California Wines

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The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard hails from a single vineyard in Knights Valley located at 950 feet in elevation. It has a brilliant nose of savory red and black currants, dried herbs, saddle leather, and tobacco, with a decidedly Bordeaux-like vibe in both its aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, with ripe tannins on the palate, this is a serious, captivating, incredibly impressive Cabernet that will shine for at least two decades. You could put this beauty in a lineup of First Growth Bordeaux and it would do just fine.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDMade from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard spent 12 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with bold scents of fresh blackberries, black currants and mulberries plus suggestions of cedar chest, pencil lead, iron ore and truffles, with emerging wafts of crushed rocks and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers firm, grainy, exquisitely ripe tannins and seamless freshness supporting layer upon layer of black fruits, finishing on a long-lingering fragrant earth note. 800 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPLots of pine and walnut with gravel and dark fruit on the nose. It’s very fine-tannined with nice austerity and a dusty texture. Long and juicy. Needs to soften. Better in a year or two. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana is a very pretty wine with lovely red/purplish berry fruit character, sweet, perfumed aromatics and soft contours. The purity of the fruit is just remarkable. I imagine the 2018 will drink well pretty much upon release. It is so showy today.Antonio Galloni | 90-92 AG

This is a generous, layered white with lots of cooked apples and hints of coconut and vanilla. Full body. Phenolic tension, too. Lots of white pepper and saltiness underneath. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JS

CIX stands for 109, because this was originally called “Parcel 109” when Aubert bought the vineyard. Planted in 2008 to Montrachet clone, the 2018 Chardonnay CIX Estate is wonderfully intense, exploding from the glass with lime cordial, apricot and mandarin peel scents of citrus, followed by suggestions of jasmine, honey toast and marzipan with a touch of coriander seed. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with expressive citrus and stone fruit layers, framed by an electric line of freshness and finishing long with amazing purity and precision.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPAnother Sonoma Coast release, the 2018 Chardonnay CIX just about knocks it out of the park, offering a medium/lighter gold hue, a huge nose of ripe pineapple, caramelized pears, flower oil, nectarines, and salty minerality, full-bodied richness, integrated acidity, and a stunning finish. It’s everything you expect from a Chardonnay from Mark Aubert – stunning purity, opulence paired with freshness, incredible length, and flawless balance. Drink it over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDLots of ripe-nectarine, lemon-curd, dried-mango and smoked-cashew aromas. Salted butter notes. Ash, too. It’s full-bodied, creamy and smooth with a gradual and graceful evolution of ripe fruit to stone and flint on the finish. Solid density. Agile. Better in a year or two.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2018 Chardonnay CIX Vineyard is a seamless, gorgeous beauty. Orchard fruit, mint, white pepper and floral notes all run through this super-expressive, alluring Chardonnay from Mark Aubert. In the glass, the CIX is understated and nuanced rather than overt. I find it absolutely mesmerizing.Vinous Media | 94-97 VMRestrained but immediately compelling, pretty, creamy nose. The palate dismisses the dairy notes and becomes immediately more flavourful, the acidity growing in intensity and driving through to a long, succulent finish. A beautiful dance between softness and power. This wine truly appeals to me on both a personal and professional level – well crafted and deliciously delivered.Decanter | 97 DECFeatures a steely structure, with concentrated freshly cut apple, brioche and Asian pear flavors, supported by crunchy acidity. Pure and minerally midpalate, offering a long finish that echoes with subtle sea salt and chamomile accents. Best from 2022 through 2027. 1,085 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Coming from a warmer site in the Russian River Valley (off Eastside Road) planted all to the Montrachet clone of Chardonnay, the 2018 Chardonnay Eastside reveals incredible intensity in its buttered citrus, white peach, nectarine, white flowers, stony minerality, and almond paste-laced aromas and flavors. A rich, powerful, straight- up awesome Chardonnay, it has riveting focus and precision paired with that richness and opulence that Mark Aubert seems to find in just about every vintage. Magical stuff in every sense, I always find it amazing that the Aubert Chardonnays are brought up in new French oak, yet you never find obvious oak, and the wines have an incredible sense of minerality and elegance, yet with power!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2018 Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard is a total stunner. Rich, ample and phenolic in feel, the 2018 possesses tremendous resonance in all of its dimensions. Orange peel, spice, mint, toast and hazelnut all build in this creamy, super-expressive Chardonnay. Today, the Eastside Vineyard just dazzles.Vinous Media | 95-98 VMA powerful nose of dried pineapple, lime curd, dried lemon zest, white pepper, clove and a touch of burnt match. Pear blossom, too. Finely crafted, seamless layers of fruit, crushed stones and smoke. It’s full-bodied, tight and compact, elegant and sophisticated all at once. A beautiful wine. Such balance. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSRestrained but immediately compelling, pretty, creamy nose. The palate dismisses the dairy notes and becomes immediately more flavourful, the acidity growing in intensity and driving through to a long, succulent finish. A beautiful dance between softness and power. This wine truly appeals to me on both a personal and professional level – well crafted and deliciously delivered.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA vibrantly crisp version, with notes of dried savory herbs to the freshly cut green apple and Asian pear flavors. Offers intense minerality, showing smoky accents on the powerful and well-structured finish. Best from 2022 through 2026. 852 cases made. — KMWine Spectator | 94 WS

Ripe-peach, chalk, smoked-almond, matchstick and phenolic aromas. Floral notes, too. It’s full-bodied, creamy and oily. So balanced and restrained, yet dense and impressive. Minerally. Give this time.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2018 Chardonnay Hudson is sourced from Hudson selection, Old Wente clone vines that are 22 years old and planted on the Napa side of Carneros. The nose is redolent of butterscotch, baked apples, spice cake and chopped cashews with a core of baked pineapples and preserved lemons. The rich, full-bodied, decadently fruited palate offers layer upon layer of savory flavors with compelling lemony sparks and a seamless acid backbone, finishing seductively creamy and on a long-lingering honey-nut note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2018 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is another superb wine in this range. Unctuous and creamy, with striking freshness, the Hudson has so much to offer. White pepper, mint, orchard fruit and lemon confit are all given an extra kick of intensity in this racy, beautifully layered Chardonnay from Aubert.Antonio Galloni | 94-97 AGConcentrated poached pear and apple pastry flavors are plush and open-textured. Shows juicy richness midpalate. Buttery pastry notes linger on the finish. Drink now through 2024. 851 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2018 Aubert Pinot Noirs were bottled at the beginning of July 2019. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard rolls out of the glass with intense notes of Morello cherries, rhubarb, raspberry pie, bouquet garni and lilacs with suggestions of Marmite toast, fungi, fragrant soil and forest floor. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with crunchy red berries plus loads of earthy accents, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a wonderfully spicy kick. Delicious now, this should age incredibly well, generously rewarding those with enough patience to defer their gratification.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPPowerful and structured, with minerally richness to the fine-edged red fruit and savory spice flavors. The sleek finish offers impressive purity and clarity to the notes of hot stone, flint and underbrush. Best from 2021 through 2026. 993 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSVery fruity with cherry and dried-strawberry aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, tannic and chewy, yet polished and tight. It needs time to open. Available fall 2020. Better after 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2018 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is the darkest and richest of the three Pinots in Mark Aubert’s lineup. Black cherry, chocolate, licorice and herbs are all broad and ample in the glass. The UV is a Pinot of gravitas, power and textural intensity. Ideally, readers should give it a few years in bottle, as the tannins are pretty imposing at this stage, just a few months after bottling.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2018 Aubert Pinot Noirs were bottled at the beginning of July 2019. Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir UV-SL sashays out of the glass with flashy black cherries, black raspberries and mulberries scents plus suggestions of violets, dark chocolate, cinnamon stick and cloves with wafts of garrigue and mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a taut backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and fantastic freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a lingering earthy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2018 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard is one of the very best Pinots I have ever tasted from Mark Aubert. What I like most is the interplay of aromatics, energy and overall freshness, all of which balance the richness Aubert coaxes from Pinot. In the glass, the UV-SL is so beautiful, so vivid and so compelling. A rush of red/purplish berry fruit, sage, mint and lavender builds into the precise, delineated finish. Not only is the UV-SL the most complete of the three Pinots, it is also very clearly the most stylistically aligned with the Chardonnays. I loved it.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe freshness to this is complete with very focused and high-tone character that shows precision and intensity. Full body. Phenolic, yet so spread and beautiful. Hints of dark berries, black truffle and spice at the end. Available fall 2020. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSRefined, with juicy richness to the mouthfilling flavors of raspberry tart, cherry compote and boysenberry. Crisp midpalate, leading to a fresh, spicy finish. Drink now through 2025. 1,074 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Blackberry, blackcurrant and mint with some sage and crushed-stone undertones. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are in-check and nicely polished. Smoke, toasted oak and bark at the end, complementing the fresh yet ripe fruit. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 is a fine addition to the lineage of one of Napa Valley’s most historic wines. Inky red fruit, chocolate, leather and licorice all open in the glass. Aeration brings out floral top notes, raspberry and a hint of blood orange. There is plenty of depth, but the tannins are finer than they were a few years ago. Shorter time on the skins and a reduction in barrel fermentations really allow the pedigree of these Rutherford sites to come through. The 2018 is sensational.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe famous wine lives up to its historic promise in this wonderfully complex and structured vintage, the wine showing an abundance of tension and youthful grip. Earthy in dried herb, cedar and sage, it shares notes of black currant, cassis and forest within a textured and brightly layered foundation of elegant ageablity. Enjoy best from 2028–2038.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEThe flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges De Latour Private Reserve is a gorgeous wine from this team that’s reminiscent of the 2016, if not slightly more tannic. Blackcurrants, cassis, tobacco leaf, and nicely integrated oak all make an appearance, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a beautiful sense of purity and freshness, flawless balance, and a great finish. It has plenty of structure and, like a lot of 2018s, not a huge amount of baby fat, which gives it a firmer, more age-worthy vibe. While it’s unquestionably approachable today, do your best to hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it should have a gradual evolution over the coming 20-25 years. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only improved. It’s brilliant, seamless wine in the making.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDAn excellent 2018 from one of the oldest and most historic estates in Napa filled with just the right amount of density, power and structure. The nose is rich and fruit-filled, bursting with blackcurrants, raspberries and black cherries alongside perfumed aromatics and touches of dried herbs. The first sip shows the wine’s depth and concentration, full-bodied with layers of cherry, liquorice and tobacco leaf with an unlying suppleness and freshness that gives bounce and chewiness to the fruit. Lovely density and juice throughout with velvet-like tannins and sustaining acidity. Vibrant and youthful with plenty of potential for ageing. A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Wines are aged for 22 months in French oak, 95% new barrels. Made by winemaker Trevor Durling, also general manager of Beaulieu owner Treasury Wine Estates. (Drink between 2024-2035)Decanter | 96 DECThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it prances out of the glass with flamboyant scents of blackberry preserves, wild blueberries and crème de cassis, followed by hints of cigar box, Chinese five spice and pencil shavings with a waft of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of firm grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the muscular black fruit, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPJuicy, ripe and inviting, featuring racy cassis, plum and boysenberry compote notes that stretch out over the anise- and applewood-tinged spine. A bit taut in the end, with a cedary edge, but there’s ample fruit here to give this some cellaring. Drink now through 2031. 12,871 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Leading off the 2018s from barrel, the 2018 Melbury is spectacular juice, offering an already complex nose of cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with notes of dried flowers, graphite, chalky mineral, and spice. All about elegance and purity, it’s full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and a great wine in the making.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDBrightness and purity to this, offering blueberries, fresh plums and peaches. It’s medium-to full-bodied with ripe, fine tannins Terra cotta and red fruit at the end. Dusty texture. Drink after 2023, but so good now.James Suckling | 98 JSA barrel sample, the 2018 Melbury sports a deep garnet-purple and sashays out of the glass with bold, gregarious scents of fresh black cherries, mulberries and plums with hints of black currants, cinnamon toast and Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and refreshing, it is chock-full of crunchy fruit with compelling mineral accents coming through on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2018 Melbury is, as always, the first of the single-vineyard wines presented at Bond. The order is always the same: Melbury-Quella-St. Eden-Vecina and Pluribus. I suppose that makes sense from the standpoint of concentration and structure, but it is quite penalizing for the Melbury, a wine that is more about elegance than power or tannins. That said, the 2018 is not a shy wine, it certainly has plenty of depth. Freshness, energy and verve are the signatures in a Cabernet that is all about intangibles. Hints of dark red cherry, tobacco, rose petal, mint and sweet spice emerge over time. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGPacked with dark blackberry and black currant preserves, this has nicely coiled energy, with sassafras and apple wood accents mixed with flashes of sweet bay leaf and tobacco. Subtle sanguine and black tea hints curl around the finish. Best from 2023 through 2037.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavors with some conifer and stone. Full-to medium-bodied with firm, dusty tannins that are fine and intense. Clarity to this wine. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSFirst made in 2006 and coming from more sandy, coarser soils, the 2018 Quella is incredibly exotic, with red and black fruits, wildflowers, sandalwood, candied violets, and flowery incense notes as well as medium to full body, a layered, ultra-fine, pure mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. It’s incredibly elegant and polished in 2018, with a chalky minerality as well as gorgeous complexity and length. It’s another 2018 that has plenty of up-front charm and accessibility yet is going to age gorgeously for 20-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA barrel sample, the 2018 Quella has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with the most gorgeous perfume of violets, red and black plums, Morello cherries and cassis plus hints of iron ore and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lovely energy and tension, framed by fine-grained tannins and finishing with beautiful purity.Quella comes from a steep, southwest-facing vineyard in the eastern Vaca hillsides, just up from Joseph Phelps’s winery and Denali Estate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2018 Quella is rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass. There’s terrific depth here and tons of class. Blood orange, game, licorice, tobacco, lavender and dried herbs give the Quella beguiling aromatic presence to play off its muscular, brooding personality. The 2018 needs a few years to soften, but it is already compelling, to say the least.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGBoasts black currant, fig and loganberry fruit flavors that are tightly packed yet nicely expressive already, while the backdrop of signed alder, juniper, bay leaf and warm loam adds extra dimension and length through the finish. Not shy on power, but everything is in proportion. Best from 2024 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

An elegant array of baked berries and creamy masala chai pull the nose deep into this single-vineyard bottling from the legendary appellation. Dark fruit flavors meet with lavender and peppery spice on the palate, which is wrapped in sticky tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEHarvested at a minuscule yields from a vineyard planted in 1975, then aged 17 months in one-third new French oak. With a bit of aeration the youthful, concentrated aromas open to reveal opulent plum, spice, orange zest and pine forest accents. The palate offers juicy black cherry and more plum, mulled wine spices and powdery tannins, with crushed stone minerality and elegant cedar oak tinged with dark chocolate. There’s a distinct salinity to this wine which refreshes through the long finish. | 95 DECCalera’s oldest and most established vineyard produced its darkest pinot noir in 2018: Jensen feels lean, controlled and so full of internal tension that I wrote ‘disciplined’ in my notes. Wines can’t have discipline, can they? In this case, the structure is built around clove- and olive-scented tannins, which act like girders in the wine. With air, the tannins turn lighter, toward Christmas spices, suggesting layers of complexity and depth that one tasting can’t yet plumb. For the cellar. —P.J.C. (535 cases) Wine and Spirits Mag | 93 W&SDeceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2015 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is extremely closed to a degree I don’t think I have seen before in this wine. I imagine the 100% whole clusters have something to do with the wine’s current state of reticence. Time in the glass helps to some degree, but it is clear the Jensen needs time in bottle to be at its most expressive.Antonio Galloni | 91+ AGThis ripe red is filled with exuberant spiciness to its dark berry and plum tart flavors. Shows plenty of toastiness on the finish, with notes of chocolate-covered cherry. Drink now through 2025. 570 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2018 Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard is quite deep and heady in this vintage. Red fruit, iron, white pepper and savory herbs give the Ryan its distinctly incisive, feral personality. Hints of blood orange, raspberry and spice add an exotic flair. There is plenty of character here, that is for sure.Vinous Media | 94 VMComing from vines that provided less than one ton per acre, this concentrated bottling begins with aromas of blackberry, loamy soil and a hint of violet. The palate is wrapped in chalky tannins yet remains bright with black-raspberry and elderflower flavors. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WECalera’s highest elevation vineyard on Mt. Harlan, Ryan produced a powerful wine in 2018—rich, flavorful, broad in structure—all of it delivered with a compact texture that’s a marvel of control. It leads with scents of chocolate mint, black plum and beeswax, glossy, vinous and firm, the dark fruit flavors brushing up against sage-scented mountain scrub. A big wine; all of its weight is in the right place for skirt steak.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 93 W&SRipe and well-focused, offering gently mulled loganberry and black cherry fruit, with steeped black tea, incense and savory details. This is carried by a fine chalky spine through a lengthy finish. Solidly built and one for the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2033. 752 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Brought up in 20% new French oak, the 2018 Chardonnay Los Alamos reveals a light gold hue as well as a beautiful bouquet of stone fruits, toasted bread, almond paste, and honeysuckle. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, it’s a gorgeous Chardonnay as well as a brilliant value!Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDLemon blossom, light pecan and classic oak aromas show on the nose of this bottling. The chalky palate and fresh, lingering acidity ride through tight lines of lemon peel and vanilla, which extend deep into the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WETasting Gavin Chanin’s majestic chardonnay bottling from Los Alamos is like standing on a hilltop in that vineyard and letting the sea spray imperceptibly coat your lips. Beneath the cinnamon spice and the citrus brightness is a kind of bracing, briny green sensation, reminding one taster of agretti,the salty springtime green that finds its way into Italian salads. The wine is bracing and delicious, with the structure to age ten years or more.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThe nose is dominated by orange rind and starfruit with a subtle note of struck flint behind. The palate is rich, beaming and wide, exuding the sunshine and sandy soils that define this site. The Los Alamos Vineyard bottling is typically the most tropical, flashy and forward of the Chanin Chardonnays, as is the case in the 2018 vintage. 18 months in mostly neutral barrique, full malolactic fermentation. Drinking Window 2020 - 2035.Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard is a very pretty, airy wine. Candied lemon peel, almond paste and chamomile are all laced together. Tangerine oil and tropical accents add an exotic flair as this mid-weight Chardonnay opens nicely in the glass.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Not yet bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is still resting in 20% new French oak. Coming from a great site on the southern side of the Sta. Rita Hills, it offers a rocking bouquet of lemon curd, chamomile, toasted bread, spice, and a touch of crushed stone-like flinty minerality. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and elegant on the palate, it’s another brilliant wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of moss and kumquats combine with decadently ripe, yet still refreshing, limpid fruit. The textured palate reflects the stony minerality of the nose in a snappy, svelte package. It spent 20 months in mostly neutral barrique, and is a blend of the own-rooted 1971 vines as well as younger plantings. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hayne Vineyard comes from a site in Napa and is all Clone 337 of Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in new French oak. Beautiful crème de cassis, violets, tobacco, and bouquet garni notes emerge from this classic, full-bodied, incredibly well-balanced 2018. I love its tannins, it’s flawlessly balanced, and it’s a wine that keeps you coming back to the glass. Drink bottles over the coming 15+.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

Silky red fruit and plum dot the landscape of this powerfully soft and velvety wine. Blended with 23% Merlot and 1% each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it exudes classic structure, integrated oak and floral beauty, finishing on a fig note. Enjoy from 2028–2032.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELots of purple fruit with raspberries and blackberries follow through to a medium to full body with chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs time to soften. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 92 JSThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon SLD Estate is rich, ample and so inviting. This creamy, expressive Cabernet is sure to delight readers pretty much upon release. It captures all the charm of the vintage in its gracious personality. Hints of spice, tobacco, dried herbs and mint linger.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGChecking in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stages Leap District sports a dense purple color as well as complex notes of both red and black fruits, new leather, chocolate, and loamy earth. It’s medium to full-bodied, elegant, and nicely textured on the palate, with integrated tannins and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDA blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and notes of baked black cherries, stewed plums and black currant jelly plus touches of garrigue, black olives and Provence herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lovely poise and expression with plenty of crunchy black fruit and a grainy texture, finishing with a lively lift.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPJuicy, with an upfront personality showing açai, plum and boysenberry notes mixed together with red licorice and sweet spice accents. Fleshy finish keeps the fruit pumping through nicely, with a light briar streak for cut. Wine Spectator | 91 WSA blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% each Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Floral, dusty and herbal on the nose. The palate is energetic and lively with notes of pomegranates, red currants and eucalyptus. Crisp, and linear on the finish. Authentically rooted in a past era of Napa, and accurately represents the grace and subtlety that Stags Leap District is capable of. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030.Decanter | 90 DEC

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Tomahawk Vineyard is fabulous. Rich, dense and explosive, the Tomahawk possesses tremendous balance and class. Inky and resonant in the glass, the 2018 builds over time as the layers open. Raspberry jam, blood orange, mint, cinnamon, cedar and new leather add the closing shades of complexity. In 2018, the Tomahawk is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGPlanted in 2002, this site produces a wine more dark-fruited and lush than the Ganymede bottling. Aged in 75% new French oak. Blackcurrants, wet cedar and fennel on the nose. The texture of the palate is stunning, splitting the difference between plush, coating, lifted and graceful. Explosive on the finish, where purple fruits combine with a clean, chalky, subtly-abrasive finish. A fantastic wine all the way around, and one to enjoy for the next two decades.Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Tomahawk has a deep garnet-purple color, slowly unfurling to reveal notes of baked plums, blueberry preserves and warm cassis with an undercurrent of lavender, bouquet garni, black tea and fungi. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves and earthy layers, supported by ripe, plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing savory.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPPowerful and earthy, this wine shows red and black cherry and currant flavors on a crisp, textured palate. Clove, cinnamon and dried herb play around the edges of elegant tannin structure and generous oak.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

I loved the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder from barrel and it showed beautifully from bottle. Deep purple-hued, with powerful notes of blackcurrants, leafy herbs, tapenade, chocolate, and bay leaf, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a lush, sumptuous texture, awesome tannins, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. This beautiful Mount Veeder Cabernet will evolve for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon emerges from a new site on Mt. Veeder that is just beginning to enter production. Inky and explosive, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness. The 2018 captures all the intensity of Veeder, but without the tannins and harsher elements that can penalize Cabernets here. The 2018 is a total turn-on. It is a remarkable effort for a vineyard that was only planted in 2014 and 2015. Don’t miss it.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGOffers a mix of melted licorice, sassafras and sweet bay leaf notes, with a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit. This has depth and muscle, but also the cut for balance, with a zesty underlay driving the finish. Drink now through 2032. 190 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, which always includes a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is incredible juice and a wine readers should seek out. Showing the quality and style of the vintage beautifully, it offers a captivating bouquet of crème de cassis, unsmoked tobacco, bouquet garni, and violets, with just a touch of foresty, earthy notes in the background. Aged 22 months in barrel (with a small amount in amphora), it’s full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with integrated acidity and a great finish. I love this wine and don’t make the mistake of overlooking this while only focusing on the Maya cuvee.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes soaring out of the glass with energetic notions of fresh blackberries, black cherries and cassis plus nuances of dark chocolate, kirsch, cardamom and tilled soil with a fragrant waft of violets. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with perfumed black fruit flavors, supported by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral accents.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, explosive wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its finest. The energy and raw intensity are so pronounced. Inky dark fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and cedar add striking aromatic nuance, but it is the wine’s phenomenal balance that stands out most. This is the first vintage that includes component wine aged in amphora. This is far from an easygoing 2018.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis throws a lot at you from the get-go, with sassafras, sweet bay leaf and red tea notes leading off, before the core of red and black currant paste and boysenberry reduction starts to assert itself. Licorice and fruitcake accents check in late, with all the other elements falling into line easily through the lengthy finish. Distinctive and gorgeous. Best from 2022 through 2038. 1,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis has a perfumed nose of violets, blueberry pie, vanilla and crushed walnuts. It’s full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Powerful yet fresh, with intense layers of blue fruit, flowers and wood spices. Better from 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSA luscious, ripe but tucked-in expression of eastern Oakville Cabernet from Andy Erickson. The nose is voluptuous and chock full of ripe red and purple fruits surrounded by subtle toasted oak aromas. The palate is delectably sweet and concentrated, showing flavours of boysenberry, candied black cherries, fresh tobacco and brown sugar. A full-throttle wine but reigned in enough to still show poise and purity. Drinking Window 2026 - 2039.Decanter | 95 DEC

Gorgeous aromas of blackberries, currants and plums with some spices. Walnuts and chocolate, too. Full-to medium-bodied with very fine tannins and delicious, succulent fruit, as well as hints of herbs. Some stemmy character. So balanced and delicious. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 4% malbec and 1% petite verdot. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Vaso is cut from the same cloth, offering beautiful purity and richness. It’s slightly more pure and darker than the spicier 2017 and has notes of cassis, redcurrants, dark chocolate, tobacco, and violets. Full-bodied on the palate, it has silky tannins, terrific overall balance, and just loads of character and charm. It’s in the running for the greatest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon under $100.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Vaso is a potent, somewhat burly wine. It will need a few years to help the tannins soften. There is plenty of weight and power. Time in the glass helps the aromatics open, but the 2018 is not an easygoing wine from Dana. It needs a bit of time.-Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

Deep ruby-purple, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena offers tones of cassis and blueberries, with slowly emerging accents of dark chocolate, aniseed, vanilla and bouquet garni. Full-bodied, it has lush fruits, a plush, rounded frame and bursts of fresh acidity highlighting its spicy accents on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is racy and expressive in the glass. Super-ripe red raspberry, spice, vanillin and a hint of chocolate add a pretty touch of flamboyance to this open-knit, silky Cabernet Sauvignon. Supple and inviting, with no hard edges, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate. Best of all the 2018 is a fabulous value.Antonio Galloni | 92 AGNicely packed with plum, currant and blackberry purée flavors laced with black licorice and framed by a perfectly integrated alder note. Flash of sweet bay in the background, too. Drink now through 2026. 1,575 cases made. Wine Spectator | 92 WSWith a sumptuously inviting nose of nutmeg, clove and dark chocolate, this rich wine is blended with 14% Malbec and 2% Merlot. Dusty texture gives in to a core of soft, supple tannins that melt on the palate, finishing with length and breadth.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA very rich, opulent nose with aromas of sandalwood, nougat and grilled plum. It’s full-bodied with a firm tannin structure. Stewed fruit flavors lead to a warm, toffee and chocolate-infused finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSThe base appellation 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley checks in as 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, and the rest Petit Verdot. Solid mulberry and blackberry fruits as well as ample earthy tobacco and leather notes emerge from the glass, and it’s medium-bodied, with a rounded, elegant texture and ripe, polished tannins. I don’t think it’s going to make old bones, but it should deliver the goods for at least 8-10 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD