Wine Advocate (98+)

The 2021 Chardonnay Isobel Charles Heintz Vineyard is the 20th bottling of a Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay at DuMOL. It was harvested September 25-27, matured in larger barrels and finished with six months in stainless steel. "There are very few better vintages of this," winemaker Andy Smith exclaims during our tasting, and I have to agree. It's bursting with scents of matchstick, chamomile, Greek yogurt and white peach, and over time, it unfurls unique spicy, herbal undertones. The palate is intensely concentrated, boasting expansive, dynamic flavors that segue from stone fruit to honey. Satiny and seamless, it has a tremendously long finish with mind-altering depth of flavor. Fans of Burgundy will love it for its flinty tones, and fans of California for its concentration and power.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard needs quite a bit of coaxing to unlock notes of ripe yellow apples, grapefruit oil, orange peel, and juicy peaches, leading to wafts of wet slate, shaved ginger, and almond croissant. The medium-bodied palate has super-charged intensity, delivering layer upon layer of citrus, stone fruit, and mineral flavors with a silky texture and laser-precise acidity, finishing with incredible length and so many citrus and mineral sparks. This is phenomenal Chardonnay! These Hyde Vineyard vines were planted in 1986. "Hyde were the first to do custom growing and they do it so well," commented DuMOL's winemaker, Andy Smith. "The shoot growth in 2021 was very low and the yields were down from a typical 21 barrels to 17 barrels. But I believe this is the best quality is the best they've ever had from here." I agree. For number crunchers, the pH is 3.38, and ABV is 13.7%.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (100)

The 2021 Pinot Noir MacIntyre Estate Vineyard is magnificent. Dark, plush and exceptionally vivid, the 2021 is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. The mix of Calera and Swan clones yields an unctuous, rich Pinot that does not taste like a wine from sandy soils. The 2021 is sensational. I don't think I have ever tasted a wine like this before here. A rush of dark blue/purplish fruit, gravel, spice and menthol builds into the huge, structured finish. Unforgettable.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The 2021 Pinot Noir Finn pours a jeweled ruby and is sourced from two vineyards. It offers up nearly ripe, attractive smoky notes of cherry, cracked pepper, and dusty earth. Full-bodied, it’s expansive on the palate, with ripe black raspberry, pine, and anise. This needs time but is well structured and has excellent balance.

Wine Advocate (98+)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (containing a splash of Cabernet Franc) is a brand-new wine, representing a collaboration between Dalla Valle in Napa Valley and Ornellaia Estate in Tuscany (hence DVO). Deep garnet-purple colored, it is intensely scented of baked plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with an emerging perfume of potpourri, Indian spices and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is opulently fruited and plushly textured, delivering bags of floral and spicy nuances with a long, mineral and earth-tinged finish. Draped in flamboyant drama, this is a very different, very exciting new face of Napa Valley! 400 cases were made.

James Suckling (97)

Intense aromas of black fruit, cocoa powder, black olives, dried violets, tar and cigar box. Some black peppercorn, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, chalky tannins. Incredible intensity and purity of fruit with gorgeous breadth and depth. Superb, new-wave Napa red. 80% cabernet sauvignon, the rest mostly cabernet franc with a hit of petit verdot. Try from 2025.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

I was also able to taste the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an utterly classic Napa Cabernet with its layered, expansive mouthfeel and majestic style. Red and black currants, savory herbs, tobacco, new leather, and pressed roses all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a deep, layered mouthfeel, an incredible salinity and minerality, and a gorgeous finish. It's pure class and elegance married with incredible Napa fruit. As with many 2019s, it already offers pleasure yet this should benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and I wouldn t be surprised to see it evolve for 30+ years.

Decanter (95)

Famous South African golfer Ernie Els retains a share in this winery but it is now predominantly German-owned, with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon set to be a particular focus. This vintage (8% Petit Verdot) combines fruit power with detail. Aromatics of blue and black fruit, some attractive herbal character plus oak spice on a plush and smooth-textured palate.

It contains two bottles of each:

2x75cl Perihelios - 100 points | Jeb Dunnuck

2x75cl Polysipine - 98+ points - Jeb Dunnuck

2x75cl Sine Fine - 98 points | Jeb Dunnuck

100 points | Jeb Dunnuck (Perihelios)

One of two perfect wines in the lineup of 2018s, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Perihelios comes from Thomas Rivers Brown and is another seamless, elegant, yet powerful wine that’s just a joy to taste. Cassis, blackberries, tobacco, graphite, licorice, and a kiss of iron define this incredible beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible finish. Coming mostly from the Upper Range Vineyard and brought up in new barrels, it has ample up-front appeal given its balance, purity, and texture, yet there's no shortage of tannins, and it's going to evolve gracefully for 20-25 years or more.

98+ points | Jeb Dunnuck (Polysipine)

Made by Philippe Melka and a blend of sites, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Polyspline is all Cabernet Sauvignon that saw a small amount of barrel fermentation and aging in 88% new French oak. It's the most structured, backward, and in need of bottle age of the trio and has a dense purple hue to go with powerful notes of blackcurrants, tobacco, licorice, spicy oak, and graphite. Full-bodied on the palate, it's a powerhouse of a wine that has a great mid-palate, building, substantial tannins, and a great, great finish. It needs to be forgotten for at least 4-5 years but will have decades of longevity.

98 points | Jeb Dunnuck (Sine Fine)

Coming from the talented Benoit Touquette, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sine Fine offers more blue fruits as well as lots of floral, violet, iron, spicy wood, and lead pencil-like aromatics. Another exuberant, incredibly sexy wine under the Fairest Creature label, it’s full-bodied and has just about perfect tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a gorgeous finish. It's already impossible to resist, yet I've no doubt this will evolve for 20-25 years or more. The purity of fruit as well as the tannins in this wine are exceptional.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Lastly, there are a tiny 532 magnums of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Triniceros, a blend put together by famed consultant Michel Rolland. It's possibly closest in style to the Plyspline release and has incredible dark fruits (cassis, currants) as well as notes of graphite, toasted spice, chocolate, white flowers, and lead pencil shavings. A wine that builds incrementally on the palate, it has ripe, velvety tannins, an expansive texture, fabulous mid-palate depth, and the balance and class to drink well today yet also evolve for 20-30 years.

Experience the distinctive taste of Fortunate Son The Warrior 2019, exquisite wine crafted in the renowned vineyards of Sonoma County, California. This bold red blend exhibits a smooth, harmonious composition of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre grape varieties, matured splendidly in a balanced climate of cool nights and warm days.

Employing a traditional fermentation process in stainless steel vats with gentle pump-overs, the Warrior 2019 demonstrates the Fortunate Son winery's commitment to preserving the integrity and characteristics of each varietal. Aged in French oak barrels, this grand cuvée unveils intricate layers of blackberry, cassis and anise, underscored by notes of mocha and subtle earthiness.

Fortunate Son The Warrior 2019 encapsulates the unwavering dedication of its producers to quality and complexity. A testament of excellence, it seamlessly melds time-honoured techniques and modern innovation, making this full-bodied wine a precious addition to any well-curated collection.

James Suckling (99)

This is luxurious red for the vintage with velvety tannins that give it superb depth and richness. Lots of tile, dry earth, clay and chocolate. Full-bodied, but almost weightless in the sensibility of the wine. It goes on for minutes. Lovely dried oranges and savory, fruity and forest-floor character at the end. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc, 4% petit verdot and 2% merlot. Unfined and unfiltered. Drink in 2025.

Decanter (96)

The acclaimed Peter-Allan Finlayson, whose own label is Crystallum, also makes the Gabriëlskloof wines. This cuvée is an effort to showcase the ‘national treasure’ that is old-vine Chenin, with grapes drawn mainly from Swartland but also Durbanville. Subtle and complex aromas of flowers, herbs, yellow apple, peach and spice, while the palate is dense and detailed and the finish gently savoury.

Greg Sherwood MW (96)

Deep, dark and broody, this wine speaks with all the authority and confidence of a 5 star block buster vintage. Brimming with black menthol cassis, boiled black berry sweets, black cherry and tight grained cedar spice, this wine wears a super hero gown of graphite and stony minerality and whispers quality from the moment it hits the glass. Tight, focused and impressively compact, there is a seamless saline black currant balance with linear polished marble tannins and a super intense concentration. This is the culmination of years of winemaking refinement and is without doubt the finest red wine produced to date at the Glenelly Estate revealing the true terroir quality potential of these groomed, premium Stellenbosch vineyards. Drink from Release with decanting and over the next 20+ years.

Christian Eedes (95)

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc. Matured for 20 months in 300-litre barrels, 75% new. Red and black berries, some herbal lift and oystershell on the nose. Full but balanced – great clarity of fruit, bright acidity and a pleasantly austere finish. Very pure and focused but that much less imposing than 2015.

Greg Sherwood MW (97)

If the 2015 Lady May resembled a powerful, dense, Pauillac-styled Cabernet Sauvignon led red blend, and the 2016 a broader, softer expression from a warm dry vintage, then the 2017 is pretty much the antithesis, boasting the most elegant, silky, seamlessly harmonious texture combined with an attractively fragrant, Margaux-esque delicacy, an understated density and graceful precision. While super youthful, the wine inevitably displays some of the lush, alluring and reassuringly expensive new oak creaminess, boasting layers of warm buttered brown toast smothered in black currant preserve, fresh espresso, hints of mocha dust and delicate vanilla pod spice notes. But probably the most pleasing element about this wine is the way ex-winemaker Luke O’Cuinneagain captured the truest essence of the 2017 vintage with its extreme purity, weightless fruit concentration that dances across the palate together with a focused, piercing intensity on the long, silky, luxurious finish. This is class personified and I for one am completely smitten. Drink on release and over 25+ years.

Wine Advocate (99+)

The 2012 Harlan Estate is reminiscent of their 2002. Probably a candidate for perfection with another 4-5 years of bottle age, the wine is inky plum/purple to the rim and offers a gorgeous nose of scorched earth, blackberry and cassis, forest floor, and a floral, lavender-like component followed by deep, opulent, majestic flavors that caress the palate with high but sweet tannin. This is relatively evolved, and supple and voluptuous for a young Harlan estate – hence the comparison with their compelling 2002. This wine can be drunk in several years and is likely another candidate for 30-50 years of cellaring.

James Suckling (98)

The pure fruit is incredible with a dark-fruit and blackberry character. Some sous bois but also shows clarity and finesse. Full body and super fine tannins. Tight and so pretty. A classy and fine Harlan. Needs four to five years to open up.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

The 2015 Harlan Estate is a beast of a wine that shows the sexy, opulent style of the vintage married to the classic structure and depth of this estate. A downright smorgasbord of blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed rocks, graphite, smoky camphor, cured meats, and dried tobacco aromas all emerge from the glass, and it shows the deep, concentrated style of the vintage yet still has awesome complexity and nuances. Deep, powerful, and structured, yet opulent and incredibly sexy on the palate, it reminds me of the 2002. A brilliant wine from this estate, it's already approachable given its wealth of fruit yet has the tannic backbone and density to keep for 3-4 decades or more.

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!

The Wine Cellar Insider (100)

Packed and stacked with blackberries, boysenberry's, blueberries, smoke, orange rind, spice and fresh brewed espresso, from the initial sniff you know this is a show-stopper. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and dense, yet, with all this power, you also find balance. Every nook and cranny of your palate is coated with perfectly ripe, opulent berries. Texturally, the velvety waves of fruit hit all the right pleasure buttons again and again. The finish here keeps on going effortlessly moving from note to note. This is what great wine is all about. I seldom drink during tastings. But with this stunner, I drank every drop!

Wine Advocate (97+)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Harlan Estate needs a little coaxing to reveal captivating iron ore, red currant jelly, cloves and crushed rocks scents with a core of warm cassis, Black Forest cake and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture with a lively backbone and loads of earthy layers, long and mineral laced. This should be one of the longer-lived wines coming out of the 2017 vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Stunning on every level, the 2018 Proprietary Red Wine reveals a dense purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone, iron, violets, and tobacco. Reminding me of a hypothetical blend of Ducru Beaucaillou and Pontet Canet from a great, classical vintage (or a more elegant version of the 2013 for simplicity), it's medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, powerful yet elegant, and has a finish that won't quit. This is pure gold in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s already drinkable yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and have 40 years of prime drinking.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Stunning on every level, the 2018 Proprietary Red Wine reveals a dense purple hue as well as an incredible bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed stone, iron, violets, and tobacco. Reminding me of a hypothetical blend of Ducru Beaucaillou and Pontet Canet from a great, classical vintage (or a more elegant version of the 2013 for simplicity), it's medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, powerful yet elegant, and has a finish that won't quit. This is pure gold in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s already drinkable yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and have 40 years of prime drinking.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2019 Harlan Estate is deep garnet-purple in color. It swans out of the glass with graceful notions of fresh blackberries and boysenberries, leading to a core of blackcurrant pastilles and licorice, followed by suggestions of spice cake, dusty soil, cinnamon stick, and Sichuan pepper. The rich, black-fruited, full-bodied palate is sparked with electric black berry and earthy accents, framed by exquisitely ripe tannins and compelling tension, finishing long and earthy. Stunning!

James Suckling (97)

The brightness and vivid fruit character here is so very impressive. Medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins. Extremely long and linear with a gorgeous finish. I can’t wait on this. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay Jennifer’s Vineyard displays intense notes of grapefruit, green guava, mango and pineapple with nuances of talc, oyster shells and fresh ginger. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and super intense with tightly wound layers of citrus and tropical fruits and bags of mineral notions on the epically long finish. This needs time but should emerge from the cellar gloriously in 2-3 years! 337 cases produced.

Wine Advocate (100)

The “dark expression of Ark Vineyard" continues with the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Dark Ark. Deep garnet-black, the nose is profoundly earthy/meaty, slowly revealing beguiling notes of damp soil, truffles and crushed rocks, before giving way to a core of crème de cassis, black cherry compote and fruitcake with wafts of beef drippings and wild fungi. Full-bodied, rich and oh-so-earthy in the mouth, the palate delivers layers of black fruit preserves, beautifully offset by a lively backbone and velvety tannins, finishing epically long and layered. There is something hauntingly cerebral and yet satisfyingly visceral about this vintage—a singular experience!

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Probably my favorite in the entire lineup, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between comes from a tiny site just outside of Calistoga formerly known as the Pickett Road Vineyard. Like the 2015, the 2016 includes a touch of Cabernet Franc and spent the usual 32 months in 100% new French oak. This full-bodied, majestic Napa Valley Cabernet reveals a dense purple hue, awesome crème de cassis and kirsch fruit, amazing complexity in its spicy, sandalwood, and floral aromatics, and a massive yet elegant, lengthy personality. The texture is through the roof, it’s as seamless and polished as they come, perfectly balanced, and while I’d happily drink bottles today, my money is on this evolving for 3-4 decades.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a deep garnet color and nose of crème de cassis, blueberry compote and candied violets with hints of red roses, chocolate mint, stewed tea and yeast extract plus a hint of cumin. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, the palate is completely packed with spicy fruit, finishing with lingering earthy notes.