Wine Advocate (100)

A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 40% new oak, the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is deep purple-black in color and quite reticent at this youthful stage to begin, offering up subtle notions of potpourri, Indian spices, cigar box and iron ore over a core of crushed blackberries and black cherries with intermittent wafts of black and red currants, new leather and smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a densely packed mid-palate and oodles of freshness framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and laced with compelling earthy accents. It offers incredible vibrancy with tons of black and red fruit sparkle in the mid-palate leading to a provocative mineral element on the very long finish. If I could give more than 100 for this one, I would. To be released in May 2019.

Vinous (98+)

The 2017 Dominus is one of the truly epic, grand wines of the vintage. Rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous concentration and sheer power, the 2017 Dominus captures all the personality of this site along with the natural opulence of the year. Inky dark fruit, lavender, menthol, licorice, plum, gravel and a host of dark spice notes infuse the 2017 with seemingly endless layers of nuance. Over the last two years I have tasted several hundred Napa Valley Cabernets, both from barrel and bottle. There is no question that Dominus belongs among the elite in 2017; it is simply a breathtaking wine. Certainly readers looking for a Napa Valley Cabernet to cellar should put Dominus at the top of their lists.

James Suckling (100)

This is incredible on the nose, offering hot stones, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. Full-bodied with a tight center palate, then it opens with a tannin structure that is weightless and spreads across the palate. Totally integrated on the palate. This is a magic-carpet wine. Really incredible. One of the reference points for the vintage. Drinkable now and please try a bottle, but it’s one for the cellar.

The Wine Independent (100)

Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Dominus was harvested from September 29 to October 10. It was aged in 40% new oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose slowly unfurls to unveil beguiling floral notes of candied violets and rose oil over a core of crème de cassis, blackberry pie, and plum preserves, giving way to notions of licorice, Indian spices, iron ore, and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with taut, muscular black fruit layers, intertwined with gorgeous floral and exotic spice accents, and framed by firm, finely grained tannins with seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced. Tightly coiled with so much latent energy waiting to explode, this is a spectacular expression of the vintage and Napanook vineyard. Still tightly coiled, give it a good 6-7 years in the cellar before broaching, and allow it a few hours in a decanter if consumed before 2032. 3500 cases were made, to be released in May 2022.

James Suckling (94)

This is best Othello I have had. Real earth, mushroom and dark-fruit character. Full body, melted tannins and a clean finish. Dialed in the fresh finish. Drink or hold.

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.

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.

From the renowned French vineyard, the exquisite Glantenay Volnay 1er Cru Les Ronceret 2020 is a testament to the exceptional terroir of Volnay in Burgundy. Hailing from the 2020 vintage, the fragrant, vivid red fruits of this Pinot Noir are beautifully complimented by its mineral nuances and velvety tannins. Predominantly grown in calcareous-clay soils, the grapes are hand-picked, de-stemmed, then gently pressed, allowing extraction of sublime flavours and holding back excessive tannins.

This wine has spent 18 months maturing in oak barrels, crafted by the talented Glantenay family, who have been making wine in Volnay for several generations. With its deep ruby hue and the balance of fruit, spice, and earthy notes, Glantenay Volnay 1er Cru Les Ronceret 2020 is a captivating expression of its unique origin. Expertly crafted and reflecting the passion and dedication of its makers, this is a wine for true connoisseurs.

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 (92)

The 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets is showing beautifully, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, rose petals, cassis and violets. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with an ample chassis of powdery tannins, fine concentration and succulent acids. From a parcel of 58-year-old vines, this is a quintessentially elegant Volnay that should also drink well young.

Experience the exquisite taste of Hospices de Beaune Volnay 1er Cru Cuvee Blondeau 2014, an exemplary fine wine exemplary of the magnificent Burgundy region. Produced in the esteemed Hospices de Beaune, rooted in a tradition of charitable work and excellence in winemaking since 1443, this wine carries the allure of history merged with elite craftsmanship.

This magnificent Volnay 1er Cru, made from 100% Pinot Noir grape emanates an array of vibrant red fruits underpinned by fine-grained tannins complementing its complexity. Each grape was meticulously harvested by hand in the vintage year of 2014, ensuring optimum quality.

The Cuvee Blondeau is matured in French oak barrels, infusing it with silky texture and delicate spicy notes. A true testament to French viticulture, this fine wine is perfect for the discerning palate seeking robust flavours elegantly balanced with a buoyant finish. Truly, the Hospices de Beaune Volnay 1er Cru Cuvee Blondeau 2014 represents the epitome of luxury imbibing.

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.