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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

Lastly, the 2019 Promontory matches the perfect 2016 from this estate and is legendary stuff. Ripe black fruits, chocolatey, lead pencil shaving, roasted herbs, and tobacco are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. It doesn’t get any better. This has the class of a First Growth from Bordeaux paired with a Napa sense of texture and fruit. It will evolve for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 Promontory has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed at the moment, needing a little swirling to reveal notes of crushed rocks, garrigue, iron ore, and lavender, leading to a core of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh blackcurrants, with a hint of mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so tightly wound, delivering multi-layered black and red berries with mineral and earthy sparks, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIPurple-fruit, dark-licorice and conifer aromas follow through to a medium to full body with firmness and a linear flow that goes on for minutes. Racy tannins and focus. Give this until at least 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Promontory is just as impressive as it always has been. Vertical in structure, with tremendous depth, the 2019 possesses notable textural intensity and tons of volume. Black cherry, plum, licorice, mocha, new leather and espresso are all amplified. Time has softened some of the Promontory edges. The 2019 is still very young, but it has come together very nicely.Vinous Media | 98+ VMThe 2019 Promontory offers up slightly darker cherries than the red-fruited 2018, couched in a bed of foresty-minty notes and underpinned by crushed stone. At this stage, it looks more intense but otherwise similar to the excellent 2018, finishing long, silky and elegant, with mouthwatering freshness. Collectors should enjoy comparing the two years for decades to come.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year - the eponymous project of husband and wife duo; viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson. A beautifully scented nose full of rose and violet touches, the Cabernet Franc nuances leap from the glass - fresh and minty, full of herbal sun-kissed ripe fruit but pristinely delivered. Smooth and driving on the palate, crunchy, crisp flavours give a real bite to the palate - red berries, blackcurrants and raisins, all nicely integrated and balanced. This doesn’t feel super worked and polished, instead it gives crystalline iron-minerality, lifted acidity and fragrance throughout - real signatures of the terroir and the minimal interventionist winemaking style - the grapes speak more than the winemaking. I just love the sense of wildness, a smoked touch with blue fruits, Asian spices and slightly angular tannins but with ripe fruit giving the body and cool acidity giving the freshness. A stunning wine and welcome addition to the Place. Ageing in French oak barrels (50% new).Decanter | 100 DECFrom a north-facing site at elevation, the 2019 Cerro Sur is a bold, savory wine loaded with energy. This Cabernet Franc-based wine is bursting with tension. Floral, spice and mocha accents lend striking aromatic top notes. I am so impressed with the wine’s elegance and total sense of finesse. This is an especially savory wine with strong cool-climate aromas and flavors that are so captivating.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis mostly cabernet franc shows intriguing character of tar, graphite, ink and black berries, following through to a medium to full body with layered and slightly dusty tannins and a succulent finish. So drinkable now, but will improve with age.James Suckling | 97 JSComing from a higher elevation site in Coombsville and mostly Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Cerro Sur has a complex, gorgeous nose of pure cassis, currant buds, flowers, and chocolate. This red, blue, and black fruited beauty is medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins and flawless balance. Brought up in 50% new French oak, it’s an incredible 2019 readers will absolutely love. It will evolve for upwards of two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDSuperjuicy and vivid, with lots of up-front violet, cassis and plum pâte de fruit notes backed by tasty licorice and sweet spice. Toasted finish, but the fruit wins out easily, with a flash of sweet bay leaf adding nice range. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2036. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSComing in at more than 70% Cabernet Franc—and aged in 50% new French oak—the 2019 Cerro Sur Red Wine is vaguely herbal, with black tea-like notes and hints of sage accenting black cherries and plums. Medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, this displays the hallmark Favia Erickson traits of balance and elegance—there’s absolutely nothing out of place here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Another beautiful wine from this team, the 2019 Insignia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon but includes smaller amounts of Merlot and Malbec, brought up all in new barrels, sourced from seven estate vineyards. It has a classic varietal and incredibly complex nose of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, green tobacco, and damp earth, with a kiss of background sappy spring flowers. Seemingly from a cooler year with its freshness, vibrancy, and herbal, floral character on the nose, it’s nevertheless full-bodied and beautifully concentrated on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, and a gorgeous finish. Unquestionably up with the finest vintages of this cuvée, this is legit awesome juice that’s going to offer incredible pleasure over the coming 20-25 years. Hats off to winemaker Ashley Hepworth.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA very aromatic Insignia with pencil-shaving and graphite highlights to the dark fruit and blackberries. Full-bodied, yet tensioned and vertical, with very fine tannins that run deep and layered in the wine. Needs time to come together, but fantastic tension and structure. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSSmells ripe and heady on the nose, expressive and seductive. This is rich and bold, it’s edging on too much, with lots of wood on show in the slightly heavy texture, liquorice and coffee flavour and fullness in the mouth but there are such alluring and captivating aspects to this wine with striking details of rose, tobacco, blackberry, red berries and dark chocolate shavings on show. I like the fragranced aspects and the energetic acidity that gives lift and a sense of brightness but this is a strong, powerful and muscular wine that will need at least a decade to come around. Given enough time it will be beautiful. Ageing 24 months in 100% new French oak.Decanter | 97 DECMore elegant and refined than the Napa Cab, the 2019 Insignia features restrained cedar and vanilla notes (despite spending two years in 100% new French oak) and delicate herbal shadings accenting cassis and black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, velvety and somewhat open-knit on the palate, it turns plush and long on the finish, adding a touch of warmth. Production this year is approximately 17,000 cases, reflecting the increased volume coming from recently replanted vineyards. It’s remarkable what a good job they continue to do with this bottling year after year, without compromising on quality.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Insignia is a bold, explosive wine. Sumptuous dark fruit, mocha, leather, sweet spice and tobacco are all amplified in an Insignia endowed with tremendous textural intensity and plenty of soft contours. I imagine the 2019 will age well for years, but it will also drink well with minimal cellaring.Vinous Media | 96+ VMA solidly built Cabernet with a very direct persona, as dark currant, warmed fig reduction and blackberry fruit paste are bolted together with licorice root and singed cedar. Features an espresso crema hint on the finish, which keeps this on the dark, muscular side. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Best from 2023 through 2038. 17,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSGiven two years in new French oak, this vintage blends 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Brooding black fruit is complemented by classic notions of cigar box, tobacco, iron and clove, with a leather texture that’s still got time to unfurl. Dense and chewy tannins provide a powerful imprint of intensity and ripeness matched in toasted oak. Enjoy best from 2029–2039.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2019 Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of blueberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and warm cassis burst from the glass, leading to suggestions of Chinese five spice, dusty soil, sandalwood, and unsmoked cigars. The decadently concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black fruits and earthy nuances, framed by super-firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral sparks. This is a beauty!The Wine Independent | 99 TWIA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Proprietary Red is a monster of a wine that’s unquestionably up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Blackberries, truffle, earth, chocolate, iron, and even a hint of black olive defines the nose, and it’s full-bodied, deep, rich, and incredibly concentrated on the palate. It has lots of background oak but more than enough fruit, with a dense, layered mid-palate and velvety tannins. It’s one of those wines that brings an incredible amount of richness and depth yet somehow stays light on its feet and balanced. It needs to be forgotten for at least 2-4 years and should keep for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 Sloan is a silky, sensual beauty. Creamy and ample in the glass, with superb balance, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of dark fruit, spice, mocha, espresso and licorice. Cabernet inflections are quite present today. Then again, this plateau above Rutherford is one of the most special places in all of Napa Valley. The 2019 shuts down pretty quickly in the glass, which is probably a good sign for its prospects in the cellar. It’s another gorgeous wine from the team at Sloan headed by Winemaker Martha McClellan.Vinous Media | 97 VMSloan’s 2019 Proprietary Red is deep and rich, with scents of dark loam, woodsy notes, hints of cedar and vanilla, plus dark, plummy fruit. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, dense and decadently velvety but with a slight dried-fruit character. It’s awesome in that idiom but lacks the vibrancy and freshness of the valley’s absolute best wines. To this taster, it comes across as impressively complex, concentrated and long but also a bit heavy and warm on the finish. What foods would one pair this with?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP

Extremely aromatic with ripe cherry and berry aromas, as well as flowers and citrus. Medium to full body with fine, polished tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is really well done and one of the most balanced L’Aventures I have encountered. Syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2019 Optimus should be snatched up by savvy readers. Based on 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, it just about jumps out of the glass with gorgeous cassis, floral, pepper, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. As seamless as they come, this full-bodied, elegant, pleasure-bent 2019 is going to evolve for a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLovely aromatic intensity, spicy and nuanced on the nose but incredibly well defined on the palate which is crisp and precise with flavours that glide across, so linear and straight. There’s a coolness to the fruit profile and a refreshing juiciness. Concentration and structure with good tannic grip - lots on offer here. A blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 14 months in 89% new French oak and 11% one-year-old French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel. No fining or filtering. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 94 DECOpaque violet. Spice-tinged dark berry preserves, fruitcake, incense, toasty oak and vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sappy black and blue fruit, exotic spice and floral pastille flavors, while a smoky mineral nuance adds firm back-end lift. Fleshy and deep but energetic as well, thanks to the core of juicy acidity. Finishes on a gently tannic note, displaying sharp focus and superb, dark-fruit-driven persistence. 89% new French oak.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Optimus is a blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. It has a medium ruby-purple color and pure aromas of red and black berries with earthy, autumnal accents and a streak of spice. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with pretty floral perfume on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard is a stunning example of eastern Oakville Cabernet. It’s loaded with scents of cassis and red plum and tinged with faint hints of thyme and sage, and it’s full-bodied, rich and relatively open-knit. Ripe, plush and layered, gently framed by cedar and vanilla, it’s lovely stuff that should drink well for up to two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPI loved the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard. This beauty is a great representation of this terroir, with mineral-drenched aromas and flavors of blueberries, iron, chocolate, graphite, and candied violets. Deep, rich, and full-bodied, it’s another monster of a wine from Bevan that stays beautifully balanced and seamless.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard is packed with inky dark fruit, gravel, smoke, licorice, lavender, chocolate incense and spice. This powerful, virile Cabernet needs a few years to unwind, but it is super-impressive, even in the early going. A whole range of bold, savory accents lend character to the searingly intense finish. This is a very typical wine from Tench in its sheer heft.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 2019 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine checks in as a 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from two different vineyards. The Cabernet Franc really stands out, and the wine has a complex, forest floor, herbal, bouquet garni-like character as well notes of woodsmoke, iron, and blue fruits. Full-bodied on the palate, it has some background chocolaty oak, a great mid-palate, and a heck of a finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Red Wine EE Tench Vineyard is compelling. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc works so well here. A whole range of floral and savory notes give the 2019 its striking presence. Raspberry jam, blood orange, kirsch and spice add inner perfume and polish. The 2019 EE is such an alluring wine.Antonio Galloni | 94-97 AGA 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard features leafy, minty nuances and hints of tobacco set against a backdrop of redcurrants. Full-bodied and ripe but remarkably elegant, it finishes supple and long, with a delectable silky texture. It’s undeniably sexy, but I have to admit I didn’t pick up on the "hot chick-just-done-with-Pilates pheromone quality" that Bevan described.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2019 Red Wine Sugarloaf Mountain, a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, is another standout in this range. Franc aromatics soar out of the glass, adding tremendous aromatic presence to the full-throttle fruit. The 2019 is one of the most polished wines I have ever tasted from Russell Bevan. Rose petal, mocha and dried herbs linger on the huge, persistent finish. (Drink between 2024-2034)Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2019 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine checks in as a 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from two different vineyards. The Cabernet Franc really stands out, and the wine has a complex, forest floor, herbal, bouquet garni-like character as well notes of woodsmoke, iron, and blue fruits. Full-bodied on the palate, it has some background chocolaty oak, a great mid-palate, and a heck of a finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, Bevan’s 2019 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain is slightly tea-like and herbal, with those notes overlaid on black cherries and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and silky in texture, it finishes long, with echoes of toasty oak. The vineyard, originally developed by William Hill, is located in the southern Napa hills overlooking San Pablo Bay.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth, too, together with mushrooms, herbs, crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and refined finish. Blood orange at the end. Crunchy. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.James Suckling | 96 JSExuberantly fruity on the nose, the 2019 Napanook is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Despite seeing 40% new French oak, what shines on the nose are the ripe cherries, delicately brushed with wisps of tobacco, sage and bay leaf. It’s medium to full-bodied, supple and silky in feel on the palate, while the finish lingers easily, adding notes of pencil shavings and mocha. To get this sort of pedigree for less than $100 is a rarity in Napa these days, making it a notable value.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSolidly built and very direct, with a juicy, muscular core of cassis, plum and blackberry flavors lined with singed alder, menthol and sweet bay leaf. Maintains juicy energy through the toasty finish, with a late loamy echo keeping things grounded. A very well-proportioned wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 2,450 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances. 2,500 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIComposed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder of Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is compact and unfolds more slowly in the glass. The nose is rich with graphite, sage oil, and black plum. The palate is full of kirsch, fresh leather, currant, and tobacco, with fine tannins that go for ages, along with the fruit and well-balanced acidity. This will warrant 3-5 years cellar to express its full potential over the following 20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2019 La Joie is striking on the nose with its pure, alluring scents of violet and iron. As it spends time in the glass, it gains intensity, blossoming to aromas of crème de cassis, mint chocolate, licorice, truffle and softening new French oak spices. The palate is bursting with concentrated flavors characterized by energetic acidity rather than weight or extraction. It features tremendously velvety tannins and a very long finish with ringing graphite and violet tones.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe purity of fruit with currants, spices and flowers is very impressive, as is the long, creamy texture. Full-bodied with medium, round tannins and a fresh finish. Oyster and iodine notes come through. Excellent. Drink after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSThis Sonoma County Bordeaux Blend shows the balance of the 2019 vintage. As serious as it gets. Predominantly Cabernet (84%), with lesser parts Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Both elegant and showy, with fantastic aromatics. Capsicum and savoury herbs introduce pronounced black fruit aromas. A vintage that produced small berries has resulted in a wine of great concentration, wild anise, black cherries and dark chocolate. Finely knit with elegant, savoury character marked by bay leaf and mountain scrub. Fresh, this wine is where finesse meets concentration.Decanter | 96 DEC