Type of Wines

wines

The 2002 boasts an inky/purple color along with notes of graphite, violets, blackberries, creme de cassis and hints of charcoal and barbecue in addition to a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel that builds incrementally with great purity, staggering fruit concentration, and a long, velvety, 50+-second finish. This prodigious effort should continue to drink well for 20+ years.One of my all-time favorite vintages for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 was warmer overall than 2001, but was cooler in May and throughout the summer. Unusually foggy conditions were apparent in July and August, and by September, when a warming trend began, the weather became remarkably dry and beautiful. That was followed by cool weather in early October, which allowed the grapes to be harvested under textbook conditions. Napa’s 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines tend to be flamboyant, All-American, juicy and extroverted with relatively high alcohols. There are 15,000 cases of the 2002 Insignia, a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec that hit 14.4% alcohol. Eighty-five percent of the fruit came from the estate vineyards and the balance from growers. I wish I had purchased more of this spectacular wine for my personal collection.Robert Parker | 100 RPRich flavors fan out, the way you hope for, coating the palate with layers of currant, fresh earth, mineral, cedar, tobacco, mocha, black licorice and espresso. The tannins are firm and the structure built for a longer haul. Very much in its infancy still at age 10, it finds that unusual bridge between dense Napa fruit and a Bordeaux build. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.--2002 California Cabernet blind retrospective (May 2012). Drink now through 2032. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSA luscious vintage of Insignia, this ’02 has the sleek feel of fine Napa Valley cabernet. There’s fragrant red berry and forest-floor character at the center of the wine, then blacker currant flavors and tannin softened by luxurious oak in the end. Touches of super-ripeness add to the richness without diminishing the wine’s freshness. Readily enjoyable now, and balanced to mature through 2010.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S(from a year featuring three heat spikes in September): Full red-ruby. Slightly roasted, high-toned black raspberry nose show a slightly pruney ripeness (the VA here was a relatively elevated 0.85). Creamy, plush and sweet, displaying excellent breadth and still-considerable baby fat. This was quite flashy on release but now seems to be in an adolescent phase. Big, building tannins saturate the tongue and front teeth. Winemaker Hepworth described it as "like a teenager, and without the suavity of tannins of the 2001." I’d leave it alone for at least a couple more years, at which point it may well merit a higher score.Vinous Media | 92+ VMThis celebrated wine is not mind-blowing right now. It’s dry, oaky, tannic and soft. There’s a wealth of cassis and moo shu pork flavors, and huge new oak. Yet it holds itself back, teasing but withdrawing into its tannic cloak. Collectors, be reassured it’s worth stashing. Drink now through 2010, but after that, it’s a gamble.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

The 2010 IX Estate is another perfect wine. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by copious aromas of blueberries, cassis, pen ink, asphalt, licorice and subtle oak. Full-bodied and rich but light on its feet, this spectacular effort was created from a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Enjoy this profound wine over the next 25+ years.Robert Parker | 100 RPSuper-complex on the nose with roses, pure fruit and walnuts. Hints of plums. It’s full-bodied with velvety tannins and crazy spicy character. Firm, chewy texture. Savory finish. Even slightly salty.James Suckling | 97 JSSaturated bright ruby to the rim. Initially brooding, dark nose opened spectacularly with aeration to reveal complex scents of blackberry, blueberry, licorice pastille, minerals, mocha, smoky rocks, black olive and dark chocolate. Enters the mouth with a plush wave of fruit, but lovely mineral and floral lift gives the mid-palate shape and definition. Large-scaled, wonderfully sweet, voluptuous, seamless wine with powerful, saline soil and rock tones and substantial but utterly refined, harmonious tannins. Finishes plush, broad, sweet and long, saturating the mouth and building. This beauty may be close to its apogee right now but it should go on for at least another 15 years. A superb showing.Vinous Media | 96 VMDeep garnet in color, the 2010 IX Estate flies out of the glass with maturing scents of prunes, stewed blackberries, and fruitcake, followed by hints of wild sage, damp soil, and unsmoked cigars with a waft of wet slate. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and drinking nicely now, with chewy tannins and a refreshing backbone, finishing on a lingering umami note and an herbal lift.The Wine Independent | 95 TWIFrom a late, cool vintage, the 2010s from Napa often find more favour with European than Californian palates. Very deep in colour, this is now showing some evolution. The nose is rich in blackcurrant and mint aromas; it’s vibrant and stylish. The palate is weightier, with more opulence and firm tannins. Sleek and elegant, the long finish is threaded by fine acidity.Decanter | 94 DECPleasing for its richness, elegance and finesse, this graceful red presents a delicate mix of dark berry, licorice, light cedar and loamy earth, gliding along on the finish, where the wine is amazingly polished. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2026. 1,100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A remarkable wine, the 2010 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has gone from strength to strength since it was in cask. It is stunningly rich, with classic, fragrant notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, vanilla, graphite and spring flowers. It exhibits an opaque purple color, with a full-bodied, massive mouthfeel, but no heaviness, and again, a flawless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. It’s classic California Cabernet, but beautifully put together, showing impeccable craftsmanship and fabulous potential. This is obviously a very young, infantile style of Cabernet that won’t hit its prime for at least another decade and last close to half a century, based on how older vintages that were less well-endowed have matured from Shafer.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe Shafer family has made compelling reds for decades and this one is a knock-out. Fabulous character of currants, mint, spice and wet earth. Juicy and fruity, with an intense chewy finish. Needs time to age.James Suckling | 98 JSBright, dark ruby to the rim. Very pure if subdued aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, dark chocolate and minerals; conveys a strong Stags Leap terroir character. Enters the mouth voluptuous, broad and seamless but still youthful, showing a faintly inky reserve to its powerful dark fruit, licorice and mineral flavors. This Napa Valley masterpiece is developing at a snail’s pace. The finish goes on and on, with substantial fine-grained, toothcoating tannins in perfect balance with the wine’s fruit. Wonderfully sweet and voluminous but not excessively so, as there’s so much else going on here. This wine was only a tad more developed than a spectacular sample I tasted as part of a vertical tasting I did at the estate in 2016. A great vintage for Shafer.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe producer’s annual, highly anticipated 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this comes from the wilds of the appellation’s rocky hillsides. This is a burly, distinctive and sizable wine, ripe yet refined, having been given three years in barrel and another in bottle before release. Chocolaty tobacco combines with pencil shavings and dense blackberry before finishing in an explosion of black pepper. Gorgeous, it will get even more interesting over time, through 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEPure, rich and intense, massive and well-built, with wall-to-wall ripe berry, currant, cedar and spice notes, framed by gutsy, chewy tannins and aided by the long, intense, layered finish. Drink now through 2027. 2,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2010 Proprietary Red Cariad reveals great intensity along with abundant notes of unsmoked tobacco leaf interwoven with blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit, charcoal and coffee bean nuances as well as a Pauillac-like lead pencil shaving character. This blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 14% Cabernet Franc is one of the finest wines I tasted over the 12 days I spent tasting in Napa Valley in late August and early September. This remarkable 2010 should drink beautifully for 20 or more years.Robert Parker | 100 RP(a blend of 48% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, 14% petit verdot and 10% cabernet franc): Saturated, bright ruby-red. Deeper and darker on the nose than the Tychson Hill cabernet, offering vibrant scents of blackcurrant, graphite minerality and bitter chocolate. At once round and delineated in the mouth, with dark berry and mineral flavors displaying outstanding depth without excess weight. With its very firm tannic structure, this typically Medoc-like wine will need a good eight to ten years to evolve in bottle and may ultimately merit an even higher rating. These vines in Madrona Vineyard in St. Helena were planted on an alluvial fan in the 1980s.Vinous Media | 95+ VMLots of ripe fruit, chocolate and iron. Full body, with loads of velvety tannins and a round and rich palate. It is round and mouthfilling yet fresh and beautiful. Delicious already but will improve with age.James Suckling | 95 JSNotable for its charcoal and graphite woodiness, along with its edgy entry into the core of dark berry fruit. Keeps you at arm’s length, with the flavors both concentrated and nuanced. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2024. 550 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the stunning, full-bodied 2010 Dominus boasts an exceptional perfume of hoisin sauce, licorice, underbrush, forest floor, plums, black currants and jammy cherries intertwined with hints of cedar, baking spices and oak. Full-bodied and voluptuously textured, the 2010 is on a slightly faster evolutionary track than the 2009 (somewhat of an anomaly for these two vintages). This exquisite as well as prodigious 2010 can be drunk young, but it should age effortlessly for 20-25 years. Bravo!Looking at the harvest dates for the 2009 through 2012 Napanook and Dominus reveals that none of these were early, very warm years, such as 2013 is promising to be in northern California. For example, in 2009 the harvest took place between October 5 and 12; 2010 between October 4 and 23; 2011 between October 15 and 24; and 2012 between October 9 and 21. Production has remained steady because the estate crop-thins as much as 50% of the harvest to ensure bunch regularity, even ripening and reasonable yields. The second wine, Napanook, tends to come in around 3,000 cases per year, and Dominus around 5,000 cases per year. I was joking with Christian Moueix when I visited the winery and I told him I am one of the geezers old enough to remember his first vintage of 1983, which was tasted at the Rombauer Cellars until he moved to what appears to be an old bank building in downtown St. Helena, after which they constructed a spectacular winery in Yountville that resembles an extension of their historic terroir. Another great vintage, the 2012s have slightly lower alcohols than the 2009s and 2010s, which surprised me given the exuberant nature of this vintage and its boisterous fruit and glycerin. I was shocked to realize that 2013 will mark over thirty vintages for Christian Moueix and Dominus, not to mention my visits each year. How time flies!Robert Parker | 100 RPA cabernet-based red that’s all about the finish. Shows phenomenal character of caramelised orange, berries and lightly toasted oak. It’s also wonderfully structured, with great tannin, fruit, and acid balance. Try after 2018.James Suckling | 99 JSBright, deep ruby. Ineffable scents of dark berries, graphite, minerals, licorice, violet, dark chocolate and sage. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained and plush but light on its feet, and every bit as complex in the mouth as on the nose. Really impeccably balanced, classy wine with uncanny precision and inner-mouth aromatic lift and a resounding, endlessly building aftertaste that leaves the taste buds quivering. A wine of great finesse and energy, not to mention noble palate-saturating, fully ripe tannins. This is more about subtlety than weight, but is still hard to scrape off your palate. This already coats every square millimeter of the palate but may yet expand further. All of this fruit was harvested in October.Vinous Media | 97 VMA brooding bouquet of cassis, wild berries, pencil shavings and exotic spice is followed by a deep, layered and intense wine, framed by fine tannins and bright acidity. There is a vibrancy and energy to this wine that makes it particularly compelling, no doubt partly thanks to the long, cool growing season, but also in keeping with all the work Dominus has been doing in their vineyards to balance the vines and prevent sun burn. Drinking Window 2020 - 2050.Decanter | 96 DECThe wild swings in weather during the 2010 growing season took out the cabernet franc at Dominus, this vintage blending Cabernet Sauvignon (95%) with Petit Verdot. It has more voluptuous warmth than wines from this site in western Yountville usually give on release, rich with black currant flavors, scents of violets and black spice. The texture is silky, with an undercurrent of green herb and pine needle in the tannins that adds complexity to all the saturated currant and blueberry fruit.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SGraceful and refined, offering a subtle mix of delicate Cabernet flavors, with dried currant, cherry, herb, cedar, cigar box and graphite notes, ending with smooth, integrated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2024. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard is a rival for the 2012. Opaque purple, with blueberry and blackberry fruit, a hint of incense and subtle toast, the wine has great intensity, incredible richness and, again, a floral blue- and black-fruited nose and flavor profile that is remarkable. The finish goes on for close to a minute. This is slightly more tightly knit than the more ostentatious 2012, but both are wines to taste and drink before you die!Robert Parker | 100 RPFabulous aromas of dark fruits such as blackberry and bramble berry plus coffee and smoked meat. Full-bodied, very tight and reserved. Superfine and polished tannins. Sweet and subtle fruit flavors. Precise and focused. So silky. Savory. A wine that gives wonderful pleasure and intrigue. Drink or hold. 320 cases.James Suckling | 97 JSA deep, dense, powerful wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill exudes pure richness. The flavors are dark and boldly sketched throughout, with gorgeous savory and mineral notes that add shades of nuance to the dark, inky fruit. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2013 is remarkably balanced for such a young wine. The 2013 should drink well with just a few more years in bottle. As always, the Tychson Hill is the most open and forthcoming of the Colgin wines.Vinous Media | 96 VMComplex, with a range of flavor extending from espresso to mocha to smoky, toasty oak, adding depth and dimension to the firm core of chocolate-laced blackberry and wild berry. Ends with firm, ripe tannins and excellent length. Best from 2020 through 2033. 425 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A captivating bouquet of violets, lilac, black fruit, blood orange and meaty soil tones is striking for its extravagent range and amplitude; and on the palate, the wine is three-dimensional, sophisticatedly savoury, and massive but refined. Tod Mostero remarks that, having crafted the 2013 Dominus, he can die happy as a winemaker. Selection here was especially rigorous, as the team wanted to realise the vintage's unparalleled potential as fully as possible, so only 3,500 cases were produced. A special label commemorates the 30th anniversary of Dominus Estate. Drinking Window 2023 - 2065.Decanter | 100 DECThe aromas to this are multidimensional and fascinating with black truffles, bark, cloves, black currants, citrus, and even ginseng. Full-bodied, yet reserved and austere with chewy and powerful tannins that remain polished and refined. The flavors are more umami and savory. Then there are forest fruits and blood-orange undertones. The wine goes on for minutes. A wine to age for a lifetime. It's an experience to taste this. A new classic showing its history and tradition as a source of the greatest wines ever from Napa. A wine to enjoy forever.James Suckling | 100 JSThe 2013 Dominus is, to my way of thinking, one of the most profound wines Christian Moueix has yet made in his rather brilliant winemaking history, both in France and in Napa Valley. This wine, with very low yields of only 3,500 cases and a final blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, offers up notes of cedar wood, forest floor, loamy soil and oodles of blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Very opaque purple in color, super-pure and intense, this wine has low acidity, but ripe, noticeable tannins. This is a 30- to 40-year wine and a profound effort from this famous vineyard in Yountville. Drink it over the next 40+ years.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2013 Dominus overwhelms all the senses with its magnificent overall balance and towering intensity. Deep and nearly impenetrable in the glass, the 2013 boasts off the charts dry extract and overall power. Violets, smoke, black cherries, menthol, incense, crème de cassis and dark spices are some of the many signatures that take shape in the glass. Even better in bottle than it was in barrel, the 2013 is utterly magnificent. This is a remarkably vivid, nuanced wine considering its sheer size.Vinous Media | 100 VMNo written review provided | 93 W&SDense and earthy, with a submerged core of rich blackberry, currant, anise and sage flavors. The dusty, loamy earth character lends balance and definition. Ends with cedary tannins and good length. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2013 defines what Thorevilos is all about, with copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries, truffles, violets, crushed rock, forest floor notes and oodles of glycerin in its full-bodied, incredibly pure and amazing texture and length. It is a spectacular wine, with the cascade of fruit hiding what must be some considerable tannic clout. It’s not showing through just yet, but I suspect it will come as the wine closes down in bottle once it gets into a cold cellar. This is simply other-worldly and a tribute to all things Napa, California, and in a way, America. Drink it over the next 50+ years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2013 Thorevilos is a real stunner. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 2013 possesses magnificent structure to match its vivid fruit. Deep and enveloping, the 2013 Thorevilos is an attention-grabbing wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, sage, violet, menthol, graphite, smoke and black cherry gradually flesh out in the glass, but the tannins are going to need much more time than that. Remarkably nuanced for such a big wine, the 2013 is spectacular from the very first taste. The 2013 has always been thrilling. It is all that and more today.Vinous Media | 100 VM

The 2015 Screaming Eagle is another monumental wine from this address, and it's one of those cases where if you afford it, you should buy it. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, this magical elixir boasts a deep purple color as well as a blockbuster bouquet of blueberries, creme de cassis, violets, incense, and cedarwood. Reminding me of the 2015 Château Margaux with its off the charts class and purity, it’s full-bodied, thrillingly textured, and has a finish that just won't quit. This legendary wine is going to keep for 30-40 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThis is a phenomenal wine on the nose with amazing aromas of mint and sage, highlighting the blackberry and slate character. Blackcurrants and wet earth. Medium to full body with incredible precision and beauty. It rolls off the palate with super fine tannins. Savory and juicy. The minerality and pureness draw you into it. A precise and sophisticated Screaming Eagle that brings you in. So drinkable now but better in 2022.James Suckling | 100 JSComposed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the very deep purple-black colored 2015 Screaming Eagle leaps from the glass with notes of freshly crushed black currants, black cherries and blackberries with suggestions of cigar box, black raspberries, red currants, chocolates, pencil lead and cast-iron pan plus a touch of potpourri. Medium to full-bodied with a rock-solid backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, it features the most incredible black and red fruit layers and finishes with incredible vibrancy and depth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2015 Screaming Eagle is fabulous. Rich and ample on the palate, with soaring aromatics from the Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Ripe red plum, pomegranate, mint, kirsch, lavender and sweet spice notes are beautifully delineated in the glass. In this tasting, the Cabernet-based Screaming Eagle is quite a bit more open and accessible than the Merlot-based The Flight. Even so, it will be years before the 2015 Screaming Eagle is ready to drink.Vinous Media | 98 VMNotable for the focus on dark berry, licorice, plum and light oak notes, this is solid throughout, fanning out to capture a range of flavors. Texturally smooth until the finish, where the tannins grip. Best from 2021 through 2030. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2015 IX Proprietary Red Estate sports a deep garnet-purple color and nose of smoked meat, blackberries and black currants with suggestions of baking spices, dark chocolate, fertile earth, dried Provence herbs, cardamom and lavender plus a touch of cigar box. Full-bodied, rich, firm and restrained, it has a lovely earthy, soft-spoken style at this youthful stage, promising great things to come over the forthcoming 25-30 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPLastly, the 2015 IX Estate is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 2013 and 2014, with a ripe, sexy, exuberant style carrying loads of blue and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco, iron, truffly earth, and lead pencil. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, it’s full-bodied and has loads of up-front fruit, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with the 2012 and 2014, it has this incredible lift and elegance and already offers pleasure. Nevertheless, I’d give bottles another 3-4 years if possible, and this will evolve for 30-35 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe IX Estate is the most brooding and tannic of these 2015s from Colgin. Huge swaths of tannin enshroud the fruit in this decidedly virile, intense Pritchard Hill red. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2015 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Even today, though, it is a stellar wine.Vinous Media | 97 VMThis is a broad-shouldered wine, underscoring the richness of the vintage. But it is also bright and fresh with a light bitter and hazelnut character on the finish. Full-bodied, focused and textured with a dusty tannin mouthfeel. Tangy and long at the finish. Enticingly fruity. Drink in 2021.James Suckling | 97 JSAssertive, with an agreeable texture that eases the tannic strength, making this a powerful expression of extracted Cabernet flavors like dark berry, cedar, graphite, tar and more. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2034. 1,050 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS