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The 1997 Harlan Estate is one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines I have ever tasted. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this enormously-endowed, profoundly rich wine must be tasted to be believed. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfold powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine's unreal richness and singular personality. The finish exceeds one minute. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2030.Robert Parker | 100 RPSaturated ruby. Liqueur-like superripe nose combines roasted cherry, black raspberry, minerals and Valrhona chocolate; distinctly port-like notes. Voluptuous and huge in the mouth, with explosive fruit bordering on confectionary; flavor of chocolate-covered currants. Much more powerfully structured than the estate second wine but the backbone is hidden under a tidal wave of lush fruit. Endless finish features extraordinarily fine, suave tannins. Like the '97 Bryant Family Vineyard cabernet, this freakishly ripe wine reminds me of a great '47 Pomerol.Vinous Media | 97 VMA great bottle, ripe, intense, structured, focused and concentrated, with youthful, vibrant, layered flavors, gaining velocity and length. There's a tremendous finish.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 1997 Harlan Estate is a difficult wine to review, as the nose and palate present something of a dichotomy. The bouquet is quite torrefied and tertiary, with notes of caramel, dried fruit, chocolate and a hint of California prune. But on the palate the wine is very exciting and vibrant, with an ample chassis of fine-grained tannins, vibrant acids and an intense, penetrating finish. Notable bottle variation is reported with this vintage. Drinking Window 2017 - 2025.Decanter | 92 DEC

The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard is medium to deep garnet colored with Black Forest cake, plums preserves and crème de cassis bursting forth from the glass with hints of blueberry compote, hoisin, espresso and star anise with wafts of potpourri and oolong tea. The palate is full-bodied, rich and beautifully plush, with tons of spicy fireworks lifting the sexy black fruit, finishing with amazing length and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP(15.9% alcohol): Bright red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of chocolate, saddle leather, cigar tobacco, earth, truffle and tomato. Fat and warm but with a solid mineral underpinning to the flavors of plum, mocha and spices. Large-scaled, plush and seamless but not heavy, this deep wine finishes with substantial dusty tannins. For all its ripeness, there’s sound acidity here. Still, this huge wine would be best paired with winter fare. The brooding finish features lingering notes of cherry and cooked meat and building tannins.Vinous Media | 94 VMA deliciously complex, enticing style, with layers of creamy currant, mocha, black cherry and blackberry fruit that glides across the palate. Deeply concentrated, it finishes with a wonderful aftertaste that pulls all the flavors together in a neatly tied package. Drink now through 2012. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Another extraordinary wine is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard from Howell Mountain. Woodbridge has always been extraordinarily high on this vineyard. The 2005 Ark, which The Wine Advocate also presented in London at our Master Class (and it blew many a British taster away) is incredibly youthful and tastes more like it’s two to three years old rather than ten. It has an extraordinary nose of blueberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit mixed with acacia floral notes, lead pencil shavings (seen to be often a characteristic of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons) and a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel with no sense of heaviness. The fresh acids, the ripe, well-integrated tannin, and stunning concentration are just magnificent. The scary thing about the 2005 Ark Vineyard is that it tastes as if it still has a ways to go – and could even get better! Drink it over the next 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 100 RP(bottled in January; 15.2% alcohol) Bright, full ruby. Enticing aromas of black raspberry, licorice and melted chocolate. Sweet, lush and superripe; in fact, this is downright massive, with an almost porty, lower-toned quality perked up by complex mineral and red licorice elements. Wonderfully fat, sweet wine with extravagant chocolate, mocha and nutty oak tones. Finishes with rich, broad tannins and a wave of chocolatey dark fruits. This is the first release from Jayson Woodbridge's home vineyard, which features nine separate blocks of vines and six clones, and which was picked in multiple passes and fermented in 500-liter puncheons.Vinous Media | 93 VMGraceful, ripe and fleshy, with supple plum, blackberry, black cherry and wild berry fruit that reminds me of a berry pie. Unfolds to reveal subtle spicy, cedary oak flavors, and the finish is long and luxurious, with layers of berry flavors. Best from 2010 through 2017. 700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

There are 550-cases of the perfect 2007 Cariad (original rating was 99), a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. One of northern California’s watershed vintages for Bordeaux varietals, according to Allison Tauziet, this wine revealed great potential from the day the first grapes were crushed. It possesses a dense purple color, massive fruit, soft but high tannin, and a structural profile somewhat similar to the 2002. There appears to be more underlying minerality in the 2007, but the sweetness of the tannin, the enormous concentration of fruit (blackberry, blueberry, cherry) intermixed with graphite, chocolate, coffee and crushed rock characteristics is striking. This is a compelling, even prodigious wine that hits all the palate’s sweet spots, possesses phenomenal upside potential, and is a modern day legend in the making. Approachable now because of its flawlessness and seamless characteristics, it should drink well for three decades or more.Robert Parker | 100 RPI am not sure what to say. This is like standing in a perfectly tended vineyard with stoney soil on a beautiful sunny day. Gorgeous nose of cardamon and cloves. Full bodied, with a breathtaking depth of fruit. The texture is perfect. The tannins are perfect. This is mind blowing wine that has left me speechless. Please don’t touch this until 2015. I am in love with this. Find the wine.James Suckling | 100 JSDense, chewy and extracted, rich and layered, with tightly wound blackberry, melted black licorice, new leather, shoe polish and herbal notes that are expansive and gain traction on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2012 through 2020. 550 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSBright, dark red with ruby highlights. Spectacularly complex aromas of roasted plum, cassis, currant, graphite, anise, licorice and tobacco. Wonderfully sweet, youthful and lively, with perfectly integrated acidity giving the wine an enticing combination of cool and warm qualities. Finishes very young and very long, still in need of more time in bottle to unwind. This perfumed blend reminded me of a Bordeaux from the RIght Bank owing to its seductive plum, dark berry and licorice notes and sexy sweetness. But its dusty tannins are still quite firm and in need of patience.Vinous Media | 94+ VM

Deep garnet in color with a touch of purple, the 2007 Proprietary Red Wine flaunts wonderfully expressive, vibrant blackberries and black cherries scents to begin, giving way to black raspberries and redcurrants with touches of Indian spices, potpourri, chargrill, sage, espresso, unsmoked cigars and tilled soil plus a waft of cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the elegantly styled palate offers tantalizing restraint with a firm frame of very fine, pixelated tannins and compelling freshness, finishing very long with an invigorating lift. Although this wine will handsomely reward a further 5-7 years in cellar, it can offer a lot of pleasure now but will need a couple of hours of decanting.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThis mature wine remains dark black-red in colour. Dark chocolate, roast meat and forest resins haunt the blackberry and plum fruits, but it’s surprisingly vital too, with ringing, resonant, ripe acidity in orbit with the flesh, soft textures and overall amplitude. Pure Napa class. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 97 DECEasily the greatest Dominus in memory. Comes down on the drier, lower alcohol and less ripe side than many Cabs in its league, yet lacks for nothing in complexity and sheer deliciousness. Tantalizes with blackberry tart, cherry, carob bean and a Pinot Noir-esque cola-rhubarb richness that retreats behind rich tannins and an earthiness suggesting sweet blond tobacco and dried sage. Clearly ageable, it will develop bottle complexity over the next 12 years, at least. It’s 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEPure Cabernet in its curranty blackness, this is a top vintage of Dominus: It has the precision and elegance of a wine from a great vineyard. The aromas of currants and black figs meld with the mineral tightness of the tannin; there’s suppleness to the tannin that points up red tones in the fruit, seeming to glow from within. The wine is comforting and challenging at once, holding its freshness and bearing as it evolves over the course of several days. This should thrive in the cellar for two decades or more.Wine and Spirits | 96 W&S((14.1% alcohol): Saturated dark red with ruby tones. Bordeaux-like scents of currant, black cherry, blackberry, cedar, mocha and spicecake, with a cool medicinal note adding interest. This very suave, fine-grained wine starts closed but juicy, then builds steadily along its length (like a good Cuban cigar!), with flavors of dark berries, licorice and sweet spices continuing through a juicy, rising finish that leaves the palate vibrating. A very subtle wine of great finesse and insidious intensity, though not particularly Napa-like in its texture or weight. The tannins really dust the palate and linger. This very distinctive wine has a long life ahead of it.Vinous Media | 95 VMLots of forest berries and flowers in the nose. On the palate, it is thick and very rich, with big plummy fruit and a light raisin aftertaste. Chewy, round, and very generous on the palate. This still needs some time to come together. Leave this alone for another three to four years. 14+24+23+32. Find the wineJames Suckling | 93 JS

A profound wine from a superb Napa vintage for Bordeaux varietals, the 2007’s nose may cause one to overdose on blue, black and red berry fruit. The extraordinary intensity, purity and depth in this rich, flamboyant, exuberant wine are mindboggling. This bigger-than-life Cabernet Sauvignon appears set for 20-30 years of aging. It can be drunk now, but because of its sweet, velvety tannins, it will still be offering sensational drinking in 2040.Robert Parker | 100 RPFull ruby-red. Multifaceted aromas of currant, iron, licorice, tobacco, dried herbs and minerals. The youthful palate boasts outstanding depth and clarity of dark fruit flavors, offering an uncanny combination of powerful structure and finesse. Explosive on the back end, finishing with outstanding palate-saturating breadth and extremely fine-grained tannins. I could see this wine enjoying 25 years of development in bottle, but it should really be forgotten for at least the next 5 or 6. Owner/winemaker Jayson Woodbridge told me this is the best wine he has made to date.Vinous Media | 96 VMRobust, intense and fleshy, offering a full-bodied mix of ripe cherry, plum, wild berry and raspberry fruit that’s pure, rich and layered. Full-bodied, elegant and refined, ending with a subtle medley of ripe berry flavors. Best from 2012 through 2020. 600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

One of the perfect wines from Shafer is the 2007 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Think it over – in the first decade of the 21st century, Shafer scored three perfect scores and two 99s – that’s about as high a praise as I can give any producer in the world. Opaque purple in color, the 2007 has a stunning nose of sweet crème de cassis, black cherries, licorice, and toasty oak, a multilayered, full-throttle personality, and a texture that builds and builds. Great purity, fabulous fruit intensity and a richness without heaviness characterize this massive, prodigious effort from Shafer. It’s still very young, despite this vintage, which seems to be maturing precociously. I don’t believe this wine will hit its stride for at least another 5-10 years and drink well for at least 2-3 decades.Robert Parker | 100 RPThis won’t be out until next year and will mark 25 years of Hillside Select. Nice aromas of mint, mineral, dark fruits, and delicious currants. Full bodied, with a soft beginning that just builds and builds. This is muscular and toned, very impressive. Save your money to get plenty of this. Thought provoking wine. Don’t drink this for four or five years. 15+24+24+34. Find the wineJames Suckling | 97 JSIn keeping with the voluptuous approachability of the 2007 vintage, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is simply fabulous now for its flood of the ripest, sweetest blackberrries, cherries, cassis and chocolate imaginable. Especially noble is the tannin structure, firm and soft, dry and sweet, a combination of opposites. The depth is vast, and the spicy finish goes on for a long time, suggesting the wine’s concentration. Simply a joy to drink, it should develop over many years, but you might want to err on the side of youthfulness and open it by 2015.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE(25th anniversary bottling): Good full ruby. Captivating aromas of cassis, blackberry and violet show an almost liqueur-like ripeness. Then rich, sweet, highly concentrated and large-scaled, with compelling flavors of dark berries, brown spices and sexy oak complicated by powerful soil tones. This drenches the mouth with flavor, with the wine’s tannins melting into its powerful fruit. Showing spectacularly today but this will evolve for decades. The hillside behind the house and winery makes up the core of this blend. (Incidentally, the very long 2006 showed a spectacular nose in March but is in a rather closed, tough stage right now and should be held for at least another five years).Vinous Media | 96 VMThe ruby-black, unctuously-textured 2007 Hillside Select is a large-scaled wine, even by the standards of this extravagant cuvée. It bursts from the glass with ripe aromas of kirsch, cassis, blueberries, charcoal and subtle woodsmoke. On the palate the acids are fresh, and the wine’s vast volume is nicely balanced out by mid-palate depth. This seems to bear a close kinship to the Rubenesque 2002 vintage, and is a real success in that paradigm. Drinking Window 2017 - 2025Decanter | 94 DECImpressive for the density, complexity, focus and concentration, this hits the right notes, unveiling tiers of dusty berry, mocha, herb, cedar and anise flavors. Though the tannins flex their muscles, the flavors flow freely.—Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now through 2025. 2,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSLusty richness drives this vintage of Hillside Select, from vines John and Doug Shafer planted in the 1970s on a series of knolls tucked under the Stag’s Leap escarpment. It has the site’s trademark tannins, as soft and savory as a bittersweet chocolate cake. The dark cherry-scented fruit is hidden behind the oak and the tannin for now, needing a decade to show its detail. For the cellar.Wine & Spirits | 92 W&S

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard sports a deep garnet color and rocks up with a ready-to-party nose of blackcurrant cordial, blueberry pie and freshly baked plums. And yet it also possesses a seriously savory undercurrent of tapenade, chargrill, rosemary-roasted lamb and fried Indian spices plus a waft of fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate has an evocative earthiness interlacing the opulent black fruit preserves with firm, velvety shoulders to support all that generous fruit flesh along with seamless freshness, finishing very long and savory. Truly stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPA deliciously pure and juicy style, capturing the currant and blackberry essence of Cabernet in a supple, graceful manner. Texturally harmonious, with just the right amount of sage details and dusty, earth-laced tannins. Ends on a tart note. Drink now through 2027. 1,100 cases made.Wine SpectatorWine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry reveals a rather inky, bluish/purple color. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, this wine is super-youthful and still tastes somewhat like a barrel sample. It’s bursting with upside potential. Inky purple to the rim, with notes of crème de cassis, black cherry liqueur, licorice, spice and a touch of vanilla, this is a full-bodied, concentrated and an utterly profound wine that may represent the greatest wine that Cliff Lede has made to date. Forget it for another 5-6 years and drink it over the following 30 years.Robert Parker | 100 RPA cool and linear red with deep dark fruits such as blueberries and blackberries. Hints of mint and mineral too. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Impressive for this vintage. Better in 2019.James Suckling | 94 JSAnother highlight in this range, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry hits the palate with serious intensity. Juicy, ripe and opulent throughout, the 2013 is super-expressive, but also quite young. Give it a few years to fully come together. This is the most overt of Lede Cabernets. Ripeness is pushed to the edge, while the wine is a bit monolithic, especially next to some of the more complete wines in this range.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Another perfect wine from Ann Colgin and her winemaking team is the 2013 IX Proprietary Red Estate, a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. An absolutely compelling wine, with notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry and cassis, it has the full smorgasbord of black and blue fruits, wonderfully integrated, toasty oak, acidity and tannin, a floral note that is unmistakable, and great richness, density and purity. It is an utterly exceptional wine and a tribute to not only a great vineyard, but impeccable winemaking and upbringing. It should drink well for 30+ years as well.Robert Parker | 100 RPI probably would have rated the 2012 IX Estate a triple-digit score if it hadn’t been followed by this otherworldly 2013 IX Estate. One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, this insanely good effort offers a complex, layered bouquet of darker currants, white truffle, iron, tobacco, graphite, and lead pencil. Possessing more than a passing resemblance to the 2009 Château Latour, it’s full-bodied, has a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It doesn’t get any better, and this legendary Napa Valley red can be drunk any time over the coming three decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-black in color, the 2013 IX Estate needs a LOT of swirling to begin to bring out notes of beef dripping, charcuterie, garrigue, mossy tree bark, and black truffles, giving way to a muted core of stewed plums, blackcurrant pastilles, candied violets, and dried mulberries. The full-bodied palate explodes with a powerhouse of black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super velvety tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and multilayered. It needs time!The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2013 IX Estate is a wild, exotic wine. In a sense, it marries the savory aromatic intensity of the Tychson Hill with the fruit richness found in the Cariad. It is another wine that has aged impeccably. There’s plenty of mountain tannin and savoriness, along with the underlying structure to age well for many years to come. In a word: magnificent!Vinous Media | 99 VMThe aromas to this are perfect with black truffle, sage, blueberry and wet earth. Changes all the time. Full body with lots of richness and fruit. The intensity is electric. Chewy tannins yet polished and silky. It lasts for minutes on the palate. A joy to taste (drink) now but it’s made for long-term aging.James Suckling | 98 JSThis has an exotic edge, with a burst of chocolate-covered açaí berry leading off, followed quickly by plum and blackberry puree flavors. Delivers a deeply buried cast iron note, but feels overall open and very friendly through the finish, with a kiss of sweet toast and a flash of Black Forest cake. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2034. 1,880 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSIn this vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon formed small berries with thick skins, so the wines inevitably were powerful and tannic. Plums and blackcurrants dominate the nose, which also shows mocha tones. Plump, opulent, and very concentrated, this is nonetheless not overblown. It’s still taut and youthful, with firm tannins. Assertive, it packs a punch and has a long finish.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

The flagship wine, and one of the first in Napa Valley to emphasize the fabulous potential of Cabernet Franc in specific terroirs, is the 2013 Maya Proprietary Red Wine. This wine usually spends about 22 months in new oak and normally has anywhere from 45% to as much as 60% Cabernet Franc blended with the estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 could well be the finest they’ve made to date, and that includes a lot of profound wines. An incredibly complex nose of charcoal embers, blackberry and cassis, some blueberries as well as white flowers, and a touch of forest floor is followed by a full-bodied wine with sweet, well-integrated tannins, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a finish that goes on for close to a minute. This is absolutely remarkable wine – powerful, dense, but at the sane time, precise and elegant. It’s hard to believe, but I think this wine can probably age and improve for 25-40 years. Don’t miss it if you have access to it.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2013 Maya is a bit more expressive today than the Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, plush and vertical in its shape, the 2013 exudes intensity and pure power from start to finish. The Maya is another wine that will require considerable patience. Hints of black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, cloves, leather and scorched earth give the 2013 much of its brooding, powerful personality, but readers will have to give the 2013 at least a few years in barrel for it to be at its best.Vinous Media | 97+ VMBlack plums, caramel, new leather and bramble on the nose. Sumptuous and chewy mouthfeel, with flavours of raw cacao, bitter cherry and dried sage. The finish is long and driving, showing the brilliant, high-toned structure common in this section of Oakville. More generous at present than the 2013 Cabernet, but still very much a baby. Recommended to cellar for another few years. Drinking Window 2026 - 2051.Decanter | 95 DECAn inspiring effort, this captures a dense mix of gravelly earth, extracted dark berry, cedar, dried herb, anise and crushed rock notes, showing a cleansing minerally edge. Stays trim and deserves time. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2020 through 2032. 750 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a deep garnet color and nose of crème de cassis, blueberry compote and candied violets with hints of red roses, chocolate mint, stewed tea and yeast extract plus a hint of cumin. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, the palate is completely packed with spicy fruit, finishing with lingering earthy notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPCreamy, mocha-scented oak provides a seductive introduction, easing the way for a rich mix of cherry, currant, plum and licorice flavors. This continues to gain depth and nuance, ending as it begins. Drink now through 2032. 960 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Pièce De Résistance is a selection of the five best barrels in the wine cellar, aged in 100% Taransaud cooperage. The first perfect score I’ve given to Pahlmeyer – but highly deserving – this is a masterpiece of gorgeous crème de cassis, blackberry liqueur, forest floor, camphor, charcoal and white flowers, magnificent concentration, wonderfully subtle oak, and a finish of close to a minute. In short, Cabernet Sauvignon rarely gets any better than this, but latching onto a bottle or two will not be easy. Drink it over the next 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Piece de Resistance is deep, powerful and unctuous. Red cherry jam, pomegranate, bittersweet chocolate, French oak, mint, licorice and rose petal notes infuse a rich, silky wine endowed with tremendous depth. The new French oak shapes the wine, but is also very nicely balanced. Unlike most 2013s, this flamboyant, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon will drink well with minimal cellaring, although it will certainly be more complex with time in bottle. In 2013, Piece de Resistance is mostly from Stagecoach, with a touch of fruit from Rancho Chimiles.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The perfect 2013 The Bard is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot, coming from four vineyards that Realm uses consistently -- B Weitz, Houyi, Blair and of course, the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane in St. Helena. There are 950 cases of this extraordinary wine, which has it all. Notes of graphite, blackberries, roasted espresso and chocolate are followed by a wine of enormous, massive extraction, richness and intensity, but no hard edges. This seamless work of vinous haute couture is staggeringly rich, very long, but not the least bit heavy or overbearing. This is a killer effort that’s already showing enormous complexity but should age effortlessly for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 100 RPFrom one of the greatest vintages ever for Napa Valley, the 2013 The Bard is a similar blend to the 2012 and is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot sourced from a multitude of vineyards. It’s slightly more purple-hued than the 2012 and has a killer bouquet of crème de cassis and blueberry fruits as well as violets, white chocolate, vanilla bean, graphite, and chalky minerality. Insanely good on the palate, this full-bodied, perfectly balanced beauty has a great mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s one of those wines that delivers incredible intensity yet still glides across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It’s less evolved than the 2012 and has another two decades or more of prime drinking ahead of it. Hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette for an incredible, magical wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2013 The Bard is the most intriguing of the three Realm blends because it has enough freshness and overall energy to balance the more overt elements. Inky blue and purplish fruit, spices, new leather and savory herbs flesh out in a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend that is both opulent and also vibrant, with plenty of detail and nuance, not to mention enough underlying tannin to drink well for the better part of the next decade, perhaps longer. Most of this fruit emerges from Blair, a site in Calistoga.Vinous Media | 93 VMDelivers a powerful combination of dark berry, dried herb, underbrush and stylish oak. Most impressive are the licorice and blackberry flavors on the finish, revealing extraction, tension and character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2030. 950 cases made. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Pure perfection is the 2015 Tench Vineyard EE and it’s a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot brought up all in French oak. This tour de force boasts phenomenal notes of spring flowers, violets, plums, blueberries, black cherries, and incense. Full-bodied, seamless, perfectly balanced and layered, hats off to Bevan for this crazy good Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2015 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it soars from the glass with a whole firework display of exotic spices, potpourri and sandalwood scents over a core of redcurrant jelly, preserved plums, crème de cassis and kirsch with wafts of pencil shavings and crushed rocks. The opulent, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with black and red berry preserves, framed by an exquisitely plush texture and fantastic tension, finishing with epically long-lasting Chinese five spice layers and fragrant incense whispers. 668 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2015 Red Wine EE Tench Vineyard is rich, explosive and powerful in the glass. Cabernet Franc aromatics give the wine an attractive upper register to play off the dark, unctuous fruit. Dark cherry, blackberry, chocolate and espresso all rush forward. The EE has terrific tension for such a big, plush wine. Lifted Franc notes reappear on the super-expressive finish.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGA rich, graceful style that serves up layers of dark berry, mocha, fresh earth and herb, yet has the tannic flex to merit attention. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2020 through 2030. 500 cases made. Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2015 IX Proprietary Red Estate sports a deep garnet-purple color and nose of smoked meat, blackberries and black currants with suggestions of baking spices, dark chocolate, fertile earth, dried Provence herbs, cardamom and lavender plus a touch of cigar box. Full-bodied, rich, firm and restrained, it has a lovely earthy, soft-spoken style at this youthful stage, promising great things to come over the forthcoming 25-30 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLastly, the 2015 IX Estate is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 2013 and 2014, with a ripe, sexy, exuberant style carrying loads of blue and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco, iron, truffly earth, and lead pencil. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, it’s full-bodied and has loads of up-front fruit, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with the 2012 and 2014, it has this incredible lift and elegance and already offers pleasure. Nevertheless, I’d give bottles another 3-4 years if possible, and this will evolve for 30-35 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe IX Estate is the most brooding and tannic of these 2015s from Colgin. Huge swaths of tannin enshroud the fruit in this decidedly virile, intense Pritchard Hill red. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2015 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Even today, though, it is a stellar wine.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is a broad-shouldered wine, underscoring the richness of the vintage. But it is also bright and fresh with a light bitter and hazelnut character on the finish. Full-bodied, focused and textured with a dusty tannin mouthfeel. Tangy and long at the finish. Enticingly fruity. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 97 JSAssertive, with an agreeable texture that eases the tannic strength, making this a powerful expression of extracted Cabernet flavors like dark berry, cedar, graphite, tar and more. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2034. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard is an absolute stunner, sporting an inky purple-black color and show-stopping nose of crème de cassis and blackberry pie laced with cumin seed, fenugreek, black pepper and cardamom, plus a transporting earthy undercurrent of black loam, moss-covered tree bark and forest floor. The palate delivers a wall of muscular black fruit accented by exotic spices and decadent floral notions, framed by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length and many, many layers. Amazing. Just 325 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPOne of the most profound young wines I’ve ever tasted is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane. Of all the high scoring wines in this report, if I had to pick one to put at the top of the heap, this would be it. My notes are filled with expletives, but this majestic, opulent, heavenly red boasts a deep purple color and La Mission Haut Brion-like notes of tobacco leaf, blackcurrants, earthy/rocky minerality, cigar box, blueberries, and Asian spices. Huge, opulent, and voluptuous, with a mid-palate that needs to be tasted to be believed, it has no hard edges, incredible density, ripe tannin, and a great, great finish. Don’t miss it and hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDPowerful aromas of dark fruit with rust and crushed stones. Oyster shell, too. Very aromatic. Full-bodied, layered and powerful. Lots of toasted oak, but tight and focused. Needs time to come together. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is another stellar wine in this range from Realm. Like the To Kalon, it has aged quite well, although it is just a touch forward. Dark red/purplish fruit, blood orange, pomegranate and sweet spice fill out the layers. This is such a gorgeous and alluring wine. Drink it over the next handful of years.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Another perfect wine is the 2016 Thorevilos, and my notes on this beauty were laced with expletives. Full-bodied, mammoth-sized aromas and flavors of cassis, crushed flowers, dark chocolate, rare meat, and Asia spices all emerge from the glass. With incredible mid-palate depth, building tannins, and a seamless texture, it has flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and that rare mix of power and elegance. It’s already hard to resist yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDPhenomenal aromas of blackberries, fresh lavender, orange peel and hints of asphalt. Walnut shell, too. Full-bodied, firm and super structured with wonderful, chewy tannins and purity of fruit at the end. A joy to taste, even drink now, but needs time to come around. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2016 Thorevilos has developed into a very sexy, racy wine. I don’t remember a young Thorevilos being this approachable. Rose petal, mint, sage, dried flowers and mint are some of the many notes that open up with a bit of time in the glass. This is such a gorgeous and totally compelling wine. In a word: superb.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis vineyard lies east of the St Helena AVA, but it isn’t high enough in elevation to be considered part of the Howell Mountain AVA. Don’t let the Napa Valley AVA fool you—this vineyard, now rechristened as Ecotone, is a top site, with lots of rock and white soils derived from volcanic ash. The 2016 Thorevilos Proprietary Red features scents of pine needles and rosemary accenting mixed berries and cassis, plus darker notions of chocolate and French roast. Full-bodied, rich and velvety in texture, it finishes long, smooth and savory, adding notes of black olives and earth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPA stunner, with a seriously deep, dark core of warmed blackberry, black currant and fig paste flavors coursing along, laced with bay leaf, cassis bush, roasted alder, smoldering charcoal, cast iron and stone notes. The tarry structure will carry this through what should be a very slow evolution. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2040. 317 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 40% new oak, the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is deep purple-black in color and quite reticent at this youthful stage to begin, offering up subtle notions of potpourri, Indian spices, cigar box and iron ore over a core of crushed blackberries and black cherries with intermittent wafts of black and red currants, new leather and smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a densely packed mid-palate and oodles of freshness framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and laced with compelling earthy accents. It offers incredible vibrancy with tons of black and red fruit sparkle in the mid-palate leading to a provocative mineral element on the very long finish. If I could give more than 100 for this one, I would. To be released in May 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother possible legend in the making is the 2016 Dominus, a classic blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc brought up in 40% new French oak. Pure, pristine notes of charcoal, cold fireplace, smoke tobacco, and both blue and black fruits all flow to a full-bodied 2016 that has incredible elegance and finesse, yet also depth and density. It’s more backward and reserved than the 2015 and needs 4-5 years of cellaring. It will unquestionably live for 25-30 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe opulence of fresh flowers and dark fruit is so impressive. There’s so much going on, from flowers to currants. The palate is full and powerful, but what impresses most are the ripe tannins and the amazing poise at the finish. Tightens down at the end. A blend of 84 per cent cabernet sauvignon, eight per cent petit verdot and eight per cent cabernet franc. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2016 Dominus is a dark, somber wine. I don’t quite see the explosive energy of the 2013 or 2010, not the seductiveness of the 2012, but the 2016 has a distinct charm that is all its own. Quite frankly, I can’t remember a young Dominus with this combination of fruit density, freshness and polished tannins. A huge center of fruit emerge with time in the glass in a big, large-scaled Dominus that should provide readers with a long drinking window of pure pleasure once some of the baby fat wears off.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis marries a range of old-school savory, tobacco, chestnut and bay leaf notes with a dense and muscular core of dark currant and blackberry fruit, all backed by a loam-swaddled finish. Long and dense, but defined, with the fruit steadily emerging to win out in the end. Patience is required. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2040. 5,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

One-hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 75% new French oak, the 2016 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color and offers up exuberant notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, violets and unsmoked cigars with touches of garrigue, fragrant earth, powdered cinnamon, black olives and tree bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and minerally. 950 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe flagship 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee takes things up to whole other level and is a thrill a minute. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Mole Hill, Vine Hill Ranch, and Heimark vineyards that spent 20 months in 75% new oak, it sports a deep purple color as well as a spectacular bouquet of crème de cassis, black raspberries, graphite, and spicy oak. Possessing incredible purity, full-bodied richness, building structure, and a big finish, it’s a quintessential, age-worthy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I suspect will require more than a decade to hit prime time and will keep for 3+ decades. Bravo!Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDLail’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon John Daniel Cuvée is absolutely fabulous. Dark, powerful and brooding, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon John Daniel Cuvée offers superb intensity and richness in all of its dimensions. Black cherry, plum, graphite, smoke, licorice and dark spice add to an impression of gravitas and pure, brooding power. Game, smoke, tobacco, grilled herbs, gravel and scorched earth undertones add the closing shades of nuance. Vineyard sources are Heimark, Vine Hill Ranch and Mole Hill.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGLove the green olives, blackberries and sweet tobacco. Hints of walnuts and wet earth. Full-bodied yet reserved and very tight with beautiful richness and focus. Dense and exciting. A blend of Oakville and Howell Mountain. Great Napa cab. Try after 2022.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is very solid, with a core of steeped currant and blackberry fruit that weaves into licorice, dark tobacco and loam notes. The finish shows light polish, letting the fruit and earth elements take center stage together. Drink now through 2028. 955 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard was aged for 19 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of redcurrant jelly, Black Forest cake, blackcurrant pastilles and rose oil with suggestions of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and tilled soil plus a waft of fragrant earth. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated with firm, exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, it delivers an incredible mineral and perfumed red fruit firework display finish. Fans of Dr. Crane are going to LOVE this expression, masterfully crafted by Russell Bevan—an absolute must-try!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPI always seem to compare great wines from this site with Haut-Brion, and I think the comparison holds here, although it’s a Haut-Brion on steroids! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard reveals a dense purple color as well as a powerful nose of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, earth, coffee beans, and gravelly earth. All of these carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied and has a deep, layered mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. Hats off to the talented Russell Bevans for another brilliant, singular wine that’s going to keep for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is sensual, silky and nuanced, as wines from this site tend to be. Floral overtones and generous red/purplish fruit all run through this wonderfully open-knit Cabernet. If I were going to drink any of the Bevan 2018s on the young side, I would start here, with the fabulous Dr. Crane.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Aged 48 months in new barrels, never racked, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time is another singular beauty that tops out my scale. Showing a touch more classy oak as well as complex cassis, crème brûlée, new leather, and sweet tobacco, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, seamless, sexy mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Despite its four years in barrel, it hasn’t lost any sense of freshness and has vibrancy, purity, and structure. It too will evolve for 20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Deep Time explodes with savory/meaty notes over a core of plum preserves and cassis with hints of tar, black olives, blackberries, and smoked meats. The full-bodied palate is rich and bright, with amazing tension, minerals, and black fruits, finishing long. There’s loads of tertiary goodness here!The Wine Independent | 99 TWIThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time is a selection of barrels from all three single vineyards, held back for extended maturation. This year, the wine aged in wood for 48 months. Marked by typical cigar box aromas, it also delivers plenty of cherries, vanilla and a hint of cassis. It’s full-bodied, rich and undeniably woody, yet still retains ample freshness and length. It reminds me a bit of some Riojas, for its wood presence and elegance, but with more power and fruit weight, like some of Chris RIngland’s long-aged releases of Barossa Shiraz. Idiosyncratic but delicious, it’s another top-class effort from proprietor Jayson Woodbridge.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is the crown jewel in this year’s collection of Bevan releases. Hints of green coffee bean and sage accent hugely ripe flavors of black cherries and cassis on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is impossibly plush, wonderfully supple and richly textured, leading into a decadently long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon prances out with flamboyant notions of creme de cassis, blueberry compote, and dark chocolate leading to hints of violets, crushed rocks, charcoal, and fragrant soil. The full-bodied palate is so gracefully knit together, with super fine-grained, beautifully ripe tannins and electric tension supporting the vibrant black and blue fruit layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note.The Wine Independent | 99 TWIThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard offers lots of classic Cabernet herbalness and pyrazines in its profile. Blackcurrants, green tobacco, chocolate, cedar pencil, and sappy flower notes give way to a full-bodied, seamless beauty with terrific tannins, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. There’s certainly a greener edge to it, but it handles it nicely, and it will be interesting to see how this evolves.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAlluring, vivid herbal aromas are tinged with brown baking spices, red berry fruit and new wood cedar. This Cabernet is remarkably plush, with soft, warming flavours of cherry cobbler and overripe plums that turns to blueberry and black cherry. Chocolate hints emerge with tobacco and vanilla. The tannins are so long and seamlessly integrated as if they’re non-existent. This will impress over the long haul.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is silky, precise and nuanced, yet it has all the richness Bevan fans have come to expect. Silky tannins and expressive floral notes seem to coax unreal finesse from the red/purplish berry fruit. All the Dr. Crane characteristics come through in this vivid, arrestingly beautiful Cabernet from Bevan. Best of all, the Dr. Crane is one of the more immediate Cabernets in this lineup.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 4.0% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs of lot of swirling to unlock the most gorgeous perfume of bright black and red cherries, fresh blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of roses, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Medium-bodied, elegant and tightly wound, the palate shimmers with SO MUCH energy, featuring layer upon layer of floral, savory and crunchy black fruit notes, finishing long and minerally. This is a remarkably poised, seemingly effortless beauty that cannot fail to make your jaw drop. Forget it in the cellar for a good 3-5 years, at least, to allow all those nuances to fully emerge and then savor it over the next 30 years+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThis biodynamically produced (certified from the 2020 vintage) red offers vividly bright aromas of ripe strawberry, sagebrush, coriander cream and cedar. Silken waves of red berry fruit, leather, brown spices and featherweight fine-grained tannins glide to a long finish punctuated by deep saline mineral notes. The epitome of elegance and beauty supported by such a firm backbone of juicy acidity as to age beautifully over time. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is another incredible wine from this reference point estate in the Valley. Based on 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5 % Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that was raised in 65% new French oak, it has that classic Spottswoode refinement and elegance as well as medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, tobacco, sandalwood, and flowers. I don’t think this hits the heights of the 2013 or 2016, but it shines for its flawless balance, remarkable purity, and great finish. It’s going to have 30 years of prime drinking. There were 4,184 cases produced, and readers will love to have this in their cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA bright, effusive wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is all finesse. Bright aromatics, vibrant red berry fruit and mid-weight structure give the 2019 its charming, sensual personality. I am surprised to see how open the 2019 is at this stage. I imagine it might close down a bit post-bottling, but the 2019 has superb balance to go with a real feeling of openness, at least today. Red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and sweet spice shape the inviting finish.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGRipe blackberries, blackcurrants, cocoa powder, dried thyme and walnut husk on the nose. It’s full-bodied, chewy and compact with firm tannins and a broad, muscular palate. Structured, polished and well balanced. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JSNot shy, this throws a pretty lush and gorgeous wave of warmed cassis and mulberry puree at you, carried by very polished tannins as violet, red licorice and sweet tobacco hints fill in behind. Shows good energy through the finish, too, with a subtle mineral hint to keep everything honest. Lovely. Drink now through 2037. 4,184 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Firmly structured, age-worthy and so focused and deep in black fruit, this is an especially impressive wine from a highly rated year. Aromas of mint, cedar, star anise, charcoal and graphite, then blackberries, dark spices, blueberries and toast. Massive but fine-grained tannins that carry the intensity through to a lingering finish. Full bodied. Best after 2030.James Suckling | 100 JSDarker currants, smoked tobacco, crushed stone, and graphite notes all give the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon a Latour-like stature and regalness, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. One of the more inward and structured examples of this cuvée that I can remember, it’s nevertheless flawlessly balanced, has everything in the right place, and is just a magical Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon that every reader would love to have in their cellar. It should have half a century of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDTasted as the final blend, which was scheduled to be bottled in December 2023, Bryant’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon combines mint, sage, crushed stone, pencil shavings, cherries and cassis on the nose. Is it perhaps just a bit more complex than the Bettina? It’s certainly just as powerful and concentrated, being full-bodied and richly tannic but ripe, silky and almost never-ending on the finish. Personal preference will play heavily into which of the two wines you enjoy more, but both are packed with pleasure.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. Vibrant and dynamic in the glass, it captures all the energy of this great Pritchard Hill site. Graphite, pencil shavings, plum, leather, spice and lavender race across the palate. Its build is vertical and explosive, in classic Bryant style. All this needs is time in bottle. The 2021 is seriously impressive.Vinous Media | 97 VM