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From a site next to Spotteswood, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price Vineyard has a complex style in its red and black fruits, new leather, sandalwood, and tobacco leaf-like aromas and flavors. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, wonderfully pure, balanced red with ripe yet present tannins, plenty of fruit and opulence, and a great finish. A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, it’s another brilliant wine from this label.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDMade form 100% Cabernet Sauvingon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price leaps with scents crushed redcurrants, blackberry pie and blackcurrant pastilles, plus hints of bouquet garni, tar and truffles. Full-bodied, taut and tightly wound, it has a firm, grainy texture and lively freshness, finishing with fantastic persistence. 190 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Allen Price Vineyard is soft, succulent and relatively easygoing, both for this wine and the vintage. Inky blue/purplish fruit, spice and lavender all meld together effortlessly. The 2019 is undeniably attractive, even if it does not have the depth of the very best years.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service Stagecoach Vineyard boasts lovely harmony between the red and black fruit (cherries and cassis), the oak (cedar and vanilla) and the delicate herbal nuances (sage and bay leaf). Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a long, velvety finish, this is a real beauty that should improve for at least a decade. Have I underestimated it?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a deep, ample wine. Crème de cassis, licorice, lavender, spice and menthol build beautifully in the glass. This pliant, lush Cabernet is all charm. Her Majesty’s Secret Service emerges from block 5M at Stagecoach, a block Aaron Pott planted himself. What impresses most is the way Pott has tamed the tannins that can be so fierce at this site. His 2019 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGMore cassis and a kiss of blue fruits emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a medium to full-bodied, juicy, ultra-classic Napa Valley Cabernet with great tannins, a juicy, elegant mouthfeel, good depth of fruit, and a great finish. Despite its charm and approachability, it has rock solid acidity, tannins, and structure and is going to evolve gracefully for upwards of two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JD

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label is built around a core of fruit from Leopoldina, with about 30% of the fruit from Fortuna. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and spice build in a potent, explosive Cabernet that hits all the right notes. In 2019, the Black Label is a real head turner. The flamboyant style offers tons of immediacy that will make the 2019 pretty hard to resist right out of the gate.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA barrel-selection of the vintage, this wine stuns in its dynamic of power and elegance, revealing layers of dried herb, sage and violet around a core of seamless tannin. Dark chocolate, graphite and cassis are met by an undercurrent of darker berry and oak spice, with a refined, structured finish. This will do well in the cellar; enjoy best 2029–2039.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label needs swirling to reveal notes of blackcurrant jelly, blackberry preserves and boysenberries, plus hints of cedar, lilacs, unsmoked cigars and crushed rocks.The medium to full-bodied palate is delicately styled and refreshing, featuring elegant layers and a long and mineral-laced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPDelivers a serious core of warmed cassis, macerated plum and black cherry puree flavors that move in lockstep, carried by a graphite spine and flanked with judicious apple wood and alder. Very solidly built. Best from 2023 through 2035. 1,529 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSHarvested at a minuscule yields from a vineyard planted in 1975, then aged 17 months in one-third new French oak. With a bit of aeration the youthful, concentrated aromas open to reveal opulent plum, spice, orange zest and pine forest accents. The palate offers juicy black cherry and more plum, mulled wine spices and powdery tannins, with crushed stone minerality and elegant cedar oak tinged with dark chocolate. There’s a distinct salinity to this wine which refreshes through the long finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035 Decanter | 95 DECAromas of ripe blackberries, cooked dark cherries, earth, chocolate and sweet spices. Full body with plush tannins. Rich and creamy with lots of black fruit on the mid-palate and a compact finish. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 92 JS

The EABA is more Syrah-dominated and checks in as 65% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, and the rest Viognier that saw plenty of stems and close to two years in 50% new French oak. Its inky purple hue is followed by a sensational bouquet of bloody blue fruits, black raspberries, iron, ground pepper, baking spices, and who knows what else. Incredibly complex and nuanced (yet intense) aromatically, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mouthfeel, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s certainly one of the biggest, richest wines in the lineup, yet like all of Jim’s wines, it remains light on its feet, has brilliant purity of fruit, and is as drinkable as could be.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2020 EABA ("end all be all"), still in barrel, is a blend of 65% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache and 3% Viognier. Made using 70% whole clusters, it comes from several vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, including Bien Nacido, White Hawk, Larner, Slide Hill and Alta Mesa. It will mature for around 22 months in 50% new and 50% used French barriques. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the 2020 EABA has gorgeous scents of blackberry and blueberry jam, dried herbs, lavender, coffee, licorice and loamy earth. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet light on its feet, its youthfully concentrated fruits unfolding as the wine glides through the mouth. It has abundant, finely grained tannins, integrated acidity and loads of spicy and floral accents across the long finish. Tasted May 25, 2022, it will be bottled in mid-August 2022. Around 750 cases and a few magnums will be made. It will be packaged and sold as a three-bottle set ($330), and each magnum will be sold in a box set with the 2020 Andremily Grenache.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2020 EABA is a dense, super-ripe wine that very much shows all the radiant intensity of the year. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, chocolate, new oak and lavender are dialed up to the maximum. This is a classic Andremily wine built on textural opulence and intensity. The 2020 has developed beautifully since I tased it from barrel.Vinous Media | 94 VM

A blend of 89% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre, and 2% Viognier, the 2020 No 9 was 50% destemmed and will see 22 months in 65% new French oak. Full-bodied and powerful, with lots of chocolaty black fruits, ground pepper, and assorted meatiness, it hits the palate with a ripe, lush texture, solid tannins, and a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2020 No. 9, still in barrel, is a blend of 89% Syrah, 9% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier, made with 50% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards throughout the Central Coast including Slide Hill, White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke, Kimsey and Alta Mesa. It will mature for 22 months in 65% new and 35% used French barriques. Opaque ruby-purple in color, it features aromas of black olives, ground coffee, turned earth and forest floor, before unfolding to pure blueberry liqueur, cassis, licorice and violet—what alluring aromas! Full-bodied, the palate is grainy and seamless, with concentrated, floral fruits and a very long, nuanced finish. Around 850 cases and a few magnums of this powerful Syrah will be made. It will be sold as part of a three-bottle set ($330), while magnums will be sold as a box set with the 2020 Andremily Mourvèdre.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPThe 2020 Andremily No. 9 is a dense, full-throttle wine. Inky, black fruit, blackberry jam, espresso, mocha, licorice and spice blast across the palate. There’s not a ton of subtlety here. It will be interesting to see if this heady, potent Syrah develops over the next year.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

A more tannin-driven pinot with dried strawberry and lemongrass character. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Hints of honey and cedar. Made from 50-year-old vines. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSShows nice contrast, with a fairly broad black cherry and mulberry fruit core, which is eventually harnessed through the finish by racy red tea and mineral notes. Offers generous lively, savory chaparral notes that dart around, lending a mouthwatering edge. Delivering lovely range and character, this should develop nicely in the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2035. 1,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRipe and heavily extracted on the nose, this bottling offers dried plum, wild juniper and strong leather aromas on the nose. The palate is packed with wild chaparral herb flavors that enliven the baked red fruit and spicy leather flavors.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2020 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is a potent, burly wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Incisive tannins frame blue fruits, incense, leather, game and dried herbs. This sinewy, taut Pinot shows good balance for the year.Vinous Media | 91 VM

Orange-cranberry and black cherry aromas are joined by a heady combination of worn saddle leather, wet cobblestones and tobacco. Can a wine smell "rugged?" Flavors of blueberries, orange zest cocoa nibs glide across a silky texture lit by electrifying acidity and plush tannins.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA perfumed blend of vivid black raspberry, lavender, sage and crushed rocks makes the 2020 God Only Knows impossible to ignore. This is pure elegance, supremely silky and refined, with subtle red and blue fruits that ride a core of tantalizing acidity as violet inner florals evolve toward the close. This finishes lifted and floral, with a subtle coating of sweet tannins that gently tug at the cheeks as confectionery spices slowly fade. While I would prefer a bit more length, that’s splitting hairs, as the 2020 God Only Knows is simply spellbinding.Vinous Media | 96 VMSeductive and mysterious nose of potpourri, nori, wild strawberries, boysenberries, miso and white pepper. It’s medium- to full-bodied with such delicious wild fruit and umami spice, tied back with tight-knit tannins. Beckoning and restrained all at once. Mostly grenache. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSAs always, the 2020 Grenache God Only Knows is almost all Grenache brought up in barrels, mostly used. It reveals a translucent ruby hue as well as a complex bouquet of ripe strawberries, framboise, cold fireplace, wood smoke, and shiitake mushrooms. This carries to a medium-bodied Grenache with a focused, elegant texture, present yet fine-grained tannins, and outstanding length on the finish. I don’t think this matches the recent series of the 2016 to the 2019, but it’s a complex, layered, nuanced Grenache that will keep for 10-12 years, probably longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

Coming from higher density plantings just beside the estate, the 2020 Syrah Armada Vineyard is one of the standouts in the vintage and has a beautiful core of fruit as well as mid-palate density. Ripe black cherries, blackberries, ground pepper, iodine, rose petals, and crushed stone define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a broad, layered mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. This unquestionably competes with the top wines in the vintage. Give bottles 2-4 years in the cellar and enjoy through 2040.Jeb Dunnuuck | 98 JDPerhaps the most put-together and complete wine of the range this year, the 2020 Syrah Armada Vineyard has classic notes of potpourri, savory herbs, black olive, hints of green and black peppercorns and dusty cherry blossoms that sway with a delightful mineral essence. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is balanced on the palate, with a fine mineral tension, precision, focus and a lingering, food-friendly, savory finish with a tight tannic edge. The wine rested for 21 months in about 20% new French oak. 7,656 bottle produced. Bravo!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Syrah Armada Vineyard is darkly floral. Dusty violet and lavender tones give way to musky black currants and blood orange aromas. Soft and enveloping, this possesses racy acidity that enlivens its tart wild berry fruits, taking on an almost-crunchy sensation toward the close, as nuances of sour citrus add contrast. This finishes with incredible energy and length, leaving a subtle balsamic twang yet remaining remarkably fresh. Impressive, to say the least, the 2020 Armada will win many hearts. This is about 80% whole-cluster fermentation and 10% new oak. This really sneaks up on the taster, and the nose prepares you for a bruiser, but the palate melts your heart.Vinous Media | 96 VMBlackcurrants, black cherries, cloves, tobacco, charcoal and smoked meat on the nose. It’s full-bodied with fine-grained yet firm, broad and mouth-coating tannins. Dark and inky. Tight and tense at the end. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try in 2025.James Suckling | 95 JSThe Armada sails on an ocean of blackcap raspberry and smoked brisket flavors, withadditional support provided by Earl Grey tea, shortbread and spearmint. Aromatic tradewinds are filled with black cherries and lavender. Soft acidity and velvety tannins make for a smooth voyage. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Displaying a deep magenta core, the 2020 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard was made with 4% Viognier. The nose is spicy, focused and firm with hints of reduction, savory herbs, black and green peppercorn, bitter black tea, dark cherry skin and wilted flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the palate displays a firm tannic edge that grows in amplitude before showing subtle flavors of stewed cherries, roasted almonds and hints of vanilla. It ends with a food-friendly and generous finish. The wine rested for 18 months in about 20% new French oak barrels...Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Savory, smokey and dusty, the 2020 Syrah en Cerise is firm, mineral-driven and expressive with potpourri and dark red fruit aromas, hints of pink and green peppercorns and a spicy and mineral essence. Medium-bodied, the palate gives way to a balanced and spicy core of dark red fruit with savory flavors of sage and wild brush before offering notes of umami and dusty flowers across the mid-palate. The wine continues to open and evolve, revealing more spicy and savory notes before ending with a soft hint of iodine and leather. Enjoy with food.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L’Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPA beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also exciting the palate through a core of zesty acidity. A staining of minerality lingers as the 2020 finishes with epic length and potency. Grippy tannins tug at the perimeters of the palate, leaving nuances of black licorice and clove to resonate. This radiant beauty has a very bright future. It’s a blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot.Vinous Media | 97 VMDark chocolate, a bit animalistic, so brooding and dark. Sumptuous texture, rich and deep yet vibrant too, this is plush and opulent but there is refinement here, you can feel the sculpting of the fruit and the tannins, there is nuance and detail to the different aspects. It’s still quite massy and bold, it’s a big style, lots going on with plenty of power and punch but a deliciously bright and lifted understone with acidity to keep it from being too heavy. Strawberry touches, blackberries, cinnamon, pepper, toast, tobacco and cocoa, all melding together with a lingering piquancy that lasts and lasts. A classic and memorable wine. Ageing 15 months in French oak (80% new, 20% one year old).Decanter | 97 DECThe 2020 Estate Cuvee is the flagship and checks in as 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. It has a big, black-fruited bouquet with lots of graphite, smoky oak, chocolate, and chalky minerality. This carries to a full-bodied wine revealing the more savory tannins of the vintage, plenty of mid-palate flesh, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It picks up a beautiful sense of salinity with time in the glass and is unquestionably one of the top wines in this vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDReally impressive depth here. Violets, blueberries, blackberries, graphite, ink and chalk to the nose. Rich, voluptuous and flavorful with firm, but silky tannins. Concentrated, restrainedly plush and muscular with a lingering finish that goes on and on. 45% syrah, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot.James Suckling | 96 JS

Aromas of tangerine zest and blackcurrants, with the perfume of fresh flowers. Full-bodied with a dusty texture to the tannins. Gorgeous. Nuanced and pure. Cabernet sauvignon with a touch of cabernet franc and petit verdot. Needs three or four years to open.James Suckling | 98 JSAnother incredibly successful 2020, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon offers a big, rich, powerful profile offering ample chocolaty dark fruits, some tobacco, eucalyptus, and mint herb nuances, an expansive, layered texture, and building yet polished and ripe tannins. It’s a beautiful wine that should age gracefully for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a seriously beautiful wine. It offers notable depth and texture at the outset. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather and licorice are all amplified. Slightly angular contours linger on the finish, but that is just the personality of the year. This is a very good wine for the vintage. Time in the glass amplifies the intense, bruising tannins. Let’s see where this goes.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2021 Andremily No. 10, tasted as a barrel sample, is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, and 2% Viognier, fermented using 50% whole clusters and to be aged for around 22 months in French oak barriques, 65% new. The color is a deep purple black. Baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and fruitcake leap from the glass, followed by suggestions of garrigue, peppered salami, and cracked black pepper with a hint of aniseed. Full, rich, firm, and grainy, the palate is lively, muscular, long and peppery. Around 100 cases and a few magnums will be bottled in August 2023.The Wine Independent | 96-98 TWIThe 2021 No. 10 is a blend of 93% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier. Grapes come from several vineyards, including Andremily’s new Slide Hill estate in Edna Valley, White Hawk, Larner, Harrison-Clarke, Kimsey and Alta Mesa Vineyards in Santa Barbara County. It was vinified with 50% whole clusters and matured for around 22 months in 65% new French barriques. Bottled August 12 and tasted October 25, it boasts a supermassive black hole of dark, perfumed fruit at the core. With time in the glass, it reveals pure accents of mint chocolate, vanilla bean, olives, lilac, tar and botanical nuances. The palate is incredibly concentrated, its graphite-laced fruit waiting to explode. All that depth of fruit is balanced by fireworks of fresh acidity and velvety tannins, and it has a highly latent finish. 900 cases were made, which will be sold as part of a three-bottle box set for $330. A few magnums were also made, which will be sold as part of a two-bottle set with the 2021 Mourvèdre.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPLastly, the Syrah-dominated 2021 No 10 reveals a dense purple hue as well as a wild bouquet of blueberries, wild strawberries, ground pepper, game, iron, and assorted floral, meaty nuances. Stunningly complex even at this young age, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a pure, layered, seamless mouthfeel, ample tannins and underlying structure, and a finish that won’t quit. It will clearly be a match for the 2020, and this puppy is going to flirt with perfection at maturity.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2021 Andremily No. 10 is one of the finest wines I have tasted at Andremily. Vibrant, focused and explosive, the 2021 possesses tremendous energy from start to finish. Dark red cherry, red plum, rose petal, cinnamon and new leather are some of the many notes that build as the 2021 opens in the glass. This is seriously impressive.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

An absolutely brilliant wine, the 2021 Ontogeny is an appellation blend put together by Bevan, and it’s a year-in, year-out incredible value. Competing with wines 2-3 times its price (if not more), it reveals a deep purple hue as well as an exuberant, full-bodied, concentrated style carrying loads of cr me de cassis, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. Super-rich, opulent, yet flawlessly balanced, with silky tannins, you should buy a case of this if you can. It should have at least 10-15 years of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD

Pure perfection from this talented team, the 2021 Estate Cuvee checks in as 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that was raised in 80% new French oak. Absolutely incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, ground pepper, and graphite give way to a full-bodied red with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that’s so hard to come by. It shows the pure, layered, elegant style of the vintage, and this beauty offers pleasure today yet will ideally be given 3-4 years in the cellar, and it will evolve for two decades at a minimum.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Estate Cuvée (a 20th-anniversary edition) is composed of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Its aromas are highly complex and pure! Chocolate-covered cherry and crushed blueberry scents are complemented by wafts of thyme, sage, vanilla, dark spices and savory tones, plus soaring violet perfume. The full-bodied palate is polished and effortlessly balanced, offering powdery tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a tremendously long finish laced with spice and floral perfume. This elegant, expressive blend will be long lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPImmediately seductive and perfumed on the nose with aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, cedar and plenty of sweet oak spices. It’s full-bodied with knit-tight tannins and a velvety texture. Spicy and vibrant with poise. Good vitality with a controlled power all along. Concentrated and full of energy with a generous, peppery and berry-loaded finish. 50% syrah, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% petit verdot. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe L’Aventure vineyard is one of the sources of quality fruit in Paso, and this wine is no exception. Aromas of dark, jammy fruit dominate, and the fruit on the palate is equally assertive, with healthy doses of cedar and spice. Tannins are muscular and powdery, which will aid in the ageability – a full-bodied, authoritative Paso wine with quality at the foundation.Decanter | 95 DEC

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Incubo is another fabulous wine from Aaron Pott’s Mount Veeder estate. Inky dark fruit, grilled herbs, leather, incense, licorice and dried flowers power through in this dense, explosive Cabernet Sauvignon.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2021 Incubo Cabernet Sauvignon, with 1% Cabernet Franc in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. Scents of blackcurrant jelly, kirsch, wild blueberries, and aniseed leap from the glass with underlying hints of cedar, graphite, and black olives. Full, firm, fine-grained, and bright, the palate shimmers with energy, delivering a long minerally finish.The Wine Independent | 97 TWISo focused, vibrant, layered and lively, with aromas of red fruit, subtle oak spices, currants and mint. Fine-grained tannins embrace the classic black cherry and cassis flavors. A brilliant wine that only needs time to mature and develop more complexity. Best from 2029.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Incubo is brilliant juice, offering a deep purple hue as well as a killer bouquet of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, spring flowers, and damp earth/underbrush-like nuances. I love its complexity and this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, fine tannins, and a great finish. Blended with just a splash of Cabernet Franc, drink this classy, impeccably made Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

Lastly, the 2021 The Bard checks in as 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAfter sampling 86 wines over a two-day marathon tasting with Realm Cellars co-owners Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette, I had no doubt that one would make my top 10 list of the year. It would be The Bard, which will be available beginning in 2024. It is a very giving wine that promises great rewards for long-term cellaring and is enjoyable three full nights in a row, never losing its zeal if having one great glass each night is your prerogative. Power and muscle frame the core of this towering red, with its red-toned fruits and rich, toasty oak spices nuanced by bay Laurel and pastis. Full-bodied with tremendous decadence of chocolaty tannins that are pliant and billowy, lifted by supple blackberry and black raspberry fruit, a drizzle of cherry coulis, and resolving with refined tobacco, cedar wood spices, and laced with coriander and cumin aromatics. It has a satisfyingly rich finish. Number five of my top 10 wines of 2023.Decanter | 97 DECThe purity of fruit here is impressive with blackcurrants, bark and black mushrooms. Full-bodied but light-footed and fresh with integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Real transparency and focus. 83% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 1% petite sirah. So drinkable but can age as well.James Suckling | 97 JSA blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Petite Sirah, the fruit for the 2021 The Bard comes from sites across the valley, including some estate fruit and some sourced fruit. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shoots from the glass with vibrant notions of crushed black currants, red currant jelly, black raspberries, and pencil shavings, giving way to notes of lilacs, dark chocolate, and a waft of spearmint. The full-bodied palate is firm with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone framing the tightly wound red, black, and blue fruit flavors, finishing with great length and a real skip in its step.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2021 The Bard is fabulous. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant, the 2021 offers up generous dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, spice, menthol and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2021 flaunts tons of flavor intensity and vibrancy. It’s a gorgeous wine, especially considering it is the largest-production wine at Realm.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2022 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard is powerful, dense and explosive, in the classic Martinelli style. Super-ripe dark cherry, cloves, leather, cedar and brown spices build effortlessly. This virile, somber Zinfandel packs a tremendous punch. It’s a gorgeous wine from the Martinelli family.Vinous Media | 94 VM