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Aged in 50% new and 50% second-use American Oak from the Duncan family’s The Oak cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. Matt Duncan joined me for my tasting, and he says the Petit Verdot in the blend, of which there is 0.4%, is co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon, intended to bring focus to the Cabernet fruit. A compelling, brooding, muscular rendition of Cabernet from Alexander Valley with gorgeous boysenberry notes, black currants, and rose petals laced with vanillin notes and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied with black currants, ripe blackberry and black cherry notes framed by velvety tannins laced with that irresistible vanillin note. Toasty oak spices lend a hint of sweetness, balanced by grippy acidity. Long and complex, revealing umami, garrigue, and crushed slatestone on the finish. It’s a terrific wine from the Alexander Valley.Decanter | 95 DEC

Lastly, the 2019 Promontory matches the perfect 2016 from this estate and is legendary stuff. Ripe black fruits, chocolatey, lead pencil shaving, roasted herbs, and tobacco are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, concentrated mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. It doesn’t get any better. This has the class of a First Growth from Bordeaux paired with a Napa sense of texture and fruit. It will evolve for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 Promontory has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed at the moment, needing a little swirling to reveal notes of crushed rocks, garrigue, iron ore, and lavender, leading to a core of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh blackcurrants, with a hint of mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so tightly wound, delivering multi-layered black and red berries with mineral and earthy sparks, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIPurple-fruit, dark-licorice and conifer aromas follow through to a medium to full body with firmness and a linear flow that goes on for minutes. Racy tannins and focus. Give this until at least 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2019 Promontory is just as impressive as it always has been. Vertical in structure, with tremendous depth, the 2019 possesses notable textural intensity and tons of volume. Black cherry, plum, licorice, mocha, new leather and espresso are all amplified. Time has softened some of the Promontory edges. The 2019 is still very young, but it has come together very nicely.Vinous Media | 98+ VMThe 2019 Promontory offers up slightly darker cherries than the red-fruited 2018, couched in a bed of foresty-minty notes and underpinned by crushed stone. At this stage, it looks more intense but otherwise similar to the excellent 2018, finishing long, silky and elegant, with mouthwatering freshness. Collectors should enjoy comparing the two years for decades to come.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, heady wine. Even though it was just bottled, the 2019 possesses remarkable textural intensity. A whole range of floral and savory notes open as this statuesque Cabernet shows off its personality. This is an especially rich, bombastic Cabernet from Ric Forman. That is especially evident when tasted next to the 2018.Vinous Media | 97 VMSimilarly hued, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley offers a classic, old school Napa Cabernet nose of darker currants, green tobacco, spring flowers, camphor, and new leather. As with the 2018, it plays in a more medium to full-bodied, elegant style, has ripe yet certainly present tannins, and a great finish. The 2019 is more accessible and open than the 2018 and should continue drinking brilliantly for another two decades if stored correctly.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JD

There are only 365 cases of Gandona’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which comes from the property’s terraced parcels. Richer and more concentrated than the Encosta bottling, there’s a bit tighter weave to the wine’s fabric and more room for aging, as well as richly concentrated notes of cassis, dark chocolate and earth. Long, tannic and intense, this should evolve nicely for 20 years or so.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Gandona has wonderful elegance and purity, and the tannin quality is a big step up over the Encosta. Black fruits, graphite, some floral notes, and background oak all make an appearance, and it’s full-bodied, has beautiful purity, silky tannins, and just loads of character. Drink it over the coming 15-20 years, although I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see it evolve longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon continues to show brilliantly. (I rated it 97-100 from barrel last year.) It has a quintessential Cabernet nose of pure crème de cassis, crushed stone, lead pencil, graphite, and tobacco that gains depth and richness with time in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, rich, and incredibly textured, yet still fresh, light on its feet, and beautifully balanced, this gorgeous Cabernet shows what’s possible with the variety from Paso Robles.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle, brown sugar and coffee to begin, opening with time to very pure cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, garrigue and aniseed. The palate is supple and fresh with surprisingly restrained, mineral-laced fruits and a fan of spicy accents across the long finish. This ultra sleek, elegant Cabernet evolves continually in the glass and has the harmonious structure it needs to go the distance in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA benchmark California Cabernet Sauvignon which showcases the strength and tenacity of this revered grape. On the nose, a juxtaposition of expressive, bright fruit plus a grounded earthiness. The delicacy yet force of this wine creates a most pleasant tension that you seek to reconcile with each sip. Flavours of blackberry, bramble and dark chocolate sit side by side with floral and sweet cedar notes. Tannins display laser-sharp integration. A wine with thoughtful, intentional power.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony lifts from the glass with a classic bouquet of black currant, lifting hints of rosemary, graphite and dusty sage. It’s silky, nearly creamy in feel, with depths of ripe dark red fruit and sweet spice that swirl throughout. A web of fine-grained tannins engulfs the palate. While powerful and structured, the impact is well-measured, leaving the senses clenched in youthful poise as pretty inner florals slowly fade. What a beauty, and with such an amazingly bright future.Vinous Media | 97 VMOpaque in color, the wine opens with intense yet elegant aromas of cassis, toasted espresso and roasted walnut paste. Polished tannins frame the rich sip, loaded with scorched earth, dark cassis and purple-flower flavors, proving very dry yet luxurious, with a lingering finish.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDeep, rich and plush on the nose showing cassis, blackberries with hints of dark olives, fennel, dark chocolate, cigar box and elderberry characters. Full-bodied and fleshy on the palate with an abundance of tannins, which are extremely fine-grained. Restrainedly opulent, deep, structured and long. Still a hint of white sesame character from the barrels, but will integrate in a year or two. Drinkable but better after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS

This is a winemaker’s master class in blending and understanding of a long-standing site. Dried herb, cedar and pencil shavings accent lifted red fruit and brilliant acidity on the palate, with a supple yet still youthfully grippy texture that is framed by structured, graceful tannins. Enjoy from 2029–2039.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WESo much earth and spice with walnut and wet earth. Like fog laying over the valley in the morning. Black fruit. Medium-to full-bodied with super-fine tannins that are long and persistent, with graceful progression and length on the palate. So long, with real definition. September 2022 release. From biodynamically grown grapes. Hard not to drink now, but will age wonderfully.James Suckling | 99 JSI was blown away by the 2019 Red Blend from Quintessa, which is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère, this full-bodied beauty has a perfectly balanced, seamless, yet expansive and classic 2019 style as well as gorgeous aromatics of cassis, flowers, chalky minerality, and integrated oak. It’s hard to resist already, but I have no doubt this will evolve for 20 years if stored properly.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDark chocolate, violets and blackcurrants on the nose. Sticky, sweet, full, plush and ripe, fruit is dark - blackcurrant, black cherry and plum with lots of sweet liquorice and some earthy notes that give it a savoury touch. A bold and powerful style, you can feel the alcohol a bit and the wood still but there is good vibrancy and energy with a chiselled frame and generous freshness. Still extremely youthful with the structure fully on show, still settling and finding its refinement. 2% Carménère completes the blend. Ageing 22 months in French oak (60% new). Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Proprietary Red Wine is more open and effusive than the 2018 version, with gentle floral nuances set against a backdrop of black cherries and cassis, joined by subtle notes of tobacco, cedar and vanilla. In the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied, streamlined, silky and lush, nicely balanced and elegant, with a long, softly dusty finish tinged with licorice and caramel. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Quintessa is one of the best wines I have tasted here in some time. Broad swaths of tannin wrap around a core intense dark plum, mocha, licorice and spice. The 2019 clearly needs a few years in bottle to come together. Quintessa is a large, sprawling property with many different exposures. My feeling is that it may not ultimately be suited to making a single large production flagship wine, but that perhaps a series of smaller production wines might showcase the site better.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGSports a very forward set of cassis and creamed plum notes before giving way to a firmer, more authoritative iron, warm earth and singed alder profile. Grippy and dense through the finish, but there’s cut and drive, with a savory edge adding good energy. This just needs some time for the mineral side to settle in with the fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Best from 2024 through 2034. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon State Ranch comes from a parcel in the center of the valley, but it’s one that is relatively rocky and well drained, according to winemaker Joe Harden. Apparently, the vineyard is now owned by Thomas Keller. Delicate hints of sage and mint accent black cherries and blueberries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is defined by softly dusty tannins and ample, mouthwatering length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPI loved the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon State Ranch. This Yountville beauty has a great nose of pure cassis and blackcurrant fruits as well textbook Cabernet notes of lead pencil shavings, chalky mineral, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, it has fine tannins and the class to evolve for 15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDStewed blackcurrants, cassis, smoked meat, toffee and walnuts on the nose. Full-bodied with fine, sleek tannins and fresh acidity. Succulent and polished with a juicy, flavorful finish. Drink from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JSThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon State Ranch offers good upfront intensity, but it is ultimately just a bit lean. There is good energy though. Dark cherry, tobacco, licorice, leather and dried herbs build with a bit of time, and yet the 2019 remains a touch nervous and compact. Perhaps it will flesh out more with some time.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGA sleek, refined style, with ample density to the core of cassis, plum and dark cherry compote notes but without overt muscle or heft, picking up light cedar, alder and savory accents along the way. Shows a subtle iron twinge at the very end. Best from 2023 through 2035. 5,300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is a soft, herbal and pillowy wine, 100% varietal and made from one of the cooler climates found in the valley. Ethereal and earthy, it shows secondary characteristics of sage, rock and cedar, never losing its full-bodied plushness along the way.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Gorgeous blackberry and currant aromas with hints of herbs. Wonderfully varietal character. Full-bodied with tannins that frame the wine so nicely and create a long, lightly chewy finish. Fantastic wine. Available in October. Drinkable now, but give it three to four years.James Suckling | 98 JSDeep, dark and alluring nose of black fruit, rich cedar and cigar box. Well-built, beautiful and balanced, with deeply concentrated, yet fresh and ripe flavours of blackberry, cassis and fleshy plum, unspooling with lifted acidity, tobacco, wet slate, river stones, dark chocolate and an endless finish. A delicious wine that is framed by very fine and elegant tannins, almost powdery. Finishes with energy and freshness. A joy to drink. Biodynamic. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2040Decanter | 98 DECDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to unlock notions of blackcurrant pastilles, warm black plums and mulberries, plus hints of black olives, tilled soil, mossy tree bark and violets with emerging baker’s chocolate and star anise hints. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and with impeccable poise, it has beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing epically long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPIncluding 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a hidden gem. While the Maya gets all the attention, the classic Cabernet Sauvignon from this team is insanely good, year-in, year-out. The 2019 sports a dense purple color as well as quintessential Cabernet notes of cassis, black raspberries, flowers, toasted spices, and tobacco leaf. The purity of fruit is incredible, it’s full-bodied, has silky tannins, and flawless balance. It has 30 years of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is dazzling. What a wine! Ample and creamy, the 2019 possesses striking resonance to match its elegant, refined personality. A healthy dollop of Franc adds freshness to a core of dark red cherry, red plum, mocha, spice and new leather flavors. There is a level purity here that is just remarkable. This is the first vintage that includes a small portion of wine aged in amphora. I especially admire the aromatic presence and vibrancy in the 2019.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis is very tightly packed, with cassis, bitter plum and loganberry notes compressed along with anise, apple wood, warm humus and sweet tobacco. The earth note echoes nicely through the finish, too. More like an ’18 in profile, with a youthfully backward persona. Cellaring this will yield rewards. Best from 2024 through 2040. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Crushed stone, berry and lead pencil. Flintlock and iodine, too. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with incredible depth and intensity. Sculpted and intense. Incredible. Silky and tight tannins. Great finish. Reminds me of the 1978 La Chapelle. This needs three or four years to come together.James Suckling | 100 JSLastly, Colgin only makes a tiny amount of Syrah, but it’s consistently one of the greatest expressions of the variety in California, as well as the world. Their 2019 Syrah delivers the goods and brings a Côte Rôtie-like opulence and elegance as well as full-bodied aromas and flavors of blueberries, violets, smoke game, bouquet garni, and spring flowers. Pure, seamless, and perfectly balanced, you can safely put this up with anything out there. Enjoy bottles over the coming 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDSporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2019 IX Syrah Estate hops up and down with its showy, flamboyant scents of chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and preserved plums, before bursting into a gorgeous perfume of bouquet garni, candied violets, tar and roses, followed by unsmoked cigars with a waft of Sichuan pepper. The generous, full-bodied palate offers beautifully rounded, pebble-like tannins with invigorating freshness and so many fragrant layers that linger with edifying persistence. An absolute diva of a wine!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2019 Syrah IX Estate is deep, plush and super-expressive. The Colgin Syrah is so unique, as it is much a wine of place as it is a varietal Syrah. Huge fruit and captivating aromatics make a strong opening statement. All the elements simply fall into place. In 2019, the Syrah is simply exceptional. All that said, readers need to cellar the 2019 for at least a few years, as today the fruit remains very front and center, and true Syrah notes have not yet started to emerge.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGPotent and polished, with deeply structured blueberry, smoked meat, licorice and fruitcake spice flavors that gather richness and tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. To be released November 2022. Drink now through 2032. 400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A bigger, richer, more structured wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate Vineyard has brilliant black fruits, tobacco, iron, and subtle smoke-like nuances in a full-bodied, concentrated, layered package. This is pure Mountain Cabernet genius, and while it’s far from unapproachable today, it will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age. It’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and should be snatched up by readers.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDFrom vines planted only in 2015, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate is a stunning success. It’s wonderfully perfumed, with floral-herbal notes reminiscent of violets and sage accenting cassis and black raspberry-chocolate chip ice cream, yet without any trace of actual sweetness. Full-bodied and concentrated, it’s nevertheless fresh and vibrant, with a long finish framed by softly dusty tannins. Wow!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate Vineyard shows tremendous dimension. Layers of fruit saturate the palate, rendering the potent Veeder tannins barely perceptible. Orange peel, spice, rose petal and dried flowers lend an exotic flair. A Cabernet of resonance and pedigree, the 2019 is substantial in every way.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

I was blown away by the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon DVO, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc made as a collaboration between the team at Dalla Valle and Ornellaia. Remarkable notes of red and black currants, spring flowers, lead pencil, loamy earth, and classy oak all emerge from this young yet amazingly balanced, seamless Cabernet. Full-bodied on the palate and perfectly balanced, with silky tannins, it will probably be as good as it gets with 7-8 years of bottle age and is a magical Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that will evolve for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThis has a tightly layered core of cassis, mulberry and damson plum, while notes of warm earth and a bright iron spine drive underneath. Features a floral flash in the background, as the fruit and iron notes coalesce seamlessly on the finish. Steady as a rock. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. 550 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Realm took over the management of Farella vineyard in 2018. Since then, winemaker Benoit Touquette explained their focus has been to open out the canopy, creating better exposure for the fruit, aiming to achieve riper tannins.A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color and a powerful, expressive nose of baked plums, juicy blackberries and blackcurrant pastilles, plus touches of black olives, lavender and cinnamon stick, with a waft of fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate is seriously dense and muscular, featuring a rock-solid foundation of super ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length and energy. A spectacular showing for Farella!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard is tremendous. Winemaker Benoit Touquette has captured all of the savory and mineral nuances that are such a signature of this Coombsville site balanced with ripe, radiant expression of fruit. Red plum, rose petal, cinnamon and blood orange are all laced together in a Cabernet of real distinction. This is the first vintage that incorporates a touch (8%) of Merlot, which helps soften some of the youthful angularity Farella Cabernets often showAntonio Galloni | 97 AGThe first time this cuvée includes Merlot, the 2019 Farella is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot and comes from a cooler site in the Coombsville appellation. Textbook Cabernet, with lots of dark fruits, lead pencil, violets, and cedary tobacco notes, it has firmer tannins, full-bodied richness, and a concentrated, age-worthy style. In short, it’s a classic, brilliant Coombsville Cabernet to hide for 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDLots of lead-pencil and blackcurrant aromas. Apricots, too. Medium-bodied with cashmere tannins that are so fine and fresh. Layered. 92% cabernet sauvignon and 8% merlot. Drink after 2025.James Suckling | 95 JS

Throws off some pretty gorgeous aromas of violet, anise and sweet bay leaf, with a core of ripe, streamlined boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors following closely. The finish has a racy graphite edge, while the fruit and aromas just spill through. Approachable now, too. Drink now through 2034. 13,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSAromas of lead pencil, redcurrant, gravel, blackberry and sage. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Lovely depth and complexity here, with a wash of black fruit. Powerful, without being overdone. Delicious. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JS

More expressive and open-knit, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard sports a similar ruby/purple to go with an incredible array of black raspberry, cassis, flowery incense, orange blossom, smoked tobacco, and exotic spice. As are all To Kolans, it’s incredibly perfumed and complex aromatically, and it’s one of those wines that changes every time you come back to the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it offers beautiful richness and depth, a light, graceful mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a heavenly finish. It’s another magical wine from this talented winemaker that readers will absolutely love.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDBlackcurrants, black cherries, ripe raspberries and tar. Some graphite, too. It’s full-bodied and very plush with crushed tannins and an airy mouth-feel. Just floats across the palate. So fine. It has a second finish at the end, where the tannins emerge at the front of the palate. Quite unique. Drinkable now, but better after 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSA glowing representation of Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet with a classic nose of blackcurrant, graphite and new cedar oak. Full-bodied and richly layered with immensely concentrated black fruit flavours that are pure silk on the palate. Satiny, ultra-fine tannins make this almost too easy to drink, while decadent melted chocolate notes merge with baking spices to complete this scrumptious wine. As it opens, the wine begins to reveal a mineral elegance that is iron-like, along with pretty red florals and finishing with crème de cassis and herbs. A real collector wine. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is fabulous. Deep and vertical, the 2019 possesses tremendous richness and pure power. A seamless, layered wine, the To Kalon is seriously impressive today, but it also needs time to be at its most expressive. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice and cloves build as the 2019 gradually shows off its pedigree and potential.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGHobbs’s first vintage of this wine was in 1999, so it has a relatively long track record. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard features aromas of mint, cassis and plum on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied and opulent yet densely packed. Where this wine really shines is the finish, which is long and softly dusty in feel, while adding complex notes of licorice, mocha and baking spices. 494 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPShows menthol, sweet bay leaf, violet and tobacco notes, which set the stage for a core of winey cassis and crushed plum fruit. Ample structure courses underneath, with a tilt to loamy in feel through the deep, broad finish. Reveals a late flash of iron, too. A serious version. Best from 2023 through 2040. 494 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

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 2019 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard offers a more exotic, iodine, marine-like style as well as beautiful ripe cherry and redcurrant fruits to go with plenty of briny, mineral, and chalky nuances. This is a wine for those who prize minerality over fruit, and it’s medium-bodied, with a focused, pure texture, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. I think it will show even better in a few years and keep for a good decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDA light shade in the glass, this single-vineyard expression offers snappy aromas of currant alongside earthy hints of dusty rocks, dried herbs and cracked pepper. The structure is taut on the palate, where cranberry and green-peppercorn flavors are fresh and invigorating.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2019 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard opens with beguiling aromatics. Spicebox, blood orange, mint, orange peel and a dollop of whole cluster savoriness add nuance. Gracious and medium in body, the 2019 is all class. Interestingly, the Bien Nacido Pinot is quite a bit more reticent than the Chardonnay.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth, too, together with mushrooms, herbs, crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and refined finish. Blood orange at the end. Crunchy. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.James Suckling | 96 JSExuberantly fruity on the nose, the 2019 Napanook is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Despite seeing 40% new French oak, what shines on the nose are the ripe cherries, delicately brushed with wisps of tobacco, sage and bay leaf. It’s medium to full-bodied, supple and silky in feel on the palate, while the finish lingers easily, adding notes of pencil shavings and mocha. To get this sort of pedigree for less than $100 is a rarity in Napa these days, making it a notable value.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSolidly built and very direct, with a juicy, muscular core of cassis, plum and blackberry flavors lined with singed alder, menthol and sweet bay leaf. Maintains juicy energy through the toasty finish, with a late loamy echo keeping things grounded. A very well-proportioned wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 2,450 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard soars out of the glass with stunning bouquet. Pliant and racy, with tremendous complexity, the Carlisle is loaded with class. Red fruit, blood orange, chalk and mint, all open, but it is the wine's silkiness and textural finesse that elevates it in this range. Planted in 1927, Carlisle is unquestionably one of the great sites for Zinfandel in California. Production is all of 95 cases.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThe 2019 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard is floral and fragrant with cherry candy. The palate is tangy, fresh, and balanced.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDImpressively structured and richly styled, this vibrant version opens to deep raspberry and cherry flavors laced with licorice, sage and mint, building toward broad-shouldered tannins. Drink now through 2030. 696 cases made. Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Extremely aromatic with ripe cherry and berry aromas, as well as flowers and citrus. Medium to full body with fine, polished tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is really well done and one of the most balanced L’Aventures I have encountered. Syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2019 Optimus should be snatched up by savvy readers. Based on 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot, it just about jumps out of the glass with gorgeous cassis, floral, pepper, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. As seamless as they come, this full-bodied, elegant, pleasure-bent 2019 is going to evolve for a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLovely aromatic intensity, spicy and nuanced on the nose but incredibly well defined on the palate which is crisp and precise with flavours that glide across, so linear and straight. There’s a coolness to the fruit profile and a refreshing juiciness. Concentration and structure with good tannic grip - lots on offer here. A blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 14 months in 89% new French oak and 11% one-year-old French oak with malolactic fermentation in barrel. No fining or filtering. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 94 DECOpaque violet. Spice-tinged dark berry preserves, fruitcake, incense, toasty oak and vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Stains the palate with sappy black and blue fruit, exotic spice and floral pastille flavors, while a smoky mineral nuance adds firm back-end lift. Fleshy and deep but energetic as well, thanks to the core of juicy acidity. Finishes on a gently tannic note, displaying sharp focus and superb, dark-fruit-driven persistence. 89% new French oak.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe 2019 Optimus is a blend of 57% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot. It has a medium ruby-purple color and pure aromas of red and black berries with earthy, autumnal accents and a streak of spice. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with pretty floral perfume on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 2019 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine checks in as a 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from two different vineyards. The Cabernet Franc really stands out, and the wine has a complex, forest floor, herbal, bouquet garni-like character as well notes of woodsmoke, iron, and blue fruits. Full-bodied on the palate, it has some background chocolaty oak, a great mid-palate, and a heck of a finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2019 Red Wine EE Tench Vineyard is compelling. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc works so well here. A whole range of floral and savory notes give the 2019 its striking presence. Raspberry jam, blood orange, kirsch and spice add inner perfume and polish. The 2019 EE is such an alluring wine.Antonio Galloni | 94-97 AGA 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard features leafy, minty nuances and hints of tobacco set against a backdrop of redcurrants. Full-bodied and ripe but remarkably elegant, it finishes supple and long, with a delectable silky texture. It’s undeniably sexy, but I have to admit I didn’t pick up on the "hot chick-just-done-with-Pilates pheromone quality" that Bevan described.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

The 2019 Red Wine Sugarloaf Mountain, a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, is another standout in this range. Franc aromatics soar out of the glass, adding tremendous aromatic presence to the full-throttle fruit. The 2019 is one of the most polished wines I have ever tasted from Russell Bevan. Rose petal, mocha and dried herbs linger on the huge, persistent finish. (Drink between 2024-2034)Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe 2019 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine checks in as a 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from two different vineyards. The Cabernet Franc really stands out, and the wine has a complex, forest floor, herbal, bouquet garni-like character as well notes of woodsmoke, iron, and blue fruits. Full-bodied on the palate, it has some background chocolaty oak, a great mid-palate, and a heck of a finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, Bevan’s 2019 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain is slightly tea-like and herbal, with those notes overlaid on black cherries and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and silky in texture, it finishes long, with echoes of toasty oak. The vineyard, originally developed by William Hill, is located in the southern Napa hills overlooking San Pablo Bay.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Mae Estate is brand new cuvée from Tyler. "This place came on the market in 2014," explains winemaker Justin Tyler Willett. "We had contemplated buying a place, so we will break ground here in 2022 on a new winery." Located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation on marine sediment soils, the Mae Estate will become the new home for Tyler wines. Pale ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Mae Estate takes some time to shake off its flinty notes in lieu of dried flowers, bitters, tobacco and dark spices. The palate is powerful and broody with loads of grainy tannins and earthy nuances lingering on the finish. Give it another 2-3 years in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2019 Pinot Noir Mae Estate Vineyard is the first wine from Justin Willett’s new estate vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. A powerful wine, the 2019 packs a serious punch. Dark cherry, spice, leather, plum and grilled herbs are front and center. I am surprised to see just how intense and packed the 2019 is. There is a bit of reduction along with a strong stem character, both of which should integrate with time. I would give the 2019 a few years in bottle.Antonio Galloni | 93 AG

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Ceniza Vineyard comes from the cooler Coombsville region and offers a deep purple color as well as thrilling notes of ripe blueberries, black cherries, dark tobacco, and earth. It has wonderful purity on the palate and is medium to full-bodied, has ripe tannins, awesome overall balance, and one great finish. This seriously good juice will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and should have two decades of overall longevity, if not more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JD