Type of Wines

wines

As I wrote last year from barrel, the 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle is a backward, primordial Hermitage built for the ages. Incredible crème de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, burning embers, and liquid violet-like aromas and flavors dominate the bouquet, and this beauty is full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful on the palate. With just hints of the smoky, meaty, beefy character that emerges from all aged examples of this cuvée, it has incredible tannins, perfect balance, and a monster of a finish. Don't think about touching bottles for at least 7-8 years, and it's going to keep for 50 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe beautifully proportioned 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle comes across as a complex, complete version of this renowned bottling, with no rough edges—just moderate spice, cassis, red berries and cedar on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, brimming with harmony and elegance on the palate, while the finish is long, echoing with cassis, charcoal and crushed stone. The tannins firm up a bit on the finish, so I suspect this will close down soon, then blossom sometime after 2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPSeems a little shy at the moment, but you can tell that this has serious poise and pedigree with subtle clove, crushed-brick, iron, black-cherry and plum-skin character. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and reserved with super refined tannins that are so fine-textured, yet intense. Give this three or four years to show its true self. From organically grown grapes. Better after 2023.James Suckling | 96 JSOpaque ruby. Displays powerful, highly perfumed aromas of black/blue fruit preserves, licorice, cola, baking spices and potpourri, along with an exotic suggestion of incense. Utterly stains the palate with intense blackberry, cherry, cassis, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that deliver a suave blend of weight and energy. Youthfully solid tannins add shape and grip to an extremely long, mineral- and floral-accented finish that shows outstanding clarity and dark fruit thrust.Vinous Media | 96 VMJust 15% new oak, but it is nonetheless quite noticeable (though should harmonise in time) with good rich, berry fruit underneath. Full-bodied, very in fact - real weight here. Alcohol feels somewhat out of balance, and the tannic weight is massive. Feels a touch over-extracted and heavy on the palate, it lacks the lightness of touch of the 2016. There is a good sense of textural finesse however, ending with firm, chewy, slightly drying tannins that will need a good decade to soften. Drinking Window 2030 - 2042.Decanter | 92 DEC

Not yet bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict is still resting in 20% new French oak. Coming from a great site on the southern side of the Sta. Rita Hills, it offers a rocking bouquet of lemon curd, chamomile, toasted bread, spice, and a touch of crushed stone-like flinty minerality. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, and elegant on the palate, it’s another brilliant wine from this estate.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of moss and kumquats combine with decadently ripe, yet still refreshing, limpid fruit. The textured palate reflects the stony minerality of the nose in a snappy, svelte package. It spent 20 months in mostly neutral barrique, and is a blend of the own-rooted 1971 vines as well as younger plantings. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 95 DEC

The star of the show in 2018 is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous and it has an incredible mix of complexity, power, and elegance that’s something to behold. Sporting a deep purple/plum color as well as a killer bouquet of blackcurrants, lavender, peppery garrigue, graphite, and white chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, incredible tannins, and a gorgeous finish. This is a good as 2018 gets and while it’s already impossible to resist, it’s going to evolve for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous features electric aromas of garrigue, exotic stone fruit, pomegranate, black cherries and perhaps even a touch of rose petals. Full-bodied and rich without being overly weighty or dense, plush and velvety on the finish yet vibrant and complex, this magnificent effort should drink well for at least a decade. From vines planted in 1905, it’s approximately 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Vaccarèse.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOpaque ruby. A powerfully scented bouquet displays mineral-accented boysenberry and Chambord scents complemented by suggestions of pungent flowers, Indian spices and incense. Intense red/blue fruit preserve, cherry cola and fruitcake flavors show superb definition and silky texture. Comes off graceful despite its depth and finishes on a repeating floral note, displaying outstanding persistence and bright, mineral lift.Vinous Media | 95 VMA mix of steeped plum and black cherry fruit mixes with tobacco, chestnut and melted licorice notes. There’s a touch of burl at first, but this quickly unwinds with air, showing a velvety edge on the finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse. Best from 2021 through 2033. 409 cases made, 45 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige Blanc offers a more Burgundian, chiseled, mineral-laced style to go with beautiful notes of caramelized peach, white flowers, crushed stone, and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and elegant on the palate, it still packs plenty of oomph and has incredible length on the finish. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDA rich, alluring style, with a brioche note leading the way for creamed yellow apple, candied lemon peel, white ginger and quince notes. An accent of acacia honey lines the finish, where the brioche edge takes an encore. Showy and delicious. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Clairette. Drink now through 2023. 56 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is outrageously flamboyant but hard not to like. There’s great concentration and it’s highly expressive already showing some complexity. It has a nutty macadamia note and a subtle flinty reduction with rich pear fruits that shoot through with oak spice, but it’s the fruit that has the upper hand. It’s very full-bodied but has enough pep and acidity to keep things upright and rolling. A cuvée that can be overly marked by malolactic fermentation, but not this year. Grown on sandy soils, 80% fermented in concrete, 20% in new barriques. It’s matured for 14 months in old barriques, concrete and 20% new barriques. Drinking Window 2019 - 2024.Decanter | 95 DECThe brassy-hued 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Prestige shows ample oak on the nose and palate, allied to ripe, luscious fruit. Predominantly Roussanne, fermented and aged in one-year-old demi-muids, it has developed hints of sweet corn and notes of grilled pineapple during its elevage. Opulent and lush, it’s enormously seductive now, although I suspect it will drink well for at least 4-5 years based on its impressive concentration and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Blackberry and spice character – white pepper to be precise. Full-bodied, layered and chewy with a dusty texture and a black-olive undertone. It’s rich and chewy. Drink after 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSA blend of Petit Verdot and Merlot, the Tua Rita 2018 Lodano Rosso is another wine that I had tasted in a preview capacity at the beginning of this year. The wine is seamlessly integrated with dark fruit, blackberry and plum that is rounded off nicely by the smoke and tobacco from French oak and a smaller part of American oak. The Merlot is sourced from the estate’s celebrated old vines, and a theme of flashy or contemporary concentration and richness is found in this wine and throughout the estate portfolio. This vintage was cool and wet during the spring months but turned much warmer and drier toward the end of the growing season.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThis is one of the best expressions of Petit Verdot I have tasted in a long time. While always intriguing, the variety is often very linear and structural whereas here it has some richness, roundness and charm. It opens slowly to reveal dark fruits, gunsmoke and spice, with finely textured, silty tannins. Perhaps the old-vine Merlot helps coax this more edgy variety into showing its more sensual side. Drinking Window 2022 - 2028.Decanter | 94 DEC

Shimmering purple. An expansive, spice-accented bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, incense and potpourri. A nervy mineral element adds urgency. Juicy, focused and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that tighten up slowly and turn spicier with aeration. Shows real heft but there’s a distinctly elegant quality to this wine as well. Finishes sappy, subtly tannic and extremely long, leaving a suave violet pastille note behind.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2018 Brouilly Cuvée des Fous reveals a high-toned bouquet of licorice, blackberries and spices that displays a touch of volatility this year, though I suspect it will integrate after a few more months in bottle. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and powerful, with broad shoulders and a ripe, muscular profile.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP(Brouilly “Cuvée des Fous”- Jean-Claude Lapalu) The 2018 Brouilly “Cuvée des Fous” from Jean-Claude Lapalu comes bottled in a Bordeaux-shaped bottle, which caught me a bit by surprise. The wine is nicely ripe, coming in at 13.5 percent octane, but the old vines for this bottling (averaging eighty years of age and one parcel having been planted in 1900) are in some of the warmer microclimates of Brouilly. The wine is bottled without fining, filtration or added SO2 and was raised in older casks for six months prior to bottling. The 2018 Cuvée des Fous offers up a deep, ripe and classy nose of red and black cherries, pigeon, lovely soil tones, sweet cranberries, fresh thyme and a lovely base of soil tones. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and pretty structured for young Brouilly, with a fine core of fruit, some firm backend tannins and a long, soil-driven and very well-balanced finish. This will need a few years in the cellar for the backend tannins to soften up a bit, but there is good matière here and the wine should age quite well. (Drink between 2023-2035).John Gilman | 90+ JG

In 2012, Sandra Bravo settled in the high altitudes of Rioja Alavesa, where she found small parcels of old-vine garnacha that reminded her of vineyards she had worked with in Priorat. This 2018 is the first release of her Garnachas de Altura, from a collection of small parcels in Rivas de Tereso, a village of 21 people in the northern reaches of Rioja, above San Vicente de la Sonsierra. The vines average 70 years of age and grow at elevations of 2,300 feet in a mix of clay and limestone soils; Bravo has purchased some of the parcels, and farms them all, converting them to organics. She allows the wine to ferment spontaneously in old casks, then ages it in clay pots. You can taste the influence of the altitude and the limestone in the bright, zesty coolness of the fruit, in the light intensity of the strawberry flavors and crushed-black- peppercorn crunch. It’s a lithe Rioja delivering the beauty of the hills, a wine to enjoy fresh and young.Wine and Spirits | 94 W&SThere is a new 2018 La Dula Garnachas de Altura produced with grapes from high-altitude vineyards in the village of Rivas de Tereso, small plots of old vines at 650 meters in altitude. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in 300-liter amphorae at low temperature, which means a very slow fermentation. The wine has a bright ruby color that is quite attractive and a perfumed and floral nose. It’s medium-bodied and textured with very fine chalky tannins, and it has good freshness and very good balance, purity of flavors and length. It matured in foudre for eight months, but the oak is perfectly integrated and not noticeable. This is plain delicious. 3,650 bottles were filled in August 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThere’s an apple and pear mix here that has fresh allure on the nose and delivers a zippy and attractively fresh palate that has good weight, flesh and a gently creamy, apple sorbet-like finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 93 JS

A magical wine in every sense, the 2018 Avoyelles Oakville Ranch checks in as 48% Cabernet Franc, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Petit Verdot. More expressive than the A. Price Vineyard (which should be expected, given the difference in the blends), is has a beautiful perfume of crème de cassis, red currants, toasted spice, graphite, and dried flowers, with a touch of tobacco and earth developing with time in the glass. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness, it has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, incredible tannins, and a great, great finish. In the same league as the 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017, it’s a brilliant wine to enjoy over the coming 15-20 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2018 Oakville Ranch Avoyelles is composed of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays out of the glass with notions of baked plums, Morello cherries, redcurrants and dried herbs plus hints of pencil lead and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, the palate possesses tightly wound layers of bright, expressive red and black fruits, offering a firm, grainy texture and bags of freshness, finishing long and savory. 155 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2018 Avoyelles is another impressive wine from Tony Biagi. Powerful, dense and explosive, with tons of energy, the Avoyelles possesses tremendous vibrancy. Dark fruit, mocha, leather, spice and graphite give this statuesque beauty tons of character and personality. Biagi’s Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from Oakville Ranch is once again stunning.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA rich, layered red with lots of crushed berries and cherries. Opulent and lush, in Napa style. Needs time for the intense tannins to soften. Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Better after 2021.James Suckling | 94 JS

Sensual’ is the word Véronique Drouhin uses to describe this remarkable wine and there is certainly something fleshy, enticing and engaging about this polished, refined Grand Cru bottling. Made with 40% whole bunches and 30% new wood, it’s bright, perfumed and very silky with lacy tannins and no sign of the heat of the vintage. Decadent stuff. Drinking Window 2026 - 2035.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2018 Musigny Grand Cru is slightly lighter than the Bonnes-Mares tasted alongside and has a more detailed, precise bouquet of intense blackberry, mulberry, sous-bois and light charcoal aromas that gain power with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, very sensual and seductive. The polished and lightly spiced finish is pure class. Outstanding.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM(Maison Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru Red) A highly restrained nose requires plenty of swirling to coax the super-floral and spicy aromas to reveal nuances of plum liqueur, red cherry and sandalwood. The marvelously refined middle weight flavors possess a beguiling satin-like texture yet there is no lack of punch on the wonderfully long, complex and well-balanced finish. Like the Amoureuses, this stunningly classy effort is a knockout that should also age effortlessly over the long-term. (Drink starting 2036).Burghound | 94-96 BH

The 2018 Chablis Village, matured for 12 months in 80% stainless steel and 20% used oak, has a vibrant, fresh, classic Chablis nose that many other growers were not able to achieve in this warm year. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, vibrant and zesty, showing a touch of spice on the elegant finish. This must surely be one of the finest Chablis Village of 2018.Vinous Media | 92 VMA touch of wet walnut accompanies pear and lemon on this wine’s fresh nose. Vivaciousness at the core belies the heat of the 2018 vintage. Yes, there is concentration and some midpalate weight, but salty, preserved-lemon freshness dominates the wine and bright finish.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2018 Chablis Vauprin comes from 1.7ha of 25-year-old vines and is raised for 12 months in 50% oak barrels and 50% stainless steel. It has a very harmonious bouquet of yellow flowers, mirabelle, crushed rocks and light hazelnut aromas that attain impressive intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity; there is real tension and race here. The finish fans out wonderfully and its persistence deserves applause considering the relatively unknown location of this vineyard. Highly recommended.Vinous Media | 93 VMResonant notes of roasted hazelnut on the nose of this wine sit well with the lemon brightness. The palate carries the same nuttiness but puts lemon freshness center stage. This slightly smoky combination is bedded on a smooth but cooling, yeasty texture, with beautiful length. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

Philip Togni’s Cabernet Sauvignon is an instant classic in the phenomenal 2018 vintage. Leading with its characteristic black-toned fruit, dusty graphite, green tobacco, and masterfully integrated cedarwood spices, it turns a surprising corner on the palate, leaning into the freshness of the vintage, with a medium-bodied palate and layers of velvety textured red and black fruits intertwined with cigar box, sagebrush, and dried wildflowers.Decanter | 98 DECMedium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers up intense notes of crushed black currants, fresh blackberries and ripe red plums with hints of pencil lead, black raspberries, underbrush and unsmoked cigars plus a touch of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers bold, crunchy black and red berry layers with a lively backbone and firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and energetic. 1,470 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is sensual and polished. Bright acids lend energy as this super-finessed Cabernet opens in the glass. Crushed red berry fruit, cedar, rose petal and mint all open with a bit of coaxing. The 2018 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. It is elegant, nuanced and simply impeccable, but also a bit reticent at this stage. Readers who are familiar with these wines know they need time to come into their own. If that is not possible, I suggest opening it well in advance, even a day or two.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGThis throwback starts with an expressive mix of savory, menthol and tobacco notes followed by very racy red currant, damson plum and bitter cherry fruit. Licorice root and warm earth accents fill in on the finish, with an iron note piercing through at the end. This is seriously grippy, with an old-school, rugged personality. Not for everyone, but loaded with character. Needs time in the cellar to fully round into form. Best from 2027 through 2040. 1,470 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2018 Space & Time is another magnificent wine in this range from Aaron Pott. A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot from Pott’s estate vineyard on Mt. Veeder, Space and Time possesses tremendous intensity from the outset. Inky, beautifully perfumed and so expressive, the 2018 is a total knock-out. Dark berry fruit, dried herbs, mocha, lavender and spice lead into the long, vibrant finish. The 2018 is arrestingly beautiful. That’s pretty much all there is to it.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe 2018 Space & Time is a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out of the glass with exuberant scents of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly and black raspberries plus suggestions of rose oil, spice cake, potpourri and a waft of tar. Full-bodied, with a rock-solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins, this has seamless freshness and a muscular core of earth-laced fruit, finishing long. Give it two to three years in the cellar and drink it over the next 25 years+. 161 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPNicely packed with a mix of plum, boysenberry and blackberry fruit compote notes, infused with violet and anise and ending with a late wave of tobacco on the finish. Buried warm stone note lurks in the background. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2030. 149 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2018 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru has a very elegant bouquet that is more poised and detailed than the Charmes-Chambertin, offering black cherries, raspberry and ground gravelly scents; floral notes emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, gorgeous blueberry and strawberry fruit and a silky-smooth, sensual finish that is utterly refined. Stunning.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMThe 2018 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of cherries, raspberries and rose petals, framed by a deft touch of new oak, and on the palate it’s more reserved than the Charmes at this early stage. Medium to full-bodied, deep and elegantly structural, it’s lively and nicely defined, but it will need a bit more time than the Charmes to come around. As readers will remember, Dugat’s vines in Chapelle-Chambertin are located in lieu-dit Les Gémeaux, a site that tends to produce somewhat more structured wines than adjacent lieu-dit La Chapelle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95+ RP(Domaine Claude Dugat Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) A riper and more deeply pitched nose is comprised by notes of plum, cassis, violet and discreet earth and spice nuances. The sleek and almost painfully intense big-bodied flavors possess event power and muscle while delivering excellent persistence on the minerally, crunchy and youthfully austere finish. This too is very clearly constructed for the long-term and it’s pointless to buy this without the expectation of aging it properly. (Drink starting 2036).Burghound | 92-94 BH

Well textured, velvety fruits sit on a firm and fresh palate. This is good quality, stretching out in the mouth with tannins that are fully supportive of the project, not getting in the way but cheerleading as the fruit takes its first steps. There is so much to enjoy in the smaller appellations this year. Drinking Window 2022 - 2031.Decanter | 91 DECThis grand chateau on its hillside surveys a 150-acre vineyard. The top wine from the estate, this is mainly wood aged, giving polish as well as perfumed black-currant fruitiness. With its ripe tannins, the wine will easily age. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Pitray features bright, expressive wild blueberries, black raspberries and warm plums scents with hints of spice cake and potpourri. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with juicy blue and black fruits, framed by plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with beautiful purity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPA juicy, flavorful red that is delicious now, offering plum, chocolate and berry aromas and flavors. Medium body, firm tannins and a savory finish. Nice acidity, too. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 90 JS

The 2018 Giorgio Primo represents a new level of finesse at La Massa. Powerful and dense in the glass, with tremendous structure, Giorgio Primo is a terrific example of how compelling international varieties are in Panzano’s Conca d’Oro district. Crème de cassis, spice, new leather, chocolate and sweet spice build into the textured, palate-staining finish.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe Fattoria La Massa 2018 Giorgio Primo is a wine of richness, volume and texture. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, and maceration times last 26 to 28 days to add the lovely depth and creaminess you taste here. Black fruit, crushed stone, truffle essence and toasted spice emerge from the bouquet. The wine’s full-bodied structure and its freshness promise a long cellar-aging future.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPGorgeous aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries with hints of crushed stones and walnuts. Full body, firm and chewy tannins with blackberries and hints of chocolate and spice. Flavorful and intense at the end. Better after 2023, but better already very pretty.James Suckling | 95 JS

Shimmering ruby. Powerful blackberry, cherry and licorice aromas are complicated by suggestions of smoky minerals and violet. Well-concentrated and broad in the mouth, offering bitter cherry and dark berry flavors enlivened by a snap of cracked pepper. Slowly building tannins frame the finish, which lingers with very good, dark-fruit-driven persistence.Vinous Media | 91 VMThe light tannins are beautifully textured and encase vivid raspberry and currant flavors matched with woodsy spice, licorice and floral details. Undertones of mineral and spice sail through the tangy finish. Drink now through 2026. 5,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSFull blackberry fruit, generous body and lively acidity make this Moulin-à-Vent easy to enjoy, and the well drafted balance of discreet tannins and mineral acidity at the finish provides very satisfying harmony. Drink now.James Suckling | 90 JS

Both subtlety and ripe richness are conveyed with the mellow apple, hayflower and lemon aromas of this wine. The palate comes in with 2018’s mellow ripeness but presents a bundled, textured midpalate that shows off the ripe freshness and dry excellence of Riesling, all in a buffered and harmonious package.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

This bold and well-concentrated wine from an outstanding single vineyard layers ripe plum and rich black cherry on a broad, fine-grained texture. Accents of turned earth, woodsmoke and cinnamon add lift to the mix.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Pretty ripe fruit with berry, walnut and chocolate character on the nose and palate. Medium to full body, round tannins and a savory finish. Drinkable now, but better in 2022.James Suckling | 92 JS

Super balance to this intense red with exquisite spice to the mixed berries on the nose, following through to a full body with fine, well-integrated tannins, succulent fruit and a long, elegant and flavorful finish. All in place and lovely to drink now, but best from 2023.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2018 Vino de Finca is a blend of Monastrell with 25% Garnacha from a cooler, more continental vintage. The Monastrell is from 20- to 30-year-old vines, and the 8-year-old Garnacha is from limestone-rich soils. It fermented in the underground stone pools with 25% to 30% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 5,000-liter foudres and 500-liter barrels for 12 months. As all the Garnacha plots are now in production, there has been a higher percentage of it in the blend since 2017. The selection of plots used for this wine results in something more serious, more austere and with more depth than the entry-level Casa Castillo. He doesn’t use Syrah in this blend because he thinks without Syrah it has a more Mediterranean profile, with aromatic herbs, thyme, rosemary and lavender and the slightly more rustic notes of the Monastrell. 53,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2019.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard starts off with soft-spoken scents of ripe red and black plums, cassis, black raspberries and mulberries, followed by gentle wafts of cedar and pencil lead and finally bursting out with Sichuan pepper and hoisin notes. The medium to full-bodied palate is opulent, plushly textured and brimming with spicy red and blackberry layers, going beautifully perfumed on the long finish. Paul Hobbs mentioned that he backed off on the new oak this year, aging the wine in 85% new French oak (as opposed to 100%). I love this more elegant, nuanced expression a lot. 688 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPAromas of blackberries, currants, violets and black licorice follow through to a full body with chewy, polished tannins that have a tile and dust character and texture. It’s very long and persistent with beauty and intensity. It shows reserve and finesse. This needs at least five years to come around. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is fabulous. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2018 possesses tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit. All the elements are kicked up: fruit, acid and tannin. Readers need to be patient, as the 2018 will require at least a handful of years in bottle to be at its best. The heady, explosive finish points to a very bright future.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGVivid, detailed flavors of cassis, kirsch and fig paste pump along, laced with alder, cocoa and tobacco notes. The fruit melds nicely with a serious tug of warm loam through the finish, giving this a smoldering edge at the very end. Shows nice character. Best from 2022 through 2038. 688 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS