Wine from California (Napa)

Vinous 97 Points

Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet.

This Napa Valley wine is a blend of their Howell Mountain fruit and a small quantity of valley floor fruit that they purchase. This valley floor fruit contributes to the wine’s earlier approachability and softer tannic structure.

Review:

I loved the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, which I think is a step up over the 2018, although both 2019s show a much more elegant profile. Ripe currants, plums, roasted herbs, violets, and incense notes all shine in this medium to full-bodied, ripe, supple, layered beauty, which has fine tannins and a gorgeous finish. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 15 years.

-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points

The 2023 Far Niente Chardonnay enchants with a bouquet of citrus, white floral, and hints of honeydew melon and nectarine. Its silky texture and bright, refreshing palate dance with flavors of lemon/lime zest and lemon verbena, culminating in a long, juicy finish that leaves the palate yearning for more.

Review:

Pure aromas of lemon confit, poached Asian pears, pastry and lanolin. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity and a creamy texture, giving notes of lime curd, orange blossoms, yellow apples and flint. Very well constructed and polished.

-James Suckling 93 Points

Far Niente Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Merlot, 2.5% Malbec, 2.5% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc.

Beautiful aromas of dark plum, red cherry, licorice and warm baking spices open onto a plush and silky palate layered with plum, spiced cherry and cassis. A classic Napa Valley Cabernet, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity support the wine throughout, while the finish is refined and polished.

Review:

Very precisely polished and focused wine with aromas of black cherries, blue berries and violets followed by green bell pepper, black ink and gravel. Underlying umami notes, too. Full-bodied, firm yet finely grained juicy tannins with bright acidity that balances out the palate. Beautifully integrated toasty notes and baking spices on the mid-palate and in the finish. Flourishing and artful wine that will age gracefully.

-James Suckling 96 Points

Far Niente Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 92.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1.7% Petit Sirah, 1% Petite Verdot.

Beautiful aromas of dark plum, red cherry, licorice and warm baking spices open onto a plush and silky palate layered with plum, spiced cherry and cassis. A classic Napa Valley Cabernet, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity support the wine throughout, while the finish is refined and polished.

 Review:

Refined and pure aromas of dark cherries, blackcurrants, violets and cedar. The palate is full-bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins and focused acidity, giving notes of Damson plums, graphite, mocha, dried herbs and potpourri. Very well balanced and polished.

-James Suckling 96 Points

Faust Cabernet Sauvignon  is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet’s classic aromas and flavors star in the 2022 Faust Napa Valley. Delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.

Faust The Pact Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot.

Dark, exotic spice-with star anise in the lead—opens on a complex nose layered with sweet tobacco, savory herb and olive notes, and a lovely vein of graphite minerality under briar-kissed blueberry. The palate is electric, its deceptive power couched in chalky, tight-knit cannins. Black raspberry joins blueberry, with wet slate and soil-driven, iron-rich minerality spilling into a long, perfectly balanced finish, serious and hedonistic at once.

Review:

So many graphite and pencil shaving aromas here with blue fruits. Slate and tar undertones. Black and red currants. Some ash. Medium-bodied with open grained tannins. So much iron and rust with lead and mussel shell. Then turns to pine cone and cedar. Really complex and flavor intensive. Love to drink it now as a young wine. This evolves all the time. It will age beautifully. Better in three to five years. But I can’t wait.

- 97 Points James Suckling

Freemark Abbey Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon is made from  93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot.

Freemark Abbey Sycamore Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Wine Profile: Opaque dark ruby describes the color of this Rutherford wine. Black currant and Boysenberry notes dominate the aroma, with dark chocolate truffle, cocoa powder,  Worcestershire sauce, cremini mushrooms and forest floor adding to the complexity. The oak adds the ideal amount of complexity with aromatic cedar, cinnamon and clove. The wine has great depth of black fruit flavor, with a strong expression of sweet black cherry. This full-bodied cabernet sauvignon has resolved tannins yet firm structure, with good acidity. Lovely long finish!

Primary Vineyard: Sycamore Vineyard—Rutherford (100%): Small 24-acre vineyard located about 1.2 miles south of Bosche, right up against the Mayacamas Range, this vineyard has a rich clay loam. Sycamore Vineyard produces small berries reminiscent of mountain fruit berries, with intense extract of color and flavor. The color is very dark early in the fermentation, with flavors of black currant and black berry with a forest floor complexity.

Review:

From a vineyard closer to the Mayacamas Mountains and first made in 1980, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards checks in as 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It spent 27 months in 66% new French. It offers more black fruits, earth, tobacco, cedar, and gravelly minerality as well as a touch more burly, masculine style on the palate. Nevertheless, it's still beautifully balanced, has considerable elegance, and a great finish.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards gives up powerful crème de cassis, dark chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and baked plums scents with hints of lavender, camphor, pencil shavings and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with rich, black fruits plus a beautiful perfumed undercurrent, framed by finely grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing with a mineral lift. 1,989 cases were made.

-Wine Advocate 95 Points

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points

The nose opens with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, black current and boysenberry. The fruit elements are complimented with notes of forest floor, cigar box, dark chocolate and espresso. The wine is rich and balanced and French oak barrels add the ideal amount of complexity with notes of baking spice and warm vanilla. This is a full-bodied wine with integrated tannins that give it a long, lingering finish. Stunning.

Primary Vineyard: Sycamore Vineyard—Rutherford (100%): Small 24-acre vineyard located about 1.2 miles south of Bosche, right up against the Mayacamas Range, this vineyard has a rich clay loam. Sycamore Vineyard produces small berries reminiscent of mountain fruit berries, with intense extract of color and flavor. The color is very dark early in the fermentation, with flavors of black currant and black berry with a forest floor complexity.

Review:

Mint, spearmint, dark-berry and blueberry aromas. Leaves and sage, too. Full-bodied and firm with fantastic depth. Cool fruit with menthol and mint. Spice. Refreshing. Firm tannins. Fantastic 2017. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 97 Points

Hall Wines The Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet, 4% Merlot.

The 2017 Kathryn Hall is deep, dark ruby in color and elegantly balanced with layered aromas of concentrated blackberry, freshly turned earth, and a hint of warm, spicy oak. The palate is fruit-forward with underlying notes of rich cocoa and leather. Layers of black fruit, nutmeg, cassis and brooding earthy notes are abundant. Supple, seamless tannin abounds, and the wine finishes with an incredible dark fruit feed-back that lasts several minutes.

 Review:

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, brought up mostly in new barrels. It’s a killer bottle of wine offering lots of ripe black fruits intermixed with savory herbs, melted chocolate, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shows the lush, round, velvety style of the 2019 vintage and is already impossible to resist. It’s going to evolve for 15+ years if well stored.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

Halter Ranch Vineyard Ancestor Estate Reserve is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 17% Petit Verdot,

Their flagship wine, Ancestor is their Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. The 2019 Ancestor showcases aromas of red currant and dark chocolate along with subtle hints of cinnamon and clove. The entry is soft and rich with layered flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and dark cherry. The mid- palate is thick and mouth coating with balanced acid. The finish is framed by integrated tannins and delicate flavors of caramel and truffle.

Pair with roasted meats, reduction sauces, and hearty stews. 

Review:

Cabernet is more than half of this wine, with Petit Verdot and Malbec making up the rest. Rich and ripe with deep black plums and plenty of Christmas spice with just a touch of evergreen tips freshness. The palate is lushly fruited, rich with blackberry jam, chocolate and cherries and a touch of smoky cedar to finish. Rich, redolent fruits and dusty cocoa powder mark the finish deep and long-lasting. (CP)

-Decanter 91 Points

The origin of Lot C-91 began in the fall of 1969 when Joe Heitz created this one-off cuvée, which was very normal in those days, as a more premium version of his already iconic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon bottling. Joe envisioned Lot C-91 as a greater step up in quality from the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with a higher quality of fruit sourcing, coming exclusively from the sought-after single vineyards of Heitz Cellar.

Lot C-91 is the culmination of 50 years of tireless effort, trial and error, and the continual desire to make a unique expression of the heralded vineyards of Heitz Cellar.

Review:

Wow. Such a racy and exciting nose! This is quite agile and nimble, full of red and blue berries in the forefront, then complemented by spiced orange, earl grey, red plums, potpourri, savory plums and chocolate. Tense and elegant on the palate, which is all about succulent red berries, nuance and texture. Nothing redundant here. A great Napa cabernet sauvignon that has real definition. A beauty by all accounts!

-James Suckling 96 Points

In 1969, Heitz produced a one-off cuvée called Lot C-91. It was thought of as an elevated version of the Napa Valley Cabernet – a 'best of the best' blend from sites throughout Napa. After a bottle of the '69 turned up and turned heads at a Heitz wine dinner, the winemaking team decided to produce a modern iteration. It's comprised of vineyards in four AVAs: Rutherford (34%), Oakville (34%), Howell Mountain (17%) and St Helena (15%). The dazzling nose instantly shows off the component from Martha's Vineyard and on the palate it walks the line between succulent, powerful, herbal and floral, showing none of the heat of the 2017 vintage. As of June 2020, this was still a barrel sample, while many Napa 2017s are already on the market.
-Decanter 96 Points

The Cabernet Sauvignon Casey’s Lakeview is similarly inky bluish/purple to the rim. Tasting like blood, this wine is dense and rich with lots of chocolate, espresso, earth and spice. It is deep, full-bodied, and again, a masculine style of wine that needs at least 4-5 years of cellaring and should keep for 25 or more years.

Lakeview Vineyard is the winery’s mid-block vineyard planted to a combination of clone 6 & 337 Cabernet Sauvignon on 101-14 rootstock. Excellent drainage from the rocky and chalky soils plus plenty of sunlight throughout the day produces wines of bold character with mouth filling flavors.

Organic farming methods are used to produce this Cabernet Sauvignon Casey's Lakeview vineyard. Vines are 17 years old. Ageing in French oak barrels (85% new) for 20 months, then 12 months in bottle prior to release. Non-filtered.

Review:

"The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Casey's Lakeview Vineyard is the most overt of these wines. Superripe black cherry, plum, chocolate and licorice add to an impression of flamboyance that sits on the edge of being too much. The effects of the drought are felt in the wine's slightly roasted profile. - Antonio Galloni"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2016), 91 pts

 Heritage School Julies Creekside Cabernet Sauvingon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Julie’s Creekside Vineyard is an impressive, opaque purple colored wine that is super-concentrated and extracted with relatively sweet tannins, a touch of chocolate and espresso, a full-bodied mouthfeel and pure, dark, primordial fruits. This is a big, masculine, concentrated wine set for long-term aging. Saying that, it has a certain accessibility, but won’t hit its prime for at least another 8-10 years and keep 25-30.

Review:

"The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Julie's Creekside Vineyard is dark, sumptuous and surprisingly open-knit for such a young wine. Black cherry, plum, game, rose petal, sage, smoke and earthy notes underpin a core of intense dark red cherry and plum fruit. Soft contours and generous, super-ripe fruit add to the wine's near and medium-term appeal. - Antonio Galloni"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2016), 93 pts

Heritage School Missiaens Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

A steep, rocky site with red volcanic soils results in our most structured and concentrated wine. Planted in 1998 using 110R rootstock and clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon our Hillside Vineyard produces wines as breathtaking as the views from its slopes. These tiny, dark blue berries ripen near the end of September thanks to cool afternoon temperatures allowing for increased hang time and developed flavors.

Reviews:

"The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Missiaen's Hillside Vineyard is the darkest and richest of these wines, but it also has enough structural breadth to handle all of that intensity. Superripe plum, bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and licorice all flesh out over time. This is an especially rich, seamless style, yet all the elements are in the right place. - Antonio Galloni"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (December 2016), 92 pts

Hoopes Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Our flagship wine is, and always has been, the soul of our farm. Crafted from our ten-acre vineyard in the heart of Oakville, planted in 1983, it was previously a fruit source for a number of famous estates until we started winemaking ourselves. The soil is dense in geologic composition, featuring four different types of soil. One, volcanic, is unheard of in the Oakville sub-appellation, with the exception of To Kalon, and is rarely, if ever present, in valley floor vineyards. We harvest this vineyard in fourteen small batches, despite the small size, to ensure the perfect balance of acid, flavor, and tannins. "

This wine's deep garnet hue invites you to dive into the nose as it opens with soft fruity-floral aromas of lilac and rose petals then moving into red fruits, pencil shavings, honey and plum. The aromas are deceptively delicate and refined with an ethereal quality. The mouth is more concentrated leaning towards ripe, rich black fruits. Juicy blueberry and sweet licorice flavors carry into the mid-palate with an open, spacious and inviting character. Lush, elegant, tannins support a mouthwatering finish with a savory aspect and notes of black tea bringing the wine to a balanced and layered close.

Review:

  The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville brings more elegance and finesse. Coming all from Oakville and aged 28 months in 50% new barrels, it has perfumed red and black fruits, lots of spicy oak, medium body, and just a seamless, pretty, elegant profile that's going to evolve nicely for 10-15 years.

-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points

Hoopes Chardonnay Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Serendipity was in the morning air when Maya and Sophie took Lindsay for a walk down a Yountville country lane. Maya, the feisty one, spied a jackrabbit and bounded off in hot pursuit. When Lindsay caught up with her, she found herself surrounded by some fine looking Chardonnay vines. Always on the look-out for the best fruit for Hoopla, with some neighborhood super-sleuthing, Lindsay tracked down the vineyard owner and kept talking until she got his handshake. That chance discovery gave us really great Chardonnay that we offer at a really great price. In fact, chasing rabbits is exactly what we’re talking about. This cheeky Chardonnay will make you want to get into some mischief too.

Our goal with the Hoopla Chardonnay is a fresh juicy wine showcasing flavors and aromas of the grape. A long cool fermentation and aging in stainless steel shines helps preserve the luscious aromas and fruit characters in the wine. Classic notes of fresh pineapple, ripe pear and Fuji apple greet the nose with a lovely warmth and creaminess in the mouth from aging sur-lie in tank without the introduction of oak. This mid-palate breadth yields to an open, clean and refreshing finish. We find ourselves reaching for this crowd-pleasing wine time and time again without fail.

This wine is delicious with roast chicken and buttery mashed potatoes, fish tacos, Chinese chicken salad, lobster mac and cheese, triple crème Brie slathered on French baguette and salt & pepper flavored kettle-cooked potato chips.

Review:

"I was blown away by the 2020 Chardonnay, a clean, crisp, vibrant expression of Chardonnay that has medium to full-bodied richness, wonderfully integrated acidity, and a distinct sense of minerality in its citrus, stone fruit, and white flower-driven aromatics. It's shockingly good and tastes like it cost 3-4 times its price."

- Jeb Dunnuck (February 2023), 96 pts

Hoopes Chardonnay Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Serendipity was in the morning air when Maya and Sophie took Lindsay for a walk down a Yountville country lane. Maya, the feisty one, spied a jackrabbit and bounded off in hot pursuit. When Lindsay caught up with her, she found herself surrounded by some fine looking Chardonnay vines. Always on the look-out for the best fruit for Hoopla, with some neighborhood super-sleuthing, Lindsay tracked down the vineyard owner and kept talking until she got his handshake. That chance discovery gave us really great Chardonnay that we offer at a really great price. In fact, chasing rabbits is exactly what we’re talking about. This cheeky Chardonnay will make you want to get into some mischief too.

Our goal with the Hoopla Chardonnay is a fresh juicy wine showcasing flavors and aromas of the grape. A long cool fermentation and aging in stainless steel shines helps preserve the luscious aromas and fruit characters in the wine. Classic notes of fresh pineapple, ripe pear and Fuji apple greet the nose with a lovely warmth and creaminess in the mouth from aging sur-lie in tank without the introduction of oak. This mid-palate breadth yields to an open, clean and refreshing finish. We find ourselves reaching for this crowd-pleasing wine time and time again without fail.

This wine is delicious with roast chicken and buttery mashed potatoes, fish tacos, Chinese chicken salad, lobster mac and cheese, triple crème Brie slathered on French baguette and salt & pepper flavored kettle-cooked potato chips.

Hoopla Chardonnay Yountville is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Classic notes of fresh pineapple, ripe pear and Fuji apple greet the nose with a lovely warmth and creaminess in the mouth from aging sur-lie in tank without the introduction of oak. This mid-palate breadth yields to an open, clean and refreshing finish.

This wine is delicious with roast chicken and buttery mashed potatoes, fish tacos, Chinese chicken salad, lobster mac and cheese, triple crème Brie slathered on French baguette and salt & pepper flavored kettle-cooked potato chips.

Inglenook Rubicon is made from 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

Since its inaugural vintage in 1978, Rubicon has been the Estate's premier red wine, reflecting the soul of the property and expressing Francis Coppola's wish to create a Bordeaux-styled grand wine, that is, "a wine that can please contemporary taste, but with a historical aspect [that defines] our vineyards at their zenith."

Rubicon was named after the small river crossed by Julius Caesar in 49 B.C., declaring his intention to gain control of Rome, thereby launching a civil war among opposing factions. Over time the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has come to signify any irreversible action with revolutionary intent or the outcome of which holds great risk. True to its uncommon depth, Inglenook's Rubicon continues to be a testament to the finely tuned rendering of a risk well-taken.

 Strikingly rich in color and extract, the 2018 Rubicon is unquestionably a precocious, hedonistic wine. The exotic, well-knit aromas and flavors include ripe cassis, allspice, star anise, vanilla and black licorice. Upon entry, this full-bodied wine envelops the palate with its luxurious concentration and supple, silky tannins, supported by vibrant freshness from the balanced acidity, and perfectly-integrated French oak. Very long and expansive in the finish, the 2018 Rubicon will be memorable for decades to come.

Review:

Subtle and complex red with blackberry, black truffle, sweet tobacco and mahogany. Highlights of lavender and violets. Full-bodied and very tight with finesse and tension. Very polished, fine tannins. Long finish. Delicious already, but best after 2022.

-James Suckling 97 Points