California Cults
A Selection of Extraordinary California Cabernet. Enjoy!
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1991 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $224.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1998, 93 points: "Smooth, ripe, rich and polished, with dense currant, black cherry, anise, cedar and mineral flavors. Enormously concentrated and complex. Best from 1999 through 2008. JL"
1992 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $199.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1998, 93 points: "Dense, tight and concentrated, with intense tannins and lots of rich chocolate, black cherry and wild berry. Drink now through 2007. (JL)"
1993 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $199.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 94 - 96 points: "Beginning in 1993, Abreu's wines climb even higher on the qualitative ladder. In fact, I am not sure there is much further room for improvement. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon, another great wine from an often "maligned" vintage, boasts a fabulous dark purple color, as well as sweet, jammy, toasty black fruits, fruitcake, cedar, and black truffle-like smells. Packed with extract and glycerin, this is an expansive, chewy, pure Cabernet that should be cellared for another 2-3 years after its release in 1997; it will easily last until 2025. This is great stuff! In tasting through all of Abreu's commercially available wines, I was struck by how consistent in quality they are. The exceptional 1991 and 1992 have been followed by phenomenal wines in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996. Most of these wines are 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Cabernet Franc. The only exception is the 1995, which is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wines are worth owning; I am putting my money where my mouth is."
1994 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $274.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 1999, 96 points: "Massive, rich and deeply flavored, packed with complex currant, mineral, spice, sage and cedary oak flavors and chewy but polished tannins. This one will require some patience..."
1995 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $249.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1998, 95 points: "The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch is a strikingly superb Cabernet Sauvignon. Although it includes 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot in the blend, I would never have guessed that. Aged in 100% new Taransaud barrels (as are all Abreu's wines), this wine boasts an opaque purple color, in addition to a fabulous bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, cassis, licorice, minerals, and smoky, toasty oak. The wine's aromatics soar from the glass, and in the mouth, the bouquet's promise is fulfilled. A thick, juicy, black fruit character comes across in cascades of fruit, glycerin, and extract. All of this has been buttressed by sweet tannin and good acidity. A voluptuously-textured, blockbuster, yet remarkably harmonious wine, it is one of the finest efforts of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2025."
1996 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 98 points: "The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch reveals a blueberry/blackberry, creme de cassis character with smoky oak, new saddle leather, licorice, dried herbs, and mineral scents. Expansive, with terrific intensity, purity, and overall symmetry, it has noticeable tannin in the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030."
1997 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $649.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 100 points: "...a perfect Cabernet Sauvignon. It has been in bottle for over a year, and this wine, like all the others, has easily soaked up its aging in 100% new Taransaud barrels. It is a sumptuous, unctuously-textured, fabulously concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon that hits all the sweet spots on the palate, and puts the olfactory senses into overdrive. The wine smells and tastes perfect. It is a compelling effort that one day will be considered part of a small group of elite California Cabernets that may be rewriting the definition of greatness in Cabernet Sauvignon."
1999 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch 750ml - $199.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 2002, 93 points: "The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot) exhibits a saturated purple color in addition to a gorgeous bouquet of espresso beans intermixed with licorice, incense, blueberries and blackberries. There is more tannin in the unusually austere finish, but the wine is remarkably complex, and should be exceptionally long-lived. There are 500 cases of this beauty, which should be at its finest between 2006-2025."
1991 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 1500ml - $749.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1997, 95 points: "I had inserted this wine in a blind tasting. I did not know where it would appear, but I knew it would be in the tasting, and I was able to pick it out when it was served. However, the rest of the tasters thought it was a large-scaled Bordeaux from the Medoc. This magnificent California Cabernet offers that exciting blend of power and elegance. The opaque purple color is followed by copious quantities of sweet, mineral, licorice, floral-laden, blackcurrant fruit, full body, exceptional purity, good underlying, well-integrated acidity and tannin, and a whoppingly long finish. Typical of many top California wines, it combines magnificent richness and ripeness with a sense of gracefulness and complexity. Although young, it is soft enough to be enjoyed. Look for the 1991 Araujo Estate Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon to age effortlessly for another 20-25 years."
1991 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $349.99
1992 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 1500ml - $699.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1994, 94 - 96 points: "If readers are unable to find any of the 750 cases of the 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard (reviewed in issue #95), keep a lookout for the release of the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard next year. Another fabulous wine from this superb vineyard, it displays a sweet, pure nose of blackcurrants, minerals, and spices. Full-bodied, tannic, and powerful, as well as undeveloped, it exhibits the potential for 20-25 years of aging. A splendidly rich Cabernet Sauvignon, with outstanding balance and purity, it will not be mature before the turn of the century.There will only be about 3,000 cases of the Eisele Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, so connoisseurs will undoubtedly be fighting over the limited quantities available.I have long been an admirer of this vineyard situated at the base of the mountains in northern Napa Valley just to the south of Calistoga. Long-time readers may remember the ecstatic reviews of the 1974 Conn Creek Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, the great 1975 Joseph Phelps Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and its successors. The new owners, Bart and Daphne Araujo, who purchased the vineyard from the Eisele family, are intent on pushing the level of quality to new heights. Future plans include the production of a Syrah as well as a Viognier."
1992 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $349.99
1993 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $274.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 96 points: "As I reported last year, the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is a spectacular wine from a vintage that has consistently received unfavorable press (particularly from the Wine Spectator). It seems to me that if the 1993 vintage were taken out of the context of the historical succession of outstanding years in the nineties, and put in the eighties, qualitatively, 1993 would tower over the likes of 1987, 1985, or 1984. The Eisele Vineyard 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the half dozen or so candidates for wine of the vintage. I have tasted it three times out of bottle, once rating it as high as 98, but never less than 96. It is a mind-boggling Cabernet Sauvignon that is remarkably well-balanced for its size and intensity. The color is an opaque purple, and the nose offers up smoky, chocolatey, blackcurrant, licorice, and mineral scents. On the palate, the wine reveals fabulous density, concentration, sweetness of fruit as well as tannin, and a 30-40 second finish. Although there is a high percentage of new oak, this wine has completely soaked it up, a testament to its extract and concentration of fruit. While the wine displays a certain precociousness, unusual for a 1993, there is plenty of tannin lurking in the finish, but it is well-concealed by the wine's exceptional richness. This beauty is destined to age effortlessly for 20-25 years."
1994 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1997, 95 points: "The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the renowned Eisele Vineyard, which has a long history of producing stunning wines (the Ridge 1971 Eisele Vineyard, the Conn Creek 1974, the Phelps 1976 Insignia, and the 1975 and 1978 Eisele Vineyard Cabernets). At present, the Araujos limit production of their estate Cabernet Sauvignon to approximately 2,500 cases. It is a wine that combines the extraordinary power and richness of this hot area of Napa, with stunning purity and delineation. The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard is just beginning to emerge from a period of post-bottling dormancy. Like its siblings, it exhibits an impressively saturated dark purple color. This wine is intent on revealing its charms at a relatively early age given its knock-out aromatics. Although slightly less powerful than the 1993 and marginally less concentrated than the 1995, the 1994 is still a profoundly rich, silky-textured wine with an uncanny balance between its smooth tannin and layers of cassis and blackberry/mineral-tinged fruit. This wine is particularly impressive if it is first decanted for 45 or so minutes. It will age well for 15-20 years."
1995 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1998, 98 points: "I believe the 1995 is the finest produced under the Araujo regime. It is close to perfection. The wine combines extraordinary power and richness with remarkable complexity and finesse. The saturated purple/black color is followed by aromas of sweet vanillin intermixed with riveting scents of black currants, minerals, exotic spices, coffee, and toast. There is nothing garish about this subtle yet powerful giant of a wine. A Napa Valley classic, it is full-bodied and extremely rich, yet retains its sense of balance and symmetry..."
1996 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $249.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 94 points: "...offers an attractive nose of black fruits intermixed with toast, minerals, subtle tar, and wood smoke. Full-bodied, with impressive purity, a multi-layered mid-palate and finish, it is an expressive, pure, powerful, and large-boned wine."
1997 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $249.99
Stephen Tanzer, Jun 2000, 92 points: "Full ruby-red. Expressive nose combines black raspberry, currant, black cherry, chocolate, tobacco and sandalwood. Lush and sweet but fresh, with a firm edge of acidity giving shape to the flavors. Big and mouthfilling but not at all heavy. The tannins are suave and fine. A bit dominated by the oak today. This wine is virtually always in an awkward stage about six months after the bottling, says Bart Araujo, although I recall that the '96 was atypically showy a year ago. 92(+?) points"
1998 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $174.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 92 points: "...supple and elegant, with a complex, evolved bouquet of smoke, black currants, spice box, and cedar. In the mouth, the wine is forward with sweet tannin, gorgeously rich, concentrated fruit, and impressively integrated acidity and tannin..."
2001 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 97 points: "...a restrained but impressive nose of cassis, toast, earth, and a hint of cedar. Full-bodied and multi-layered, with impeccable balance and a noteworthy juxtaposition of power and elegance, it is starting to close down ever so slightly and seems more masculine when compared to the 2002 and 2003..."
2001 Bond (Harlan) St Eden Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $279.99
Wine Spectator, Nov 2004, 94 points: "Wonderful purity of fruit, depth and richness, with layers of loamy currant, black cherry and blackberry fruit that's dense and concentrated, finishing with a long, luxurious aftertaste and a wall of ripe, potent tannins. Best from 2006 through 2012..."
1999 Bond (Harlan) The Matriarch Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $149.99
Wine Spectator, Feb 2004, 93 points: "A ripe, plush, opulent style, with layers of seductive black cherry, blackberry, plum and spice, with a smooth texture and ripe, mouthcoating tannins accented by a hint of melted chocolate..."
2001 Bond (Harlan) The Matriarch Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $169.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 94 points: "...Beautifully made, with wonderfully sweet notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black cherries, and cassis, an opulent texture, impressive concentration, low acidity, and silky tannin, it possesses more up-front charm and accessibility than its bigger siblings...."
2002 Bond (Harlan) The Matriarch Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $149.99
Wine Spectator, Nov 2005, 93 points: "Wonderful aromatics, with rich cassis, kirsch and blackberry. Both intense and concentrated, this shows a suppleness at midpalate that lets the flavors glide across the finish. It ends with excellent structure and a touch of cedar. Best from 2007 through 2014. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,200 cases made. (JL)"
2003 Bond (Harlan) The Matriarch Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $134.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 90 points: "The 2003 Matriarch (1,500 cases) is a ripe, spicy, supple-textured effort offering beautiful plum, anise, black currant, tobacco, and toasty oak notes. Full-bodied, lush, and concentrated, it should drink well for 10-15 years."
1999 Bond (Harlan) Vecina Proprietary Blend 750ml - $239.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2003, 92 points: "Wonderful complexity, richness and purity of flavor, with layers of herb, currant, earth and juicy wild berry, turning to a touch of balsamic. Loads of flavor and a long, intricate aftertaste. Best from 2005 through 2013. 225 cases made. JL"
2002 Bond (Harlan) Vecina Proprietary Blend 750ml - $269.99
Wine Spectator, Nov 2005, 95 points: "Smooth, rich and polished, with a seductive array of blackberry, currant and black cherry fruit that glides across the palate. This is a complex, deeply concentrated wine with tannins that are ripe and round, even silky for its age. Best from 2007 through 2015. 400 cases made."
1994 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $699.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 98 points: "A potentially perfect wine, the 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a fabulous nose of cassis, cream, blueberries, violets, minerals, and spice. It smells like a hypothetical blend of a great vintage of L'Evangile, Clinet, and Mouton-Rothschild. The opaque purple/black color is followed by a full-bodied wine stacked and packed with fruit, glycerin, and extract. No component part is out of place in this formidably endowed, remarkably well-balanced wine. The purity, richness, sweetness and depth of fruit suggest that the wine's potential is limitless. Much like its cellarmate, the 1994 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon (also made by Helen Turley), the Bryant Family Vineyard's 1994 should evolve into one of California's legendary Cabernets. It will age effortlessly for 25-30 years."
1995 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $674.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1997, 99 points: "The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon is cut from the same mold as the profound 1996, displaying astonishing levels of black fruits (the usual suspects - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cassis), phenomenal concentration, and virtually perfect balance and equilibrium.I recently wrote an article in Food and Wine magazine itemizing the characteristics of a great wine. They are: 1) the ability to please both the palate and the intellect, 2) the ability to hold the taster's interest, 3) the ability to offer intense aromas and flavors without heaviness, 4) the ability to taste better with each sip, 5) the ability to improve with age, and 6) the ability to offer a singular personality. This wine satisfies every one of those requirements.I often wonder if I get too excited about wines such as this. Yet time is on their side. I truly believe that in 20, 40, or 60 years, when the history of what appears to be a golden age for California wines is analyzed, these wines, and the work of their winemaker, will be even more admired and appreciated by future generations than they are today."
1996 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $899.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1998, 99 points: "The opaque purple-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon offers a spectacular, exotic bouquet of Peking duck skins, blackberry and cassis liqueur, roasted herbs, and burning charcoal. It is phenomenally intense, with record levels of dry extract and glycerin. This hedonistic blockbuster is crammed with jammy fruits nicely buttressed and framed by adequate acidity and tannin. Drink this marvelous Cabernet Sauvignon now or cellar it for two decades. This is mind-boggling stuff!"
Wine Spectator, Nov 2000, 100 points: "Beautiful, perfumed aromas, tremendous depth, concentration, complexity and finesse, with layers of currant, cherry and berry flavors enlivened by coffee and cedary oak. Has earned that one missing point from last year's 99-point rating.--Bryant Family vertical. Drink now through 2016."
1997 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $1,299.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 100 points: "...One of the most awesome young reds I have ever tasted, it possesses a black/purple color, a seamless texture, and freakishly high levels of intensity (cassis, black and blueberries infused with espresso, chocolate, and licorice) that are flawlessly presented in a full-bodied, massive yet elegant wine. Nothing is out of balance in this explosively rich, thick, highly-extracted Cabernet..."
1998 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $349.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 93 points: "The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is a fine wine. While it does not reveal much weight, it is a dense plum/purple-colored, big, thick, concentrated effort. Evolved aromas of smoke, cedar, tapenade, blackberries, creme de cassis, and creosote are followed by a lush, full-bodied, voluptuously-textured 1998 exhibiting superb intensity as well as low acid, sweet, pure flavors. This is a dazzling example of extremely ripe Cabernet Sauvignon made under less than ideal conditions. It will drink well upon its release, and over the following two decades."
1999 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $499.99
Wine Spectator, Aug 2002, 97 points: "A dark, saturated, mouthcoating wine that's fairly muscular, loaded with plush smoky currant, herb, coffee, plum, hazelnut, mocha and mineral. Finishes with a potent gush of flavors and a wall of rich, ripe tannins. In the same class as the '94, '96 and '97 vintages. Best from 2005 through 2015. 700 cases made. (JL)"
2000 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $374.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2003, 95 points: "...an amazing tour de force. Quality like this was rare, if not impossible to obtain in 2000...amazing aromatic concoction includes notes of melted licorice, minerals, smoky toast, and blackberry as well as cassis liqueur. Full-bodied, thick, and juicy, it is a voluptuous effort...It is a brilliant achievement, surpassed by none, and equaled only by a few other northern California 2000s."
2001 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $319.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2003, 91 points: "The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits the classic Bryant bouquet of melted creosote intermixed with blackberry liqueur and other black fruits. It is medium to full-bodied, opulent and sumptuous, but the finish is shorter, with drier tannin than it would have had if it had been bottled unfiltered..."
2002 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 96 points: "The 2002 (800 cases) was bottled in June of 2004. It exhibits a classic Bryant profile of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, and smoky notes (100% new Taransaud barrels are utilized), a full-bodied, powerful palate, great texture, tremendous purity, and a long, heady finish with high tannin, but it is well-integrated and sweet. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020."
2004 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $499.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 95 - 97 points: " As for the grand vin, there are 600 cases of the beautiful 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), which is scheduled to be bottled in November, 2007, is about six months later than former winemaker, Helen Turley, used to bottle this cuvee. Philippe Melka, who now oversees the winemaking, believes this wine merits more time in wood because of its intensity and richness, although that is a vintage by vintage decision. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a deep opaque purple color as well as a big, blackberry and floral-scented perfume offering notions of creme de cassis, spice box, and licorice. Beautifully opulent, full-bodied, and forward, it should drink well young, yet age gracefully for 12-15 years."
1992 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $649.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 1997, 96 points: "This wine slipped through the a blind tasting with everyone mistaking it for a sumptuous first-growth Bordeaux. When told the identity of the wine, one of the Belgian tasters quickly announced he was going to "order 100 cases." I was quick to point out that (1) the wine is already sold out, and (2) less than 1,000 cases were produced. I have always thought this was a terrific wine, but it was outrageously delicious in this blind tasting. The wine boasts an opaque purple color, followed by a gorgeously sweet nose of blueberries and blackberries intertwined with smoky, toasty oak. The enormously opulent texture, viscous richness, and huge quantities of sweet, pure fruit were deftly balanced by just enough acidity and ripe tannin. This full-bodied, awesomely-endowed wine has never shown better than it did in this blind tasting against some of the greatest wines produced in Bordeaux. Although soft enough to be drunk, it promises to evolve for at least 20 years."
1993 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1995, 95 points: "This up and coming superstar has fashioned an outstanding 1994 and an outrageously rich, sumptuous 1993. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard (which has been bottled and will be released in 1996) should turn out to be one of the most exceptional wines of the vintage. The color is an opaque purple. The nose offers up cassis, blueberry, black-raspberry, and toasty scents, followed by gorgeously rich, sweet (from extract, not sugar) flavors, full body, gobs of glycerin, and wonderfully ripe tannin in the intense finish that must last for 40+ seconds. It is an exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon that will be approachable upon release; it will age for 20+ years. It is a tour de force in wine-making. It should come as no surprise that the genius behind these wines is Helen Turley."
1994 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $549.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 96 points: "What is so remarkable about the 1994 and 1995 offerings is that they are aged in 100% new French oak, yet the wood's influence is extremely subtle. In addition to their power, richness, and fullness, another hallmark of the Colgin wines is the vibrant blueberry, boysenberry, cassis character that roars from the glass."
1996 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $549.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1998, 97 points: "The saturated black/purple-colored 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard displays this winery's hallmark - a provocative nose of blueberry jam, orchid flowers, and smoky new oak intertwined with cassis. Additional aromas of licorice and exotic Asian spices emerge as the wine sits in the glass. Extremely full-bodied and rich, with more noticeable tannin than the 1997, this large-scaled yet extraordinarily rich wine is like drinking cassis/blueberry liqueur. Its sweet tannin and remarkable 40+-second finish are amazing. Anticipated maturity: now-2022.This wine is aged in 100% new Taransaud barrels for 18 months, and bottled with no fining or filtration."
1997 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $789.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 99 points: "Sadly only 400 cases were made of the 1997. The nearly perfect 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard was bottled in May, 1999, and appears to have recovered beautifully from bottle shock. Saturated black/purple-colored with a knock-out nose of blackberries, blueberries, lavender, licorice, and toast, this is a profound, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. It displays a seamless, velvety texture, layers of concentrated fruit, and a 45+ second finish. Am I being too conservative in not giving it a 3-digit score? Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025."
1998 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $299.99
Stephen Tanzer, May 2000, 93 points: "...Deep ruby. Exotic, complex nose features smoky raspberry, black cherry, grilled nuts and an intriguing floral nuance. Juicy, dense and intensely flavored, with impressive sweetness for the year; notes of blackcurrant, black cherry, roast coffee and dill. The acids come across as firm for a wine with a pH of 3.9. The floral character, which comes from the volcanic tufa soil on this very steep, terraced, northeast-facing hillside, repeats on the long finish, which features lush, soft tannins rare for the vintage..."
1999 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $394.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 2002, 95 points: "The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard is performing significantly better out of bottle than it did from cask. This 200-case cuvee spent 26 months in oak. Its opaque purple color is followed by a gorgeous perfume of graphite, creme de cassis, and licorice, and full-bodied, layered, concentrated flavors with superb balance and density. Surprisingly sweet tannin as well as an explosive finish have developed over the last year. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020+. Colgin, which is already a so-called "cult" wine, seems to have pushed the envelope of quality even higher ... as hard as that is to believe. As always, the truth is in the bottle ... in vino veritas."
2000 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard 750ml - $274.99
Wine Spectator, Oct 2003, 95 points: "A thoroughly rich, plush and persistent wine loaded with plush currant and chocolaty flavors, with sage, earth, mocha and espresso scents adding to its complexity. Deeply concentrated, it nonetheless displays a remarkable sense of elegance and finesse and is deftly balanced. Best from 2005 through 2014. 350 cases made. (JL)"
2000 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard 750ml - $239.99
Wine Spectator, Oct 2003, 96 points: "A gorgeous wine, ripe, smooth and harmonious, rich and spicy, with tiers of currant, vanilla, cassis and black cherry flavors woven together. Long, thick, persistent finish gushes with flavor. Plenty of smooth, ripe tannins add to its plush backbone. Best from 2004 through 2014. 400 cases made. (JL)"
1999 Colgin Cariad Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $269.99
Wine Spectator, Mar 2003, 92 points: "Weaves together a complex array of spicy currant, blackberry, tar and cedary oak flavors that turn supple and elegant, finishing with a complex aftertaste accented by touch of mocha. Intense and concentrated, with a long flavorful finish..."
2003 Colgin IX Proprietary Red Estate Proprietary Blend 750ml - $249.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2005, 95 points: "The dense purple-tinged 2003 IX Proprietary Red (a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot - also a change from barrel) is a 1,280-case cuvee revealing deep, rich blue as well as black fruits, hints of licorice and creosote, a smoky, Graves-like, hot rocks character, moderately high tannin, and a full-bodied finish. Give it 2-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following two decades."
2004 Colgin IX Proprietary Red Estate Proprietary Blend 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 98 points: "The 2004 IX Proprietary Red Wine (1,258 cases from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot) is amazing out of bottle. Flamboyant, super-fragrant aromas of graphite, creme de cassis, espresso roast, flowers, and the entire black and blue fruit spectrum jump from the glass of this gorgeous wine. In the mouth, silky tannin and a multi-dimensional, skyscraper-like mouthfeel are offered without heaviness or coarseness. This totally profound wine exhibits what a great site, extraordinary winemaking, and a commitment to excellence can produce. It should drink well for two decades."
2002 Colgin IX Syrah Estate 750ml - $294.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 95 points: "There are 175 cases of the 2002 IX Syrah Estate. One hundred percent destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged in Burgundy barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered, this Cote Rotie-like Syrah smells like it contains some Viognier, although it does not. Exotic floral characteristics intermixed with notions of tapenade, blackberries, coffee, and chocolate jump from the glass of this full-bodied yet supple-textured, voluptuously-styled red. Already irresistible, this fabulous Syrah can be enjoyed over the next 7-10 years."
2003 Colgin IX Syrah Estate 750ml - $224.99
Wine Spectator, Dec 2005, 98 points: "Aromas of crushed berry, succulent wild berry, violets and loads of white pepper character turn to a sweet ripeness, folding together in a seamless presentation. The finish is long and lingering, with hints of beef carpaccio, mocha and espresso, and it just keeps getting better. A magnificent wine that makes a huge statement about Syrah in Napa. Drink now through 2013. 313 cases made."
2004 Colgin IX Syrah Estate 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 96 points: "Aubert demonstrates a superb know-how with Syrah. These wines are macerated for 35-45 days, and given frequent pump-overs as well as punch-downs. They are aged completely in French oak. The floral-filled 2004 IX Syrah Estate (486 cases) offers super-pure blue and blackberries intermixed with hints of new saddle leather and meat. High but sweet tannins, powerful flavors, and an overall sense of poise characterize this stunning effort."
1988 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $449.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1993, 93 points: "The 1988 Maya, made from a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, has a dense, very opaque black/purple color, a huge bouquet of super-ripe cassis, licorice, and vanillin aromas, followed by astonishingly intense, highly extracted, impeccably well-balanced, full-bodied flavors. The bad news is that only 200 cases were produced, so latching onto a bottle or two will not be easy. It should drink well over the next 20-25 years, probably longer."
1989 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $399.99
Wine Spectator, Aug 1999, 90 points: "Still immense, one of the biggest and most vibrant of the vintage, with layers of rich black cherry, currant, anise, cedar and plum notes, all well focused and lingering on the finish.--1989 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2007. 500 cases made. JL"
1991 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $624.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1994, 99 points: "The 1991 Maya (made from equal proportions of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) has developed incredibly since I tasted it nearly a year ago and rated it 94. The wine is black/purple-colored and offers up a compelling bouquet of flowers, minerals, black fruits, vanilla, and spices. There is huge extraction of fruit, full body, outstanding purity and balance, moderate tannin, and a tremendous layered feel on the palate. All of this intensity and richness is brilliantly pulled off without any sense of heaviness. I can understand wanting to drink this wine immediately as it is an extraordinarily impressive young wine, but it should be given another 4-6 years of cellaring; it is a candidate for 25 years of aging. It is also a strong candidate for a three-digit score in a few years. This is a winemaking tour de force!Dalla Valle has propelled itself into the top echelon of California Cabernet Sauvignon and proprietary red wines. The owners, Gustave and Naoko Dalla Valle, are admirably supported by winemaker Heidi Barrett (the wife of winemaker/proprietor Bo Barrett of Chateau Montelena). This team is producing awesomely concentrated wines from their 25-acre hillside vineyard overlooking the Napa Valley floor. There is no secret to their success. The wines are made from fully ripened fruit, and are neither excessively processed nor handled. There are only 2,000 cases of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The microscopic production of Dalla Valle's proprietary red wine, Maya (named after the proprietors' daughter), usually contains between 45-55% Cabernet Franc. I am not overstating the case by saying that the finest Cabernet Franc I have tasted in the New World is from Dalla Valle's vineyard."
1992 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $799.99
Wine Advocate, Oct 1995, 100 points: "The awesome 1992 Maya is performing better than the 1991 did at a similar stage. It reveals a saturated purple color, as well as an intense fragrance of black-raspberries, cassis, flowers, and minerals. The wine possesses great fruit, superb density, wonderful purity and balance, and a compelling extra dimension both aromatically and texturally. It is destined to be one of California's legendary wines."
1993 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $499.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1996, 98 points: "The Maya Proprietary red wine is usually a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc and 55% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1993 Maya is awesome. The opaque purple color accompanies a bouquet of stony, jammy cassis, roasted herbs, and smoky, meaty scents that are just beginning to unfold and soar from the glass. The wine possesses unbelievable concentration, powerful tannin, and a finish that lasts for 45+ seconds. It is an extraordinarily well-endowed and well-balanced wine that requires 5-7 years of cellaring. It will age effortlessly through the first 25 years of the next century. The 1993s and 1994s are in bottle, and the 1993s, which were released several months ago, are disappearing before any bottles hit the retail shelf. Readers who could neither afford nor find the Cabernet Sauvignon or Maya Proprietary Red, will have to wait another ten months for the release of the 1994s. Production at Dalla Valle has dropped, largely because of the phylloxera damage to the vineyard, and the consequent replanting. For example, the production in 1993 was 40% less than that in 1992. The quantities of wine in 1994 will be equally small. Not until the late nineties is production expected to return to its former level."
1994 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 1500ml - $1,799.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1997, 99 points: "The 1994 Maya is prodigious. The color is saturated opaque purple. The wine offers up restrained but gorgeously sweet earth, oak, mineral, and black fruit aromas. Full-bodied, with substantial quantities of glycerin and extract, this wine's large-scaled tannin seems to be well-submerged beneath the wine's fabulous layers of fruit. Although more accessible than I would have thought prior to bottling, it is a candidate for 20-30 years of evolution."
1994 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $674.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1997, 99 points: "The 1994 Maya is prodigious. The color is saturated opaque purple. The wine offers up restrained but gorgeously sweet earth, oak, mineral, and black fruit aromas. Full-bodied, with substantial quantities of glycerin and extract, this wine's large-scaled tannin seems to be well-submerged beneath the wine's fabulous layers of fruit. Although more accessible than I would have thought prior to bottling, it is a candidate for 20-30 years of evolution."
1995 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $449.99
Wine Advocate, Jun 1997, 96 - 98 points: "The terrific 1995 Maya is cut from the same mold as all the great Mayas of this decade. Its tannin may be even riper than in the 1994, but the wine is still an unevolved, massive, and unformed giant, although it is obvious that this will be another legendary effort. Do readers ever wonder why wines such as these are never made in 100,000 case lots?"
1996 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $499.99
Wine Spectator, Nov 1999, 98 points: "Wonderfully seductive. This year's version of this preeminent Cabernet blend is enormously rich and concentrated, beautifully fine-tuned and integrated, with bold, ripe, complex currant, black cherry, spice, earth, mineral and cedary oak..."
1997 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $799.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 99 points: "Close to perfection...exhibits complex aromatics of creme de cassis, smoke, spice box, iron, and espresso. The wine has a viscous texture, huge, concentrated, ripe fruit, remarkable body, and a seamless, multi-layered finish. The tannin, acidity, and alcohol are all beautifully integrated. This is profound stuff!..."
1998 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $349.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 2002, 95 points: "...an amazing effort, possessing multiple layers of fruit, sweet tannin, and no herbaceousness, astringency, or thinness. This is an amazing tour de force in winemaking for the vintage. It is loaded, with impeccable balance..."
1999 Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $449.99
Wine Advocate, Jul 2002, 97 points: "The virtually perfect 1999 Maya is a wine of stupendous unctuosity, richness, fruit, and elegance... Notes of cassis, blueberries, blackberries, espresso, smoke, earth, and vanilla are offered in a full-bodied, profoundly concentrated and layered style..."
2003 Gemstone Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $124.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2005, 91 points: "The inky/purple-hued 2003 Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and the rest tiny portions of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, reveals copious notes of chocolate along with hints of melted tar, charcoal, black cherries, and currants. Full-bodied, dense, and well-balanced, it should drink well for 10-15 years. Interestingly, Paul Frank continues to sell much of his production to such high quality wineries as Pahlmeyer. He will undoubtedly do more and more estate bottling as his vineyard ages."
1991 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $799.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 1997, 98 points: "This is a profoundly great wine....a fabulously complex, sweet nose of minerals, fruitcake, cedar, toasty new oak, and pure blackcurrant fruit. Although huge in the mouth, the wine is remarkably well-balanced, with its high tannin level well-concealed by copious quantities of sweet ripe fruit, as well as huge amounts of glycerin and extract..."
1992 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $799.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 96 points: "...a splendid sweet nose of minerals, blackcurrants, toast, and spice. Opulent and rich, with full body, and well-integrated sweet tannin, this expansive yet graceful wine possesses layers of flavor that caress the palate..."
1993 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $599.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 95 points: "...spectacular ripeness, purity, and potential. Dense, full-bodied, with a chocolatey, toasty, mineral, and blackcurrant-scented nose, this wine has a rich, full-bodied, chewy texture nicely buttressed by ripe tannin..."
1994 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $1,199.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1997, 100 points: "What can I say about the 1994? I have tasted the wine for three consecutive years, and each time it satisfied all of my requirements for perfection. The opaque purple color is followed by spectacular aromatics that soar from the glass, offering up celestial levels of black currants, minerals, smoked herbs, cedar wood, coffee, and pain grille. In the mouth, this seamless legend reveals full body, and exquisite layers of phenomenally pure and rich fruit, followed by a 40+ second finish. While accessible, the 1994 begs for another 5-7 years of cellaring. It should easily last for 30+ years. Every possible jagged edge - acidity, alcohol, tannin, and wood - is brilliantly intertwined in what seems like a diaphanous format. What is so extraordinary about this large-scaled wine, with its dazzling display of aromatics and prodigious flavors and depth, is that it offers no hint of heaviness or coarseness..."
1995 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $799.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1998, 99 points: "...offers up a nose of smoke, coffee beans, black and blue fruits, minerals, and roasted herbs. It is extremely full-bodied, with spectacular purity, exquisite equilibrium, and a seamless personality with everything in total harmony. The finish lasts for more than 40 seconds. This extravagantly rich, profoundly complex 1995 will give its 1994 sibling a run for its money..."
1996 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $749.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 98 points: "...reveals extraordinary intensity, a spicy, black currant, tobacco, cedar, and fruit cake-scented bouquet, full body, a texture oozing with glycerin and concentrated fruit, and moderate tannin in the blockbuster finish. It is one of the most concentrated and complete red wines one could hope to taste..."
1997 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $1,249.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 100 points: "...one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines I have ever tasted. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this enormously-endowed, profoundly rich wine must be tasted to be believed. Opaque purple-colored, it boasts spectacular, soaring aromatics of vanilla, minerals, coffee, blackberries, licorice, and cassis. In the mouth, layer after layer unfold powerfully yet gently. Acidity, tannin, and alcohol are well-balanced by the wine's unreal richness and singular personality..."
1998 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $499.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 95 points: "...a candidate for the "Wine of the Vintage,"...A spectacular achievement, it boasts an opaque plum/purple color as well as a sumptuous nose of espresso, mineral, blueberry, blackberry, tobacco, licorice, Asian spice, and roasted meat smells. In the mouth, it is seamless, full-bodied, with an unctuous texture, gorgeously sweet tannin, and layer upon layer of concentration. This is a tour de force in winemaking..."
1999 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $499.99
Wine Spectator, Nov 2002, 97 points: "Enormously complex, rich and concentrated, with layers of currant, black cherry, blackberry and chocolate-mocha flavors that are intense and focused, finishing with a long, detailed aftertaste that keeps revealing extra facets of flavor and depth..."
2002 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine Proprietary Blend 750ml - $1,049.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2005, 100 points: "I believe the 2001 Harlan Estate and 2002 Harlan Estate's 100 point scores represent the first time I have given perfect ratings to two successive wines produced in the New World. However, the styles of the two wines couldn't be more different as each reflects its particular vintage. The 2001 is a classic, long-lived, backward wine with most of its potential concealed at present. On the other hand, it is impossible to resist the flamboyant, extroverted 2002 Harlan Estate's charm, richness, and overall seductive personality. This profoundly complex wine exhibits notes of cedar, black currant liqueur, scorched earth, smoke, and graphite. Incredibly broad, sweet, full-bodied, opulent, and voluptuous, it literally has everything one could ever want in a great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine. Already drinkable, it promises to evolve effortlessly for 25-30 years. This prodigious offering is worth mortgaging the farm!"
2001 Harlan Estate The Maiden Proprietary Blend 750ml - $199.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 93 points: "...a lovely bouquet of melted chocolate, espresso roast, black currants, berries, licorice, and underbrush. This full-bodied, well-balanced, opulent second wine is as good as many California producer's primary cuvee..."
1997 Harlan Estate Proprietary Red Wine 6 Bottles in OWC Proprietary Blend 750ml - $7,899.99
2002 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $249.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 98 points: "The majestic 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses the same characteristics as the 2001, just more of them. Boasting more perfume, a bigger attack and mid-palate as well as greater length and intensity, this beautiful Cabernet reveals notes of camphor intermixed with black currants, cherries, licorice, cedar, and minerals. Full-bodied and opulent with a structured finish, it is accessible now because of its wealth of fruit and concentration, but it should easily evolve for 15 or more years. The good news is there are 800 cases of this wine."
2003 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon 1500ml - $224.99
Stephen Tanzer, Jun 2006, 90 points: "Good ruby-red color. Exotic, very ripe aromas of blackcurrant, spices, mint and roasted oak; slightly porty. Then fat, sweet and round in the mouth, gushing with dark berry, black licorice and eucalyptus flavor. Finishes long and sweet, with a bit of acidity yet to be integrated. 90 points"
2000 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1500ml - $599.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2003, 93 points: "One of the vintage's stars, the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan is a forward, dense ruby/purple-colored effort offering gorgeous aromas of black cherry liqueur, cassis, and licorice in a seamless, medium to full-bodied style with tremendous purity as well as elegance. For those lucky few who own a bottle, it will drink well over the next 10-12 years."
2001 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1500ml - $674.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2005, 95 points: "The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon continues to evolve beautifully, revealing a deep purple color as well as a beautiful nose of classic creme de cassis intermixed with hints of pencil shavings, licorice, toast, and cedar. Voluptuously textured and full-bodied, with tremendous purity and a concentrated finish, it should age effortlessly for 10-15 years."
2001 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2005, 95 points: "The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon continues to evolve beautifully, revealing a deep purple color as well as a beautiful nose of classic creme de cassis intermixed with hints of pencil shavings, licorice, toast, and cedar. Voluptuously textured and full-bodied, with tremendous purity and a concentrated finish, it should age effortlessly for 10-15 years."
2002 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2005, 98 points: "As for the 2002 Hundred Acre (1,200 cases), this is a terrific example of great Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. A seamless wine with extraordinary concentration, a dense purple color, a beautifully sweet nose of black cherry liqueur intermixed with cassis, graphite, smoke, and underbrush, it is layered, multi-dimensional, and opulent, with a long finish. Although more accessible and flashy than the 2001, it is capable of lasting 15 more years."
2003 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1500ml - $599.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2004, 92 - 94 points: "Dense, rich, complex and concentrated, with excellent depth to the mocha-shaded currant and blackberry fruit. Plush and focused, with a strong, rich supple texture and ripe, integrated tannins. Score range: 92-94 (JL)"
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc 5000ml - $699.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2003, 95 points: "The brilliant 2001 Cabernet Franc, a blend of 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot is hard to find. Cabernet Franc's floral and blueberry characteristics are found in this intense, medium-bodied 2001 along with extraordinary elegance and palate presence. A hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on..."
2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc 1500ml - $179.99
Wine Spectator, Jan 2005, 91 points: "A seductive style, with lavish vanilla- and mocha-laced oak wrapped around a rich, lively core of currant, wild berry and black cherry fruit that flows across the palate. Plenty of tannins, but it's best soon, so decant and enjoy. Drink now through 2009. 1,100 cases made. (JL)"
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 3000ml - $749.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2003, 95 points: "The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon is structured and closed, but good. There are 3,000 cases of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Its inky/purple color is followed by scents of pure creme de cassis intertwined with licorice, smoke, and cigar tobacco. Sweet tannin forms a backdrop for a wine of admirable texture, intensity, and purity. A tremendous experience to smell and taste, it should be at its peak between 2006-2020."
2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 5000ml - $849.99
Connoisseur's Guide, Dec 2005, 91 points: "...This impressive, generously filled and very solid young wine is at once both powerful and remarkably well-balanced and delivers loads of optimally ripened, curranty fruit juxtaposed with just the right measure of complementary oak. It is quite full on the palate and comes complete with lots of Cabernet tannins, but even as astringency crowds in at the finish, its confident fruit refuses to quit..."
1995 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1998, 98 points: "The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve has come of age now that it is in the bottle. This is the essence of North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, offering port-like thickness and richness, a superb black currant, mineral, cedar, and pain grille-scented nose, full-bodied flavors of extraordinary intensity and overall balance, and a long, moderately tannic, multidimensional finish. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2025. Shame on me for underestimating this beauty!"
1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 750ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Jun 2002, 95 points: "The opaque purple-colored 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is extraordinarily full-bodied and powerful, with unbelievable finesse and harmony for a wine of such great extract and richness. Pure creme de cassis intermixed with licorice, minerals, smoke, and incense is accompanied by sweet tannin, well-integrated acidity, wood, and alcohol, and a stupendous finish lasting nearly 45 seconds. The wine is approachable, but should age easily for two decades. The limited production Reserve cuvee (450 cases) is an expression of California winemaking at its most compelling."
1999 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 750ml - $149.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 2002, 94 points: "The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (900 cases) is closed, revealing remarkably concentrated creme de cassis fruit intermixed with licorice, mineral, and toasty oak aromas and flavors, along with high tannin in the finish. It tastes like an over-sized Bordeaux given its tannin profile, but the huge wealth of fruit, glycerin, and extract are exceptional. Patience will be essential. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025."
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 99 points: "A potentially perfect wine, which is in bottle after having spent 30 or so months in a combination of old and new oak...The 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (a 1,300-case blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 27 months in oak) offers gorgeously fresh, lively, but super-concentrated fruit. Inky blue/purple to the rim, with a spectacular nose of creme de cassis, licorice, camphor, and a hint of vanilla, this wine is sensationally rich, has remarkable intensity, a multi-dimensional palate, and fabulous concentration and depth...should easily and effortlessly evolve for 20 or more years."
2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 1500ml - $549.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2005, 96 points: "The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) reveals an inkier purple color along with a classic nose of graphite, creme de cassis, smoke, crushed rocks, and barrique. Surprisingly approachable, long, concentrated, and impressive with flawless integration of wood, tannin, and acidity, it can be enjoyed over the next 15+ years."
2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 750ml - $224.99
2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 750ml - $164.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2006, 93 points: "The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (a blend of equal parts Napa and Sonoma fruit) offers abundant quantities of creme de cassis notes, medium to full body, a big, beefy, smoky character intermixed with scorched earth, coffee, and blackberries, and a rich, dense, smooth style. Drink this superb Cabernet over the next 12-15 years."
1998 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret Proprietary Blend 750ml - $124.99
Wine Advocate, Jun 2002, 93 points: "...red and black fruit scents intermixed with vanilla, underbrush, and mocha/coffee. It is long and opulently-textured, with low acidity, fabulous fruit, a succulent, expansive mid-palate, and a blockbuster, long finish. This is compelling stuff!..."
1999 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret Proprietary Blend 750ml - $219.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2002, 96 points: "The micro-cuvee (about 200 cases) of 1999 Reserve Claret (two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Sauvignon) is awesome! This candidate for "wine of the vintage" spent 24 months in both old and new French oak. It boasts an opaque purple color in addition to a sumptuous, sweet bouquet of espresso, blackberries, cassis, maple syrup, and vanilla. It is long, layered, multidimensional, sweet, and thick on the palate, possessing an unctuosity and concentration that must be tasted to be believed. Nevertheless, it is well-balanced and incredibly pure as well as long. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020."
2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret Proprietary Blend 750ml - $279.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 99 points: "A potentially perfect wine, which is in bottle after having spent 30 or so months in a combination of old and new oak...The 2001 Reserve Claret, which is a 450-case blend of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Sauvignon, is a spectacular wine, offering up a dense purple color and a nose of lead pencil shavings, blackberries, creme de cassis, chocolate, and espresso roast. The wine is full-bodied, opulent, layered, with tremendous purity and persistence on the palate. It is a stunning example of mountain viticulture that can be drunk now, although it is still an adolescent in its evolutionary development and will age for 15-20 years."
2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret Proprietary Blend 750ml - $239.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 97 points: "The opaque purple-colored 2002 Reserve Claret reveals more aromatic development than the Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as complexity. It boasts chocolate, blackberry, blueberry, currant, and licorice notes, a voluptuous texture, and a luscious personality..."
1996 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $2,399.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 98 points: "...reveals lots of structure, an opaque purple color, and the hallmark blackberry and cassis liqueur-like notes. Silky-textured, fabulously-concentrated, and gorgeously-balanced, it has every component part - acidity, alcohol, tannin, and extract - flawlessly presented..."
1997 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $3,999.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 100 points: "It doesn't get any better than 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, a perfect wine. Representing the essence of cassis liqueur intermixed with blackberries, minerals, licorice, and toast, this full-bodied, multi-dimensional classic is fabulous, with extraordinary purity, symmetry, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute..."
1998 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $1,799.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 94 points: "...has turned out even better that I thought last year. It boasts a saturated ruby/purple color in addition to an expressive bouquet of cassis, minerals, and smoke. This multi-textured, round wine exhibits sweet, well-integrated tannin, a great mid-palate and finish, as well as spectacular purity and palate presence. Consume it now and over the next 15-20 years..."
1999 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $1,999.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 2002, 97 points: "...a gorgeously pure nose of creme de cassis, charcoal, and floral characteristics. The wine is opulent, dense, and rich, with exceptional purity, a viscous texture, and impressive underlying tannin that frames its large but elegant personality. Not surprisingly, this is a candidate for the wine of the vintage..."
2001 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $2,099.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 98 points: "...Dense purple-colored with a classic nose of black currant liqueur intermixed with licorice, a touch of earth, smoke, and discreet toast, this is a powerful, tannic, dense, young offering revealing Screaming Eagle's classic trademarks of fragrance, purity, nobility, and an extraordinary intensity of black currant fruit in a full-bodied, seamless style..."
2002 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $2,099.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 99 points: "...exhibiting a precociousness out of the gate, but capable of lasting 20-25 years. Deep purple-colored to the rim, with a gorgeously pure nose of creme de cassis with a hint of sweet cherry, licorice, and smoke, this wine is beautifully voluptuous, full-bodied, yet incredibly elegant, with a finish that goes on for close to a minute..."
2003 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml - $1,599.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2005, 96 points: "The 2003 Screaming Eagle (84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc) exhibits the dramatic purity of creme de cassis fruit and freshness that have been hallmarks of this wine since its inception. The tannin is soft for a 2003, and the wine possesses gorgeous density and texture as well as a sweet mid-palate and a long, concentrated, harmonious finish. It is a brilliant Cabernet that should be at it best between 2007-2020+."
1983 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $174.99
1984 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $199.99
1986 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $199.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 1996, 90 points: "Another impressive showing for this consistently stylish, authoritatively powerful wine, Shafer's 1986 Hillside Select exhibits a deep ruby/purple color with minor lightening at the edge. The fragrant aromatic profile includes scents of blackcurrants, chocolate, hickory smoke, and herbs. Thick, jammy, ripe flavors are full-bodied, layered, and delicious. This wine comes across as youthful, but powerfully assertive, well-knit, and balanced. Drink it over the next dozen years."
1987 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $199.99
Wine Spectator, Dec 1997, 96 points: "An amazing wine, perhaps the most youthful in this tasting. Serves up layers of ripe, rich currant, cherry, chocolate, spice, anise and vanilla flavors that are plush, supple and deeply concentrated, all the while maintaining its supple tannins. Delicious now, it appears to have the depth and concentration to age another decade with ease.--1987 California Cabernet horizontal. 2,000 cases made. JL"
1988 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $179.99
Stephen Tanzer, Jun 1999, 90 - 93 points: "Saturated dark ruby. Floral, spicy aromas of crushed berries; still distinctly grapey shortly after the end of the secondary fermentation. Penetrating, sharply focused fruit offers superb intensity. Finishes long and subtle, with very firm acidity. Far too young to judge with confidence: it will be interesting to see if this wine puts on enough weight during its long elevage to rank with the best Hillside Select bottlings of recent years."
1990 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $219.99
Wine Advocate, Jun 1995, 92 points: "...Sweet scents of red and black fruits, spicy oak, roasted herbs, toast, and vanilla jump from the glass. The wine possesses full body, great fruit extraction, plenty of glycerin, and chewy, gorgeously-proportioned, supple, rich flavors unaccompanied by the hard, tannic structure and heaviness usually associated with wines of this level of extraction. Flavorful, accessible, and already complex..."
1991 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Jun 1995, 94 points: "Note: This wine will be released in Fall, 1995"
1992 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $259.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1996, 95 points: "At the top of this estate's qualitative hierarchy are their Cabernet Sauvignons. I extolled the virtues of the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select prior to its release, and now that it is in the marketplace, it is as fabulous as I had hoped. It possesses an opaque dark purple color, and a profoundly complex nose of minerals, ripe cassis fruit, cedar, chocolate, and subtle herbs. Full-bodied yet silky, with layers of concentrated, highly extracted fruit, this wine is exceptionally well-balanced, beautifully pure, and already delicious. It is still an infant in terms of development, but I would not fault anybody for wanting to drink it. Anticipated maturity: now-2012. Readers may remember my previous lavish reviews of the Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignons. These wines have always been high class, but the quality level since 1991 has pushed Shafer's Hillside Select into an elite grouping of two dozen or so California Cabernet producers. There are 2,000-2,400 cases made of these rich, ageworthy Cabernets."
1993 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 3000ml - $1,099.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 1996, 94 points: "At the top of this estate's qualitative hierarchy are their Cabernet Sauvignons. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is an outstanding wine that is close in quality to the 1992 and 1991. The 1993 boasts an opaque purple color, as well as a sweet, smoky nose of licorice, blackcurrants, minerals, and vanillin. Huge, rich, and full-bodied, with fabulous concentration and extract, but harder tannin than the 1992 or 1994, this is a large-scaled, well-balanced, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon to drink between 2000-2020. Readers may remember my previous lavish reviews of the Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignons. These wines have always been high class, but the quality level since 1991 has pushed Shafer's Hillside Select into an elite grouping of two dozen or so California Cabernet producers. There are 2,000-2,400 cases made of these rich, ageworthy Cabernets.Another of Napa's finest wineries, Shafer has taken full advantage of a succession of superlative vintages during the nineties, producing a powerful portfolio of brilliant wines. Since 1991, just about everything emerging from Shafer Vineyards has been high on buyers' lists. All things considered, Doug and John Shafer are at the top of their game."
1993 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $209.99
1994 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 1998, 99 points: "The current release, the 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, is a prodigious Cabernet. I had it at a tasting in Japan, and the Japanese were as enthusiastic about it as my rating suggested they should be. They were crestfallen when informed they probably would not be able to buy multiple cases of the wine! The 1994 combines the vintage's spectacularly ripe, luscious fruit with a rarely seen degree of elegance and finesse. The wine is extremely rich, as well as gorgeously poised and graceful. The saturated ruby/purple color is accompanied by Medoc-like, lead pencil aromas intermixed with cassis, cedar, minerals, and spice. I wrote the word "great" four different times in my most recent tasting note, which mirrored every other tasting note I have. It is full-bodied and seamless, with a silky texture, voluptuous richness, and fabulous purity. The finish lasts for over 40 seconds. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025."
1995 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $349.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2000, 99 points: "The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select possesses lots of fatness in the mid-palate. There is plenty of tannin in this full-bodied, rich effort. It is remarkable how the finest California Cabernets combine extraordinary power and richness with balance and elegance. A stupendous wine, it is worth a special effort to obtain. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2030."
1996 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 98 points: "...super aromatics, immense body, great fruit extraction, superb purity and overall symmetry, as well as a 40+ second finish. Revealing exceptional intensity (but no heaviness) as well as perfectly integrated acidity, tannin, and alcohol..."
1997 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $449.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2000, 99 points: "Since 1991, Shafer's Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon has unquestionably been one of the top dozen or so California Cabernets...possesses the elegance and finesse one would expect from the Stag's Leap area, but also monumental power, richness, and intensity."
1998 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $174.99
Wine Advocate, Aug 2002, 94 points: "...The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is a candidate for wine of the vintage. It continues to gain weight...Its opaque purple color is accompanied by gorgeous aromas of graphite, vanilla, black currant liqueur, and minerals. This rich, full-bodied Cabernet offers sweet tannin, a layered texture, and a finish that lasts for 45-50 seconds. It is a splendid accomplishment in a difficult vintage..."
1999 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $299.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2003, 97 points: "The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the finest wines of the vintage...scents of vanilla, blackberry liqueur, crushed minerals, and a hint of white flowers. There is stunning intensity, tremendous purity, full body, and a remarkable, seamless finish (amazing given the elevated, austere tannin)...A brilliant effort!"
2001 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $359.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2005, 99 points: "Shafer's flagship wine is the 2,000 case cuvee of Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 32 months in 100% new French oak prior to bottling, it is one of the world's greatest Cabernet Sauvignons. Like many of the top wines of the vintage, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has closed down, but it reveals impressive potential. Its dense purple color is accompanied by an exquisite bouquet of charcoal, sweet oak, black currant liqueur, and graphite. Full-bodied and powerful, with superb intensity, length, persistence, purity, and texture, it should either be decanted for several hours in advance, or given another 2-4 years of bottle age. Drink it over the following 20-25 years. Shafer Vineyards, one of the most impeccably run wineries in the world, is a wonderful family operation that deserves all the success they have earned."
2002 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2005, 100 points: "Shafer's flagship wine is the 2,000 case cuvee of Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 32 months in 100% new French oak prior to bottling, it is one of the world's greatest Cabernet Sauvignons. The perfect, incredibly flamboyant and aromatic 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is one of the most profound California Cabernets I have ever tasted. Boasting an inky/purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of projected aromas of smoke, black currants, flowers, licorice, and subtle oak, it possesses phenomenal intensity, a multilayered mid-palate, and a finish that lasts for over a minute. This is as profound as Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon can be, combining extraordinary power, texture, richness, and depth with remarkable complexity, elegance, and seamlessness. Drink this spectacular offering now and over the next 25+ years."
2001 Sloan Proprietary Red Proprietary Blend 750ml - $479.99
Wine Advocate, Feb 2005, 98 points: "...gorgeous aromas of espresso roast, smoked meats, creme de cassis, blackberries, damp earth, and new saddle leather. Full-bodied, opulent, and savory, with tremendous power and richness as well as an extraordinary finish..."
2002 Sloan Proprietary Red Proprietary Blend 750ml - $749.99
Wine Advocate, Dec 2005, 100 points: "The 2002 is indeed one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignons I have ever tasted from California. Boasting enormous concentration, extraordinary complexity (roasted coffee notes intermixed with blueberry, blackberry, jus de viande, subtle smoky oak, and a wealth of spice), it possesses terrific fruit, extraordinary intensity, and an amazingly pure, rich, long (over 50 seconds), blockbuster finish. This brilliant, uncompromising expression of Cabernet Sauvignon clearly demonstrates this vineyard's potential as well as the enormous, multi-million-dollar effort Stuart Sloan has put into both the winery and the vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+."
2003 Sloan Proprietary Red Proprietary Blend 750ml - $399.99
Wine Advocate, Jan 2006, 96 points: " The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, now in bottle, is an amazing wine with a dense purple color and a gorgeous nose of new saddle leather, espresso roast, licorice, chocolate, and enormous quantities of black currant, cherry, and fruit intermixed with smoked meats. Full-bodied, powerful, with a broad savory mouthfeel, a multi-layered texture, and no hardness in the finish, this wine has evolved beautifully, and can be drunk now or cellared for 25+ years."
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