An absolutely brilliant wine, the 2021 Ontogeny is an appellation blend put together by Bevan, and it's a year-in, year-out incredible value. Competing with wines 2-3 times its price (if not more), it reveals a deep purple hue as well as an exuberant, full-bodied, concentrated style carrying loads of cr me de cassis, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. Super-rich, opulent, yet flawlessly balanced, with silky tannins, you should buy a case of this if you can. It should have at least 10-15 years of prime drinking.
View full postThe first vintage where they've pulled out younger vines with the goal of elevating the quality, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch is based on 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and equal doses of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It has a stunning nose of pure cassis, graphite, crushed stone, darker chocolate, and baking spices. This carries to a full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, yet polished Cabernet Sauvignon with incredible tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. There are a scant 300 cases made, and this is clearly one of the great values out there in truly great Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
View full postRipe blue fruits, leafy tobacco, darker chocolate, and Pessac-like gravelly earth notes all emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard, a beauty that delivers textbook Cabernet Sauvignon character, full-bodied richness, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This valley floor site in the southern part of Oakville continues to turn out rich, concentrated, powerful wines that always seem to have a touch of Bordeaux-like character, and this is a brilliant wine as well as an incredible value.
View full postThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Wight Vineyard ratchets up the intensity and is a blockbuster styled effort in the vintage. Blackberries, plums, roasted herbs, chocolate, and flowery incense notes all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a plush, seamless mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It benefits from air and should be given just 2-3 years of bottle age. This ripe, opulent, incredibly sexy 2021 will evolve for 2 decades if well stored.
View full postA smaller selection from a great site in St. Helena, the deep ruby-hued 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Field Select has a touch more restraint and elegance, with full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, plums, spicy oak, and dried flowers. A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot brought up in 90% new oak, it's beautifully balanced, has fine-grained tannins, a good spine of freshness, and a gorgeous finish. This thrilling bottle of wine competes with wines 2-3 times its price. It should shine for 15-20 years if well stored.
View full postThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Ernest's Eye is beautiful stuff, and given today’s prices for high-quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it has to be considered a smoking value. All from the Fortuna Vineyard in Oakville and brought up in new barrels, it has an inky hue as well as a ripe, impressive bouquet of cassis, scorched earth, burning embers, and graphite. It's full-bodied, concentrated, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love it and would gladly drink bottles over the coming 15-20 years.
View full postThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Elle Lewelling Ranch is a classic wine from this vineyard, which always seems to yield a ripe, opulent, sexy style of Cabernet Sauvignon. Jammy red and blue fruits, spice box, flowery incense, and hints of licorice all emerge from this full-bodied, uber-rich, concentrated, velvety wine. Drink bottles over the coming 15-20 years.
View full postThe 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Reserve is softer and more upfront compared to the Black Label, offering a terrific perfume of cassis and black raspberry fruits supported by spicy oak and violets. It too is perfectly balanced, has full-bodied richness, and tons of character. Drink bottles anytime over the coming 15 years.
View full postThe 2021 Bryn Proprietary Red checks in as equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It's similarly purple-hued, with a vibrant bouquet of blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and dark chocolate. I love its tannins, it's seamless, has full-bodied richness, and a great finish. Coming equal parts from Tench (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Sugarloaf (Merlot), aged 18-22 months in new oak, it s a screaming value to enjoy over the coming 15 years or so.
View full postLeading off the Mt. Brave releases, the 2021 Merlot Mount Veeder has a beautiful perfume of red, blue, and black fruits as well as lots of floral nuances. It's full-bodied and concentrated, with a layered, seamless mouthfeel and a gorgeous finish. It can be consumed now and over the coming 15 years.
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