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The 2005 Monte Bello is beginning to drink very well indeed, revealing complex aromas of sweet currant fruit, rich soil, cedar cigar box and sweet spices. With time in the glass, nuances of dark chocolate and loamy soil emerge too. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with fine-grained structuring tannins, the first signs of emerging savory nuance and a bright, beautifully focused finish. As it approaches age 13, the 2005 is still very youthful—indeed, this particular bottle was more reserved and taut than the last four or five that I’ve encountered—so there’s certainly no rush to drink it. Cropped at just under one ton per acre, the 2005 is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc that attained 13.4% natural alcohol.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPRugged in its youth, this vintage has blossomed. There are opulent blackcurrant and blackberry aromas, with a dash of vanilla. It’s suave and full-bodied but not extracted, and the fine-grained tannins and integrated acidity give a polished mid-palate. Spicy and complex, it displays impeccable balance and exemplary finesse. Very long.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECYouthful nose, with a very wide spectrum of red and black fruit, as well as delicate notes of cardamon pods and vanilla beans. For 18 years of age this still has a serious tannin structure and remarkable vitality on the compact palate. Very long, complete finish with plenty of chalky minerality. A cuvee of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot and 6% petit verdot. Tasted at the Thomas Kammeier Monte Bello vertical. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSRidge’s 2005 Monte Bello is beginning to show the first signs of aromatic development, although it has more than enough depth and density to drink well for another twenty years. Tobacco, cedar, leather, spice and menthol add considerable nuance. The tannins are nicely resolved, which makes the 2005 an excellent choice for current drinking. The 2005 is not a blockbuster, but it is super-polished and refined, with an almost exotic sense of ripeness from the warm, dry summer and low yields of that year.Vinous Media | 96 VMAt a good drinking stage, this is smooth-textured, with a mix of ripe, supple plum, black cherry, anise, dill and licorice notes, ending with fine-grained tannins that still have grip. This has a reputation for aging. -- 2005 California Cabernet blind retrospective (September 2015). Drink now through 2025. 2,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Silver Oak’s 2020 releases of Napa and Alexander Valley Cabernets are downright impressive. Tasted four years after the fires, in September of 2024 at the Alexander Valley winery, neither wine showed any sign of the hardened tannic structure or overwrought fruit often associated with the vintage. Instead, these wines remain true to Silver Oak’s signature style, with blackcurrant, fig, and plum fruits layered with white pepper, sweet cedar, and coriander spice. Medium-bodied, with sculpted tannins that persist through the lengthy finish, the Alexander Valley Cabernet in particular retains all the hallmarks of a balanced, inviting, and vibrant Silver Oak red.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

Another absolute legend from the 2021, the 2021 Proprietary Red is based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in plenty of new oak. It brings another level of density, purity, and regalness, with awesome blackcurrants, iron, roasted herbs, tobacco, and a Latour-like graphite character all defining the aromatics. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, it has a seamless mouthfeel, absolutely incredible tannin, ample mid-palate depth, and flawless overall balance. While it certainly offers pleasure today, it’s going to take a solid 8-10 years of bottle age for this to hit maturity, and it will be a 40- to 50-year wine. Hats off to the team at Sloan.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Sloan is every bit as impressive as it was last year. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2021 is a gorgeous, ynamic wine. Sumptuous dark red cherry, red plum, rose petal, new leather and cinnamon give this plush, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon tons of character. The 2021 was only bottled a few months ago, so it has room to grow. It is a seriously beautiful, rapturous wine.Vinous Media | 98+ VM

Simply put, Christian Moueix’s Napa Valley project Ulysses is a wine every collector of Napa Cabernet should have in their cellar. The 2021 release of the Oakville red is a knockout that is never too bombastic, entirely reserved even in its generosity, and one that will last a very long time. A dry winter and spring led to the second consecutive year of a drought that began in January 2020. Temperatures were warm and consistent and slightly above average. The vines produced smaller clusters of small berries with high phenolic compounds and tannin levels. 1,400 cases produced. Opaque purple-ruby to the rim. A wine showing all the best qualities you’d expect from a prime Oakville site. This is a beautifully balanced red, imbued with a tremendously fresh streak of acidity. The nose leads with prime, ripe, dark black fruits, cassis, violets, creme de menthe, and crushed slate.—medium to full-bodied with impressively fashioned tannins that are robust and build through the extravagantly long finish. Marked by ripe black cherry and spiced plum notes, the length is extended by zesty blood orange acidity. Fragrant with sage and thyme, nuanced by brighter cherry blossom freshness and mineral tension. Impressive depth and density with a core of pure, ripe, and juicy fruit. Exceptional. This was the last wine in a complete vertical tI tasted with Moueix and winemaker Tod Mostero in a tasting room tucked within the barn on the Ulysses Vineyard site. ’I’m thrilled,’ commented Moueix, ’There’s a real dignity to the wines.’ Moueix said that until this tasting, he hadn’t quite noticed the style signature but found it emerging, though cautioned, ’Even with our experience next door at Dominus, we are still figuring it out.’ For Mostero, ’Making these has been a discovery of place. With our mature vines, we’re just beginning to get a sense of the true resonance of the place. The 2021 typifies what we can expect. This arrow-like structure that is piercing, resonant, and strong.’Decanter Magazine | 99 DECThe reserved plushness comes out clearly with brightness, focus and very creamy tannins that give it muscle and tension. Juicy and flavorful but not overdone. Energetic and flexing but in a friendly way. Plums, milk chocolate, terra cotta and nutmeg. Almost all cabernet sauvignon with a touch of cabernet franc and petit verdot. Give it four or five years to soften. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a huge, dense wine. Copious dark fruit, menthol, licorice, plum, espresso and spice are amplified in a large-scale, ample Oakville Cabernet. The 2021 is very much a wine of power and structure. Sepia-toned notes lend darkness, while the oak imprint also appears to be quite present at this stage. Even so, the wine exudes balance but in a pretty extroverted style, especially compared to Dominus.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with around 5% Cabernet Franc in the blend, is opaque purple-black in color. It storms out of the glass with powerful scents of blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves, star anise, iris bulb, and dark chocolate plus suggestions of camphor, cedar chest, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a sold line of firm grainy tannins and bold freshness to frame the energetic black fruit layers, finishing long and fragrant. 1,400 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 96 TWIThere are 1,400 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, which offers up charming red-fruited notes of cherries and redcurrants, plus some loamy-earth scents. While it comes across a bit more angular and more coarsely textured than its sister wines Dominus or Napanook, it also seems a bit lighter in body despite also weighing in at 15% alcohol. It’s impressively complete and balanced overall, adding savory, mocha-tinged notes on the lingering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP