwatering finish. This wine is refined, detailed and delicious, with as much elegance as energy. Best 2026–2040.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WESo much graphite and volcanic character on the nose with metal shavings and gunpowder. Black ink, iron and rust, too. Blackberry and blackcurrant undertones. Full-bodied but not overpowering, with chewy and juicy tannins that are long and very subtle. Superb finish. From biodynamic grapes with Demeter certification. 91% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 3% carmenere, 1% merlot, and 1% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better in 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSLastly, the 2021 Proprietary Red was just bottled in July of this year and checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carmenere, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot, brought up in 64% new French oak. It offers pure blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spicy oak, with a beautiful chalky, mineral note that comes through more on the palate. It’s elegant, full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, good acidity, and terrific length. It’s another gorgeous wine that will evolve for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA compact, coiled-up, polished red. Intensely aromatic and perfumed, it leads with a distinct burst of cast-iron minerality, dusty sage, red and blackberry fruits, and perfumed rose petals. Medium to full-bodied with a dense core of succulent boysenberry fruit, plums, and kirsch, all of which have tremendous staying power matched only by the wine’s burly, robust and muscular tannins, which offer a real contrast to the supreme elegance of this wine. More time in the bottle is needed to let these tannins soften. If you open it before 2025, let it breathe several hours ahead of time, perhaps even double-decant it. 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Carmenère, 1% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 65% new French oak and 3% terracotta amphora.Decanter | 98 DECMarked by scents of cherries and raspberries, with just the barest hints of cedar and mocha-tinged oak, Quintessa’s fruit-forward 2021 Proprietary Red Wine is wonderfully smooth and supple in the mouth. It’s medium to full-bodied, suave and silky, all class and elegance, without any sense of excessive bulk or rusticity. If one were to have a complaint about it (hardly likely), it’s that it comes across as almost too polished, too elegant, too easy to drink.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis sports a fresh-edged beam of mulberry, black currant and boysenberry fruit, while flashes of hibiscus and violet fill in throughout alongside singed apple wood and iron notes. Shows the vintage’s combo of dense fruit and racy-edged structure, with nice tension. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Red Wine is an attractive offering from Quintessa. Crushed red berry fruit, cedar, mocha, spice and tobacco open gracefully. All the elements are nicely balanced in this understated Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Pure perfection from this talented team, the 2021 Estate Cuvee checks in as 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that was raised in 80% new French oak. Absolutely incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, ground pepper, and graphite give way to a full-bodied red with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that’s so hard to come by. It shows the pure, layered, elegant style of the vintage, and this beauty offers pleasure today yet will ideally be given 3-4 years in the cellar, and it will evolve for two decades at a minimum.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Estate Cuvée (a 20th-anniversary edition) is composed of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Its aromas are highly complex and pure! Chocolate-covered cherry and crushed blueberry scents are complemented by wafts of thyme, sage, vanilla, dark spices and savory tones, plus soaring violet perfume. The full-bodied palate is polished and effortlessly balanced, offering powdery tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a tremendously long finish laced with spice and floral perfume. This elegant, expressive blend will be long lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPImmediately seductive and perfumed on the nose with aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, cedar and plenty of sweet oak spices. It’s full-bodied with knit-tight tannins and a velvety texture. Spicy and vibrant with poise. Good vitality with a controlled power all along. Concentrated and full of energy with a generous, peppery and berry-loaded finish. 50% syrah, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% petit verdot. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe L’Aventure vineyard is one of the sources of quality fruit in Paso, and this wine is no exception. Aromas of dark, jammy fruit dominate, and the fruit on the palate is equally assertive, with healthy doses of cedar and spice. Tannins are muscular and powdery, which will aid in the ageability – a full-bodied, authoritative Paso wine with quality at the foundation.Decanter | 95 DEC

Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville may be the finest wine I’ve tasted from this estate, although the 2016 might have something to say about that. Ripe blackcurrants, fresh blue fruits, huge minerality, full-bodied richness, a dense, concentrated mid-palate, and incredibly pure notes of chocolate, loamy earth, tobacco, and lead pencil all define this sensational Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannin quality as well as the overall balance are just about off the charts. This warrants 4-5 years in the cellar and will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe red fruit and tile aromas with terra-cotta come through clearly here. Then there’s sage and bark with cedar undertones. Leaves, too. Then turns to blue fruits. Full body with lovely tannins that are velvety and energetic from the underlying acid and earth character. Excellent finish. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville soars out of the glass. Inky dark cherry, gravel, licorice, graphite and chocolate saturate the palate. Vertical, dense and explosive, the 2021 is wonderfully deep and expressive. There’s plenty of Oakville Ranch tannin, but it is so well-balanced.Vinous Media | 98 VMJuicy and vibrant in feel, this bursts with exuberant notes of raspberry, mulberry and boysenberry pâte de fruit scored with roasted apple wood and licorice root accents. A lovely flurry of iris and hibiscus forms the backdrop, and there’s a late-running tug of loam to keep everything grounded through the finish. Hard to lay off now, but this shows the stuffing to cellar a bit. Drink now through 2040. 365 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard is fabulous. It emerges from a terraced vineyard at 1,800 feet in elevation in Napa Valley, just above the Coombsville AVA. Rich, dark and beautifully structured, the 2021 possesses notable pedigree and character. Black cherry, plum, gravel, licorice, bay leaf and espresso all race across the palate. Readers who enjoy old-school Napa Cabernets will adore this. This wine, if sold in Napa Valley, would cost four to five times as much. Don’t miss it!Vinous Media | 96 VM

Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has a slightly darker, more concentrated profile, giving up plenty of blackcurrants, scorched earth, and tobacco notes, with nicely integrated oak. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with ripe, velvety tannins, this voluptuous yet still focused and nicely structured Cabernet will keep for a solid 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRichly flavored and generous, this wine has a firm structure. Flavors of vanilla cream, blackberry, cassis, cedar and cracked pepper are carried by firm, fine-grained tannins and a long finish. The wine could benefit from decanting so hold until 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Ride leaps with vivacious notes of crushed blackberries, juicy black plums, and Morello cherries, followed by hints of camphor and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate is refreshing and taut, with bags of crunchy black fruits and a long finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

The dark red 2022 Pinot Noir Seaview Ridge Vineyard offers another level of complexity and a touch of umami richness in its notes of black cherries, sea brine, brushy herbs, and licorice. Medium-bodied, it takes on greater intensity and concentration on the palate, with ripe tannins, a darker mineral tone, and a long finish. It is another very well-styled wine that has the potential to age gracefully over the next 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDelicious and delicate from Flowers Sea View Ridge site just over 3 km from the ocean and surrounded by dense evergreens, this wine reflects the climatic edges of coastal viticulture at over 500m.—aromas of seaspray, tart cranberry and a squeeze of blood orange. The palate is reflective of elegance, with hints of smoky clove, tart wild red strawberries and white peppercorn.Decanter | 94 DECAn open-knit version, showing nice energy as its light, briary matrix holds a core of black and red cherry and singed wood spice notes together. Offers a zip of blood orange zest and a twang of minerality on the finish. Drink now through 2031. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

From the oldest vines of the estate, the 2022 Pinot Noir DuMOL Ryan is fantastic on the nose, with notes of fresh leather, Asian spices, sandalwood, and fresh cherries. The palate is vibrant and salty with green valley character, revealing finely coiled tannins, mouthwatering acidity, a saline mineral flourish, and a long finish. This one of the most compelling wines in the vintage for me, and it’s going to age gracefully over the next 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThis is all destemmed but shows a stem and fresh herb character, with strawberries, blueberries and briary bramble berries. It’s medium-bodied with a deepness of fruit and tight, compacted palate. Terrific structure. 50% Martini clone with the rest Calera and Swan. Needs two or three years to soften and open.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2022 Pinot Noir Ryan comes from the Dutton-Widdoes and Dutton-Jentoft Vineyards, and grapes were harvested August 18 and later on September 4, just before the Labor Day heat wave. It unfurls dramatically in the glass, where wild berries, conifer and violets are accented by tones of dusty earth, tobacco and mushroom. The medium-bodied palate is powerfully styled, with abundant, grainy tannins, bright acidity and a long, spicy finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in bottle. 1,005 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPMedium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Ryan sashays out of the glass with gregarious notes of red roses, wild sage, mulberries, and juicy raspberries plus hints of black peppercorns and tilled soil. The medium-bodied palate is taut with muscular red and black berry layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and earthy. This comes 53% from the Dutton-Widdoes Vineyard and 47% from Dutton-Jentoft.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIThe 2022 Pinot Noir Ryan is a very pretty, delicate wine. Crushed flowers, red berry fruit, mint and white pepper lend notable aromatic brightness and lift. The Ryan offers lovely precision and nuance in an understated, appealing style. Ryan is a blend of fruit from Widdoes and Jentoft, two of the most singular vineyards in Sonoma.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2022 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was one of Realm’s first harvests that year, coming in just before the early September heat hit. The blend is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shoots from the glass with bold notes of fresh blackberries and blackcurrants, plus hints of crushed rocks, dried sage, and fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is electric with black fruit and mineral layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and incredible tension, finishing long and earthy. This is on the crunchier side of Dr. Crane fruit, and I love it!The Wine Independent | 99 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is terrific. It shows the natural richness of the year, but its balance is better vis-à-vis the To Kalon, as evidenced by the lifted, bright aromatics and mid-palate pliancy. I admire the energy and vibrancy here. Rose petal, lavender, spice and blood orange are beautifully amplified. Bright acids pull it all together on the close. The Dr. Crane is one the finer wines in the range this year.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with showy scents of violets, dark chocolate, juicy blueberries, and kirsch, leading to hints of menthol, cedar chest, and Chinese five spice. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of exotic spices and earthy nuances, supported by firm, lightly chewy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with epic length. That classic To Kalon power really comes through on the finish!The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard is supple and juicy, qualities that will be best appreciated on the early side. It offers tons of forward appeal, if not quite the dimension, power of intensity of the best years. There’s no way to get past the challenges of the brutal heat here.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2022 Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored it is quite closed at the moment needing a lot of coaxing to bring out notes of plum preserves blueberry compote and black cherries giving way to hints of tar star anise and cumin seed. Full-bodied the palate is dense with black fruit preserves layers supported by firm grainy tannins and just enough freshness finishing long and opulent. Houyi Vineyard was picked through the 2022 heatwave. This fruit needed a lot of selection (nearly 30% of the fruit was discarded) making this a stellar effort. Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown Review date: 2024-09-12The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard is a dense, explosive wine. It shows the radiant, solar style of the year but with the body and texture that so many wines lack. This is the first vintage Realm made following their acquisition of this site, and they conducted the heaviest sorting here. Super-ripe red cherry, red plum, mocha, spice, lavender and orange peel stain the palate. This is a stellar wine for the year.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2022 Moonracer Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shimmies out of the glass with energetic scents of red currant jelly, Morello cherries, mint tea, and rose oil, followed by suggestions of clove oil, cinnamon toast, and graphite. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lightly chewy tannins and impressive freshness to frame the baking spice-laced red berry flavors, finishing with a minty lift.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Moonracer is a pretty, open-knit wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Crushed flowers, red-toned fruit, mint, cinnamon and orange peel open nicely with a bit of time in the glass. Pretty floral overtones add freshness to this silky, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This is amazing on the nose with dried strawberries, sandalwood, mahogany and tea leaf. Iron and rust underneath the fruit. Dried flowers, nutmeg and rose petals. Full-bodied yet agile and energetic with layers of fine dusty tannins. Entrancing finish. Give this four or five years in the bottle, but it’s hard not to drink.James Suckling | 98 JSRaen uses all whole clusters across the red wines. The smoky aromatics and pungent floral aromas of this wine are about the microflora of the vineyard. All native yeasts, unfiltered and unfined, with 10% new oak, crushed violets and stone, andsmoky clove aromas. Dark fruits that dance lightly across the tongue. Black tea, and pomegranate pulp are brighten by a squeeze of blood orange. The finish is lifted by white pepper and Chinese five spice. Seafield and Bodega vineyards comprise this wine dedicated to Robert Mondavi. (Tasted from bottle 15225.)Decanter | 97 DECThe 2022 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert is striking. Vibrant and savory, the 2022 marries notable fruit intensity with strong floral, earthy and savory top notes. Bright red-toned fruit, orange peel, cinnamon, star anise and cedar lift from the glass. Deep and dense, yet also wonderfully crystalline, the 2022 is lights out. What a wine.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2022 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert comes from a ten-acre vineyard on the Sonoma Coast and pours a rich ruby hue. It reveals lovely, perfumed notes of framboise, mossy earth, tea leaf, and roses that lead to a medium-bodied red that’s pure and elegant all the way through, remaining pure and complex, with fine tannins and a lovely, balanced spice through the elegant finish. It’s fantastic now but will drink well over the coming 8-10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDGrapes for the 2022 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert were harvested on September 5. It has layered aromas of rhubarb, blackberry, tea leaves, bitters and earth. The light-bodied palate is silky, fresh and elegantly styled with detailed fruit and a long, spicy finish. 1,800 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThis shows character, with sage, pepper and chaparral notes peeking out from its core of blood orange and damson plum fruit. A singed balsam wood element frames the finish. Best from 2025 through 2031. 1,950 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2022 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is a high point of a beautiful lineup, showcasing both Tyler’s high-fidelity winemaking and the pedigree of this famed vineyard site now part of the estate roster. The darkest, most brooding nose in the range, the aromas here are almost sweet in their concentration but offer a balancing, savory energy. The palate is driven by an umami-like richness, with immense confidence and intensity. It finishes with decadent fruit flavors surrounded by woody, drying tannins that continue to swell with aeration. This wine shows another level of richness than is typical in the Tyler lineup, and it should have an impressive aging trajectory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2022 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix is laced with dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and licorice. Forward and juicy, with tons of immediacy, the Fiddlestix is very nicely balanced. There’s gorgeous mid-palate structure and overall resonance here. The 2022 is impeccable. This is the first site Justin Willett picks. The style is on the more forward, juicy side for Tyler, which is likely attributable to the Dijon clones planted here.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2022 Les Pavots is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot from fruit harvested September 12 through October 14. It has pure, layered aromas of blueberry, blackcurrant, violet, iodine, chocolate and thyme. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and mineral-driven, its dark flavors laced with graphite. It’s structured by powerful, grainy tannins and juicy acidity, and it has a long, floral finish. It will benefit from several years in the cellar. A total of 2,397 cases were made, and the wine will be released in April of 2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP

Cassis, graphite, smoked tobacco, and hints of chocolate all define the 2022 Scarecrow, and this sensational effort shows what can be achieved in challenging vintages with incredible terroir, old vines, and a brilliant winemaker. Full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, balanced, and with velvety tannins, it has a layered mouthfeel and terrific length on the finish. It’s a more forward, sexy example of this cuvee than normal but is just a sensational effort in this challenging vintage. As with most 2022s, it has plenty of upfront charm and appeal, yet this has the depth and density to evolve for over two decades. The 2022 is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Malbec, all of which spent 22 months in 65% new French oak. This is easily in the top 2-3 wines in the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2022 Scarecrow is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the J.J. Cohn vineyard, nestled up against the lower slopes of the Mayacamas. Bottled in July 2024, it features mixed red and black cherries on the nose, plus hints of cassis and pencil shavings. In the mouth, it’s full-bodied and silky, the wood bringing structure—and maybe even a bit of freshness—to the wine this year, prolonging the finish and helping to shape the palate into a more linear shape. Not quite up to the lofty standards of the 2019 or 2021 vintages, it’s still a stunning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that should evolve nicely for two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is soft, seamless and polished. Winemaker Celia Welch turned out a sublime wine in this incredibly challenging year. A wine with no hard edges, the 2022 is impeccable from start to finish. Sumptuous dark red fruit, blood orange, cinnamon, new leather and incense all build beautifully in the glass. This is a terrific 2022.Vinous Media | 96 VM