Small Run Limited Production

wines

A juicy and powerful red with blackberries, dried strawberries, walnuts and spice undertone. Full-bodied and chewy with layers of tannins and a flavorful finish. Hints of bark and spice. Needs time to soften, but impressive. Drink after 2025, but already beautiful.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard is fabulous. A wine of depth and intensity, the 2019 is seriously impressive. Dark cherry, plum, lavender, spice and dried herbs are all amplified in this decidedly potent, layered Pinot Noir. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2019, as it is quite the powerhouse. It’s one of the most complete wines in the range of 2019s.Vinous Media | 94+ VMJuicy and youthfully compact, with a core of black cherry and mulberry fruit wrapped in licorice root, singed balsam wood and black tea. A long underlying chalky mineral edge extends the finish. Let this unfurl in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2032. 1,175 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThis is a slightly more familiar style of Pinot Noir from this veteran producer of often rugged mountain wines, starting with fresh red-cherry, hibiscus and tar aromas. The palate picks up black tea, ripe boysenberry, dried herb and warm oak on the finish. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

A medium-bodied red with very poised and fine fleshy texture, with strawberries, orange peel and hints of hazelnut. Fruit tea. Juicy, long and flavorful, yet always reserved and focused. Refined and polished. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2019 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard is all class. Floral and bright, with terrific nuance, the Jensen is so impressive. Vibrant acids lift a core of sweet red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, cedar, cinnamon and blood orange. This is another Pinot in this range that is so harmonious right out of the gate. There’s real dimension and complexity here.Vinous Media | 94 VMRugged cherry aromas meet with earth herbs, star anise and gamy charcuterie on the nose of this bottling, which was grown in true limestone at 2,200 feet. That rugged character rolls through the palate, featuring wild plums, salted meat, bay leaf and wood oil, with enough texture and acidity to last awhile. Drink now-2039.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery fresh, featuring raspberry, blood orange and mulberry fruit that’s well-defined and backed by mouthwatering acidity. Offers rose petal and savory notes along the way. A nice piercing minerality extends the finish. Best from 2023 through 2032. 720 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard is one of the more aromatic wines in this range. It is also incredibly tight at this stage. Crushed rocks, dried flowers, mint, earthiness white pepper and sweet red cherry are some of the many notes that grace this decidedly sinewy, taut Pinot. More exotic spice, blood orange and dried herb notes emerge over time. The 2019 needs a ton of air, as such it is an easy wine to underestimate.Vinous Media | 94 VMPlum, dried strawberry and rose stem aromas. Full-bodied, layered and savory with fine tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Juicy and bright. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSShowing lighter in the glass, this bottling from 1988 vines offers dark mulberry fruit on the complex nose alongside turned earth, juniper and toasty cappuccino notes. The gamy elements are well integrated on the palate, where coffee bean, roasted plum and bay leaf extend into a caramel-kissed finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WERedolent of blood and cloves, brown spices and sanguine tinges, this wine is fascinating if a bit unformed. The flavors are concentrated and the spice runs deep, surrounding its core, so, if you don’t cellar this, consider decanting it an hour before pouring with a dish with melded flavors, like lamb tagine. Wine & Spirits Magazine | 93 W&SWell-proportioned, with a juicy core of black cherry and mulberry fruit flanked by judicious toast. Sleek acidity drives the finish, where red tea and spice accents fill in. Built for cellaring. Drink now through 2030. 1,936 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSIntensely perfumed on the nose, rose petals, violets, deeply scented and seductive. Rich yet expansive on the palate, very open with dark chocolate, cherries, fragrant blackcurrant - sweet and scented, with satin-like tannins that effortlessly support the flavours. There is real drive and persistency to this, fresh, youthful and alive with a vibrant juiciness that is so appealing. No one element is too dominant, this feels harmonious and balanced with an excellent tangy acidity and long minty, herbal finish with edges of tobacco and dark chocolate. A classic Opus with breadth, finesse and energy. Grapes were harvested 10 days earlier than average, on 10th September with harvest lasting four weeks. 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec complete the blend. Ageing 19 months in new French oak. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2045Decanter | 98 DECThe 2019 Opus One is a dense, beautifully layered wine, but it is also quite restrained. That should serve it well in time. Tasted next to the 2018, the 2019 possesses a bit more textural nuance and body, yet it has all the classicism that is such an Opus One signature. Bright floral accents linger on the sublime finish.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGWinemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend."Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97-99 RPSimilarly ruby/purple-hued, the 2019 Opus One is cut from the same cloth as the 2018 yet has a touch more baby fat and opulence, at least as this stage. Beautiful black raspberry, cassis, toasted spice, lead pencil, and subtle oak all make an appearance, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a rounded, layered mouthfeel, impressive tannins, and a great finish. I don't think it has the same precision as the 2018, but it brings another level of hedonism. It's another beautiful wine from this team. The blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDElegantly styled, despite some serious heft, this offers a mix of alluring mulberry, griotte and cassis notes bearing a gently mulled edge, while flashes of apple wood, sweet bay leaf and red tea flicker along the edges. Very refined in feel, with seamless structure extending the finish so the fruit can linger. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2038. 27,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2019 Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of blueberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and warm cassis burst from the glass, leading to suggestions of Chinese five spice, dusty soil, sandalwood, and unsmoked cigars. The decadently concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black fruits and earthy nuances, framed by super-firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral sparks. This is a beauty!The Wine Independent | 99 TWIA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Proprietary Red is a monster of a wine that’s unquestionably up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Blackberries, truffle, earth, chocolate, iron, and even a hint of black olive defines the nose, and it’s full-bodied, deep, rich, and incredibly concentrated on the palate. It has lots of background oak but more than enough fruit, with a dense, layered mid-palate and velvety tannins. It’s one of those wines that brings an incredible amount of richness and depth yet somehow stays light on its feet and balanced. It needs to be forgotten for at least 2-4 years and should keep for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 Sloan is a silky, sensual beauty. Creamy and ample in the glass, with superb balance, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of dark fruit, spice, mocha, espresso and licorice. Cabernet inflections are quite present today. Then again, this plateau above Rutherford is one of the most special places in all of Napa Valley. The 2019 shuts down pretty quickly in the glass, which is probably a good sign for its prospects in the cellar. It’s another gorgeous wine from the team at Sloan headed by Winemaker Martha McClellan.Vinous Media | 97 VMSloan’s 2019 Proprietary Red is deep and rich, with scents of dark loam, woodsy notes, hints of cedar and vanilla, plus dark, plummy fruit. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, dense and decadently velvety but with a slight dried-fruit character. It’s awesome in that idiom but lacks the vibrancy and freshness of the valley’s absolute best wines. To this taster, it comes across as impressively complex, concentrated and long but also a bit heavy and warm on the finish. What foods would one pair this with?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP