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There are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005’s. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years.Christian Moueix, Dominus’ owner, has purchased the 35-acre Swanson Vineyard, which is situated between the well-known California bistros, Brix and Mustard’s. I suspect that will result in a third label from Dominus. At present, the production from these large holdings in Yountville is approximately 10,000-12,000 cases, with the second wine, Napanook, representing 3,500-4,000 cases, depending on the vintage. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the great Merlot specialist at his flagship chateaux in Pomerol, especially Petrus, prefers the other Bordeaux varietals at his Napa property. Interestingly, when I visit Dominus, they always open a fresh bottle and serve it alongside a bottle that has been decanted for 24 hours. On each occasion, the more complex, open wine is the one that has had 24 hours of aeration, something buyers of this wine should take into consideration. These are the two strongest back to back vintages for Dominus since 1990-1991 and 2001-2002.Robert Parker | 96 RPStarting to take on the tertiary character of ripe fruit and savory components with dusty tannins. Full and round with a lovely texture and a light salty, meaty and tobacco character. Forest floor. Sweet and sour. Just opening.James Suckling | 96 JSBright red-ruby. Lovely floral lift contributes precision to the aromas of raspberry, rose petal and licorice. Sweet, high-pitched and sharply delineated; velvety but not thick. There’s a juicy quality to the ripe red fruit, mineral and graphite flavors, not to mention a firm underlying spine, that promises a long and positive evolution in bottle. Quite young but not austere, finishing with building tannins and lovely lift. The lingering perfume of red fruits, pepper, flowers and licorice is unusually complex. A really superb 2006, seemingly every bit as good as the sensational 2005.Vinous Media | 94+ VMUnless you knew that this was Dominus and had tasted older vintages, you might not be impressed. In its youth the wine is tannic and dry and linear. However, it is Dominus and it does need cellaring. Right now it shows blackberry, black currant, cedar and baker’s chocolate flavors. Will slowly open and reach maturity after 2011, and could easily develop for far longer.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEYouthfully floral and tight, this vintage of Dominus is a big wine that holds all of its weight behind a powerful structure. And it’s the power of that structure that is front and center-red apple-skin acidity and walnut-skin tannin-needing a ribeye with plenty of fat to bring the fruit out of its cage. Stay with it and the wine’s earthiness begins to meld with the blueberry and chocolate richness. But it’s all completely primary. Put this away for ten years, and drink the Napanook while it matures.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Potentially a candidate for perfection, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is the finest Bryant Family wine since the aforementioned 1997. Striking aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, flowers, smoke, truffles, and sweet berries lead to a wine with profound concentration, a silky, layered mouthfeel, perfect integration of tannin and wood, and remarkable depth, intensity, and balance. The finish lasts nearly a minute. This stunning Cabernet should age nicely for 20-30 years.Robert Parker | 98 RPA very opulent, yet fresh nose. Perfumed with fresh mushrooms, currants, and blackberries. Full bodied with an amazing density of fruit, and ripe velvety tannins. So big and compacted, with a superb structure. Very 2006 in style but with much more intensity. The fruit amazing and intense. Leave this for another five or six years. 900 cases. Pull the cork after 2016. 15+25+24+34. Find the wineJames Suckling | 98 JSAt points rustic and rough-hewn, but also enormously complex and layered, with dense, elegant herb, olive, cedar, blackberry and wild berry fruit that is full-blown and tightly focused, rich and layered, gaining velocity on the finish while retaining a sense of wildness. Best from 2012 through 2024. 850 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WS(14.9%): Healthy ruby-red. Wild plum, dark berries, musky espresso, mocha and graphite on the varietally expressive nose. Shows wonderful mineral verve but this utterly seamless wine still conveys a musky suggestion of reduction. It’s also more red than black fruit in style and shows its site more than the vintage character. Really lovely inner-mouth aromatic perfume here. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely slowly building lift. This wine blew away many of the portier, clunkier examples in my 2007 group tastings but it may need earlier drinking than some vintages of Bryant. The silky, seamless finish features a light touch and terrific spice and mocha lift.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time has a medium garnet color and sings of Indian spices, baked plums and crème de cassis with forest floor, black truffles and iron ore accents plus a waft of potpourri. The full-bodied palate delivers a firm yet plushly textured foundation to support the generous black and blue fruit preserves flavors with bags of earthy nuances and a very long finish. The sensuous mouthfeel on this wine, in particular, is to be commended!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time is gorgeous. The personality of the vintage is very well suited to the extended time in barrel (40-50 months) Woodbridge gives this wine. All the elements are in the right place. Rich, dark and sumptuous, the 2007 is totally seamless on the palate, yet at the same time, there is more than enough support from the tannins. This is yet another compelling, totally beguiling wine from Jayson Woodbridge.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Medium garnet in color with a hint of purple, the 2007 Maya Proprietary Red Wine possesses the most alluring nose of blueberry compote, Black Forest cake, crème de cassis, licorice and espresso with suggestions of truffles, beef drippings, dried sage and forest floor. Powerful, rich and substantial on the palate, it explodes with profound black fruits and earthy layers with a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2007 Maya is deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of blackberry pie, creme de cassis, and black cherry preserves pop from the glass, followed by hints of cinnamon toast, red roses, and fallen leaves. The full-bodied palate is packed with bold black fruit layers, supported by plush, beautifully ripe tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and opulent. Andy Erickson started here in January 2007 and it was also the first year of organic farming.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIWhat a difference a year makes. The 2007 Maya is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. Sexy and racy to the core, the 2007 captures the sensuality of the year in spades. Raspberry jam, white flowers, mint and spices are nicely shaped by silky tannins. Production was tiny, at around 270 cases, partly because 2007 is the vintage in which Dalla Valle introduced their second wine, Collina Dalla Valle. It’s great to see Maya back on track after the less than stellar 2006.Vinous Media | 96 VMShows a juicy side to the loamy earth, tobacco, cedar and tar flavors. Complex and layered, if starting to show signs of age and a drying edge. The initial burst of fruit is captivating. -- Blind 1997/2007 California Cabernet retrospective (January 2017). Drink now. 300 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This shows so much dark fruit, spice, berry and minerals incense. Full body, with lots of black pepper, spice and berry. It’s so dense and beautiful. The purity of fruit is all there. Hard not to drink now. But will improve for many years ahead.James Suckling | 97 JSBright, saturated medium ruby. Youthful but already highly expressive high-pitched perfume of blackberry, violet, licorice, crushed rock and honeysuckle. Savory, sappy, thick and fine-grained, delivering uncommon depth of texture and a strong umami character to its sweet/salty dark fruit and meat flavors. This wine stands out for its restraint today but it’s much easier to taste than it was shortly after being bottled, and there’s still a lot to come. Finishes classically dry and very long, with wonderfully suave, integrated tannins and mouthfilling perfume.Vinous Media | 96 VMI could have sworn the 2009 IX Estate Syrah had some Viognier in it, but all of these wines are 100% Syrah. Flowery, peppery, blackberry and bacon aromas reminiscent of a Cote Rotie jump from the glass. However, once in the mouth, the masculinity, power, awesome richness and incredible texture come forward. This killer Syrah should drink well for 20 or more years.Robert Parker | 95 RPA brilliant expression of dense, rich layers of spice, beef, wild berry, savory and herbal notes, offering intensity, focus, grace and finesse. Should evolve beautifully over the next decade or two. Drink now through 2030. 420 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

A highlight of the tasting, with rocking energy, dense black currant and black berry fruit and loads of singed wood thoroughly embedded throughout. Juicy bramble, alder and bay leaf notes chime in, with a mouthwatering mineral spine buried deep on the finish.—Non-blind Ridge Monte Bello vertical (June 2019). Best from 2022 through 2042. 3,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSDeep and fascinating nose of dry earth, cedar, black olive and candied orange, as well as a slew of delicate, spicy notes. Rich, concentrated and extremely well structured, this has stacks of fine tannins that push the stony finish way out towards infinity. Still so much vitality! A cuvee of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 4% petit verdot. Tasted at the Thomas Kammeier Monte Bello vertical. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2010 growing season was long and cool, reflecting the influence of an El Niño year, defined by a short but intense heat wave in late August. But whereas Ridge’s Sonoma County vineyards experienced a high of 117 degrees Fahrenheit for two days, Monte Bello ridge only reached 105 degrees. The ensuing 2010 Monte Bello is very classic in profile, offering up aromas of crushed cassis, plums, cigar tobacco, rich loamy soil, black tea and dark chocolate. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a deep and concentrated core of vibrantly crunchy fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a long, tangy finish that’s still youthfully chewy. Though the two vintages are very close in quality, the 2010 is very different in profile from the somewhat larger scaled 2012: it’s less expansive, but built around a brighter vertical line. I’d recommend cellaring it for an additional three or four years and don’t expect it to truly hit its stride until after 2025. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and it attained 13.2% natural alcohol.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPEric Baugher and Paul Draper select this wine from 58 acres at Monte Bello, predominantly cabernet sauvignon (74 percent in 2010), with merlot (20 percent), petit verdot and cabernet franc. They shape the wine through careful sorting of the grapes, fermenting without added yeast, pressing to new American oak barrels after seven days. The wine then ages two stories down in the 19th-century limestone cellar carved out of the ridge 2,600 feet above the Pacific. The vines, rooted in that same limestone, provide a massive wine, substantial in its structure, generous in its vibrant fruit flavors, gracious in its tannins. While fruit is at the center of the wine, it’s savory and sophisticated rather than overtly sweet. The flavors touch on small berries—black currants, wild blueberries—and also hint at herbs (tarragon, tobacco). This is a terrific vintage of Monte Bello: It feels healthy and sound, with tension and drive that will sustain it for decades in the cellar.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SDeep ruby-red to the rim. Deep, complex scents of black cherry, black raspberry, cassis, soil, minerals, pipe tobacco and cedar. Enters the mouth utterly seamless and suave but extremely primary and backward; more savory than sweet in spite of the fruit’s full ripeness. Sharply delineated but youthfully backward flavors of dark berries, black cherry, licorice, minerals, flower and spices. Fairly large-scaled for Monte Bello but with a terrific mineral spine and definition and tannic backbone. Today I find this wine stubbornly backward and in need of more aging. But it has all the elements to make a very long-lived cellar classic. This powerfully structured wine has buns of steel and really clings to the palate.Vinous Media | 95+ VMRidge can trace the first vintage of wine being made from the Monte Bello site back to 1892 and this rich history of production is certainly matched by the esteem in which the wine is held today. The expert hand of Chief Winemaker Paul Draper, Decanter Man of the Year (2000), ensured another successful vintage from this iconic Californian estate in 2010, which concluded with the wine spending 18 months in US oak barrels. Stephen Brook: Refined blackcurrant and garrigue nose. Herbal but not herbaceous. Quite rich, and solid, concentrated and firm, with a good tannic backbone. This is robust and structured, with refreshing acidity on the long finish. Still plenty of life in it. Delicious! Alex Hunt MW: Masterful composure on the nose here. Some tannin (possibly wood-derived) to resolve, but there is abundantly classy and precise blue and black berry fruit, and a real richness of flavour achieved without resorting to high ripeness and alcohol. Still very young, this wine is a strong long-term bet. Piotr Petras MS: Fruit-driven, spicy and chocolatey aromas. The palate is generous and dense, yet showing firm tannins and characterful, stone character. Very well-made.Decanter | 95 DECOne of the lowest-alcohol prestige Cabs on the market, Ridge’s 2010 bottling is dry, softly tannic and light in body for a Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet it’s complex in flavor, offering tiers of blackberries, cherries, currants, herbs and spices. Wants some time, but not a lot. Drink 2015–2018.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

This is my favourite of the famous Colgin reds in this vintage. It’s incredibly aromatic and perfumed, full- bodied and harmonious. Loads of violet and lavender character. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSDeep red-ruby. Sappy aromas of black raspberry, blackberry, mocha and cracked pepper. Incredibly vivid and high-pitched on the palate, with the vibrant dark berry flavors complicated by orange peel, espresso and pungent minerality. Conveys an impression of great density without weight. Best today on the inexorable, slowly mounting finish, which finishes with substantial but utterly refined tannins and great lift and length. Stunning already but it would be a shame not to allow this beauty to express itself more fully, as it has the size, balance and acidity to support a long and graceful evolution in bottle. I underrated this wine in the early going.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is virtually all Cabernet Sauvignon except for tiny dollops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It offers up gorgeous aromas of lavender, creme de cassis, violets, toast, incense and camphor. Layered, full-bodied and rich with great purity, focus and symmetry, this stunning effort from one of the tenderloin corridors of Napa Valley can be drunk early on or cellared for another 25-30 years.There are a lot of magnificent estates with Shangri-La-like beauty spread throughout California, and the Colgin property is in the top ten list for spectacular views as well as top quality. Sitting atop Pritchard Hill with stunning views of Lake Hennessey and the surrounding mountains, their IX Estate Vineyard is on a steep, intimidating hillside. It is one of the must-see attractions in Northern California, if not the entire state. The longstanding winemaking team of Ann Colgin, Allison Tauziet and Bordeaux consultant Dr. Alain Raynaud has produced some magnificent wines over the years (the 2001s, 2002s, 2005s, 2007s and 2008s) as well as amazing efforts in 2009, 2010 and 2012. There are three Bordeaux blend offerings, one from their Tychson Hill estate vineyard off Highway 29, north of St. Helena, and the second, the IX Estate blend. The Cariad is fashioned from a blend of grapes purchased from a number of David Abreu-s well-known and highly respected vineyards. There is also a fourth wine, the IX Estate Syrah, which is often a dead-ringer for a great Northern Rhone. In 2010, March and early April were very cold, but normal conditions persisted over the summer with no heat spikes, and September and October were ideally warm. The results include some spectacular wines that are among the finest I have ever tasted from Colgin. The 2011s were the result of a Draconian-like sorting procedure in both the vineyard and the winery, and significant bleeding of the tanks to concentrate the wines. The wines have turned out well, although as I might expect they are lighter and less significant than the other vintages reviewed. 2012 promises to be a spectacular vintage. This was a big as well as ripe crop (without over-ripeness), and the growing conditions were nearly ideal. In the past, I have underrated Colgin-s Syrahs only to have them in blind tastings later and be blown away by just how profound they are. They are completely different from any other California Syrahs and have an affinity to some of the great 100% single vineyard Syrahs from Michel Chapoutier and the up-and-coming firm of Delas.Robert Parker | 96 RPVery firm and tannic, yet with a pleasingly dense and richly flavored core of dark berry, mineral, graphite and licorice. Unfolds slowly, ending with a dash of espresso and mocha. Needs time. Best from 2015 through 2025. 370 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2013 Cappella is dense, young and full of energy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather and licorice are front and center. Still young and vibrant, the 2013 is seriously impressive. It can be enjoyed now, but another few years in bottle will help soften the tannins further. What a stellar wine it is. The 2013 is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. At this stage, this is the most approachable 2013 in the range.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe Cappella, which usually has at least 35-30% Cabernet Franc in it, looks absolutely fabulous now that the 2013 Cappella is finally in bottle. They only made about 206 cases of it, so it’s a small cuvée from this vineyard on the back streets of St. Helena. It displays sweet espresso notes, loads of white chocolate, blackberry, Asian spice and incense. It is full-bodied and opulent, with the tannins surprisingly silky and well-disguised, which is somewhat unusual in this vintage of extraordinary power and density. This is a 35- to 50-year wine.Robert Parker | 96 RPThis has the broad-shouldered persona of the vintage, but its muscular physique is deftly cloaked in velvety structure, with loam, warmed cassis, alder, steeped plum and sweet tobacco notes that are seamlessly layered. The long finish shows latent drive as a graphite underpinning plays its role, giving the fruit the support for a lengthy encore. There’s plenty of life ahead for this too. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Blind 2013 California Cabernet retrospective (February 2023). Drink now through 2040. 239 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2017 Maya is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc and was bottled one week before I tasted it. Very deep purple-black in color, it opens with profound earthy notions of truffles, damp soil, crushed rocks and tar over a core of Black Forest cake, black raspberries, blueberry compote and aged meat plus touches of wilted roses and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is solidly structured with firm, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness lifting the multilayered blue and black fruits with a long, perfumed finish. Stunning.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2017 Maya is not only gorgeous, it also appears to have handled the rigors of the growing season more successfully than the others. Ripe red cherry and plum fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, mint and spice all build as this racy, sumptuous wine shows off its considerable allure. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are just magic here.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGTiny production from the eastern hills of Oakville. If you love Bordeaux wines it’s such a treat to taste a blend of just Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, something that you rarely see in the Médoc. It works extremely well, with an aromatic kick of raspberry leaf and violet flowers but the key to the body is coffee, bilberry, rosemary, mulberry and cloves. Great acidity set against power and concentration. The savoury edge that makes Cabernet such a delicious food-friendly wine is here, and is extremely elegant and refined but with a punch and undertow. Good stuff, with long ageing potential. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2042.Decanter | 95 DECThe plum and chocolate, as well as hazelnut and dried-flower character is prevalent here. It’s full-bodied, yet very refined with lovely, polished tannins and a long, crisp finish. Balanced and focused. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSSolidly built, with ganache, plum, fig paste, smoldering tobacco and loam notes rolled together, ending with a muscular feel on the dark finish. Reveals a strong tug of terroir. Will need some time to stretch out fully. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035. 800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2019 Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine checks in as a 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from two different vineyards. The Cabernet Franc really stands out, and the wine has a complex, forest floor, herbal, bouquet garni-like character as well notes of woodsmoke, iron, and blue fruits. Full-bodied on the palate, it has some background chocolaty oak, a great mid-palate, and a heck of a finish.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard features leafy, minty nuances and hints of tobacco set against a backdrop of redcurrants. Full-bodied and ripe but remarkably elegant, it finishes supple and long, with a delectable silky texture. It’s undeniably sexy, but I have to admit I didn’t pick up on the "hot chick-just-done-with-Pilates pheromone quality" that Bevan described.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Red Wine EE Tench Vineyard is compelling. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc works so well here. A whole range of floral and savory notes give the 2019 its striking presence. Raspberry jam, blood orange, kirsch and spice add inner perfume and polish. The 2019 EE is such an alluring wine.Antonio Galloni | 94-97 AG

Fragrant and so scented on the nose, inviting and cool. The classic blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc is smooth and supple on the palate, crisp and crunchy yet smooth and silky and also slightly chewy and bouncy. A lovey combination of power and focus, this has drive and sculpt, nuance and detail. Excellent presentation, really fills the palate with juice, energy brightness. Lovely length and overall structure, fels well worked, full but not overpowering, rich but not overly alcoholic - a wonderful presentation and totally delicious. Winemakers Naoko Dalla Valle and Andy Erickson.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECPerhaps there’s a subtle added touch of leafy complexity to the 2020 Maya that the Cabernet Sauvignon doesn’t show, but otherwise, this 60-40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is reasonably similar, with black cherries, dark loamy notes, hints of cassis, cedar and vanilla. It’s medium to full-bodied, richly textured and tannic but with a slightly open-knit feel and a ripe, softly wooly finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2020 Maya, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. It offers up bright, lively notes of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and mulberries plus nuances of wild sage, lavender, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is lively and refreshing, with fine-grained tannins supporting the vibrant red and black berry layers, finishing long and earthy.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIEven better, the 2020 Maya Proprietary Red Wine checks in as the usual blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, and it’s another full-bodied example of this cuvée that has a brilliant core of both red and black fruits as well as dark chocolate, leafy tobacco, spring flowers, and a kiss of chalky minerality. Structured, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, it doesn’t get any better in 2020.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDSubtle yet transparent blackberry, black licorice and cassis bush. Some sage and lavender as well. Graphite, too. Full-bodied, yet tight and poised on the palate, with tight and refined tannins that are compact in the mouth. They are layered and run vertically down the wine. Turns nicely austere at the end. Very well done for the vintage. Give this three to four years to open up.James Suckling | 96 JSFeatures a cassis and black cherry fruit core flanked by a prominent tobacco note, with a loamy edge driving through as well. The slightly taut finish is underscored by alder and warm paving stone accents. Shows its Cabernet Franc side more than the Cabernet Sauvignon component. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2035. 700 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Aromas of currants, blackberries, fresh mushrooms and flowers. Medium-bodied with compacted fruit and integrated, fine tannins. Ripe fruit with reserve. Attractive and alluring. Excellent structure. 88% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot. Give it at least five years to open and soften, but very attractive now.James Suckling | 95 JS

This shows a lot of class, with aromas of blackcurrants, graphite, blueberries, dried flowers, black truffles and a touch of forest floor. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with seamless tannins that goes on and on. Endless. Blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and violets with hints of fresh rose stems and light herbs. Velvety texture. A blend of 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Better after 2027.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2021 Napanook is one heck of a Napanook, offering complex notes of currants, cassis, graphite, leafy tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate. Incredible on the palate, it’s full-bodied and round, with supple, vibrant, incredible tannins. This is easily the finest vintage I’ve tasted of this cuvée and it’s the equivalent of many a Grand Vin from other producers.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThe 2021 Napanook, tasted from barrel, is fabulous. Rich, deep and super-expressive, the 2021 captures all the best the vintage has to offer. A whole range of floral and savory overtones lend nuance. This vibrant, intensely mineral Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolute delight to taste today, and an especially fine edition of Napanook, endowed with big fruit and equally potent tannins.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

The first-ever Estate Pinot Noir from Ramey, sourced from the family’s home ranch, Westside Farms, which neighbours Williams-Selyem and Rochioli. This historic site has been farmland since the mid-1800s and borders a mile and a half of the Russian River. "Context is important, especially in a challenging vintage," says Alan Ramey. To illustrate this, they presented the wine side by side with an Échezeaux Grand Cru. "Temperatures are changing, and Burgundy is getting warmer. Our wine has nearly the same TA, pH, and ABV, yet the style is slightly different—and then there’s the value play… this Burgundy costs about $300 more than ours. We want to show that our wines can stand alongside those at much higher price points." Ramey ferments in stainless steel before transferring to a barrel, whereas the Burgundy was fermented in a barrel with 100% new French oak. The Ramey Estate Pinot Noir is aged in approximately 40–50% new French oak. The wine displays beautiful vibrancy, with a light- to medium-bodied character and a gentle sweetness to its red-fruited core. Blood orange acidity and elevated, velvety tannins add a crisp edge. The long finish carries layers of red berry fruit, blood orange, clove, coriander cream, sassafras, and pressed wildflowers, all underpinned by hints of loamy, sandy earth. Savoury and bone dry, with remarkable intensity balanced by freshness.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2022 Estate Pinot Noir Westside Farms is the inaugural release of Pinot Noir from the Ramey family’s Westside Farms ranch. It comes from vines planted in clay-loam soils along the Russian River in 2001. The grapes were harvested on August 18 and 19, before the Labor Day heat wave, and only free-run juice was included. It was fermented in tank with 25% whole clusters and matured for 18 months in 45% new French François Frères barrels. It has a pale ruby color and open, inviting aromas of cranberry sauce, rhubarb, blood orange, allspice and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate surprises with its highly concentrated, layered flavors and is lent complexity by emerging earthy nuances. It’s structured by lacy tannins and vibrant acidity and has a very long, layered finish. It will benefit from several years in the cellar. It will be released in September of 2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2022 Pinot Noir Westside Farms is a bright red color and has a spiced profile with notes of ripe cherries, strawberries, toasted spices, and forest floor. The palate is highly elegant, with a medium-bodied frame, and it has an elegant freshness, refined tannins, and an even finish. (Ramey did a wonderful job of keeping elegance and freshness in this vintage.) It’s going to be released in the fall and will have a wide window for enjoyment over the next 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDWonderful savory, woodsy aromas and good, complex dark berry and black plum flavors in this full-bodied, moderately tannic wine. Elements of pine, redwood bark, bay laurel, black raspberries and wood smoke. Made using one-fourth whole clusters, with skin contact of three weeks and barrel aged for 20 months, all of which emphasize the savory aspects. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSOffers streamlined raspberry and blood orange coulis notes infused with a light potpourri accent through the finish, which is marked by pretty perfume. Drink now through 2027. 428 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Blending 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, and lovingly referred to as Baby Monte Bello, designated as Monte Bello since the 2008 vintage, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Monte Bello Vineyard is known for its weightlessness, made to be approachable in its youth with great intention. Barrel-aged for 17 months in 50-60% new oak to integrate and soften the tannins, it still has another 15-20 years of aging, if not 25.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe grape that founded the Montebello estate, the Ridge Cabernet, is a Montebello-grown wine made from fruit that doesn’t contribute to the flagship, Montebello bottling. It tends to be more accessible in its youth and is softer in its profile. 2022 was the third straight drought year, with low yields and concentrated, small berries with ample tannin. The wine sees 17 months in 50% new American oak, and you pick that up in the aromatics, with a note of sweet tobacco leaf. The palate, however, is loaded with verve, bright saline minerality and taut early-season black fruits on soaring fresh acidity.Decanter Magazine | 95 DEC

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard is sensational. Powerful and deep, there is almost no sensation of tannin, but it’s all there. Graphite, inky dark fruit, menthol, licorice, chocolate and sage are some of the many notes that infuse the 2023 with its character and personality. This is one of the most captivating wines I have tasted from Russell Bevan.Vinous Media | 98-100 VMThe 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard has a similar inky purple/ruby hue to go with sensational aromatics of red, blue, and black fruit as well as crushed stone, iron, baking spice, and leather. This wine is dense, rich, and full-bodied, with a monster of a palate, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s going to require just a few years in the cellar, but this is another tour de force from Bevan.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDBevan’s 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard comes from a site in eastern Oakville, alongside the Silverado Trail. This vintage shows Ribena-like purity in its cassis aromas, plus a delicate hint of dried sage. It’s full-bodied on the palate, chunky and intense but maybe lacking a bit of finesse compared to some other years. At this level of quality that’s a quibble, as it’s concentrated and long on the finish, a super example of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink well for close to two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Ontogeny shows ripe, sexy levels of blue fruits, darker chocolate, graphite, and even a kiss of minerality. It’s full-bodied, round, lush, and layered, with sweet tannins and a pleasure-bent profile that’s hard to resist. Drink this hedonistic pleasure bomb over the coming 15+ years. As always, this is an absolute brilliant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that more than delivers the goods. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Red Wine Ontogeny is bold, punchy and super expressive. A blast of super ripe dark cherry fruit/plum fruit, spice, tobacco and chocolate are all beautifully amplified. Ontogeny delivers tons of Bevan personality and character. Floral and savory overtones extend the long, polished finish. The 2023 benefits from the inclusion of a few lots that I tasted last year separately that were later added into the blend, most notably the two Cabernets from Phelan Vineyard that I reviewed from barrel.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Based on 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot and aged 20 months in 40% new French oak, the 2023 Dominus is absolutely gorgeous, with an incredible level of purity and refinement. Cassis, graphite, crushed stone, melted crayons, and floral nuances all define the aromatics. It’s medium to full-bodied, with seamless, refined elegance, ultra-fine tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. This more charming, forward, and seductive style of Dominus will offer incredible appeal over the next 20-25 years or more. Drink 2025-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Dominus is a very pretty, surprisingly open-knit wine from this estate. Soft contours wrap around a core of pliant red/purplish fruit. Lavender, rose petal and gently spiced overtones caress the mid-palate and finish. I expect the 2023 will drink well with minimal cellaring, something that is rarely the case here.Vinous Media | 96 VM