California Cabernet Sauvignon

The wines from the extremely hot drought year 2014 were just bottled prior to my visit. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the vintage’s precociousness and front-end loaded flattering style. It is medium to full-bodied shows... Read More

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville is a blend mostly from Meteor. A stunning wine the 2019 possesses off the charts richness and tremendous depth that just builds with time in the glass. Inky dark fruit plum spice licorice... Read More

I was able to taste two wines from Grace Family both made by the incredibly talented Helen Keplinger who has been at this estate since 2014. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Blank offers a beautifully pure elegant style in its darker... Read More

One of the iconic names in Napa Valley and also part of the rich history for quality wine the Grgich Hills Estate 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Old Vine (which is not actually defined age-wise on the back label) has a dense... Read More

This has a bright pure feel with loganberry mulberry and bitter cherry notes mixed liberally with floral red tea and savory accents. Very focused with a sleek iron streak through the finish. A wine of precision. Best from 2023... Read More

The 2018 Insignia is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 8% Petit Verdot 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard sources this year include: 30% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District)18% Yountville (Oak Knoll District) 13% Banca Dorada... Read More

More elegant and refined than the Napa Cab the 2019 Insignia features restrained cedar and vanilla notes (despite spending two years in 100% new French oak) and delicate herbal shadings accenting cassis and black cherry fruit.... Read More

The 2014 Roberta’s Reserve State Lane Vineyard is a blend of 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. 650 cases were produced which is 27% of their total production. This was actually showing more fruit density and personality than... Read More

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Trailer Vineyard exudes serious richness and intensity. Unctuous dark fruit mocha blueberry spice and cloves build as this voluptuous huge wine shows off its personality. The Trailier is an unusually... Read More

This is structured complex dense and lengthy a celebration of dark berry fruit that is layered and velvety smooth on the palate. Tobacco oak and dried herb accent it with ease complementing and contrasting in myriad ways and landing... Read More

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain was aged in French oak barrels for 22 months 97% new. Deep garnet-purple colored it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with notes of warm cassis black... Read More

"Another wine with plenty of near and medium-term appeal the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is built on texture and ripeness. Dark red cherry plum smoke tobacco and spices flesh out in a supple super-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with no hard... Read More

The estate-grown 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color it charges forth with intense notes of crushed black... Read More

It's a new day for this producer which is stepping slightly off the gas to make more nuanced balanced wines. This is no exception: a restrained offering of earthy mushroom soy cedar leather and juicy red fruit that disentangles... Read More

There are not many better Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blends out there than the 2021 Avoyelles Oakville which checks in as 54% Cabernet Sauvignon 44% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot most of which was co-fermented.... Read More

All Clone 7 from a site outside of St. Helena near Spottswoode the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price Vineyard offers terrific purity in its red blue and black fruits as well as notes of spring flowers and loamy earth. With velvety... Read More

The inky purple/blue-tinged 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch Vineyard is more focused and tight with pure aromatics of blue fruits chocolate graphite and iron. Medium to full-bodied on the palate it shows the structured... Read More

Coming from a mix of terrific sites (Oakville Ranch Georges III Montagne) and blended with 13% Malbec and brought up in 75% new oak the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a beautifully layered medium to full-bodied barrel... Read More

The 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle brown sugar and coffee to begin opening with time to very... Read More

The 2020 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon made entirely with free-run juice will be in 100% new French oak barrels for 30 months. It has an opaque ruby-black color and youthfully gregarious aromas of cassis blueberries pencil shavings... Read More

In 2009 Peter Michael purchased the former Showket Vineyard in Oakville on the hillside below Continuum and above Dalla Valle. That is the source for the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Paradis a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon 16%... Read More

"The 2014 Screaming Eagle is an 880-case blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon 16% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. The telltale sign of this iconic wine is its extraordinary purity of crème de cassis fruit which is displayed abundantly... Read More