California Wines

wines

The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a powerful, black ruby/purple-colored wine with cherry liqueur-like flavors, full body, loamy, earthy scents, and a terrific, long finish that suggests 20-30 years of ageability.Robert Parker | 94 RPOpenly fruity and seductive, with layers of cherry, currant and berry; extraordinary flavors and balance.--Chateau Montelena vertical. Drink now through 2012. — JLWine Spectator | 92 WSGood ruby-red. Spicy, roasted aromas of cassis, black plum, toasty oak and pepper. Lush, jammy and a bit undifferentiated; showing its baby fat today. Seems distinctly less lively than the ’95, but the tannins are quite fine for the vintage and there excellent finishing persistence.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 1997 is just short of perfection from this great vintage in Napa Valley. A spectacular wine, it was the first made by Rosemary Cakebread. Production was quite high, as the new plantings started to fully produce, with 4,800+ cases declared. This is wine that fills the olfactory senses with gorgeous ripeness, blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries and cassis, while spring flowers and a touch of oak still lingers in the aromatics. When the wine hits the palate, the extraordinary intensity, purity and multi-dimensional complexity all seem to converge with a cascade of fruit, glycerin and richness. Like most Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignons, it is only 13.8% alcohol. This is a magnificent wine, a young adolescent in the scheme of its potentially fascinating evolution and should have a good 25-30+ years left in it – although it’s strutting its stuff at present. Certainly in the first two decades of Spottswoode wines this is clearly one of the most compelling efforts.Robert Parker | 98 RPDeep, bright ruby. Very ripe but reduced nose shows a chocolatey ripeness to the primary flavors of cassis, blueberry and licorice. Densely packed and powerful, conveying a tactile texture to the sweet flavors of black fruits, tobacco and spice cake. Firm acidity gives clarity and definition to the middle palate of this very concentrated wine. Finishes savory, deeply spicy and firmly tannic, with terrific length and grip. Considerably fresher and better balanced than a bottle I tasted for my Spottswoode vertical last year.Vinous Media | 94 VMElegantly framed, with rich, appealing herb, currant, chocolate and black cherry flavor that’s complex and concentrated, finishing with firm, well-integrated tannins. Best from 2002 through 2010. 4,826 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A mouthful of wine that packs in lots of rich, deep, plush and concentrated flavors, with tiers of currant, blackberry, raspberry and wild berry fruit. Well-integrated tannins smooth out the finish. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,475 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSGood full medium ruby. Superripe aromas of black fruits, maple syrup, mocha and graphite; at once roasted and vibrant. Supersweet in the mouth, with sappy black fruit and mineral flavors over a firm backbone. Shapelier and a bit less roasted than the 2000, with firm supporting backbone. This is very impressively concentrated California merlot; the fruit spreads out and builds on the very long, firmly tannic back end. I underrated this wine from barrel a year ago.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The first release from the 20-acre Thorevilos Vineyard (co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman) is the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Thorevilos, a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. It is a dense, sweet, black currant-flavored effort with hints of scorched earth, cedar, and flowers in the background. Fruit-driven (mostly blue and black fruits), with a Pomerol-like succulence/lushness, it should drink well young, and evolve for 15+ years.Napa Valley’s most gifted vineyard manager, and certainly a must-hire for those looking to develop great vineyards and produce top quality wines, David Abreu continues to fine tune his own estate, producing some of the most prodigious Cabernet Sauvignons in the world.Robert Parker | 92 RP

(Opus One, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) A long, cool growing season in 2000 and you can feel this through the character of the fruit, which has less intensity that some vintages, still with sweet blueberry and raspberry, with caressing soft tannins that are a little more open than you might expect. At this point Opus was still being made by the team at the Mondavi vineyards, and there was a growing awareness that they needed their own team; able to focus on exactly what they needed (these things are always more obvious in a difficult year, as there are so many vineyard choices to be taken). 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 44 days skin contact. (Drink between 2019-2036)Decanter | 93 DECMade in the Opus style, which is graceful, limpid and elegant, but with hidden depths of authority and power. The blackberry, cherry and oak flavors are pretty, but the wine is most notable for its harmony and grace. Tannins play only a supportive role, but they will let this wine age effortlessly for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2000 Opus One comes across as a smaller-scaled version of 1997. It shares much of the exuberance and raciness of that year, but with less structure. Readers who enjoy the riper Opus Ones and are looking for a vintage to drink today should consider the 2000. Today the 2000 is peaking. It is hard to see much upside from further cellaring. Hints of truffle, black pepper and orange peel linger on the exotic, beguiling finish. The blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2002 Opus One is a big step up from the 2001. Freshly cut flowers, juicy raspberries, anise and sweet spices literally jump from the glass in an Opus One that is all about opulence and huge, voluptuous fruit. Juicy, vibrant and impeccably balanced, the 2002 is firing on all cylinders today. The creamy, layered finish is simply impeccable. This is a fabulous showing. In 2002 Opus One is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 95 VMI tend to think that recent vintages of Opus One are even greater than vintages made during this era, but the 2002 is certainly one of the top wines Opus has produced during the early part of this century. It boasts a dense plum/purple hue along with a striking bouquet of graphite, toasty oak, creme de cassis and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, opulent and young, it offers accessibility as well as silky tannins. A thoroughly complete wine that is pure and rich, it tastes like a hypothetical blend of a great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon married to a Bordeaux Pauillac. Bravo! It will benefit from 2-3 more years of cellaring and should keep for 20-25 thereafter.Robert Parker | 94 RPConcentrated, rich layers of black cherry fruit, with savoury spice, anise and ground coffee bean, black chocolate and deep blackcurrant and bilberry fruits. This is intense, perhaps a little too much in that it ends a touch abruptly. Lowest yield of the decade, which explains this tight feel. It's got years ahead of it, will be interesting to see it evolves from here. 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 32 days skin contact. Drinking Window 2019 - 2034.Decanter | 93 DEC

My favorite wine of this quartet is the 2003 Cariad, a proprietary blend (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc) that comes from David Abreu-owned vineyards, primarily the Madrona Ranch in St. Helena. Its dense color is accompanied by a big, sweet bouquet of charcoal, white chocolate, spring flowers, meaty, blueberry and blackberry fruit. This stunningly complex, rich, full-bodied 2003 is just entering its plateau of full maturity. Drink this beauty over the next 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 97 RPA Bordeaux blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the grapes for this stunning wine came from David Abreu’s vineyard in the St. Helena foothills. It’s very complex, softer, more open and approachable than Colgin’s 100% Cabs, with a flamboyant spectrum of cherries, framboise, cocoa, violets, gingerbread and spices framed in supple, fine tannins. Beautiful, a feminine wine of great beauty. Drink now through 2015.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEGood deep ruby-red. Aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, mocha and menthol offer great lift. Then superripe and densely packed, with great sweetness and inner-mouth aromatic character. The flavors of black cherry and leather are given definition by a strong element of liquid stone. Finishes extremely long, with lush, suave tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMRich and complete, yet shows the signs of the vintage with its austerity. Dense, with earthy currant, black cherry and wild berry fruit that’s tight and compact. Finishes with tight tannins and persistent flavors that return to the currant and earth themes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2007 through 2012. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

One of the first, if not the first, of the proprietarily named Napa Bordeaux blends, Phelps Insignia has been one of California’s greatest Cabs for decades. This is their 30th anniversary bottling, and it’s worthy of the tradition. Ultrarich and smooth, with a mouthfeel that’s pure velvet, it’s fairly thick in tannins now, suggesting cellaring. But it’s huge in blackberry, dark unsweetened chocolate and spicy plum fruit, and will easily hold for a very long time. Best now, if carefully decanted, and through 2020.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe 2003 has performed well in recent tasting, showing a dense purple color along with notes of creosote, lavender, flowers, creme de cassis, espresso roast, white chocolate and a hint of oak. Still in a young adolescent stage, it should drink nicely for another 15-20 years.There are 12,000 cases of the 2003 Insignia, a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and the rest equal parts Malbec and Merlot (87% of the fruit from estate vineyards). The alcohol level reached 14.4%. I was pleased to see how well this vintage was performing as it has been somewhat forgotten following the compelling years of 2001 and 2002. The spring was cool and the summer was dry and warm until some heat spikes (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) occurred for four consecutive days in July. Both August and September were warmer and drier than normal with only a few insignificant rain events in September. Most of the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest lasted into late October.Robert Parker | 93 RP(the growing season featured a very cool, wet April and a very long, late harvest under favorable conditions): Saturated bright ruby-red. Aromas of currant, black cherry, graphite, licorice, sweet butter and bergamot, accented by dried herbs. Juicy, spicy and still a bit youthfully tight but with lovely sweetness to its flavors of black cherry, licorice and flowers. Finishes with big tannins supported by the wine’s depth. Less viscous than the 2002. This wine has always been tight but may be starting to turn the corner. Phelps stopped doing pad filtration in 2003 after getting rid of the brettanomyces in the winery (they started washing their barrels with ozonated water in 1999). Many vintages since then have been bottled unfiltered, noted winemaker Hepworth, adding that "we’ve never really employed fining, even in high-tannin years like 2013. We don’t like what it does to mouthfeel."Vinous Media | 92+ VM

This is the point at which Opus becomes a fully independent estate, with its own vineyard crew so able to react when needed throughout the growing season. And this first vintage under their entire control, with floral notes coming through on the attack that expand through the mid-palate into full on smoked caramel, black chocolate and rich cassis puree. Still inky in colour with firm confident tannins, a long life ahead, this is intense and impressive. 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec completes the blend. 25 days skin contact, early short harvest, lowest yield since 1987.Drinking Window 2019 - 2034.Decanter | 97 DECAged in 100% new French oak for 17 months and in bottle for 14 months prior to release, the 2004 Opus One is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color along with a sweet bouquet of lead pencil shavings, black currants and a hint of toasty oak. More evolved than usual, this full-bodied, opulent 2004 is part of the new wave of Opus Ones made under the administration of Philippe Dhalluin, the administrator of Mouton Rothschild, who has begun to exploit this estate’s enormous potential. This beauty can be drunk now or cellared for another 20 years.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2004 Opus One is the first wine in this vertical that is still completely primary. Juicy, layered and expressive, the 2004 needs at least five more years in the cellar to shed some of its youthful exuberance, but frankly that may not be enough. There is a lot of promise here. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec.Vinous Media | 93 VMDeftly balanced and medium-bodied, this is a wine of finesse and refinement, highlighted by pure, rich flavors of blackberry and blueberry, with hints of cedar and mocha. Maintains an elegant core.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is very aromatic, with notes of lavender, cedar, black olives, almonds, and hints of currant bush. Full bodied with nice fruit, with creme de cassis and light coffee notes. This is delicious now.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2005 Melbury, which comes from the hills east of Rutherford just north of Lake Hennessey and Pritchard Hill, is absolutely spectacular. This is a 7-acre parcel, planted in sedimentary and clay soils on steep slopes. Deep purple, with blueberry, black raspberry and graphite notes, a gracious and generous, full-bodied mouthfeel, soft, but noticeable tannin, a refreshing finish and loads of complexity, this is a compelling 2005 that seems to be coming close to its plateau of maturity, where it should last for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 95 RPA very pleasant surprise, the 2005 Melbury is also the first wine in this tasting that shows the onset of aromatic notes that are leading into the tertiary realm. Even so, the 2005 possesses superb depth and terrific resonance in all of its dimensions. I expect the 2005 will drink well for another 10-15 years given its palate weight.Vinous Media | 95 VMLots of fresh herbs and spices in this beautiful red wine. Offers loads of red and black currants and chocolate, with a fine application of cedar and cigar box from oak. Very fine, enormously likeable. Drink now through 2015.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe Melbury bottling from Bond Estate hails from vineyards in the foothills to the east of the valley floor, equidistant between St. Helena and Rutherford. The 2005 shows quite a bit of its Rutherford heritage in its more red fruity nose than many of the Bond bottlings, as it offers up a young and very classy nose of red and black cherries, a nice touch of Rutherford Dust, cigar wrapper, woodsmoke, soil and plenty of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is big, full-bodied and impeccably balanced, with a great core of fruit, plenty of firm tannins, tangy acids and superb length and grip on the focused and slightly hot finish. Like all of the Bond Estates wines, this will be a very good bottle with five to seven years of bottle age, but I would love to see it drop down at least half a percentage point in terms of alcohol and really let the soil tones shine through. But all in all this is a very well-made, modern cabernet that sidesteps many of the land mines that plague so many producers of this genre. (Drink between 2016 - 2040)John Gilman | 93 JGNotes of mint, plum, currants, and berries. Full bodied, with fine tannins and a sweet tobacco and ripe fruit finish. Pop the cork on this one. 14+22+23+33. Find the wineJames Suckling | 92 JSWell-centered, showing ripe, spicy plum, black cherry and currant flavors, with firm, integrated tannins and good length, tightening up on the finish. Best from 2011 through 2017. 785 cases made. Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This vineyard, high above the Rutherford AVA, on the gorgeous hillside not far from the famed restaurant and hotel Auberge du Soleil, has produced a winner in my retrospective of 2005s. This is clearly a great terroir, and that comes through in this savory, broad, expansive, pure 2005 Proprietary Red from Sloan. Offering black raspberry and blackcurrant fruit, silky tannins, notes of forest floor and spice box, and loamy soil undertones, the wine is dense, full-bodied, opulent, and just entering its plateau of maturity, where it should keep for another 15-20 years. This was one of the stunners in the great line-up that I tasted of 10-year-old North Coast Cabernet Sauvignons.Robert Parker | 97 RPA bold, rich and ripe style, with black cherry, plum and wild berry fruit and a cedary graphite edge. Plush, concentrated and full-bodied, coating the palate, yet for all its size and chewiness this remains elegant, balanced and supported by firm tannins, showing a trace of heat on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2010 through 2016. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(14.8% alcohol): Saturated dark red-ruby. Deep aromas of black raspberry, licorice, flowers and peppermint, plus a root beer oak note. Impressively thick in the mouth, with very sweet flavors of dark berry liqueur, chocolate and tobacco carrying a full load of oak. Very large-scaled for Sloan, with a sweetness that’s even more apparent today than it was on release. But undeniably dense and plush, finishing with huge but ripe tannins.Vinous Media | 93 VMWonderful aromas of cedar, cigar box, currants, and dark berries. Nice notes of cappuccino, that open up to mint and flowers. Full bodied, with velvety tannins and fresh acidity. This is spicy and juicy, with generous fruit but held back. An exciting wine with a warm and juicy finish, and hints of tar.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2006 Melbury has a dense plum/purple color and a big, sweet, scorched earth, crème de cassis and blueberry nose, with hints of charcoal, spice box, and graphite. Rich, well-made, and showing exceptionally well from bottle, it is a wine that will certainly evolve for 25 or more years.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe 2006 Melbury is dark, chewy and a bit rough around the edges. Even so, it has aged well and retains enough freshness to drink well for another decade or more. Mocha, plum, black cherry and spice infuse the super-expressive finish.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis is very perfumed with currants and flowers. I love the nose. Very balanced and deep full bodied wine with a long silky finish. I really like the texture and finesse to this. Very fascinating. Better in a year or two. 14+24+23+33. Find the wineJames Suckling | 94 JSStarts with a beautiful ruby color that’s so pretty and gleaming. Appeals right away for its rich, attractive sour cherry candy, vanilla and anise aromas and flavors that are well-integrated with smoky oak. The tannins are firm, but ultra-refined, and the finish is entirely dry. A well-made, elegant wine of place that needs time. 2012–2018.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEI had a very hard time getting a firm read on any of the 2006 bottlings from Bond Estates and was under the distinct impression that I was not favorably impressed by the style of wines here, until I tasted the 2005s, which really had snapped nicely into focus, had gobbled up the lion’s share of their new wood and showed truly excellent quality in their more modern styles. So with the 2006 Melbury (and this is true for all of the other 2006s from Bond), please take into account that the wine was still more than a tad grumpy and adolescent when I tasted it and is very likely to come in at the high range of my range if it evolves as positively as its 2005 counterparts. The nose today on the ’06 Melbury is quite intriguing in its mix of black raspberries, plums, tobacco, chocolate, allspice and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and shows a fair bit of complexity on the attack, but with rather aggressive, uncovered oak tannins currently dominating the slightly green (from wood?) finish. There is excellent length and grip here behind the wood tannins, and one assumes that there is plenty of stuffing to eventually carry the wood, but for now, the wood tannins make this wine pretty disagreeable to drink and cellaring is emphatically required. (Drink between 2016 - 2035)John Gilman | 89-92 JGFrom the Sloson Vineyard on the east side of Lake Hennessy, these vines are cooled by the lake and grow in dense clay. They produced a big, juicy red in 2006, a soft, luscious wine that feels dense and full. This comes across as warmer and riper than Bond’s other single-vineyard releases, a more immediate pleasure for drinking over the next several years.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&S

Starting to take on the tertiary character of ripe fruit and savory components with dusty tannins. Full and round with a lovely texture and a light salty, meaty and tobacco character. Forest floor. Sweet and sour. Just opening.James Suckling | 96 JSThere are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005’s. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years.Christian Moueix, Dominus’ owner, has purchased the 35-acre Swanson Vineyard, which is situated between the well-known California bistros, Brix and Mustard’s. I suspect that will result in a third label from Dominus. At present, the production from these large holdings in Yountville is approximately 10,000-12,000 cases, with the second wine, Napanook, representing 3,500-4,000 cases, depending on the vintage. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the great Merlot specialist at his flagship chateaux in Pomerol, especially Petrus, prefers the other Bordeaux varietals at his Napa property. Interestingly, when I visit Dominus, they always open a fresh bottle and serve it alongside a bottle that has been decanted for 24 hours. On each occasion, the more complex, open wine is the one that has had 24 hours of aeration, something buyers of this wine should take into consideration. These are the two strongest back to back vintages for Dominus since 1990-1991 and 2001-2002.Robert Parker | 96 RPBright red-ruby. Lovely floral lift contributes precision to the aromas of raspberry, rose petal and licorice. Sweet, high-pitched and sharply delineated; velvety but not thick. There’s a juicy quality to the ripe red fruit, mineral and graphite flavors, not to mention a firm underlying spine, that promises a long and positive evolution in bottle. Quite young but not austere, finishing with building tannins and lovely lift. The lingering perfume of red fruits, pepper, flowers and licorice is unusually complex. A really superb 2006, seemingly every bit as good as the sensational 2005.Vinous Media | 94+ VMUnless you knew that this was Dominus and had tasted older vintages, you might not be impressed. In its youth the wine is tannic and dry and linear. However, it is Dominus and it does need cellaring. Right now it shows blackberry, black currant, cedar and baker’s chocolate flavors. Will slowly open and reach maturity after 2011, and could easily develop for far longer.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEYouthfully floral and tight, this vintage of Dominus is a big wine that holds all of its weight behind a powerful structure. And it’s the power of that structure that is front and center-red apple-skin acidity and walnut-skin tannin-needing a ribeye with plenty of fat to bring the fruit out of its cage. Stay with it and the wine’s earthiness begins to meld with the blueberry and chocolate richness. But it’s all completely primary. Put this away for ten years, and drink the Napanook while it matures.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Rich, damson and spiced plum notes, chocloate and roses, black olives, rosemary and cinammon. A great year with depth and layers, well finessed tannins, a little subuded through the finish but the structure is there, and this is a serious wine. 3% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 26 days skin contact.Decanter | 95 DECSage and mint in the nose, it is Opus style. Full bodied and layered, with polished tannins and wonderful length. This is tight, but fascinating still. This wine has a good future, very juicy, and will only keep getting better. Don’t touch this until 2014.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2006 Opus One is another more challenging vintage that saw abundant moisture throughout the year. Nevertheless, it doesn’t lack texture or fruit and has ripe yet integrated tannins as well as up-front, perfumed, charming aromatics of ripe darker fruits, black cherries, chocolate, and tobacco leaf. This elegant, charming, seamless effort is well worth enjoying any time over the coming 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDDeep garnet in color, the 2006 Opus One explodes with a whole array of stewed black and red plums, kirsch, and tobacco leaf scents with hints of oolong tea and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of sturdy tannins, with soft acidity and layers of muscular black fruits, finishing long and minerally.The Wine Independent | 94 TWIThe 2006 comes across as a bigger, more structured wine than the 2007. The tannins are bolder, more dramatic, and more present. The wine displays impressive depth, not the velvety elegance of the 2007, but is a more muscular wine that begs for 2-3 years of cellaring and should drink well for 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 93+ RPA very good Opus with plenty of forward cherries and black raspberries as well as rich notes of spiced oak that give a nougat or crunchy vanilla granola sweetness to the finish. The vintage was not Opus One’s best, but the wine is impeccably crafted, and shows its usual fine tannic structure.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

The 2006 is performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Sloan and McClellan decided to bottle it later than usual, recognizing the rugged, tough tannins of the vintage could be sweetened up with longer barrel aging. Their strategy worked. The wine’s dense ruby/purple color is followed by notes of white chocolate, burning embers, creme de cassis, coffee, and scorched earth (think Haut-Brion or La Mission Haut-Brion). It possesses terrific structure, melted, well-integrated tannins, full body, and is already bursting with complexity. A great success, it is one of the vintage’s most thrilling wines. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 98+ RPAn extraordinary effort, very tightly wound with a wealth of detailed flavors, exhibiting tiers of black cherry, plum, currant, berry jam, cedar, cigar box, black licorice and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied and well-structured, ending with tapered flavors that retain their focus. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2011 through 2025. 700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSLovely violets, gardenias, and orchids on the nose with hints of dark fruits. Full bodied with fine tannins and firmly structured. This starts off slow, but then it really takes off and gives and gives. Very delicate and pretty. Pull the cork after 2016. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JS(70% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 5% cabernet franc) Full ruby-red. Superripe aromas of dark berries, hot stones, tobacco, bitter chocolate and licorice. Very ripe, broad and plush in the mouth, even a bit chunky, with black fruit, mocha, roast coffee, tar and licorice flavors coming across as a bit spiky today. Finishes with big, slightly tough tannins that call for at least five or six years of aging. "This vintage was more austere than either 2005 or 2007 early on," noted winemaker Martha McClellan, "and the tannins took longer to integrate." The wine was bottled barely a month before my visit.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2007 Quella performed slightly better than I predicted last year. A magical combination of blueberry liqueur intermixed with crushed rock, spring flowers (violets?), earth, pen ink and burning ember leads to a full-bodied, majestically rich wine with a multilayered texture, silky tannins and a phenomenally long finish of over 50 seconds. This sensational 2007 should drink well for 25-30+ years.Robert Parker | 97 RPThis is decadent. Layers and layers of porcini mushrooms, wet forest floor, and dark fruits. Full bodied, powerful, with everything going for it. This needs at least fiave years to show its best. Pull the cork after 2015. 15+25+24+33. Find the wineJames Suckling | 97 JSVoluptuous and racy in the glass, with terrific freshness, the 2007 Quella has it all. Raspberry jam, blood orange and sweet floral notes add brightness throughout. Silky, ripe and alluring, the 2007 is one of the many standouts in this vintage. The 2007 drinks well now but it will hold for another 10-15 years.Vinous Media | 96 VMA tremendous effort, firm, intense, dense and concentrated, offering a wonderful mix of mineral, fresh earth, dried currant and herb, with touches of tobacco and cedar. Full-bodied, yet at points supple given its youth, but the finish sails on and on. To be released spring 2011. Best from 2013 through 2024. 476 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis is Bond’s second vintage of Quella, from a vineyard in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. The wine’s red cherry fruit has elasticity and intriguing meatiness, though for now it’s completely cloaked in oak. The wood adds a French roast coffee spice rather than sweetness, the tannins mouthcoating and rich. This finishes with elegance and should reward several years of cellar time.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

As outstanding as the 2008 is, it is eclipsed by the brilliant 2007 The Maiden, perhaps the finest second wine yet made here. Sweet tobacco leaf, fruitcake, creme de cassis, black currant and licorice aromas emerge from this round, opulent, voluptuously textured wine. It is very much in keeping with the 2007 vintage. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 93 RPTight and complex, with a firm, focused mix of mineral, dried currant, herb, sage and cedar. Full-bodied, intense and persistent, ending with a complex, layered aftertaste. To be released spring 2011. Best from 2012 through 2022. 1,040 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSGood deep ruby-red. Currant, cedar and graphite on the nose and palate. Pliant and showy already, with compelling sweetness of fruit and a fresh minerally quality giving juiciness and lift to the middle palate. Long and ripely tannic. This is freakishly good for a second wine.Vinous Media | 92 VMAromas of green coffee beans, vanilla and ripe berries follow through to full body, with loads of new wood and ripe fruit. Full bodied and full throttle. Bottle age to mellow the wood is a necessity here. Second wine of Harlan.James Suckling | 91 JS

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS is profoundly scented of baked plums, cherry tart and warm wild blueberries with touches of cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and fertile loam plus an earthy waft of moss-covered tree bark. The palate is a hedonist’s fruit bowl of red, black and blue berry preserves layers in a full-bodied, decadently plush package, with an uplifting line of freshness to balance and an epically long finish. Pure sex in a glass!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPPacks a wallop, with a broad, deep range of flavors, from exotic, spicy, vanilla- and mocha-accented oak to a dense, vibrant core of wild berry and blackberry that flows smoothly, gaining traction and tannic grip on the finish.—Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now through 2026. 250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2008 Pluribus is a gorgeous wine laced with black fruit, menthol, minerals, spices and licorice. It shows fabulous density and richness through to the finish. This is a very typical Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2008 Pluribus is the most delicate of the Bond 2008s. Hints of pine, scorched earth, toast and licorice give the wine many of its aromatic signatures. Today, the 2008 is deceptively understated. My impression is that the best is yet to come.Vinous Media | 95 VMOffers a mix of mocha, loamy earth, espresso, dried currant, blueberry, wild berry and cedary sage-charcoal notes. Full-bodied and drying, complex and concentrated. Best from 2012 through 2022. 487 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSEucalyptus and mint and spices with dark fruits. Hints of wood too. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit. Thick and dense. Very soft and juicy. Very approachable. This has a little more Merlot than normal, making it very approachable.James Suckling | 92 JSGrown at a steep, seven-acre vineyard at 1,100 feet on Spring Mountain, Pluribus shows the power and extract of the 2008 vintage. It’s all about structure until the wine takes on enough air, beginning to show floral notes and deep blueberry-scented fruit. There’s a dark, classical Napa mountain red here, needing a decade in the cellar to reveal itself more completely.Wine & Spirits | 91 W&S

Full ruby-red color. Very ripe aromas of raspberry, licorice and menthol; this too struck me as claret-like. Sweet and refined in the mouth, already showing superb harmony to its raspberry, redcurrant and graphite flavors. Finishes with suave tannins and outstanding length. Like the Melbury, this seems balanced to give early pleasure but should have no trouble lasting for 15 to 20 years in bottle. (Incidentally, pHs here were average in 2008 but acids a bit higher, said director of winegrowing Bob Levy, who offered the opinion that 2008 was a bit like 2005 in style).Vinous Media | 94 VMFirm and structured, with loamy earth, mocha and espresso, this is ripe and lively, with currant, blueberry and wild berry notes that are pleasingly subtle and detailed. Even more expansive and syrupy on the finish. Best from 2012 through 2022. 502 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis is the third vintage from this site. Licorice and flowers and lavender aromas. Full body, with super velvety tannins and a medium finish. Lovely wood on the finish. Sandalwood undertone. Give it a year or two to come together more.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2008 Quella is a dark, brooding wine loaded with super-ripe dark black fruit, smoke, tar and licorice. It is a seriously intense wine that will require bottle age. This is an especially authoritative wine from Bond. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Incredible nose of mint, spices and dark fruits. Forest floor. Then turns to Indian tea. Roses too. Full-bodied, with very fine tannins and lovely fruit. Soft and silky fruits. Amazing backbone of tannins. This reminds me of a great modern vintage of Margaux -- but with that Napa shine. 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot.James Suckling | 99 JSThis is an absolutely beautiful wine to drink now, but the richness comes at the price of considerable alcohol. The color is dark and impenetrable, the aromas huge in Cabernet-inspired blackberries and black currants, with a touch of something herbal and also a stony minerality. There’s also a fascinating peatiness, like an Islay Scotch. It really opens up in the glass, becoming ever more complex. It’s great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, but that high alcohol may limit its ageability.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEThe opaque purple-hued 2008 IX Proprietary Red, a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot (also slightly modified from last year), reveals notes of espresso roast, blueberries, black currants and lead pencil shavings. The wine reveals superb concentration and richness as well as a structured mouthfeel. It begs for 4-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for 20-30+ years.Robert Parker | 96 RPPleasing for its richness, elegance and finesse, this graceful red presents a delicate mix of dark berry, licorice, light cedar and loamy earth, gliding along on the finish, where the wine is amazingly polished. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2026. 1,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(69% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot, 11% cabernet franc and 7% petit verdot): Saturated ruby. Blackberry, spices and graphite on the nose. Broad and rich but also magically airy in the mouth, with compelling perfume to the dark fruit and mineral flavors. A very dark, deep, young wine with terrific finishing grip. Here, too, the substantial tannins will require at least five years of patience.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

This is where I thought this famous Cab would be. Sublime aromas of milk chocolate, ripe blackberries and sweet spices. Notes of tobacco too. It's full and rich with firm tannins that turn velvety at the end. Long finish. Made for aging. Give it four to six years of bottle age.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2008 Maya boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a sumptuous bouquet of blue, black and red fruits, crushed rock, spice box, licorice and subtle wood. Full-bodied, multilayered, pure and deep, this is a striking, seamless wine with flawless balance and great concentration as well as length. Multiple dimensions, incremental richness and a 45-second finish suggest this beauty is one of the top wines of the vintage.One of the iconic wines of Napa Valley is Dalla Valle's blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon (usually at least 50% Cabernet Franc), Maya. As history has proven, Cabernet Franc has flourished in the red soils above the Oakville Corridor. One can go back twenty years and find these wines still youthful with perhaps 40-50 years of total life in them.Robert Parker | 96 RPDark red. Alluring aromas of currant, plum, truffle and sexy oak spices are lifted by a note of cocoa powder. Plush, wonderfully dense wine with a youthfully restrained sweetness and serious spine. Less expressive today than the basic Napa Valley bottling, conveying a strong impression of medicinal reserve and subtle inner-mouth floral lift. A beautifully balanced blend but still needs another five or six years to blossom fully in bottle. Great potential.Vinous Media | 95 VMStrikingly complex, rich and creamy, this is impressive for its subtlety and finesse, with a firm yet fleshy core of currant, blackberry, black licorice, graphite and blueberry. Full-bodied, ending with a long, pure, persistent finish. Drink now through 2022. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2008 The Maiden is a beautiful wine graced with exquisite finesse in its dark red berries, flowers and licorice. Gorgeous inner perfume and a super-refined personality are some of the qualities found in the 2008 Maiden. A weightless, subtle finish rounds things out nicely. Stylistically the 2008 Maiden is quite a bit more delicate – at times even fleeting – next to the 2008 Harlan Estate. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2008 The Maiden is a beautiful wine graced with exquisite finesse in its dark red berries, flowers and licorice. Gorgeous inner perfume and a super-refined personality are some of the qualities found in the 2008 Maiden. A weightless, subtle finish rounds things out nicely. Stylistically the 2008 Maiden is quite a bit more delicate – at times even fleeting – next to the 2008 Harlan Estate.Vinous Media | 92 VMLoamy earth notes and mouthcoating tannins provide the baseline for this rich, layered effort, which is full-bodied, with toned-down dried currant, mocha, spice, cedar and sage notes. Drink now through 2020. 988 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS