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Aromas of gunpowder, dried peach and sliced cooked apple. Sea shell. Pineapple. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and lots of fruit but still reserved at the end. Hints of brioche and caramel and then cream. Plenty of fruit and length. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSTypically sourced from vineyards rich in Sonoma’s famous Goldridge soil series such as Ritchie, El Diablo, Bootlegger’s Hill, Heintz, Flora Marie, Winner’s Circle, and Keefer Ranch, Kosta Browne’s 2021 One-Sixteen Chardonnay from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley takes full advantage of the region’s foggy mornings and cooler nights. This is a very plush vintage of One-Sixteen, kicking off with an enticing nose of confected lemon bars, flinty minerals, and candied apricots. The mouthfeel is lush, broadening immediately on the palate with the warming richness of biting into a freshly baked almond pastry. Balancing acidity adds a racy, crisp undertow, giving a burst of energetic freshness that resonates with an almost palpable energy through a lengthy, mineral, and floral finish—aged in a mix of new French oak, Austrian oak, wood cask, and stainless steel—83% barrel fermented with some in foudre. (Drink between 2024-2034)Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chardonnay One Sixteen, matured for 14 months in 34% new French oak, takes some time to shake off its youthful crème brûlée and allspice tones to reveal apricot, beeswax and honeysuckle aromas. The medium-bodied palate offers powerful fruit and oak spice and satisfying freshness to lift the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The 2021 Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains) is a gorgeous wine that captures the essence of the house style. Bright, lifted and wonderfully transparent, the 2021 is all class. Sweet spice and citrus accents complement a core of bright red-toned fruit. Whole cluster accents add layers of nuance. This is such a gorgeous Pinot.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Stunning aromatics lift from the 2021 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills, which pours a jeweled ruby and offers a mix of red and black fruits, an amazing floral perfume, pine, and crushed stones, all well-interwoven. Seamless on the palate, this medium to full-bodied red has a silky mineral texture, with velvety tannins and gorgeous concentration throughout. With long-lasting energy and outstanding purity, it’s hard to resist now and feels as though it will last for the next 15 or more years. This is one of the best wines I have ever tasted from Mimi Casteel.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD

The 2021 EE Red Wine is ripe and powerful, with smoky red and black fruits as well as lots of background oak, graphite, espresso, and dark chocolate-like aromas and flavors that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has plenty of background oak, the building tannins of the vintage, and a great finish. A gorgeous wine, it will benefit from 3-4 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years in cold cellars. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc brought up in new barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard offers up a wonderful range of dark fruit—black cherries, cassis and blackberries—couched in hints of dark chocolate. Like almost all the Bevan wines, it’s full-bodied, richly concentrated and velvety in texture. This one finishes long, with a mocha and cocoa-stained finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95-97 RPThe 2021 Red Blend EE is one of the more overt wines in the range. Super-ripe red cherry, blackberry, chocolate, spice, gravel and licorice are all amplified in this heady, exotic Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend. The 2021 is a powerhouse.Vinous Media | 93-96 VM

Looking at the flagship estate Viognier, the 2021 Viognier Estate boasts a vibrant, medium to full-bodied, incredibly focused and mineral-driven profile that reminds me of a Condrieu from pure granite soils. Tangerine oil, honeyed flowers, brioche, and citrus notes all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and one heck of a great finish. I finished my note with "Love it." As I’ve written in the past, no one in the New World does Viognier better than John Alban.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2021 Viognier Estate is tremendously expressive and vibrant! It’s layered and complex on the nose, segueing from savory matchstick to exotic, musky perfume, candied peaches and tangerine oil. The palate offers flesh and unctuousness without fattiness, full flavors that are tempered by a powerful textural bite and flinty streaks and energetic acidity that combine to create an alluring, shimmery finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

An absolutely riveting Cabernet showing a deep ruby-purple colour. Gorgeously fragrant at the cork’s pull with terrific violets and loads of black currants and dark dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied with chiselled, precise tannins that build and build on the palate. At this early stage, the wine is full of ripe blackberry and black currant fruits that harbour impressive clarity of flavours, growing even more expressive with beautiful sagebrush nuances. Philipp Togni remarked that this vintage reminds him of St. Julien. Indeed, it is incredibly aromatic, elegant, and structured, and it is also a complete and seamless wine. 82% Cabernet Sauvignon is joined by 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet France, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink:2024-2060.Decanter | 100 DECThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is an outrageously beautiful wine and also one of the wines of the year. A soaring, exotic bouquet makes a strong opening statement. Pliant and creamy, with mind-blowing textural finesse, the 2021 dazzles from start to finish. Hard candy, mint, lavender, Kirsch and spice linger on the close. The 2021 possesses mind-blowing purity and exceptional finesse.Vinous Media | 99 VM

Lastly, the 2021 The Bard checks in as 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. This beauty has a killer bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, graphite, chalky minerality, and violets. This carries to a full-bodied, seamless, silky, flawlessly balanced effort revealing fine tannins, a good sense of freshness, and a thrilling finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAfter sampling 86 wines over a two-day marathon tasting with Realm Cellars co-owners Scott Becker and winemaker Benoit Touquette, I had no doubt that one would make my top 10 list of the year. It would be The Bard, which will be available beginning in 2024. It is a very giving wine that promises great rewards for long-term cellaring and is enjoyable three full nights in a row, never losing its zeal if having one great glass each night is your prerogative. Power and muscle frame the core of this towering red, with its red-toned fruits and rich, toasty oak spices nuanced by bay Laurel and pastis. Full-bodied with tremendous decadence of chocolaty tannins that are pliant and billowy, lifted by supple blackberry and black raspberry fruit, a drizzle of cherry coulis, and resolving with refined tobacco, cedar wood spices, and laced with coriander and cumin aromatics. It has a satisfyingly rich finish. Number five of my top 10 wines of 2023.Decanter | 97 DECThe purity of fruit here is impressive with blackcurrants, bark and black mushrooms. Full-bodied but light-footed and fresh with integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Real transparency and focus. 83% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 1% petite sirah. So drinkable but can age as well.James Suckling | 97 JSA blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Petite Sirah, the fruit for the 2021 The Bard comes from sites across the valley, including some estate fruit and some sourced fruit. Deep garnet-purple colored, it shoots from the glass with vibrant notions of crushed black currants, red currant jelly, black raspberries, and pencil shavings, giving way to notes of lilacs, dark chocolate, and a waft of spearmint. The full-bodied palate is firm with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone framing the tightly wound red, black, and blue fruit flavors, finishing with great length and a real skip in its step.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2021 The Bard is fabulous. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant, the 2021 offers up generous dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, spice, menthol and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2021 flaunts tons of flavor intensity and vibrancy. It’s a gorgeous wine, especially considering it is the largest-production wine at Realm.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Bright and inviting, the 2021 Chardonnay Drouhin Oregon Roserock has high-toned aromatics including loads of lime zest, honeyed apple, and a lifted note of gunflint that is well-managed. Medium-bodied and energetic, with balanced ripeness as well as loads of fresh citrus and a long finish, it has more reductive and bright-toned energy that lasts for ages through the finish. Drink 2023-2030.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDNotes of dried apples, glazed lemons, orange curd, roasted almonds and crushed stones. Hints of dried lemon peel, too. Full-bodied and broad yet it is delicate with impressive fresh acidity. Incredible minerality here with a touch of zestiness at the end. Lingering finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSFrom the Eola-Amity Hills, fast becoming Oregon’s best Chardonnay sub-appellation, given its windy conditions and volcanic soils. The Roserock shows flinty aromatics and laser-focused brightness with hints of cut early-season pears, white flowers and smoky minerality. The palate is balanced, bright and savoury, with minerality written all over it. Notes of crushed granite and green peppercorn complement grilled lemon peel, briny seaspray and smoky flint.Decanter | 93 DECDriven by electrifying acidity and a texture as crisp as a new dollar bill, this is a wine for fans of the lean, but hardly mean, style of Chardonnay. Pineapple and chamomile aromas are complemented by bits of fresh-cut grass and thyme. Flavors of chilled orange segments, lemon verbena and toasted filberts go on forever. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBrisk and fresh, with pear and grapefruit flavors accented by spice and white blossom aromatics as this glides on the steely finish. Drink now. 2,405 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Vineyard is fabulous. It emerges from a terraced vineyard at 1,800 feet in elevation in Napa Valley, just above the Coombsville AVA. Rich, dark and beautifully structured, the 2021 possesses notable pedigree and character. Black cherry, plum, gravel, licorice, bay leaf and espresso all race across the palate. Readers who enjoy old-school Napa Cabernets will adore this. This wine, if sold in Napa Valley, would cost four to five times as much. Don’t miss it!Vinous Media | 96 VM

The appellation 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, and smaller portions of Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. It’s another fabulous wine from this estate, offering pure cr me de cassis, classy oak, new leather, and graphite-driven aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, plush, integrated tannin, and the vintage’s fresher, focused style, it tastes like it costs three times the price. Drink bottles over the coming decades. Bravo.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDAromas of ripe blackcurrants, dried raspberries, spices, cedar and bark. Full-bodied with a mellow, fruit-forward character and creamy texture to the tannins. Delicious and smooth with a velvety finish. Better from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon deftly balances hints of vanilla and cedary oak against notes of ripe cherries and cassis. While not overly complex, it’s harmonious and supple, a medium to full-bodied wine that will complement a meal rather than overpower it, yet it still has ample concentration, richness and depth. Drink it over the next 10 - 15 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

Layered, elegant, vivid and mineral-driven, this full-bodied wine paints a distinct picture of one of Sonoma County’s oldest, most iconic chardonnay vineyards. Stone, kiwi and crisp apple notes fill the aromas, while light accents of butter and vanilla bean highlight the vibrant green apple and lime flavors. It expands on the palate and echoes for minutes in the finish. This wine is known to age well, so drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSElegant and precise, this crisp expression offers plenty to admire -- apple, lemon zest and Sumo orange notes, plus an aromatic punch of yuzu, orange blossoms and sweet grass. A quiet toasted brioche detail lingers in the background, as does a savory thread of freshly grated ginger and toasted green tea hints. Drink now through 2032. 774 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2021 Chardonnay Rochioli Vineyard is bright and focused, but also understated in feel. Sweet floral and citrus notes give the 2021 lovely aromatic presence to match the wine’s understated, mid-weight personality. Bright saline tones add energy and tension throughout. Lemon peel, white pepper and crushed rocks linger.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Bright straw-colored, the 2021 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is forward on the nose with notes of melon rind, fresh pear, flint, and delicate baking spice, and it has a lot of vibrant nature. Medium to full-bodied, it offers fantastic tension and a linear feel with great length, and it’s going to age very well. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Chardonnay Woolsey Road Vineyard is another dense, ample wine in this range. The Woolsey Road has a good deal of phenolic intensity. There’s real breadth and resonance here. Lemon confit, white pepper and dried herbs are nicely amplified.Vinous Media | 94 VMFragrant, focused and precise, offering flavors of lemongrass and lemon blossoms, with Meyer lemon and green papaya accents, plus a touch of tangerine. Shows green tea, lemon balm and white pepper notes on a mouthwatering frame, with a hint of salinity that lingers. Drink now. 787 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSRichness and concentration are the hallmarks of this full-bodied, mouth-filling wine. Deep in Bosc pears, baked apples and baking spices, it offers a creamy texture balanced by moderate acidity. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard brings a more concentrated, serious feel and offers ripe mulberry and cherry fruit as well as scorched earth, graphite, and minerality, with nicely integrated oak. It’s medium-bodied, concentrated, and focused, with a beautiful mouthfeel. It needs 2-3 years in the cellar (you’d be forgiven for enjoying a bottle today) and will evolve nicely over the following decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDHibiscus, crisp red fruit, fennel pollen and lemon peel aromas make for a fresh and lively nose on this single-vineyard expression. The palate lands in broad fashion, with lush flavors of strawberry, more citrus and a pinch of pepper dust. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard is bright and effusive. Crushed red berry fruit, flowers, dried herbs and a kiss of sweet French oak are nicely lifted. This racy, exuberant Pinot is quite the charmer. It, too, will benefit from a bit of cellaring.Vinous Media | 92 VMA flattering style, with a nice wave of plum sauce and blackberry preserves rolling through, flanked by singed toast, wood spice and licorice accents through the finish. Drink now through 2026. 643 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Welcome to the dark side of the pinot noir force! Deep and dangerous with enormous concentration, this full-bodied pinot noir has stacks of damson-plum and blackberry fruit, but is also extraordinarily fresh and decisively dry. Enormously long, velvety finish in which violet, smoke and stony minerality are seamlessly interwoven. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.James Suckling | 97 JSMeaning "notebook" in French, the 2021 Pinot Noir Cahiers takes on more layers of lifted spices and ripe red fruit, with orange oil, white pepper, and sage. Medium to full-bodied, with rounded fruit on the mid-palate, fine tannins, and a good finish, it’s drinking well now, although it’s leaning toward its primary fruit. It will continue to improve over the next couple of years. Drink 2024-2034.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDI could fill a notebook with descriptions of this wine’s aromas. The list is longer, but aromas include marionberries, blackcurrants, beeswax, the saline of a fresh-shucked oyster and warm masala chai spices. The wine’s smooth texture, modest acidity and silky tannins match up with rose petal and raspberry flavors. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

The 2021 Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has an opaque purple-black color. It comes barreling out of the glass with vivacious black raspberries, black currant jelly, and mulberries scents, leading to touches of rose oil, bay leaves, cedar chest, and graphite, with a hint of cardamom. The big, concentrated, full-on, full-bodied palate completely coats the mouth with decadent black fruit preserves layers, supported by firm yet plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIFrom a site north of Lake Hennessey, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) has more red and black fruits as well as a kiss of bloody, iron-like nuances in its tapenade, violets, and incense-driven aromatics. Brought up all in new barrels, it has a forward, layered, mouth-filling texture, nicely integrated tannins, and terrific overall balance. It has plenty of upfront appeal even today, yet I wouldn’t be surprised to see this close down slightly within a year or three of bottle age. It should have upwards of two decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDA showy version, with hibiscus and anise notes glistening atop a range of cassis, cherry and boysenberry puree flavors. The licorice-accented finish is long and focused. Drink now through 2036. 100 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has a slightly darker, more concentrated profile, giving up plenty of blackcurrants, scorched earth, and tobacco notes, with nicely integrated oak. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with ripe, velvety tannins, this voluptuous yet still focused and nicely structured Cabernet will keep for a solid 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDRichly flavored and generous, this wine has a firm structure. Flavors of vanilla cream, blackberry, cassis, cedar and cracked pepper are carried by firm, fine-grained tannins and a long finish. The wine could benefit from decanting so hold until 2027. Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Ride leaps with vivacious notes of crushed blackberries, juicy black plums, and Morello cherries, followed by hints of camphor and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate is refreshing and taut, with bags of crunchy black fruits and a long finish.The Wine Independent | 91 TWI

The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard brings more depth and richness, with racy citrus, toasted spice, honeyed mineral, and orange blossom notes that develop beautifully with time in the glass. Medium-bodied and balanced, with good concentration and awesome length, it’s a more mineral-driven, spicy, serious expression of Sauvignon Blanc that will evolve for 15+ years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard was barrel fermented and matured for 16 months in 21% new French oak. Recently bottled under Diam 30 corks, it’s shy on the nose at this stage yet layered and generous on the palate. It balances weightiness and textural breadth with focused acidity and boasts a deep core of stone fruit and citrus. It has youthful streaks of matchstick, and its generosity and texture help extend the finish. Treat it like a Bordeaux Blanc and allow it 2-3 years in bottle. 140 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Grimm’s Bluff Vineyard is intensely salty and mineral. Those notes lend tons of vibrancy throughout. Crushed rocks, lemon confit, mint, white pepper and slate all build as this vibrant, chiseled Sauvignon shows off its undeniable class. This is a great vintage for the Grimm’s Bluff.Vinous Media | 93 VM

This beautiful wine comes from this Rutherford site that was first planted in 1895 by Mrs. Thomas Rutherford. This 300-acre parcel first purchased by Beaulieu founder Georges de Latour in 1928 and called Beaulieu Vineyard Number 3. Inky in the glass, this offers an opulent texture once on the mouth. Layers of creme de cassis, anise, graphite, creme de violette, tar and allspice dusted black cherry all brilliantly combine on the palate, with loamy soil accents. A joy to drink now in its full-throttle youth, enjoy this brilliant new wine now and over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2024-2044Owen Bargreen | 96 OBSojourn gets Clone 337 from F Block in this historic vineyard, formerly known as Beaulieu Vineyard No. 3. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III aged in 75% new French oak before being bottled in June 2023. It’s true to its Rutherford roots, showing dusty earth notes on the nose alongside bright cherries and deeper mocha and dried-spice undertones. It’s full-bodied but somehow seems less rich than its 14.7% alcohol implies, cruising across the mid-palate in a flurry of soft tannins and finishing long and firm, with hints of dark chocolate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPRipe and juicy berries and plums are mixed through with nutmeg, cinnamon and cocoa for a lush, abundant palate of flavor. This richly present 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from one of Napa’s iconic vineyards, combines layers of oak spice with a velvety texture and a mouthfilling finish.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2021 Pinot Noir The South Slope Vineyard is a classic Steven Hansel wine. A rush of dark cherry, plum lavender, rose petal and licorice are all dialed up. This boisterous, exuberant Pinot Noir has a ton of character. Plush contours wrap it all together in style. The 2021 will be nearly impossible to resist on release. What a knock-out!Vinous Media | 96 VMThe 2021 Pinot Noir The South Slope Vineyard takes on a notably darker profile, and assuming its name is derived from the exposition of this vineyard, that comes as no surprise. Pouring a dark red/purple hue, in the glass it reveals more warmth and depth, with aromas of blackberry, pine sap, porcini, and violets. The palate is full-bodied, with more hearty richness, a meaty texture, and a rounded frame. With ripe tannins and a more grounded sensibility, it carries an earthier profile and retains a stamp of toastiness on the finish. Though I prefer the energy of the North Slope, this will certainly be a wine that Russian River Valley fans can embrace for a richer style. Drink 2024-2030.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD

This is quite the Chardonnay from Brianne Day and the renowned Eola Springs Vineyard in the best Chardonnay appellation in America. Winemaker Brianne Day chose three different blocks and three different clones: Hyde Wente, Mount Eden and Chardonnay 96 (a Dijon clone). She picked the Hyde Wente and Mount Eden early for structure and acid, and the Dijon 96 was picked later to flesh out the palate with riper fruits. Captivating lemon curd aromas and rich, honeyed apricots are followed by almond pastry cream.—dollops of rich lemon cream, ripe peach fuzz, and rich apricot flesh.Decanter | 96 DECDistinctly savory, the 2021 Chardonnay Eola Springs Vineyard bursts from the glass with an array of crushed rocks and flint giving way to dried apricots and nectarine. This displays silky textures, seamless and lifted, with crisp orchard fruits and mineral tones cascading across the palate. It finishes with staining length yet is incredibly fresh, leaving a hint of candied citrus and a salty tinge. Nicely done.Vinous Media | 93 VMRich, creamy and full-bodied yet surprisingly elegant, this Oregon chardonnay glides over the palate, but also has the structure to age for some years. The tannins from the generous toasty oak build at the long, imposing finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSThe 2021 Eola Springs Vineyard bottling of chardonnay from Breeana Day is a lovely wine. It offers up a beautifully complex bouquet of pear, nectarine, a touch of almond, a lovely base of soil tones, gently musky floral tones and a discreet framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is vibrant, focused and full-bodied, with a beautiful core of ripe fruit, lovely soil undertow and grip, zesty acids and a long, poised, seamlessly-balanced and complex finish. This is really lovely juice, coming in at thirteen percent octane and offering a lovely synthesis of perfectly ripe fruit and structural tension on the backend. It should age beautifully. (Drink between 2024 - 2040)John Gilman | 93 JG

The 2021 The Flight is composed of 65% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it waltzes out with flamboyant notes of juicy black raspberries, ripe plums, and boysenberry preserves followed by hints of cinnamon toast, rosebud tea, garrigue, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with rich black fruit layers and red berry accents supported by super-ripe rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a persistent ferrous note.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIIn 2021, ’The Flight’ presents a vibrant, drop-dead gorgeous wine in the glass, teeming with energy. From a medium-dark ruby colour fanning out like a dark ruby-hued rose to the edges, the wine is immediately enticing from the pull of the cork with beautifully perfumed rose petal florals, spicy wild fennel and mint nuanced by a spray of orange citrus peel, cedarwood and lilacs. Medium-bodied with super crunchy red fruit and focused, granular tannins. There’s power and finesse driving saline-scented minerals and an incredibly long finish, which is further enhanced by more perfumed florals. It’s a seamless wine that still has a bit of youthful edginess, which, in time, will gloss over with polish.Decanter | 99 DECBlackberries and blueberries, together with hints of chocolate and violets. So perfumed. Some bark, too. Medium body with freshness and length. The tannins have a fine, velvety texture and wonderful length. Very structured. Lightly chewy. Lasts for minutes. 65% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 19% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 The Flight is built around a core of Merlot from old vines on cobbly soils at the front of the property. From barrel, the 2021 was quite sensual, perhaps deceptively so. This recent tasting of the finished wine from bottle reveals a powerful, dense Flight packed with dark-toned fruit, leather, tobacco and incense. In many vintages, The Flight is accessible young, but the 2021 is a wine for the cellar. It is one of the best and most complete editions I have tasted. There’s a fair amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend and quite a bit more Franc than usual, which contributes to the wine’s personality and overall feel.Vinous Media | 97 VMI was able to taste the primary components of the 2021 The Flight, all of which showed pure, vibrant profiles as well as sound underlying structure and acidity. It reminds me slightly of the 2019 and will be a beautiful, elegant, incredibly classic example of this cuvée.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JD

Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville may be the finest wine I’ve tasted from this estate, although the 2016 might have something to say about that. Ripe blackcurrants, fresh blue fruits, huge minerality, full-bodied richness, a dense, concentrated mid-palate, and incredibly pure notes of chocolate, loamy earth, tobacco, and lead pencil all define this sensational Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannin quality as well as the overall balance are just about off the charts. This warrants 4-5 years in the cellar and will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe red fruit and tile aromas with terra-cotta come through clearly here. Then there’s sage and bark with cedar undertones. Leaves, too. Then turns to blue fruits. Full body with lovely tannins that are velvety and energetic from the underlying acid and earth character. Excellent finish. Drink after 2028.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville soars out of the glass. Inky dark cherry, gravel, licorice, graphite and chocolate saturate the palate. Vertical, dense and explosive, the 2021 is wonderfully deep and expressive. There’s plenty of Oakville Ranch tannin, but it is so well-balanced.Vinous Media | 98 VMJuicy and vibrant in feel, this bursts with exuberant notes of raspberry, mulberry and boysenberry pâte de fruit scored with roasted apple wood and licorice root accents. A lovely flurry of iris and hibiscus forms the backdrop, and there’s a late-running tug of loam to keep everything grounded through the finish. Hard to lay off now, but this shows the stuffing to cellar a bit. Drink now through 2040. 365 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

‘A classical vintage that perfectly suits the Opus style. Gorgeous vivid plum colour, sculpted, balanced, with a ton of lift, waves of rose petals, iris and peony, soft grilled cumin, sage and white pepper spice. Love the hidden power here and the supple slightly chalky tannins that are structured in their architecture with a precision and carved quality. Precise, layered and stretched out, a brilliant Opus, concentrated and yet delicate. Feels pared back and captures the spirit of early Opus, when it moved forward the conversation of what Napa could be. Michael Silacci director, 100% new oak for ageing extremely well integrated even now.’Jane Ansen | 100 JAAn enticing aroma of violets, cherry blossoms, fresh blue and black fruit and great structure define this beautiful, age-worthy wine. Subtle layering of fruit and oak spices between firm, fine-grained and supportive tannins gives it a calm intensity. So elegant and polished. Hints of cinnamon and graphite accent blackcurrant and blueberry flavors that linger and grow in a long finish. Already attractive to drink, but best after 2029.James Suckling | 99 JSTasted out of bottle, the 2021 Opus One is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and splashes of Merlot and Malbec. This rich, full-bodied, concentrated Opus exhibits a deep ruby/plum hue as well as textbook notes of cedar pencil, graphite, tobacco, and a Graves-like scorched earth character. In my view, this is one of the finest vintages of this cuvée produced, and while it’s accessible today, it has another 30+ years of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Opus One is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and half a percent each of Malbec and Merlot. It was aged up to 19 months in 100% new French oak. It’s a seamless wine with balletic elegance and grace. From a deep ruby-crimson colour comes heady red and violet floral notes, sandalwood, and rich brown spices nuanced by graphite and dried sagebrush. Medium to full-bodied with ultrafine-grained tannins, almost powdery, with gorgeous cranberry and raspberry fruits and a kind of juicy, woody, crushed pomegranate seed character. You really can’t believe how light and ephemeral this wine is.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2021 Opus One is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% each of Merlot and Malbec. It was bottled in July 2023. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with gregarious notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, and redcurrant jelly followed by hints of cedar chest, sassafras, vanilla pod, and dark chocolate plus a waft of lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers shimmery red, black, and blue fruit layers with a firm texture of rounded tannins and impressive tension, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIThe 2021 Opus One is one of the most elegant, polished Opus Ones in recent memory. Pliant and supple, with super-refined tannins, the 2021 has a ton to offer. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and resonance, not to mention superb balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, flowers, spice and mint caress the palate, framed by silky, ripe tannins that are the hallmark of a superior vintage. I can’t wait to see how the 2021 develops. This is a stellar showing, certainly the best so far.Vinous Media | 97+ VMShows lovely range and good energy, with an old-school tilt to the savory, bay leaf and tobacco notes that lead the way for a core of gently mulled red currant and black cherry fruit. There’s a leathery strap of grip on the finish, plus a flicker of cedar. This is sneakily long and should age gracefully. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2042. 25,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS