California Wines

wines

A wine of pure texture and sensuality, Dunn's 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain stands out for its exceptional overall balance and layered, silky personality. Veins of underlying minerality add brightness to a core of dark red fruit, crushed rocks, mint, flowers and spices. What a pretty wine this is.Vinous Media | 94 VMDark and immense, still a youngster, with intense earthy currant, plum and black cherry flavors that are rich, yet for all their weight still quite elegant. Still has tannin to lose. Decant if you drink it now.--1989 California Cabernet retrospective. Best from 2000 through 2010. 1,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

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

The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard, is a beauty. The healthy ruby/purple color is followed by classic, unevolved but promising aromas of minerals, cedar, smoke, and black currants. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with admirable purity, a sweet, lush mid-palate, and ripe tannin in the finish. The top-notch 1997 is a classic, restrained. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.Robert Parker | 92 RPFull ruby-red. Expressive nose combines black raspberry, currant, black cherry, chocolate, tobacco and sandalwood. Lush and sweet but fresh, with a firm edge of acidity giving shape to the flavors. Big and mouthfilling but not at all heavy. The tannins are suave and fine. A bit dominated by the oak today. This wine is virtually always in an awkward stage about six months after the bottling, says Bart Araujo, although I recall that the ’96 was atypically showy a year ago.Vinous Media | 92+ VMNo written review provided | 92 W&S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Precious has a medium garnet color and gives up bold, gregarious baked plums, warm cassis and black cherries on the nose with wafts of licorice and tilled soil. The palate is full-bodied, very firm, grainy and fresh, finishing long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Precious is endowed with tons of sheer richness, depth and concentration. Black cherries, mocha, espresso, new leather and grilled herbs are some of the aromas and flavors that power through to the finish. The 2008 is all about intensity. It is a totally irresistible wine, even if the alcohol comes through from time to time.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Deserves its high score by virtue of power and sheer flamboyant dazzle. Packed with ripe, sweet cherries and milk chocolate, with a decadently meaty taste, like beef tartare. Oak plays the usual role, adding a caramelly, buttered toast richness. The tannins are brilliant, so soft and sweet, they're like candy. Drink this flashy wine over the next six years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEBeautifully done in an ultraripe style. Gushing, with a jammy berry pie mix of wild berry, blackberry and raspberry flavors that are complex and supple. Full-bodied, gaining depth and richness on the long, persistent, tapered finish, which echoes black licorice, loamy earth and spice. Drink now through 2021. 925 cases made. — JLWine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard, from a vineyard at the base of Howell Mountain, is deep, sensual and powerful. It shows terrific richness in its dark cherries, plums, mocha, licorice and tobacco. This is a totally gorgeous wine loaded with character.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a medium garnet color and nose of cherry cordial, cassis and blueberry compote with fragrant earth, candied violets and crushed rocks nuances. The palate is full-bodied, rich, elegant and firm with a lovely graininess and bold freshness, finishing very long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

(100% cabernet sauvignon): Bright, full ruby-red. Black cherry, plum and musky oak on the nose; less minerally than the 2009. Sweet, plummy and rather easygoing, but with sappy acidity giving shape to the middle palate and perfume to the very long finish. Tannins are perfectly buffered by the wine’s fruit, giving this wine strong early appeal. Kongsgaard keeps his cabernets on their skins for five or six weeks, with the temperature kept from exceeding 82 degrees, "in order to make wines with energy, and with tannins that are plush but not aggressive."Vinous Media | 93 VMFrom lower yields, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is more monolithic, offering dark fruits, hints of espresso roast and chocolate, and sweet tannins. However, it does not appear to have the level of complexity or the aging potential of the 2007. Nevertheless, it should drink nicely for 12-15 years.Robert Parker | 90-92 RP

The 2009 Proprietary Blend The Maiden wraps around the palate with dark cherries, plums, cinnamon, cloves and new leather. This is a surprisingly muscular style for the year, with quite a bit less of the early appeal than is found in many other wines. The aromas and flavors remain dark, powerful and brooding from start to finish. Flowers, cinnamon and mint add further complexity on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2009 Proprietary Blend The Maiden wraps around the palate with dark cherries, plums, cinnamon, cloves and new leather. This is a surprisingly muscular style for the year, with quite a bit less of the early appeal than is found in many other wines. The aromas and flavors remain dark, powerful and brooding from start to finish. Flowers, cinnamon and mint add further complexity on the finish.Vinous Media | 93 VMIntense and richly tannic, with notes of dried currant, smoke, dried flowers, licorice and graphite. Impressive for its density and concentration, both of which bode well for the future. Best from 2014 through 2025. 1,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2009 Opus One is impeccable. It brings together the silkiness of the 2007 with the power and darkness of the 2008, a combination that is hugely appealing, to say the least. With a little air, the 2009 can be enjoyed young, but it is best cellared for at least a few years, which will allow some of the baby fat to drop off. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec.Vinous Media | 94 VM(Opus One, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, Red) A more mineral, floral-tinged style in this vintage, with blueberry and blackberry fruits, beautifully aromatic if a little softer through the finish than some vintages. The Cabernet Franc was co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon. 1% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 20 days skin contact. Warm days and cool nights made this perfect until the rain during harvest (which lasted September 21 to October 20). Opus picks relatively early for Napa, and so was lucky to have had most of the grapes in before the second round of rain came. (Drink between 2020-2040)Decanter | 93 DECAromas of orange peel, currants, olives and subtle rosemary. Full body with a beautiful balance of fine tannins and a fresh finish. Super-refined and beautiful. Better in 2015 but just drinking beautifully now. This 81% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc, 4% merlot, 4% petit verdot and 2% malbec.James Suckling | 93 JSThis bold, rich and assertive red is firm and concentrated, displaying a mix of dried currant, blackberry, wild berry and spice flavors, ending with loamy earth and melted black licorice notes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Best from 2014 through 2025. 22,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A solid red with a muscular tension and form. Full body and rich fruit, with currant, blackberry and mineral character. Fresh acidity. Turns to tar, dried flowers and dark fruits. Needs at least three to four years of bottle age.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2010 The Maiden is fabulous. Dark red cherries, lavender, menthol and spices all flesh out in the glass. A textured, inviting wine, the 2010 wraps around the palate with striking depth and purity. Silky tannins add a measure of finesse, but in the end, the 2010 is a wine to enjoy for its forward fruit and juicy, extroverted personality. What a gorgeous wine this is. The 2010 captures the essence of Harlan Estate to the core. It is a fabulous Maiden.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2010 The Maiden reveals lots of cedarwood, licorice, forest floor, black and red currant, loamy, earthy notes and a touch of background oak. Elegant, pure, layered, medium to full-bodied, and rich in fruit with no hard edges, it should be enjoyed over the next 15+ years.Robert Parker | 92 RPHarlan Estate's second wine reveals a rich bouquet of juicy black fruits, cedar wood, clove and spicy oak, with a generous, textural palate impression.Decanter | 90 DEC

Bright red cherries, cranberry, spices, mint, hard candy and anise all jump from the glass in the 2011 Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard. Hints of crushed flowers and tobacco follow, adding lift, inner perfume and a sense of sweetness. The de Villiers is the most open and radiant of these 2011s today, partly because it is the only single-vineyard Pinot in the range made from fully destemmed fruit.Antonio Galloni | 90+ AGTight, with a gritty, earthy edge to the firm strawberry, dark berry, violet, spice and cedar notes, gaining depth and ending with a persistent finish. Should gain with age.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is impeccable and pretty in this vintage. To be sure, the 2011 is a bit smaller-scaled than is typically the case, but it nevertheless possesses gorgeous balance and plenty of class. My impression is that the 2011 will age well, even if it will always remain a mid-weight wine. Dark red cherries, grilled herbs tobacco and mint are all layered into the gracious, beautiful finish. This is an impressive showing for the year. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPFabulous aromas of blueberry, spice, and iron character. Pure fruit. Full body with wonderfully integrated tannins and a mineral, blackberry and iron undertone. I love the balance with this wine. So delicious now. Fresh. Cabernet sauvignon with splash of petit verdot and cabernet franc.James Suckling | 94 JSDeep, bright ruby. Reticent but pure nose opens with air to show highly complex scents of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, graphite, rosemary, mocha and wet rock. Very pretty, slightly wild flavors of black fruits, juniper berry and violet are very young and wound up but already convey a strong impression of the site. Finishes with edgy tannins that will require patience. The estate did a lot of crop thinning to eliminate the underripe berries and hasten the ripening process for the rest (the wine is actually 14.8% alcohol in bottle). Boasts terrific definition and avoids the greenness shown by so many Cabernets from this vintage. This vintage marked the latest harvest here: between October 16 and 19.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

This is fresh and fruity with a mushroom-dust and blackberry character. Walnuts, too. Full body with silky tannins. Juicy finish. I love the texture to The Maiden this year. Better in 2016.James Suckling | 93 JSThe Maiden is fashioned from barrels not deemed rich or complex enough for the Harlan Estate (a true first-growth wine). The supple, delicious, fruit-forward 2011 The Maiden exhibits lots of sweet black cherries intermixed with hints of caramel and vanillin, an attractive, medium to full-bodied texture and good opulence as well as softness. It is on a fast evolutionary track, so enjoy it now and over the next 10+ years.Robert Parker | 91 RPThe 2011 The Maiden is bright, focused and very pretty. Sweet red berries, mint, cinnamon and rose petals are all laced together in a delicate, finely-knit wine built on pure silkiness and grace. Subtlety and a total sense of finesse are the signatures. This is a gorgeous Maiden.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Medium garnet colored, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard leaps from the glass with red roses, raspberry leaves and kirsch with a cassis and blackberry core plus hints of anise, Indian spices and florals. The palate is full-bodied with plenty of perfumed fruit and a satiny texture, finishing with incredible energy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Brisk, saline notes give the 2011 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine much of its energy and precision. The Cuvee Catherine remains powerful and inward, but at the same time, there is a lot going on in the glass. The small clusters of the Calera clone in this site pack the wine with notable fruit intensity. Though still not fully formed, I sense quite a bit of promise here. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPBright ruby. A heady, complex bouquet evokes black raspberry and boysenberry preserves, smoky Indian spices and cola. Lush, palate-staining dark berry fruit flavors show liqueur-like depth and power, with notes of star anise and candied flowers adding complexity and lift. The sweet, seamless finish goes on and on, leaving spicecake, mineral and rose pastille notes behind.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2012 The Maiden is super-refined, polished and expressive. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, mint, pine and cinnamon are some of the signatures. Open-knit and medium in body, the Maiden is racy and super-polished to the core. It is feminine, lifted in style and well-suited to near-term drinking.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2012 The Maiden displays soft blackcurrant liqueur notes, as well as cedar wood, forest floor, underbrush, and hints of white chocolate and espresso. It is broad, savory, sexy and opulent. Drink it over the next 12-15+ years.Robert Parker | 92 RPExhibits a dusty, dried herb savoriness amid dark berry, cedar and new leather scents, ending with fine-grained, gripping tannins and a touch of mocha. To be released spring 2016. Drink now through 2028. 1,208 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS