California Wines

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Crushed stone, lit gunpowder, peppery herbs, sassafras, violets, and assorted red and black fruits all emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Estate, a brilliant release from this estate that’s medium-bodied, has bright yet integrated acidity, beautiful balance, and a great, great finish. It’s young and unevolved (yet it’s already complex) and will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age, but this is a gorgeous California Pinot Noir on every level. It’s going to drink well for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDThe 2015 Pinot Noir has softened nicely since I last tasted it, although the aromatics remain a bit reticent, most likely because of the 35% whole clusters used that year. There is lovely richness and depth underneath, but readers will have to cellar the 2015 for at least a few years in order to see the wine at its best and most complete.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGBlack-plum, incense, black-cherry and root-beer aromas show on the nose of this bottling from a regional standard bearer. Sandalwood and mahogany flavors make for a woody palate, where the dark-plum and purple-flower flavors cling to a firm tension.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Mount Eden’s 2018 Chardonnay offers a fabulous interplay of richness and energy. A wine of linear intensity, the 2018 could use a few more years in bottle to be at its best, but it is super-impressive, even now, in what is very clearly the early going. Lemon confit, mint, orange peel, spice and light butter notes all build into the articulate, polished finish. This is such a classy wine. Give it a few years to come together.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGHoneyed nut, tangerine peel and baked apple aromas show on the nose of this bottling. A zesty acidity enlivens the palate from front to back, carrying toasty flavors of pan-seared apple, cashew, sea salt and white flower. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA Burgundy lover’s Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2018 Chardonnay Estate is another terrific effort from this estate. Lots of honeyed citrus, nectarine, toast, crushed stone, and white flower notes define the bouquet, and it opens beautifully with time in the glass, gaining both richness and complexity. Medium-bodied, it stays tight and compact on the palate, with bright yet integrated acidity, solid mid-palate depth, and a great finish. As with all of Patterson’s wines, it’s brilliantly made, balanced, and well worth checking out.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDMount Eden’s chardonnay vines are descendants of cuttings that Paul Masson brought from Burgundy and planted at his La Cresta Vineyard, and where Martin Ray sourced the plant material when he established Mount Eden on a nearby ridge, 2,000 feet above the Pacific, facing east. The contemporary vines, mostly planted in the mid-1990s, are tended by Jeffrey Patterson who made this rich and powerful 2018. Fermented in French oak barrels (50 percent new), the wine’s smokiness seems tied as much to the earth as to the wood. It’s savory and lemony, with a firm cut that should serve it well through several years of bottle aging.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&SThere’s a luscious and creamy texture to the concentrated ripe apple, pear and quince flavors that are filled with cooking spice accents. Ends with sage honey nuances on the rich finish. Drink now through 2024. 1,288 cases made. Wine Spectator | 91 WS

From a site next to Spotteswood, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price Vineyard has a complex style in its red and black fruits, new leather, sandalwood, and tobacco leaf-like aromas and flavors. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, wonderfully pure, balanced red with ripe yet present tannins, plenty of fruit and opulence, and a great finish. A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, it’s another brilliant wine from this label.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDMade form 100% Cabernet Sauvingon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price leaps with scents crushed redcurrants, blackberry pie and blackcurrant pastilles, plus hints of bouquet garni, tar and truffles. Full-bodied, taut and tightly wound, it has a firm, grainy texture and lively freshness, finishing with fantastic persistence. 190 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Allen Price Vineyard is soft, succulent and relatively easygoing, both for this wine and the vintage. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice and lavender all meld together effortlessly. The 2019 is undeniably attractive, even if it does not have the depth of the very best years.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

