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Silver Oak’s 2020 releases of Napa and Alexander Valley Cabernets are downright impressive. Tasted four years after the fires, in September of 2024 at the Alexander Valley winery, neither wine showed any sign of the hardened tannic structure or overwrought fruit often associated with the vintage. Instead, these wines remain true to Silver Oak’s signature style, with blackcurrant, fig, and plum fruits layered with white pepper, sweet cedar, and coriander spice. Medium-bodied, with sculpted tannins that persist through the lengthy finish, the Alexander Valley Cabernet in particular retains all the hallmarks of a balanced, inviting, and vibrant Silver Oak red.Decanter Magazine | 94 DEC

Made from a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Sorella is fresh yet restrained and has a focused and red-fruited core of spiced potpourri. The nose is slightly compressed at the moment and takes some spinning in the glass to coax some of the more delicate and seductive nuances, revealing layers of complexity. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this is a gorgeous, world-class wine whose true power comes from not being bold and massive but rather from being delicate, finessed and focused. The wine is balanced on the palate, with a compact frame, elegant structure, succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins before uncoiling across the mid-palate. The wine glides to a seductive and lingering finish and will undoubtedly be well-received when it is released in early 2025. It’s a fantastic bottling of Sorella, and I’ll end with a parting note that I shared with Chris and Will Camarda: “Bigger isn’t better... BETTER is better! This may be one of the most delicate Sorella bottlings I’ve had in many years. Although it comes in a more compact frame, the 2020 is just as devastatingly gorgeous as any I’ve had.” Only 9,030 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 22 months in 30% new French oak barrels.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPThe 2020 Sorella is darkly floral with a perfumed blend of dried violets and roses, giving way to hints of red plum, fig, stone dust and sage. This displays silken textures contrasted by a core of tart red and black fruits as tactile mineral tones add form. Brisk acidity maintains amazing freshness. The 2020 finishes long and potent, with grippy tannins tugging at the cheeks without detracting from the experience. The 2020 is a much softer and more approachable Sorella, but with that said, it has the balance for a long and harmonious evolution.Vinous Media | 94 VMI don’t think the 2020 Sorella is a match for recent vintages, but it’s clearly an outstanding wine. Offering ample red and black fruits as well as notions of gravelly earth, chocolate, and roasted herbs, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, bright acidity, and firm tannins. It shows the more challenging style of the vintage with its narrower, firmer style, but it should round into form with 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

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

The 2021 Zinfandel Old Vines shows plenty of Lodi exuberance. Succulent red/purplish fruit, leather and sweet spice are front and center, with bright acids that perk things up on the mid-palate and finish. The 2021 is delicious and also a terrific value.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

Lovely nose of black raspberries and mulberries with the oak way in the background. Concentrated and very elegant with great powdery tannins underneath. Very long, polished finish that pulls you inexorably back to the glass for more of this beauty. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2021 Pinot Noir Momtazi Vineyard opens with a seductively rich bouquet that blends crushed black cherries and cloves with violet florals and hints of cola. This impresses further with its juicy character and soft textures, displaying vividly ripe wildberry fruits offset by hints of blood orange and a mineral suggestion toward the close. The 2021 takes a turn toward the savory spectrum through the finish, leaving gently grippy tannins to resonate as hints of licorice slowly fade. This is a fantastic, complex and lively rendition of Momtazi.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2021 Momtazi Vineyard bottling of pinot noir from Brianne Day is a beautiful wine in the making, coming in at an even thirteen percent octane and offering up beautiful purity of fruit, fine soil undertow and a lovely chassis of tannin to carry it effortlessly far into the future. The first class bouquet hops from the glass in a black fruity blend of black plums, sweet dark berries, espresso, gamebird, dark soil tones, sweet brown spices and a deft framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely structured, with a beautiful core of Momtazi black fruit, fine soil inflection and grip, fine-grained, buried tannins and a long, tangy and complex finish. This is a superb bottle, but it will demand some cellaring time to soften up its tannins properly and truly blossom. (Drink between 2033 - 2080)John Gilman | 93 JGBrianne Day does well pulling Pinot’s savoury character to the fore and this wine is another example. Aromatics of pine sap, sweet candied raspberries and ripe strawberries introduce the Pinot Noir from the renowned Momtazi Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA. The palate offers up early-season tart blackberries with muddled mint leaves, a touch of turned earth and chicory spice.Decanter Magazine | 92 DECIt’s starts as roller coaster ride as Tootsie Pop chocolate and pie cherry aromas pair up with Ponderosa bark and lemon-scented French laundry powder. The wine feels lithe and crisp on the palate, as flavors of raspberries, blackberries and black tea get lit up by frisky acidity. You will want to get back in line for this ride. Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE

Paul Hobbs’ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from their Nathan Coombs Estate was hand-sorted while still cold from night-harvesting, fermented in small, closed-top, stainless steel tanks with native yeasts, cold soaked for five days and macerated for 30 days with gentle pump-overs and délestage, aged 20 months in 96% new French oak barrels, including Darnajou, Taransaud, Boutes, Leroi, Baron, La Grange, Marchive, and Vicard coopers and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is an immaculate wine. It is positively brimming with incredible upfront drinking appeal, but this is a wine you could lay down for a generation. It’s a masterful creation, imbued with tension, density, ironstone, and black rock minerality so prominent that you taste pulverised igneous and metamorphic rocks in powder form. The mineral component is just remarkable. Medium-bodied with beautifully pure black cherry and blackberry fruits, black olive, and liquorice, underscored by such precision-focused tannins that the textural feel is so delicate, pixelated, and silky, the wine glides over the palate with ease. An undercurrent of expressive acidity keeps everything light and refreshing, and nuances of tobacco, brown baking spices, salty dark chocolate, and cedarwood layer in a tapestry of flavours that will meld together over the years to form a wine so pleasing it might simply be overwhelming.Decanter Magazine | 100 DECA great example of a 2021 from a district of southern Napa that often produces the coolest, most supple cabernets. So dense yet silky and elegant. Graphite, iron, seashell and espresso aromas meet super-concentrated flavors of blackcurrant, blackberry and cocoa, all wrapped in extra-fine tannins that structure it for long aging without being at all harsh to sip now. Fresh and balanced. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Nathan Coombs Estate is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the estate’s best blocks, planted around 2002. Scents of blueberries, cassis, vanilla, loam, cedar and some faint floral elements appear on the soaring, complex nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated, almost creamy-rich across the mid-palate, then long and supple on the finish. Impressive for its concentration and energy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Nathan Coombs Estate, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is a heady, exotic wine. All the signatures of this site are amplified to the core. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, licorice, cloves and chocolate all saturate the palate. Dense and potent, with tremendous mid-palate richness, the 2021 is a wine of sweeping grandeur and sheer intensity. Fabulous.Vinous Media | 97 VMRipe black fruits, iron, smoked tobacco, graphite, and a beautiful sense of minerality all emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Nathan Coombs Estate, another insanely good wine from this winemaker. With full-bodied richness and a deep, seamlessly textured mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a thrilling finish, this has some accessibility today yet deserves a solid 5-7 years of bottle age. I suspect it will see its 50th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDRipe and lush, showing an expansive core of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry compote flavors infused with sweet bay, violet and dried anise notes. Sleek toast works in harmony, allowing the fruit to play out over a cast iron note on the finish. Extremely solid. Best from 2026 through 2038. 510 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Another release from St. Helena, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard comes from a rockier site not far from Dr. Crane (and Spottswoode), on the west side of the valley. Its saturated purple hue is followed by a slightly more floral/violet-tinged profile including black and blue fruits, notes of spring flowers, graphite, and earthy minerality, full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a gorgeous texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It too will evolve for three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDAbsolutely seductive, with incredible polish, precision, and opulence. Lead with youthful blue and black fruit aromatics. Full and plush on the palate with chocolaty tannins that are finely grained, imprinted with a palate-saturating richness of sweet, ripe, black cherry, blackberry and plum fruits, nuanced by tobacco, and a distinct earthy and chalky minerality that penetrates the senses from the nose to the finish.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECPlenty of pretty fruit, with blackberries, blackcurrants and hints of flint. Full-bodied with lots of fruit, but the polished tannins hem this in so beautifully. Graphite shines through. Polished tannins for La Piedras. Needs four to six years of bottle age. Drink after 2030.James Suckling | 98 JSThere’s a bit more oak influence evident in the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard than in Hobbs’s other Cabernets, but it works, those vanillin and almost buttery characters adding complexity and depth to the ripe black cherries and earth aromas. Full-bodied and plush, almost accessible despite the masses of soft tannins, the wine finishes long and velvety. Sexy stuff.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPNotes of gorgeously ripe boysenberry, mulberry and blackberry puree stream through this serious Cab. Flanked by applewood and underscored with a well-buried cast iron spine, this wine is saturated but not bombastic, with a grip-filled yet fruit-redolent finish. Best from 2026 through 2040. 320 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is the most vibrant of three Beckstoffer wines in this range. Graphite, savory herbs, menthol, licorice, espresso and licorice abound in this potent, massively structured Cabernet. This is classic Las Piedras done in a modern, lush style.Vinous Media | 94 VM

Stupendous aromas of blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of mint, cedar and pine. Notes of iodine, tobacco and mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with solid tannins that spread across the palate and melt into the wine. They frame the wine and give it form and tension, and then the center palate is energized with pure, airy, bright fruit. Available in 2026.James Suckling | 100 JSDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Promontory swans out with gregarious scents of juicy blueberries, fresh blackcurrants, and kirsch leading to suggestions of candied violets, forest floor, black olives, and cardamom with a waft of wet slate. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with electric black and red berry layers, framed by very firm yet beautifully ripe tannins and impactful tension, finishing long and minerally.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIAn absolute legend in the making, the 2021 Promontory is one of the most massive, concentrated, structured wines in the vintage. Coming from a hot, drought year, it has a dense purple/blue hue as well as primary notes of pure cassis, liquid rocks, black olives, resinous herbs, and iron. This carries to a full-bodied Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon that has a dense, layered mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and flawless overall balance. It’s not going to hit full maturity for at least a decade, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve for 40-50 years if well stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDJust bottled, the 2021 Promontory is captivating. Readers will find a striking, translucent mountain Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with notable tension and delineation. From the very beginning, Promontory has challenged the model of what Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is and what it can be. The 2021 is a total knockout. It’s exceptionally polished and drop-dead gorgeous.Vinous Media | 98+ VM

Anthem’s tightly coiled, concentrated 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard recalls the site’s rocky soils in its hints of crushed stones on the nose, backed by black cherries, sage, cedar and dried spices. It’s full-bodied and dense, possesses plenty in reserve for the long haul and boasts a long, tannic finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPComing from a great vineyard in St. Helena and aged 18 months in 95% new French oak, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard reveals red and black fruits, chocolate, smoked tobacco, and spicy wood notes. Full-bodied and rich on the palate, with a broad, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and will have 20-25+ years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDRich and full bodied with abundant flavor, this wine dances across the palate with lavish flavors of spices, smoked chicory and cedar. It’s lush and persistent, with fine tannins and juicy acidity. Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

Cathiard Vineyard’s 2021 Hora Red from Napa Valley blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 10% Malbec, sourced primarily from benchland blocks and aged in oak for 14 months. A combination of gentle extraction, whole berry ferment, and the addition of Malbec provides lifted aromatics on a stunning, compact, and precise wine that exudes pure blackberry and black currant fruit aromas laced with cedarwood spices. Fine tannins and pronounced mid-palate depth create a wonderfully seamless mouthfeel, leading with saline-tinged blackberry fruits, cassis, and red currants. It’s a very polished red with a richness that is evident but not overstated.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECLovely aromas of spices with some mahogany, red currants and perfume. It’s medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a bright and clean finish. No need to wait on this. A blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot and 10% malbec. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JSA handsomely built red, with a tense core wrapped in richly layered currant, mocha espresso and toasty spice flavors that gather richness toward medium-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2032. 1,650 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 2021 Hora is the entry-level wine from the Cathiards’ estate in Napa, and it’s a balanced, medium to full-bodied, impressive wine offering ample red and black currant fruit, nicely integrated oak, a round, layered mouthfeel, and ripe yet building tannins. It’s impeccably made, blossoms nicely with time in the glass, and should have no problem evolving gracefully over the coming 10-12 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDThe 2021 Hora is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 10% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with bold notes of blackberry preserves, juicy black cherries, and warm cassis with touches of candied violets, dark chocolate, and menthol. The full-bodied palate is rich and plush, with nice tension to offset the opulent fruit, finishing with impressive length.The Wine Independent | 93 TWIThe 2021 Hora is deep, pliant and super-expressive right out of the gate. Plush contours wrap around a core of black cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and incense. All the elements are impeccably balance in this sumptuous, racy red from Cathiard. What an engaging wine this is.Vinous Media | 92 VMSourced from younger vines on the valley floor portion of the property, the 2021 Hora Red Wine is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Malbec matured 14 months in 40% new French oak. Gently floral and herbal (thyme?), this cherry-fruited wine is medium to full-bodied, softly dusty in feel and easy to drink, with gentle tannins and a lingering finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper is a total dream. Sumptuous and racy with notes of blackberry jam, cloves, menthol, licorice and chocolate. The blend of three blocks and three clones (4, 144 and 337) is so complementary. The 2021 is magnificent. An archetype of modern Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 is super elegant, polished and refined from start to finish. What a knockout.Vinous Media | 97+ VMWinemaker Helen Keplinger came here in 2014 and has consistently been making beautiful wines. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard offers a pretty, medium to full-bodied, more elegant style as well as a terrific array of red, blue, and black fruits supported by floral and violet notes. It has perfectly integrated background oak, fine, polished tannins, and a great finish. It’s incredibly impressive, and while it already has some appeal, it’s going to evolve for 20 years in cold cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is a very plush and complex wine with blackberry, tobacco and pistachio nut character. The cut-velvet texture is really something and gives a tension and framing to the wine. Extremely long and flavorful, yet always bright and in focus. Needs four or five years to come together. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JSA flash of menthol gives way quickly to stylish aromas and flavors of violet, plum compote and blackberry preserves. A lovely version, with a hint of licorice snap pumping through the well-toasted finish, where the fruit hangs steadily. Best from 2025 through 2038. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Remarkably pure and fresh. Pristine black cherry and blackberry, layered with beautiful violet aromas. Everything builds with precision and focus, supported by gorgeously firm, taut, mineral-rich tannins that bring energy and drive. The wine is compact and tightly wound at this youthful stage, its intensity truly emblematic of the vintage. Drink: 2026-2060.Decanter Magazine | 99 DECRipe, fresh and focused, with a lovely beam of red currant plum coulis that stretches out alongside hints of savory, violet, tobacco and singed cedar. Finishes with a late twang of iron. Nicely done. Drink now through 2038.Wine Spectator | 94 WSDark fruit aromas of blackberries, bitter chocolate, dried herbs, blackcurrants, black olives and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with a textural, rounded mouthfeel and finely integrated tannins, leading to a savory, fruit-driven finish. Delicious. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 94 JSHeitz is on a later release schedule than most other Napa producers, so the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon was the current release when I tasted with Lawrence Wine Estates CEO Carlton McCoy in August 2025. It’s a classically proportioned wine, with cedar, vanilla and black cherries all delivered via a medium- to full-bodied palate. It shows excellent structure for an entry-level wine, firm but approachable, with a lengthy finish. It should be a steakhouse staple, and while not inexpensive, it is a solid effort for the price.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is fabulous. Plump and vibrant, with good up-front fruit and bright acids, the 2021 captures the essence of modern classicism that is typical of the Heitz wines today. This is a superb entry-level offering from Heitz. Floral overtones brighten the finish.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The medium ruby-colored 2021 Pinot Noir Victoria opens up in the glass to expressive layers of framboise, candied roses, dusty earth, and fresh pine needles. Medium-bodied and elegant, it has fine tannins and a weightless feel, with fresh saline, mouthwatering finish with a mineral-toned lift. It has a hauntingly long finish and is reminiscent of what Nebbiolo can achieve. Drinking well right now, it should also do well over the next 8- 10 years. 210 cases produced.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDThe 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Victoria opens slowly in the glass, with suggestions of sage and rosemary complementing rose-tinged cherries. It sweeps across the palate with pretty red berries offset by hints of sour citrus as inner florals cascade throughout. The 2021 leaves a staining of primary concentration and dusty tannins, finishing long yet fresh with a gentle tug of fine tannins.Vinous Media | 93 VMElegance meets intensity in this Pinot, which offers expressive raspberry and pomegranate flavors accented by savory tea and river stones. Builds richness toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2032. 1,210 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA medium-bodied, well-rounded red with notes of strawberries, wild currants and crushed peppercorns. Supple yet vivid, with bright fruit and crisp acidity. The finish is succulent and in control. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 92 JS

The 2021 Red Wine California is a new Bordeaux-based red wine that Duncan Arnot and Nathan Roberts made initially to take the place of the 2020 Cabernets that would have been released around this time but were compromised by smoke. The Red Wine was initially intended to be a fun project, but Arnot and Roberts may have stumbled into what is really a pretty serious red with real potential. The 2021 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon (Massa, Bedrock and Gordenker), 20% Cabernet Franc (Persia) and 20% Merlot (Massa). A powerful, old-school wine, the 2021 is going to need a few years to shed some tannin. I loved it.Vinous Media | 95+ VM

Rose petal, pomegranate and an herbal blast of oregano and marjoram show on the nose of this bottling from an historic producer in the mountains east of Salinas. The palate is snappy in acidity with plenty of herbal influence, offering thyme-flecked strawberry-sauce flavorsWine Enthusiast | 92 WE

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

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

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

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

Pure perfection from this talented team, the 2021 Estate Cuvee checks in as 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Petit Verdot that was raised in 80% new French oak. Absolutely incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, ground pepper, and graphite give way to a full-bodied red with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and that rare mix of power and elegance that’s so hard to come by. It shows the pure, layered, elegant style of the vintage, and this beauty offers pleasure today yet will ideally be given 3-4 years in the cellar, and it will evolve for two decades at a minimum.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2021 Estate Cuvée (a 20th-anniversary edition) is composed of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. Its aromas are highly complex and pure! Chocolate-covered cherry and crushed blueberry scents are complemented by wafts of thyme, sage, vanilla, dark spices and savory tones, plus soaring violet perfume. The full-bodied palate is polished and effortlessly balanced, offering powdery tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a tremendously long finish laced with spice and floral perfume. This elegant, expressive blend will be long lived in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPImmediately seductive and perfumed on the nose with aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, cedar and plenty of sweet oak spices. It’s full-bodied with knit-tight tannins and a velvety texture. Spicy and vibrant with poise. Good vitality with a controlled power all along. Concentrated and full of energy with a generous, peppery and berry-loaded finish. 50% syrah, 30% cabernet sauvignon and 20% petit verdot. Try after 2026.James Suckling | 97 JSThe L’Aventure vineyard is one of the sources of quality fruit in Paso, and this wine is no exception. Aromas of dark, jammy fruit dominate, and the fruit on the palate is equally assertive, with healthy doses of cedar and spice. Tannins are muscular and powdery, which will aid in the ageability – a full-bodied, authoritative Paso wine with quality at the foundation.Decanter | 95 DEC