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The myth perpetrated by Old World wine proponents is that California wines don’t age. Those critics need to taste Verité, because these wines are aging far slower than I imagined. The 2005 La Joie (67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec) tips the scales at 14.7% alcohol. It received the same 18 months in 100% new oak. It is interesting that Pierre Seillan said that he thought the high-elevation vineyards of Sonoma that go into Verité (self-serving, os course) are his greatest sites in the world for Bordeaux varietals. But remember – he’s from Bordeaux! This multidimensional wine, which enjoyed a 4-5 day cool, pre-fermentation maceration, has a provocative bouquet of blackberry, cassis, new saddle leather, Christmas fruitcake, graphite and high-quality unsmoked cigar tobacco. It is profound, extremely full-bodied and massive in the mouth, but not heavy or astringent in any way. This is perfection in a glass, and a tribute to what Sonoma can achieve. Give this wine another 4-5 years, and drink it over the following 30+ years.Robert Parker | 100 RPAn absolutely awesome wine that tops out my scale, the 2005 La Joie offers a Château Latour-like stature and structure as well as complex notes of blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings, sandalwood, and crushed rocks. Still youthful and vibrant, it’s full-bodied, has off-the-charts purity, ultra-fine tannins, blockbuster length, and a singular, magical character. Feel free to drink bottles today or cellar for just about as long as you’d like. It will probably outlive everyone reading this.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JD(14.7% alcohol): Full bright ruby. Knockout nose melds blackcurrant, black cherry, herbs, coffee, mocha, tobacco and game. Boasts outstanding balance and finesse, as well as terrific inner-mouth floral lift to the intense flavors of berries, tobacco and spices. The suave, slowly mounting finish leaves the palate vibrating. This vibrant, slightly wild wine finishes with outstanding subtle persistence.Vinous Media | 95+ VMShowing complex aromas of dark fruit, pine needles and pine nuts right now. Dried flowers, too. Full-bodied, round and chewy with firm and silky tannins. Always a linear edge running through this. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSThe nose is fully ripe, with sweet, delectable blackcurrant fruit. Blackcurrants and blackberries dominate the palate, and the oak is still evident. However, the tannins are becoming furry and chocolatey, so that it does lack a little polish and refinement. But it has force and presence, some maturity, and good length.Decanter | 92 DEC

Espresso, mocha, cloves, violets and plums all meld together in the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard. Rich, sumptuous and layered, the 2010 boasts tons of depth and pure structure. Much more expressive than the 2010 Insignia is today, the Backus is relatively open at this stage. At the same time, though, the underlying structure suggests the 2010 will drink well for many years.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) achieved nearly 15% natural alcohol, and is aged 24 months in 100% new French oak. It has Pessac-Leognan-like aromas of charcoal, scorched earth, creme de cassis, and a distinct loamy soil/earthy character as well as minerality. Full-bodied, powerful and masculine with mouthstaining levels of extract in addition to mouthwatering levels of tannin, this 2010 needs to be forgotten for at least a decade, and drunk over the following 30-40 years. It could be a 50-year wine.Robert Parker | 90+ RP

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots, which is their proprietary red wine blend from Knights Valley, is a killer effort, and one of their all-time greats, ranking right up there with the 2007 or 1997. A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, there are 3,600 cases of it. The wine displays plenty of mocha, chocolate, blackberry, creosote and charcoal in an incredibly complex fragrance. Full-bodied and opulent, it shows, loads of tannin, a hint of unsmoked cigar tobacco and plenty of black and blue fruits. Opaque purple to the rim, this wine is in need of a good 5-6 years of cellaring and certainly has 30-40 years of life in it.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThe energy and decadence in this wine is truly breathtaking with dried flowers, wet bark, plum, strawberry, and forest fruit. Full body, ultra-soft and velvety tannins. Savory and sappy. Juicy finish. Decadent and more-ish. A wine with a great future and richness. 69% cabernet sauvignon, 21% cabernet franc, 9% merlot, and 1% petit verdot.James Suckling | 98 JSA great vintage for this estate’s grand, full-bodied flagship red (69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot). Powerful, opulent and complex, it’s deep and fruity, with smoky, tobacco undertones from its 18 months in oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECTightly coiled and slow to reveal its strengths, with dusty dark berry, licorice, road tar, cedar and graphite flavors, ending with a touch of mocha and creamy vanilla. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 3,650 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WSPowerful and tannic in the glass, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Pavots is going to require considerable patience. All the classic Knights Valley signatures come through loud and clear, with beams of supporting tannin and acidity that give the wine its shape and overall feel. Black cherry, game, smoke, licorice and tobacco convey brooding intensity.Vinous Media | 92 VM

Lastly, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard is one of the gems in the vintage. I continue to find a Latour-like quality in this cuvee and the 2014 boasts a deep purple color, killer notes of lead pencil, charcoal, scorched earth, crushed rocks, and loads of dark fruits. Medium to full-bodied, elegant yet concentrated, impeccably balanced and with a big finish, hide bottles for 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 2+ decades. This cuvee is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot that was brought up in plenty of new oak, and there are roughly 700 cases produced.Speaking about the recent vintages, this team loves their 2016s and calls them the purest expressions of their varieties they’ve seen. These are indeed beautiful wines that seem similar to the 2014s, yet with a touch more oomph and mid-palate depth. I loved the 2015s and these are classic wines from Napa Valley that lead with their fruit, yet like all the wines from Kapcsandy, remain beautifully balanced, if not restrained in this vintage. The 2014s are drinking beautifully today, with elegant, classic, even old-world styles, and they’re going to evolve nicely as well. These are all classy, regal wines.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDExtremely floral and complex on the nose with cedar, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco, stones, mushrooms... I'm simply running out of words here! Full to medium body and a tight and compact center palate. This is complete and dense. Extremely long and energetic. Drink in five years but a joy to taste. One of the best ever.James Suckling | 99 JSDeep medium ruby; more saturated than the Roberta's. Knockout nose offers aromas of cassis, black cherry, dark plum, shoe polish and espresso, plus an element of toasty oak. Remarkably plush, dense and seamless, presenting a compelling balance of sweet dark berry fruit and firming minerality, with complicating notes of tobacco and spices. Really sensational Cabernet purity here! The wine's substantial tannins hit the palate late and build, giving the very long finish an element of sweetness that makes the Roberta's seem almost dry in comparison. Lou Kapcsándy described 2014 as "a steady year in the middle of drought years, with a relatively cool August and a fairly stress-free harvest--and easier than the warm 2013 growing season." (13.9% alcohol; 98% new French and 2% new Hungarian oak)Vinous Media | 98 VMAlways an exceptional cuvée, there are 900 cases of the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin, which is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. In 2015 there were 700 cases. This wine is even softer than the 2015, perhaps slightly less concentrated, but still at the top of the qualitative hierarchy in Napa Valley, with its terrific purity, nose of licorice, camphor, forest floor, blackcurrant and cedar wood. It is gorgeously fruited, full-bodied, but super-well-balanced. This is a beauty that can be drunk early, or cellared for another 25-30 years.Robert Parker | 96 RP