Translucent ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard, from the warmer, sandy Los Alamos region, was mostly destemmed (15% stems) and spent 18 months in 15% new barrels. A wonderful perfume of mulled cherries, baking spices, dried herbs, flowers, and forest floor gives way to a medium-bodied, ethereally styled, balanced, graceful Pinot Noir with light tannins and a great finish. It’s all about finesse and elegance, and it’s a beautiful, seamless Pinot Noir.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDQuite light in the glass, this bottling by Gavin Chanin offers aromas of pomegranate, red currant, hibiscus and white pepper on a nose that bounces from bright to juicy. The palate is a tad richer and more rounded, offering cherry and strawberry as well as underlying sagebrush flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2019 Pinot Noir Los Alamos Vineyard is laced with the essence of crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, cinnamon and mint. Readers will find an airy, gracious Pinot built on a whole range of floral and savory accents. The 15% whole clusters are expertly judged. Silky and beautifully perfumed, the Los Alamos Pinot is pure seduction.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

The 2019 Chardonnay Platt Vineyard is laced with hints of jasmine, lemon confit, mint, orchard fruit and tangerine oil. Time in the glass brings out light tropical overtones that take on a Riesling-like feel that is hugely appealing.Antonio Galloni | 95 AG

A stunning wine, showing both power and elegance, this has a creamy, supple texture paired with vibrant, mouthwatering acidity that turns up the intensity. Presents plump, fleshy apricot, peach cobbler and dried mango flavors complemented by notes of savory Himalayan salt and butterscotch. The long, harmonious finish features lingering accents of candied ginger peel. Drink now through 2030. 2,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2019 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is superb. Powerful and resonant in the glass, with notable depth as well as structure, the 2019 is mesmerizing. Lemon peel, white pepper, chalk and mint lend brightness throughout. There is more than enough backbone to allow the 2019 to age gracefully for years to come. What a wine!Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2019 Grenache 2 2 Tango is terrific. A blend of 76% Grenache, 15% Graciano, and the rest Syrah, sourced from multiple sites throughout the Central Coast (mostly Ballard Canyon), it has a cool, lively, incredibly elegant style to go with textbook Grenache notes of red and blue fruits, ground pepper, and herbes de Provence. It has fabulous purity of fruit, and I’m a fan. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Grenache 2 2 Tango is a blend of Grenache, Graciano and Syrah. Boisterous and racy in the glass, the 2019 has a lot going on. Bright red berry/plum fruit, licorice and spice all open in the glass. This is an exuberant style, but the tannins are pretty fierce. Give it a year to soften.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG

The 2019 Petite Sirah 2 2 Tango is dense purple-hued and has an assortment of black and blue fruits as well as bouquet garni and sappy herb notes. With full-bodied richness, a monster of a mid-palate, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish, it’s a brilliant Petite Sirah that should evolve for a solid decade in cold cellars. The blend is 77% Petite Sirah, 14% Graciano, and 9% Syrah, aged in 69% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2019 Petite Syrah 2 2 Tango is mostly Stolpman and a touch of Rancho Boa Vista, both in Ballard Canyon. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol saturate the palate. The 2019 has plenty of Petite intensity, but with tannins that have been expertly managed. There is a lot to look forward to.Antonio Galloni | 92-94 AG

This bold but light-bodied wine wraps phenomenal fruitiness and freshness in lively acidity and fine-grained tannins for a rare mix of vibrancy and concentration. It stops short of full ripeness and lures with red cherry, sour cherry and rhubarb flavors that are intense and long. Best from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2019 Pinot Noir Faîte de Mer Farm is the most elegant and complete of the Mendocino wines in this range. It is distinguished by layers of bright, red-toned fruit and soaring aromatics. Bright acids support a core of crushed raspberry fruit, wild flowers, mint, spice and crushed rocks. I very much like the vibrancy and cut here. The Faîte de Mer Farm is simply gorgeous.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

From a 20+-year-old section of Hudson selection Old Wente clone vines, the 2019 Chardonnay Hudson (a barrel sample) delivers a full-on exotic nose of tropical fruits, pineapple upside-down cake, beeswax and spiced pears with an undercurrent of cashews and brioche plus a touch of yuzu zest. Full-bodied, the palate is satisfyingly savory and multilayered, with tons of mineral sparks accenting the opulent fruit, and the long, decadent finish is beautifully offset by racy freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPAn inviting nose of jasmine, lemon leaf, chalk and beeswax. Full-bodied and light on its feet with delicate expressions of herbs and spices that carry over the palate in layers. Subtle vanilla bean and toasted thyme on the palate. Supremely elegant. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is a total knock-out. Ripe pear, white flowers, mint and apple tart are all beautifully lifted. Rich in texture, yet light on its feet, the Hudson is unbelievably beautiful and vivid in the glass. In a word: stunning.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThere’s unctuous minerality and savoriness to the baked apple and dried pear flavors that are lacy and well-spiced, with toasty and buttery accents on the broad-textured finish. Elegant and complex. Drink now through 2026. 579 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 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

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service Stagecoach Vineyard boasts lovely harmony between the red and black fruit (cherries and cassis), the oak (cedar and vanilla) and the delicate herbal nuances (sage and bay leaf). Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a long, velvety finish, this is a real beauty that should improve for at least a decade. Have I underestimated it?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a deep, ample wine. Crème de cassis, licorice, lavender, spice and menthol build beautifully in the glass. This pliant, lush Cabernet is all charm. Her Majesty’s Secret Service emerges from block 5M at Stagecoach, a block Aaron Pott planted himself. What impresses most is the way Pott has tamed the tannins that can be so fierce at this site. His 2019 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGMore cassis and a kiss of blue fruits emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a medium to full-bodied, juicy, ultra-classic Napa Valley Cabernet with great tannins, a juicy, elegant mouthfeel, good depth of fruit, and a great finish. Despite its charm and approachability, it has rock solid acidity, tannins, and structure and is going to evolve gracefully for upwards of two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JD

The 2019 Pinot Noir Le Russe was matured in 75% new French oak. It is alluringly earthy, with scents cranberry, woodsmoke, oolong tea and forest floor. The light-bodied palate is bursting with perfumed fruit! It has tremendous spicy accents, a structural harmony of chalky tannins and energetic acidity and a long, spicy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPAromas of redcurrants, cherries, cola, nutmeg and flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with soft tannins. Juicy and fruity with a silky, caressing texture and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSA cuvée of several sites, including Martaella, Jenkins and Martinelli River Road, this wine shows a spectrum of fine flavor and sinewy texture. Cherry cola and spicy perfume accent its medium-bodied lushness and refined richness. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard is toasty and open on the nose with baked apples and white peaches complemented by wafts of jasmine, crushed almonds and graphite. The light-bodied palate is satiny with concentrated, toasty fruits and balancing mouthwatering acidity. It has lots of focus and energy, and hints of exotic spice in the undercurrent suggest there’s loads more expression waiting to emerge as this unwinds in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations Hyde Vineyard comes from a great vineyard in Carneros and spent 16 months in 70% new French oak. It offers a touch more tropical nuances in its melon and papaya-like fruits as well as white flowers, toasted spice, and brioche-like aromas and flavors. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is soft, supple, and opulent while still showing fabulous purity and precision. This is another gorgeous Chardonnay from this estate that will keep for 4-5 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2019 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard Goldberg Variations No. 2 is a pretty laid-back wine for Hyde, where the wines tend to be richer and weightier. Apricot, lemon confit, marzipan, apricot, tangerine peel, lightly honeyed notes and dried flowers all meld together in this beautifully precise expression of Hyde.Vinous Media | 94 VMLots of beautiful cooked-apple, lemon-curd and light pie-crust aromas follow through to a full body with a round texture, pear puree and a hint of apple pie. A combination of softness and brightness. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

Enticing aromas of oak spices, toast, grilled plums, redwood forest and baked cherries draw your interest quickly before enjoying the wine’s rich, complex red cherry, black tea and cedar flavors. Nicely gripping tannins and great acidity give it excellent balance for further aging. Best from 2028-2038.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

This is a meaty, powerful wine made in a dense, full-bodied style that possesses underlying grace. Black fruit dominates around a secondary tier of currant, clove and iron, the oak is present and yet behaved and well-integrated. The tannins are lengthy and grippy in their youth. Best enjoyed from 2029–2034.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

One of the most elegant Cabernets of the 2019 vintage. Sourced from various Coombsville sites, this blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and 2% Merlot is teeming with minerality, baking spices, toasted cedar and rich red berry aromas. Impressively vibrant, unfolding with fragrant rose petal contrasted by fresh gravelly tones. A dusty tannin backbone is framed by firm acidity, while the round fruit profile is almost buoyant. This will develop lovely complexity over time.Decanter | 96 DECFresh, with eucalyptus and menthol to the blackberries and raspberries. Medium-bodied, bright and crisp with fine tannins and pretty length. Cabernet sauvignon with 10% cabernet franc and a touch of petit verdot. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Coombsville) is a fabulous introduction to the range. This is the first vintage the Napa Valley Cabernet becomes a pure Coombsville AVA wine from the Nathan Coombs Estate. Dried herbs, coffee, chocolate, spice and new leather add layers of nuance to a core of dark-fleshed fruit. The 2019 is beautifully done. Dollops of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot round out the blend, with the Franc and PV very much in evidence.Vinous Media | 93 VMRipe and vivid, revealing a long beam of açaí, blueberry and blackberry puree flavors that are polished in feel, with subtle cast iron and savory accents through the finish. A light hand with the toast allows the fruit to sing in this version. Drink now through 2035. 6,083 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe second vintage of this wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville comes entirely from Hobbs’s Nathan Coombs Estate. A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot, it offers dark fruit notes of blackberry and blueberry, plus hints of graphite and cedar. Full-bodied and rich, it has enough soft, dusty tannins to make it a solid steakhouse option, while the finish is long and tinged with licorice. With just over 6,000 cases produced, it’s the one consumers are most likely to encounter in the market.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RP

The 2019 Pinot Noir Diane Cobb Coastlands Vineyard has a medium ruby color and pure, layered scents of raspberry jam, tobacco leaves, lemon peel, pencil shavings and saline. The light-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing, with detailed, mineral-laced berry fruits and a very long finish with expansive floral and spice tones.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir Coastlands: Diane Cobb emerges from a 1.5-acre block of own-rooted vines planted with 18 clones. Aromatic and ethereal, with striking understated depth that emerges over time, the Diane Cobb is full of personality. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, sage, mint and blood orange lend tons of aromatic and flavor nuance.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

The 2019 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard was made with 50% whole clusters and matured for 22 months in 40% new French oak. It is delicate and broody on the nose at this stage, with a core of raspberry fruit and accents of saline, seaweed, cracked pepper and violet. The light-bodied palate is delicate, grainy and fresh, with layer after layer of detailed fruits and a latent finish that hints at more to come as this matures in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard is perfumed with rose petal, pomegranate, and pine, and the structure is fresh, with a spine of acidity, followed by notes of red cherry fruit, spice, and tea leaf on the finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2019 Pinot Noir Emmaline Ann Vineyard is a classic Ross Cobb wine. Crushed red berry fruit, pipe tobacco, mint, cedar and dried flowers are all nicely lifted. The 50% stems add aromatic nuance but are also very nicely integrated. Some of the edges have softened, but this remains a gracious, almost ethereal style.Antonio Galloni | 91 AG

Pas de Cheval is a collaboration between Maayan Koschitzky (of Atelier Melka) and Master of Wine Vanessa Conlin. They focus on appellation Cabernets and have some top-notch sourcing. Starting with the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville, it offers a gorgeous nose of pure cassis, blueberries, wildflowers, incense, and spicy oak. Pure Napa Valley Cabernet magic on the palate, it’s full-bodied, has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, ripe, building and substantial tannins, and one heck of a great finish. It certainly delivers the goods today yet will integrate its oak and tannins with 2-4 years of bottle age and drink spectacularly well over the following 15-20 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

From a higher elevation site on this great Mountain terroir in the northeastern part of the valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is classic Howell Mountain with a closed, reductive, tight, and unyielding style that blossoms with time in the glass. Black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chalky minerality, violets, and brambly herbs define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mouthfeel, and serious amounts of tannin that will require 4-5 years to chill out. Nevertheless, it’s another beautiful, balanced, incredibly impressive wine from this lineup that readers will love. Hide bottles for at least 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JD

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon continues to show brilliantly. (I rated it 97-100 from barrel last year.) It has a quintessential Cabernet nose of pure crème de cassis, crushed stone, lead pencil, graphite, and tobacco that gains depth and richness with time in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, rich, and incredibly textured, yet still fresh, light on its feet, and beautifully balanced, this gorgeous Cabernet shows what’s possible with the variety from Paso Robles.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle, brown sugar and coffee to begin, opening with time to very pure cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, garrigue and aniseed. The palate is supple and fresh with surprisingly restrained, mineral-laced fruits and a fan of spicy accents across the long finish. This ultra sleek, elegant Cabernet evolves continually in the glass and has the harmonious structure it needs to go the distance in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPOpaque in color, the wine opens with intense yet elegant aromas of cassis, toasted espresso and roasted walnut paste. Polished tannins frame the rich sip, loaded with scorched earth, dark cassis and purple-flower flavors, proving very dry yet luxurious, with a lingering finish.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDeep, rich and plush on the nose showing cassis, blackberries with hints of dark olives, fennel, dark chocolate, cigar box and elderberry characters. Full-bodied and fleshy on the palate with an abundance of tannins, which are extremely fine-grained. Restrainedly opulent, deep, structured and long. Still a hint of white sesame character from the barrels, but will integrate in a year or two. Drinkable but better after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSInky garnet. Expansive, smoke-tinged dark fruit preserves, oak spices and vanilla on the nose. In a plush, broad style, offering sweet black currant, cherry liqueur, mocha and vanilla flavors and a spicy touch of cracked pepper. Smooth, well-knit tannins add shape to a long, smoky finish that leaves cherry pie and candied licorice notes behind. All new French oak.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2019 H Block Hudson Vineyards is another stunning wine in this range from Fritz and Caren Hatton. It offers up a whole range of savory and floral Franc aromatics allied to dense, huge Merlot fruit. Time in the glass brings out subtler shades of nuance. Bright red berry fruit, mocha, spice, rose petal and a hint of French oak linger. The 2019 is a total knock-out. Don’t miss it.Vinous Media | 97 VMMore Cabernet Franc-dominated (there’s 30% Merlot), the 2019 Red Blend H Block Hudson Vineyards has a deep plum/ruby hue as well as textbook Franc notes of black cherries, currants, chocolate, tobacco, and truffly earth. Medium to full-bodied, pure, beautifully balanced, and incredibly elegant, this is just another gorgeous wine from this estate. 454 cases.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDCofermenting 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot from the great site, this wine is chalky, complex and ageworthy. Reductive, it offers dense layers of smoked meat, oak and earthy girth, while being savory throughout, with an impressive tannin structure. Herb and spice linger on the lengthy finish. Enjoy best from 2029–2039.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2019 Red Blend H Block Hudson Vineyard is a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out of the glass with bright, energetic notes of redcurrants, black raspberries and Morello cherries, plus hints of menthol, roses and juicy plums, with a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant and perfumed, featuring fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing with loads of floral fireworks. Beautiful.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThis has a fragrant nose of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, dried violets, lavender, thyme, nutmeg and walnuts. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Fleshy texture with a deep core of ripe fruit and leafy, floral undertones. 70% cabernet franc and 30% merlot. Drink from 2022.James Suckling | 95 JS

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

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, heady wine. Even though it was just bottled, the 2019 possesses remarkable textural intensity. A whole range of floral and savory notes open as this statuesque Cabernet shows off its personality. This is an especially rich, bombastic Cabernet from Ric Forman. That is especially evident when tasted next to the 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMSimilarly hued, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley offers a classic, old school Napa Cabernet nose of darker currants, green tobacco, spring flowers, camphor, and new leather. As with the 2018, it plays in a more medium to full-bodied, elegant style, has ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. The 2019 is more accessible and open than the 2018 and should continue drinking brilliantly for another two decades if stored correctly.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD