Type of Wines

wines

All Cabernet Sauvignon from specific hillside blocks on the estate, Shafer’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select spent 28 months in 100% new French oak. It’s a big, ripe wine, weighing in at 15.5% alcohol, but it remains harmonious from front to back. Deep, intense aromas of black cherries and cassis are accented by dried spices on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and textural, showing tremendous intensity and length on the finish. Based on how previous examples have aged, this vintage should drink well through 2050.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPAged 32 months in 100% new French oak. It is quintessentially Stags Leap, with grapes grown on Shafer’s famous Hillside estate vineyard, roughly 25ha, with very shallow volcanic tufa soils. It’s a barrel selection of the very best blocks. A total of 2,900 cases were produced. Such a beautifully balanced wine with tremendous staying power and expressive Stags Leap ironstone minerality with heady sagebrush and conifer notes with white pepper and walnut husk. The wine has an impressive depth of red-toned fruit on the mid-palate framed by tannins that practically dance across the palate, exuding length, tension, and power. Huckleberry and black cherry fruits, black truffle, dried violets, graphite, and salted dark chocolate are all framed by racy acidity, which keeps everything fresh and lifted. The 2021 releases mark Elias Fernandez’s 38th vintage as Shafer’s winemaker. He was hired by John Shafer in 1984, two weeks out of UC Davis.Decanter | 99 DECThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of shaking to bring out notes of crème de cassis, blackberry pie, and kirsch, leading to nuances of dried roses, star anise and cardamom with a hint of cigar box. The full-bodied palate is decadently concentrated with firm grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long with loads of exotic spices and mineral sparks.The Wine Independent | 98As always, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that will spend 28 months in new barrels. Its deep purple hue gives way to a behemoth of a wine that has incredible cassis, black raspberry, and even blue fruits to go with loads of camphor, minty herbs, graphite, and darker chocolate. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, yet pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a great finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-99 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Floral and vibrant, the 2021 sizzles with tension and a level of delineation I don’t remember seeing in the past. Like all the 2021s here, the Hillside Select possesses notable purity of fruit and exceptional balance. The tannins need to soften a touch, but time should take care of that. I don’t see the opulence or inner sweetness of most years, but that is not a negative at all.Vinous Media | 96-99 VMJuicy and direct, with a solidly built core of cassis and blackberry preserves lined with cocoa, singed tobacco and warm earth hints. Leans toward toasty on the finish, but there’s ample fruit. Best from 2025 through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This Patz & Hall Chardonnay immediately gives the scent of golden kiwis and sponge cake with a marshmallow topper. It’s medium—to full-bodied with a chalky finish and great acid backbone. The Chardonnay has surprising flavours that are seemingly unrelated but meld fantastically together. It’s a surprising juxtaposition that adds dimension.Decanter | 95 DECA youthful medium yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is expressive on opening, with notes of toasted oak spice, bruléed pineapple, and preserved citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it brings forward fantastic balance and energy on the palate, with refreshing, ripe acidity and a long, chalky finish. It is a beautiful Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 6-8 years and offers tremendous value. 2067 cases were produced.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDSilky and subdued at first, this elegant wine seduces you slowly with its subtle Meyer lemon, Bosc pear, mineral and ginger flavors lifted by tangy, appetizing acidity. As an alternative to the butter-bomb Chardonnays, this reasonably priced wine from the Patz & Hall portfolio is a breath of fresh air. Best through 2030.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVibrant and citrusy, with tangerine, lemon and yuzu notes on a sleek and juicy frame. A hint of pineapple emerges, showing lingering details of honeycomb, lemon thyme and vetiver on the finish alongside a mouthwatering grace note of sea salt. Drink now. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch was barrel fermented and matured for 16 months in 25% new French oak. Initial cedary tones give way to quince, tangerine peel and beeswax on the nose. The light-bodied palate is focused and energetic with creamy flavors, and the finish is driven by a touch of textural grip. 1,974 cases produced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2021 Tignanello is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree to become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the gals, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. In 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb.Vinous Media | 98 VMLaced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle. Best from 2027 through 2045. 11,083 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe currants and spices are very pretty, with some hazelnut undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very structured for a Tignanello, with medium chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very polished and curated with a deft winemaking hand coming through. Needs three or four years to soften, but it’s all there.James Suckling | 96 JSTignanello is a southwest-facing 57-hectare vineyard on lime-rich soils in San Casciano Val di Pesa. The blend – predominantly Sangiovese with dashes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc – has remained the same since 1982. Individually vinified in conical vats, with malo in oak barriques, the wines then age in mostly new French oak barrels plus a small percentage of Hungarian oak barrels, for few months before blending and further ageing; around 15 months in total. Ripe red and black berries and a herbal waft rise from the glass. Intense, grainy and vertical, it has impressive freshness of both acidity and dark fruits, with streaks of coffee and sous bois, and a sprinkling of peppery spice and dried herbs. The sapidity on the mid-palate combines with a soft, creamy chocolate and black fruit finish to create a deliciously approachable and gastronomic wine that will, of course, repay further ageing.Decanter | 95 DEC

Super-restrained nose here with candied lemon and lemon bush, tuberose, peach kernel and integrated toastiness. Full body with amazing weight and concentration, yet with vibrant, lemony flavor, zesty and integrated acidity and a warming but balanced finish. Drinkable now, but with aging potential of more than 10 years.James Suckling | 97 JSFor the first time, Ornellaia Bianco becomes a Bolgheri DOC wine in the 2021 vintage. It’s again 100% Sauvignon Blanc, vinfied in a mixture of 300L and 500L amphorae, barriques and tonneaux, with only 25% new wood. Perfumed, exotic, stony and honeyed, it’s nonetheless a vertical and focussed wine, its structure constraining rich aromas and flavours of mango, peach, white flowers, orange peel, papaya and passion fruit. It does feel like it’s being held back, with a touch of austerity and that stony, mineral authority that makes it a necessity to drink with food. ‘It has much more vibrancy than in the past...a better defined character than when the project began,’ notes Marco Balsimelli.Decanter | 96 DECPreviously a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, the Ornellaia 2021 Ornellaia Bianco is now all Sauvignon Blanc. The estate recently planted Semillon, so it is possible that we will one day see that grape in the blend (especially because it is known to thrive in hot vintages). This wine plays its best cards in terms of texture. It sports broad shoulders and enough texture to support those many creamy citrus and delicately tropical flavors. A dusting of crushed stone adds elegance. The wine should show its best results in five to 10 years from now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2021 Ornellaia Bianco is alluring. I sense a bit more textural richness vis-à-vis prior editions, a positive in my book. White pear, jasmine, sage, mint, white pepper, peach and apricot fill out the layers. Light tropical accents appear with some aeration, adding a tropical flair that is quite attractive. This is impeccably done.Vinous Media | 95 VMVerging on creamy in texture, this silky white features floral, peach, sage and mint flavors, with a flash of grapefruit pith. Complex, balanced and long, with a salty component on the persistent aftertaste. Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2030. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Aromas of raspberries, cassis, forest floor, espresso toast, spices and orange zest introduce the 2021 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, ample and layered wine with lively acids, ripe tannins and a broad, saline, peony-inflected finish. This is a beautiful middle-weight in the making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2021 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru sported quite hefty reduction on the nose that made it difficult to read during my visit at the Domaine. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth, slightly lactic entry, powdery texture, tight and firm. Maybe not quite the complexity or amplitude of Dugat’s other cuvées on the finish, but it will evolve with time in bottle. A bit stoic at the momentVinous Media | 92-94 VMFirm reduction. The round and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors are not especially dense, but they do offer excellent length on the balanced finish. As it usually does at this point, this will need to add depth, but more should almost certainly develop as the Dugat Charmes has an excellent aging track record.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, the usual blend of Crapiots and Perrières, has a beautifully defined bouquet with dark cherries, bergamot and wild hedgerow, very focused and classy. The palate is medium-bodied with a powdery texture, just a very small reduction at play, though that does not disguise the structure and substance on the finish. Wonderful.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMWafting from the glass with notes of smoky berries, sweet soil tones, spices and orange zest, the 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru is medium to full-bodied, lively and elegant, with bright acids and sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a mineral finish. Once again, it’s the usual blend chez Dugat of premiers crus Craipillot and Perrières.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RPHere too the nose is firmly reduced. More interesting are the delicious and vibrant middleweight flavors that possess slightly better density while delivering solid length on the punchy and mildly austere finale. Good mid-term development potential here.Burghound | 90-92 BH

There are only three barrels of the 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques, but its quality is some compensation for the lack of quantity. Exhibiting complex aromas of raspberries and cassis mingled with sweet spices, orange zest and smoke, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with excellent concentration, powdery tannins and lively acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru shows a bit of reduction on the nose, yet it still offers quite delineated, brambly red fruit and conspicuous crushed rock aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile tannins, strict and what you might call as "vertical" in style. This feels as if it is keeping everything under wraps on the finish. Very fine.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMFirm reduction is all that is discernible though there is again excellent vibrancy and freshness to the relatively supple, if more concentrated, medium weight flavors that flash evident minerality on the lingering and moderately austere finish that firms up noticeably as it sits on the palate. Dugat almost never misses with this wine and the 2021 vintage continues that streak.Burghound | 91-93 BH

The 2021 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, located right above their Caillerets, comprises of a single 600-liter barrel that was racked into an old Stockinger to limit oxygen ingress. It has a taut and focused bouquet with crushed stone infusing the citrus fruit, hints of honeysuckle and pressed white flowers. The palate is medium-bodied with a very subtle reduction on the entry, orange rind and hints of yuzu; the 2021 is quite mineral-driven with a clean and precise finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM1 x 600 litre barrel! Full lemon yellow. Plenty of weight apparent and a suggestion of class without having found its definition. Actually, it is pretty much complete on the palate, ripe apples, medium plus flesh, a certain juiciness over and above the natural austerity of the vineyard, and very persistent. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JM This is even more floral on the slightly more expressive nose that features notes of Poire William, zest, green apple and soft spice nuances, especially anise. The round but almost painfully intense medium weight plus flavors possess a caressing mouthfeel along with almost as much mineral character as the Caillerets while delivering stunningly good length on the beautifully nuanced finale. This is very classy and somewhat surprisingly for a young Chevalier, not especially austere. With that said, this beauty is built to reward mid to longer-term cellaring.Burghound | 93-95 BH

The 2021 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet from Domaine Sauzet is a brilliant wine in the making. The bouquet is pure, precise and elegant, offering up scents of lemon, apple, a hint of peach, a complex base of limestone minerality, citrus blossoms, vanillin oak and a lovely topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and soil-driven, with a lovely core of fruit, seamless balance, vibrant acids and a long, focused and complex finish that closes with outstanding energy and lift. (Drink between 2031 - 2075)John Gilman | 96 JGAn overtly floral-suffused nose features notes of lilac, carnation and acacia blossom that are trimmed in spice, citrus rind and soft wood wisps. The strikingly pure and beautifully defined larger-bodied flavors are not super-dense but I very much like the texture, all wrapped in a clean, bone-dry and compact finish that flashes plenty of focused power. This could also use a bit more depth but that shouldn’t be an issue. As an aside, for those readers who were Sauzet fans 25-ish years ago, the ’21 Bâtard reminds me quite a bit of the 1993, which is one of Sauzet’s all-time great vintages.Burghound | 93-96 BHPretty pale primrose. The nose has a reductive character than is not displeasing. It feels as though there is something more floral beneath. In any case, a wine of substance. This continues on the palate, with excellent acidity behind. Nothing meagre though, the grand cru character is certainly there. The flavours build to the back. Well done. There is a lot in reserve here. Two barrels made. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted: October 2022.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JMThe 2021 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with notes of confit citrus, nutmeg and light reduction. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with racy acids and a saline finish, this is another old-vine cuvée that’s a stalwart chez Sauzet, no matter the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPThe 2021 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru had quite a lot of reduction on the nose that made it difficult to read. The palate is quite powerful, weighty and slightly creamy in texture, perhaps requiring a little more tension on the pithy, pear and nectarine-tinged finish. Fine, but a little outclassed by Sauzet’s best Premier Crus.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

Super lush and polished in feel, with creamy-textured açaí, mulberry and cassis notes gliding through slowly. Laced with alluring hints of violet, iris and anise, this offers a melted licorice note on the finish, but the fruit wins out easily. Drink now through 2037. | 94 WS

100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 30–32 months in ultra-tight grain French oak barriques. The wine displays a shimmering, lucid ruby colour. Gorgeous, dusty, dark berry fruit unfolds with an incredible panoply of mulled Christmas spices and warm berry pie compote. Full-bodied and texturally defined, framed by a core of ultra-fine tannins with added dark berry fruit depth. It is a meal unto itself but better paired with roasted meats drizzled in rich plum sauce and accompanied by prosciutto-wrapped figs.Decanter | 97 DEC

Inviting aromas of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries as well as crushed walnuts, cedar and bark. Full-bodied, creamy and structured with firm, polished tannins. Balanced and even with a lingering finish. Better after 2026.James Suckling | 95 JSPacked and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over black currant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead. Drink now through 2036. Wine Spectator | 94 WSHefty and grippy, this full-bodied wine is sturdy in tannins, deep in black and blue fruits, and will come around nicely with more aging. Blackberries, blueberries, cocoa and hints of oak char make a good, complex expression on the palate. Best from 2027–2037.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThere are an impressive 50,000 cases of Faust’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. Featuring upfront notes of Ribena-like cassis fruit accented by hints of cedar and vanilla, it’s a full-bodied, generous effort that is softly dusty, plush and easy to drink now, but it has enough tannin to hold for at least another decade. It’s a solid value.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is terrific, as well as a terrific value. Cassis, ripe blackberries, tobacco, and some chocolate oak notes all flow to a medium-bodied, supple, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with terrific purity as well as balance.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It races out with exuberant notes of black cherry preserves, juicy blackberries, and cassis followed by hints of mint tea, graphite, and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers bright, crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and bags of freshness, finishing with a real skip in its step.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard ratchets up the intensity and is a blockbuster styled effort in the vintage. Blackberries, plums, roasted herbs, chocolate, and flowery incense notes all define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, with a plush, seamless mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It benefits from air and should be given just 2-3 years of bottle age. This ripe, opulent, incredibly sexy 2021 will evolve for 2 decades if well stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD

This ripe style is fresh and harmonious, delivering plum, cherry and boysenberry fruit, with accents of earth, iron and eucalyptus. Supple in texture, with a beautifully integrated structure and long, complex aftertaste. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2043. 29,667 cases made, 5,833 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is one of the big surprises of this tasting and ultimately represents one of the best buys in the entire extended Marchesi Antinori portfolio. The 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori shares the DNA of Tignanello. It is Sangiovese kissed with small parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Of course, the wine is more accessible and open compared to Tignanello, and spiritually, this wine is a Chianti Classico. By that I mean that the elegant minerality of these soils and the sunny flavors of its environs are the determining characteristics. You get wildflower, iris, tart fruit and plum. The wine’s enhanced mineral character, with dusty white rock, is what adds lasting complexity and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94+ RPThe 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori is particularly strong this year. Red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate infuse the 2021 with notable depth. French oak is better integrated than in the past. There’s less extraction today and quite a bit more finesse. This is a terrific showing from Antinori.Vinous Media | 93 VMAmong this estate’s 130 hectares of vines in San Casciano Val di Pesa are the Tignanello and Solaia vineyards. This Riserva is fermented in stainless steel, undergoing a spontaneous malolactic fermentation and ageing in French and Hungarian oak barriques for 12 months before bottling. An old vintage, 2010, impressed us all in 2023 by topping the leaderboard at our ‘Ageing Chianti Classico’ panel tasting, and this 2021 equally has plenty of potential. It oozes with menthol, fresh hedgerow berries and some baked currants. There’s plenty of fruit intensity, backed by well integrated wood structure, and it keeps quite a vertical profile in the mouth which helps to belie its density. Powdery tannins coat the cheeks, balanced by fresh acidity, while the inherent juiciness of the fruit waits to be unlocked with time.Decanter | 93 DECAromas of cassis, French oak and violet lead the nose on the polished 2021 Chianti Classico Tignanello Riserva. On the structured, polished palate, tightly woven, fine-grained tannins support Morello cherry, red currant and licorice. It’s balanced, with fresh acidity. Drink 2025–2031. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 92 KO

A standout vintage for one of California’s most collectible cabernet sauvignons. The color is black throughout, but with a dark garnet rim. Gorgeous aromatics of spearmint, pencil shavings, toasted oak and dark plums, before a silky, fresh but firm texture takes over the palate and dusky blackcurrant, tobacco-leaf, rose-petal and cedar notes emerge and linger. Full-bodied and saturated with rounded, well-integrated tannins that emerge on the lingering finish and keep melting in the glass. It will drink best from 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSSet to be bottled in January 2024, the 2021 Insignia looks to be another huge success. A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, with 2% each Cabernet Franc and Malbec, all matured in 100% new French oak, winemaker Ashley Hepworth said she thought production would be about 18,000 cases. Waves of cherries, cassis and dark chocolate mark the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, concentrated, rich, velvety, plush, layered and long. The dusty tannins suggest ample structure, yet the wine is plush enough to be almost approachable. It’s a truly complete, delicious, seductive wine, yet naysayers may criticize it for lacking a certain amount of individuality or soul.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RPNot yet bottled, the 2021 Insignia has a pure, concentrated, medium to full-bodied style that shows the vintage beautifully. Cassis, blue fruits, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and floral notes all define the bouquet, and it has beautiful tannins, a great mid-palate, and outstanding length.Jeb Dunnuck | 96-98 JDThe 2021 Joseph Phelps Insignia is well-endowed with structured, soaring tannins balanced by tension and pure fruit character. A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels, it shows a luminescent medium ruby colour in the glass. Rich huckleberry fruit is laced with tobacco, sage, pepperonata, and toasty cedarwood notes. Medium- to full-bodied and more expressive on the palate with pure red fruit character, layered with earth and wet river stone minerality, finishing with a hint of salted dark chocolate. The tannins build on the palate, becoming more assertive, and though they are well-integrated, this is such a youthful wine with great energy, power and tension, and is best enjoyed after 2025.Decanter | 96 DECThe 2021 Insignia is still in barrel, but it is immensely promising. Bright acids and beams of tannin confer freshness. This is a mid-weight vintage of Insignia that is built more on finesse than power. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice and new leather linger.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMSinged alder and sweet tobacco lead off, backed by waves of lush warmed cassis and plum reduction. Chestnut and warm earth notes help drive the finish. Burly and muscular now, but the core of fruit shows inner purity. This will need some time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2028 through 2041. 16,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

This seamless, driven, coiled red manages to marry lush notes of black currant, blackberry and fig reduction with burlier accents of walnut, tobacco and warm gravel. Shows an undeniable inner tension but needs considerable time to unfurl. Just when you think you’ve got this figured out, a bolt of cast iron emerges, adding a vibrato echo of terroir that stamps the superlong finish. This is a special wine. Drink now through 2050. 525 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSOpaque purple-black in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon gives up notes of creme de cassis, candied violets, preserved plums, and blueberry pie followed by hints of menthol, fertile loam, tar, and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is so, so tightly wound, with loads of earthy sparks and a fantastic frame of firm grainy tannins, plus amazing tension, finishing with an epic firework display of minerals and savory nuances. Vibrating with latent power and with so much texture interest, this is pure energy! 525 cases were made.The Wine Independent | 99 TWIOne of the greatest wines made in the vintage, as well as probably one of the most age-worthy, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a dense purple hue to go with quintessential Oakville notes of ripe black fruits, iron, black olive, walnuts, and darker chocolate, with an almost bloody, salty character that develops with time in the glass. It’s a massive, dense, yet majestic Cabernet Sauvignon that has flawless balance, building yet perfectly ripe tannins, and the concentration and overall class to warrant 5-7 years of bottle age and evolve for 40+ years in cold cellars. Hats off to the MacDonald brothers for another incredible, magical wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is dense and potent but also quite structured. Dark fruit, plum, graphite, incense, licorice and lavender are some of the many notes that grace the 2021. Silky, plush red cherry, mocha, rose petal and spice unfurl with time in the glass. This a decidedly mid-weight wine with firm, chalky tannins. Graeme MacDonald backed off extractions a bit in 2021, which suggests a drive towards greater freshness. This is also the first vintage made at the Mending Wall facility, which is quite a bit less cramped than at Kongsgaard, where all the previous wines were made. The 2021 saw 38 days on skins and 22 months in barrel. It is an absolutely gorgeous wine, but it is also more reticent than most vintages at this stage.Vinous Media | 96+ VM

The 2021 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate is deep, rich and explosive. Dark red cherry, pomegranate, blood orange, menthol, spice and rose petals are all amplified in this dramatic Sonoma Coast Pinot. The complexity and intensity here are simply unreal. Give this time, there’s a lot of wine in the glass.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate is a deep, saturated ruby. Fresh aromas of wet rocks, black raspberry, and pressed flowers lift from the glass, with a touch of spice. Medium to full-bodied, it has good structure, with fresh acidity and notes of crunchy red cherry and fresh pine, as well as fine tannins. Its perfume lasts right through to its clean, lifted finish. This is a lovely wine to drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDBeautiful purity of fruit here with dark strawberry, dark cherry and blood orange aromas and flavors that follow through to a medium to full body with firm tannins and a linear and long finish. Lovely now but will improve with a couple of years of bottle age.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2021 Goldrock Estate Pinot Noir is medium ruby-purple in color. Cranberry sauce, redcurrant jelly, and pomegranate notes spring from the glass, followed by hints of cinnamon toast, dark chocolate, and violets. The medium to full-bodied palate has a very fine-grained texture and just enough freshness to frame the intense red berry flavors, finishing long and spicy.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIOffers a vivid, precise display of mulberry puree, along with light violet, hibiscus, anise and blackberry notes. Sleek, with a slight savory ripple at the very end for contrast. Delightfully pure. Drink now through 2029. 1,494 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis wine from the Goldrock Estate is a riper-styled Pinot Noir than the West Sonoma Coast has become known for. It has a gorgeous aromatic profile of sappy blackberries, sous bois, and crumbled violets. The palate is a melange of dark berries framed in smoke, sea salt minerality, tart blackberries, fresh mint, and ripe red cherry flesh mouthfuls. Savoury spices carry the finish with white and green peppercorn and a note of black tea leaf.Decanter | 93 DEC

Aged 21 months in new barrels, the tiny production 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is brooding and inward yet has incredible purity in its darker currant and cassis-like fruit as well as subtle smoked tobacco, crushed stone, liquid violet, and graphite-driven nuances. These carry to a deep, layered, sensationally concentrated Cabernet that has sweet yet building tannins, a seamless mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It needs to be hidden for a decade if you can, but this is a legend in the making and will have 50+ years or more overall longevity if well stored. For the technical geeks out there, the alcohol is 14.8% and its pH is 3.72.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDA blend of Fay and S.L.V. barrels—with the proportions favoring Fay this vintage—the 2021 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon shows a bit more toasty oak at this stage of its development but also some attractive violet and herb shadings, cassis, cherries and blueberries. It’s medium to full-bodied and silky textured across the mid-palate, then lingers elegantly on the finish. It’s a super effort, one that nicely captures the overall feel of the Stags Leap District AVA.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is a selection of the estate’s best barrels. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2021 packs quite the punch. Black cherry, leather, tobacco, incense, licorice and cloves are all beautifully amplified in this dramatic, texturally intense Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Creamy tannins add to its sensual, caressing feel.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is loaded with gorgeous flavors of boysenberry, mulberry and blackberry puree that maintain a sleek and refined feel as violet, iris and anise notes add range, lift and energy. A super fine-grained feel completes the seduction on the lengthy finish, where subtle minerality chimes prettily. Drink now through 2042. 2,175 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe first vintage of Cask 23 ever released was the 1974 vintage, with André Tchelistcheff as the consultant. While tasting all the barrels of S.L.V., Tchelistcheff came across one barrel so exceptional that they bottled it on its own, naming it after the barrel in which it was aged—Cask 23. Originally bottled only in the best vintages until 1990, when FAY was introduced as another single-vineyard expression, Cask 23 became a blend of the two single vineyards, FAY and S.L.V., aiming for a balanced, harmonious expression—a "sum greater than the parts" kind of wine. The 2021 Cask 23 was aged 21 months in 100% new French oak barrels. It displays an opaque purple-ruby colour with a magenta rim. The wine offers super dark fruit aromatics, with notes of sagebrush, fig, dried lavender, and salted dark chocolate. Full-bodied, it boasts incredible tension and mineral-laced, muscular tannins that are fine-grained with tremendous staying power, finishing with cocoa powder and an extravagant flourish. This wine has impressive energy and remarkable tension. The winemaker is Marcus Notaro.Decanter | 97 DECSo pure, supple and creamy in texture, this refined and elegant wine delivers deep, powerful flavors on a very polished frame. Creme de cassis, baked blueberry, dried cranberry, graphite and espresso crema nuances. Full-bodied. Graceful enough to drink soon, but will reveal more complexity and intrigue with further aging. Best from 2029.James Suckling | 97 JSBlack cherry, red plum, cedar and fresh tobacco combine in this wine for an experience that is both savory and pleasingly earthy. Fine while textural, satisfying tannins and juicy acidity carry into a long and alluring finish. Delicious. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

Leading off the 2021s I was able to taste from Maybach, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus is flat-out brilliant and has a layered, perfumed, almost exotic style in its black and blue fruits as well as spicy, floral, incense, orange blossom, and gravelly earth-like aromas and flavors. It shows the concentrated yet vibrant, focused style of the vintage, has full-bodied richness, beautiful tannins, and a gorgeous finish. This powerful, structured, incredibly impressive Cabernet Sauvignon deserves 4-5 years in the cellar and will evolve for two decades at a minimum.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDFrom a cool pocket in otherwise warm Calistoga, Maybach’s 2021 Amoenus Cabernet Sauvignon features aristocratic notes of crushed stone, cassis, black cherries and cedary overtones. A marked contrast to the sumptuous, seductive 2019, the 2021 is also full-bodied and concentrated but with a firm structure and plentiful tannins. It’s even rather stern at this stage of its development but should be fine with some time in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPAmoenus Vineyard is a rugged 19ha site of volcanic soils planted in Calistoga and owned by Turnbull. Thomas Rivers Brown has done well by the grapes from this site. This is one of his brightest wines of the 2021 vintage, with pronounced acidity that raises the bar on Napa Valley Cabernet freshness. Its decisively red-fruited nose is quite floral-driven, which carries through on the wine’s medium-bodied palate. A floor of racy acidity provides lift to the red currant and raspberry fruit, with nuances of white cherry and cherry pit. Angular, grippy tannins need some time to mellow. One to enjoy with a burger or pan-seared salmon. Certainly a wine to cellar and pull out now and again over a decade.Decanter | 94 DEC

Outstanding layers of passion fruit, pomelo and white peach underpinned by a lavish outlay or marzipan, coconut water, and smoky mineral spice with a mouth-coating creamy scone texture and spine-tingling acidity. All-encompassing, immersive and everlasting. | 97 DECThe 2021 Chablis Clos des Hospices Dans Les Clos Grand Cru is the standout cuvée from Louis Moreau in this vintage. It has a slightly peachier bouquet than the regular Les Clos, well-defined with yellow flowers and light tertiary scents. The palate is well-balanced with a fine spine of acidity, taut and fresh with a saline finish urging you back for another sip. This is a delicious and well-made Les Clos that should age with style.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The perfect 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, all of which spent 22 months in 80% new French oak. The idea of this release is to showcase fruit from throughout the valley, and to say that winemaker Chris Carpenter succeeded would be an understatement. It boasts off-the-charts richness and depth as well as notes of cassis, toasted spices, graphite, tobacco, and espresso, with perfectly integrated oak. Inky purple-hued, full-bodied, voluptuously textured, and flawlessly balanced, it can be drunk any time over the coming 25 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDLovely purple fruits with violets, lead pencil, mint, crushed stones, pine needles, resin, and ceramic. Medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins that show a silky beautiful texture. Blend of Stags Leap, Saint Helena, Yountville, and Atlas Peak plus all the mountain vineyards of Cardinale. A blend of 91% cabernet sauvignon and 9% merlot. 3,500 cases produced.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with 9% Merlot in the blend, came from eight different appellations this year. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of warm cassis, fresh blueberries, and Bing cherries plus suggestions of lilacs, wild sage, allspice, and dark chocolate. The full-bodied palate has an impressive frame of wonderfully-ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely tension supporting the generous black and red berry layers, finishing long with a fragrant lift.The Wine Independent | 99 TWIIn my tasting with winemaker Chris Carpenter, we talked at length about differentiating sub-appellations of Napa in the Lokoya wines. Still, with Cardinale, the Oakville-based crown jewel in the Jackson Family portfolio, the idea is the sum must be greater than the parts. This is not an estate wine. It is culled from multiple appellations, typically between three and nine, depending on the vintage. Sources have been Vine Hill Ranch and To Kalon in the past. The 2021 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap, Rutherford, and St. Helena, with 9% Merlot from the 24ha Keyes Estate Vineyard on Howell Mountain, aged 22 months in 80% new French oak. Super savoury aromatics of black cherry, cedar, black liquorice, graphite, black tea, tobacco leaf, rose petal and sagebrush. Full-bodied with all those aromatic qualities making appearances on the full-bodied palate, framed by a soaring tannin profile that resolves with beautifully crisp and mouthwatering acidity, which is so impressive given the density of the wine. The acidity is so pure and cleansing it gives the sensation of fresh, crisp mountain water washing away the deeply robust and powerful tannins that frame this powerhouse wine, readying you for another sip.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2021 Cardinale is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon from nine different AVAs, plus 9% Merlot from the Jackson Family’s Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Scents of black cherries, cassis, graphite and crushed stone appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, generous, concentrated and expansive, then tightens up and becomes more classically structured and dusty on the lingering, mouthwatering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOffers a frankly toasty frame of licorice and apple wood wrapped around a more than adequate core of plum and black currant preserves, all laced with a violet note. Sleek and reserved through the finish, with an iron hint peeking out amid the fruit, this offers length and a lovely mouthfeel and should develop well in the cellar while soaking up its toast. Best from 2026 through 2038. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Another incredibly concentrated, focused, insanely impressive wine in the lineup is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, which offers a powerful nose of darker currants, scorched earth, graphite, and savory herb aromas and flavors. This full-bodied, dense, concentrated, powerful, inward beauty needs 4-6 years in the cellar but will age forever.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThis 2021 La Jota combines 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Merlot, and 2.5% Petit Verdot. Grapes are sourced from the 8ha La Jota vineyard and 24ha Keyes Estate Vineyard, both atop Howell Mountain. Winemaker Chris Carpenter begins with native yeast fermentations after optical sorting, then pump-overs by hand and pressing at alcohol dryness. The wine goes into a barrel where malolactic fermentation takes place—aged 22 months in 75% new French oak. All of La Jota’s barrels are culled from the centre of France and Navarre, and eight different coopers provide barrels that have mostly medium-plus toasts, with some medium-range toasts for Merlot. After every pressing, Carpenter fills in whatever gaps he feels need filling by leveraging the various oak characters in his barrel toolkit. Readers should note that by the time I tasted the 2021 wines with Carpenter (including the Mt. Brave, Lokoya, and Cardinale wines), they had been decanting for about 5.5 hours. A necessary step if you’re popping corks on this within five years of their release. In 2021, with yields down 30-35%, the La Jota was very precise and focused, with saturated layers of extremely dark fruit nuanced by very expressive ironstone minerality and fresh garrigue. Full-bodied with robust, broad-shouldered tannins that are chocolaty. More of that iron minerality is layered throughout, and for all the fruit density here, there is a balance of freshness that is almost hard to imagine. So, don’t imagine it; snap these up and see for yourself. When I visited with winemaker Chris Carpenter, who oversees production for La Jota, Mt. Brave, Lokoya, and Cardinale, he took the time to explain the distinct difference in his approach to crafting the La Jota and Mt. Brave wines in comparison to the Lokoya single vineyard Cabernets. ’The single-vineyard Lokoya wines are mountain wines that have a good amount of tannin and are in pursuit of the expression of their individual AVA. The tannin is concentrated and differentiates each mountain expression of Cabernet. With La Jota and Mt. Brave, I’m aiming to give the drinker of these wines an understanding of how the mountain expresses itself from an acid, weight, and fruit standpoint without those powerful and ponderous tannins. These wines are culled from blocks in each of the single vineyards that typically have softer tannins, so these are ideal for restaurants or earlier drinking wines. La Jota is owned by the Jackson Family.Decanter | 97 DECSo much black currant, dark fruit, pine cone, bark and pine needle aromas that show a depth and intensity with round, polished and creamy tannins. Medium to full body, with a complex and gorgeously flavored finish. A blend of 82% cabernet sauvignon, 6.5% cabernet franc, 5% malbec, 4% merlot and 2.5% petit verdot. Over 3050 cases produced. Give this three to four more years to come around.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Merlot, and 2.5% Petit Verdot in the blend. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of shaking to wake up scents of blackcurrant preserves, plum pudding, and mulberries giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of licorice, charcoal, violets, and menthol. The big, rich, full-bodied palate is completely packed with black fruit layers supported by very firm yet ripe grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIA blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Merlot and 2.5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain delivers scents of cedar, pine, black cherries, blueberries and cassis. According to winemaker Chris Carpenter, the blend was necessary to ameliorate the tannins for the restaurant trade, a major market for the wine. It’s medium to full-bodied, fresh, smooth and silky on the mid-palate, then firmer and more structured, with dusty tannins on the lingering finish. While it should age well for 20 years or more, I suspect much of it will be consumed on the young side, with a thick, well-marbled steak.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPA fruit-laden red, with glistening mulberry, cassis and plum puree notes that drive through gleefully, flanked by violet and iris hints, plus a light sheen of anise and apple wood on the finish. Offers latent grip for the cellar. Drink now through 2040. 3,051 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2021 Cariad is another First Growth Bordeaux look-alike from Colgin. Darker currants, smoked tobacco, graphite, bouquet garni, and some exotic, meaty notions dominate the bouquet, and it’s massively concentrated on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, polished tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It actually has some upfront appeal due to its incredible balance and texture, yet smart money will still hide these for 5-7 years. It will have 30+ years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDSo much graphite here with blackcurrants, black olives, black everything. Some orange peel, dried violets and iodine. Volcanic and pumice-like. Amazing aromas. Full-bodied but so tight and polished with crushed stone, iodine and cashmere. Leather undertones. A distinctive masterpiece for the vintage that will age for infinity. Try after 2030.James Suckling | 100 JSColgin’s 2021 Cariad is explosive, effusive and all charm. All the elements are so well put together. Deep, sweet floral and savory spice nuances lift a core of red/purplish fruit, all wrapped together with broad, chocolatey tannins. Elegant, vivid and impeccably balanced, the 2021 has a brilliant future. It will be interesting to see where this goes over time.Vinous Media | 99 VMLike the 2018 version, Colgin’s 2021 Cariad is wonderfully vibrant and fresh, with hints of dried sage accenting purple raspberries and cassis. It’s full-bodied and velvety in texture yet taut and energetic. Nearly indescribable spice and earthy complexities fold in on the long, elegant finish, all wrapped in a cocoon of dry, silky tannins.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 Cariad is just a little bit closed to begin. With patient swirling, notes of cassis, black cherries, and mulberries slowly emerge from the glass, followed by hints of dark chocolate, iris, and spice cake, with a waft of underbrush. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with concentrated black fruit layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a lingering aniseed note. Tantalizingly decadent!The Wine Independent | 98 TWIThis is dense, fleshy and generous in feel, all while maintaining form, as its core of well-steeped black currant and blackberry fruit rolls through, flecked with charcoal, alder and savory details and supported by a long tug of warm cast iron through the finish. Its grip offers a finishing kick of succulence, which bodes well for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2025 through 2042. 851 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Deep nose with a wide spectrum of citrus peel and zest aromas, also a touch of lemon curd and vanilla bean. Concentrated and focused with great finesse, this shows why wines of this appellation have gained a special reputation. Super-long and exciting finish that’s driven by the wonderfully fresh acidity. From a 1.5 hectare plot on the border between Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSButter, cream, vanilla and apple pie flavors mingle in this taut white. Vivid acidity defines the long finish, where a bitter citrus accent reigns. This is balanced in a linear, angular way. Drink now through 2029. 27 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSAn elegant, pure and ultra-fresh nose offers up notes of lilac, rose petal, white peach, tea and citrus zest. There is a markedly more refined mouthfeel to the utterly delicious and highly seductive medium weight flavors that are more precise, all wrapped in a citrusy, impressively persistent and youthfully austere finale. This is very classy and I particularly like the underlying tension and balance that should also permit this beauty to age effortlessly over the next 12 to 15 years. In a word, excellent.Burghound | 92-94 BH

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is blended from all five of Eyrie’s estate vineyards: the Eyrie, Sisters, Outcrop, Roland Green and Daphne. Cranberry, raspberry and strawberry aromas are accented by wafts of autumn leaves, earth and dried herbs. The light-bodied palate features concentrated berry, earth and spice layers. It’s framed by softly astringent tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a long, nuanced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2021 Pinot Noir Estate lifts from the glass with a mentholated freshness, giving way to dried roses and strawberries. Silky and enveloping, it possesses a core of vividly ripe wild berries and sweet herbal tones that resonate over a tactile staining of saline minerals. Grippy tannins saturate through the long, spicy finish as repleting inner florals and bitter hints of licorice fade.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe medium ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is fresh with aromas of wild strawberries, fresh roses, and beet root. Medium-bodied and elegant, it floats across the palate with fine tannins and a delicately earthy finish. It’s a killer value and a great snapshot of what Eyrie is all about. It is hands down one of the best entry level Pinot Noir with a clear vision of what you can expect further in the range. Drink 2023-2030.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThis shows notes of spiced herbs, dust and ground spices with vivid and juicy cherries and redcurrants. Despite being medium-bodied, it shows weight and structure with impressive concentration of blue-fruit in the middle, and crunchy acidity. Tannins are firm and crunchy with an attractive chocolaty finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS