"It's brighter and fresher than the regular Estate bottling, with notes of fresh raspberries and cherries joined by cedar and vanilla. Full-bodied in the mouth, it's taut and zesty, its ripe tannins accentuated by bright acidity. Yet to be released, give it a few years to round into form."
* Joe Czerwinski - Tasted: Jan 31, 2024
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Drinking Window: 2025 - 2052 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 98 WI Region: Oakville ABV: 15.6%
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Drinking Window: 2025- 2045 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 95 RP, 97 WS Region: Napa Valley ABV: 15.7% "Dark-fruited aromas of mulberries, blackcurrants, violets, graphite and potpourri. The palate is full-bodied with firmly framed tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of mocha, blackberry bush, wet stones, dried herbs and raspberries. There is quite a mineral edge to this wine, with a underlying power. Drink or hold." * James Suckling - Tasted: January 2025
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Drinking Window: 2026 - 2045 Size: 1.5 L Critic Scores: 95 JL, 95 RP Region: Napa Valley ABV: 14.5%"The Cathiard estate's flagship wine is super concentrated, superfine in texture, built for long aging but also enticing to drink soon. It is made from 100% cabernet sauvignon from the oldest vines on the property, planted in 1978. Beautiful flavors of creme de cassis, black cherries, blueberries, orange zest and bitter chocolate are layered and almost delicate." * James Suckling - Tasted: March 2025
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Drinking Window: 2025 - 2045 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 98 RP, 98 JA, 98 WS, 98 WA Region: Napa Valley ABV:14.5 - 15%"A terrific effort from a challenging vintage, Chappellet's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill—94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot—boasts expressive scents of cassis, blackberries, vanilla and caramel. It's full-bodied, supple, generous, deep and round, expansive on the palate and framed by soft, fully ripe tannins and hints of mocha on the lingering, velvety finish. Showy, impressive and delicious, it should drink well for a couple of decades." * Joe Czewinski, Wine Advocate - Tasted: Feb. 2025
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Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 97 Decanter Region: Napa Valley ABV: 15.5% "Black currants and black berries, with a transparency that lets beautiful pine needles and sage shine through. Full-bodied with a very fine velvet texture. Extremely long and delicious. Intense finish. Amazing length The owner is Hundred Acre, and it’s coming through clearly. Drink or hold." * James Suckling - Tasted: Sept. 2025
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Drinking Window: Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 100 JS, 100 DC, 100 AGC Region: Howell Mountain ABV: "Black currant, hints of mint, lead pencil and black cherry aromas follow through to a full body with very fine tannins and an endless finish. The texture leaves me breathless and speechless. Incredible length and depth. Hard not to drink now." * James Suckling - Tasted: Sept. 2025
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Drinking Window: Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 100 JS, 100 AGC Region: Howell Mountain ABV: "The purity of cabernet fruit is phenomenal, with black currant, crushed stone and gravel and some terra cotta. It’s full-bodied with incredible depth and length. It goes on and on. Reminds me of Latour from the late 1940s." "Wow." "Will age forever. Drink now or hold." * James Suckling - Tasted: Sept. 2025
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Drinking Window: Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 100 AGC Region: Napa Valley ABV: "This is the darker expression of WRAITH, and I tend to prefer it in 2022. The wine is profoundly soulful and deeply penetrating. It’s boldly rich red and black fruits, warming spices, and sinewy tannins unfold in mesmerizing precision, flooding the palate with the most succulent, umami, and lush textures. The WRAITH Holy Quest is a barrel selection that embodies Jayson Woodbridge’s personal journey to fuse his life with wine as ‘a bodyguard, a protector—like body armour—shielding you from the buffeting forces of life.’ During my tasting with him in 2024, he offered this detailed explanation of Holy Quest: ‘[This is] a small, rare portion of WRAITH, [which is a wine] based on the legend of the Knights Templar. On Friday the 13th, the Templars were betrayed and extinguished by the corrupt French King and Pope. These knights, protectors of the realm, wore the Armour of Light. Still, as they prepared to create immortals, they forged the Armour of Night—allowing them to become vaporous at night, solid during the day, and safe only within the sanctity of Templar churches. The WRAITH label speaks to this secret, explaining how only two Templars can pass through the hidden seal—read the label closely." * (JC) Decanter - Tasted: January 2025
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Drinking Window: 2025 - 2050 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 98 RP Region: Mount Veeder ABV: 14.9% "The Jackson family purchased the Veeder Peak property in 1994, from which the fruit for this Lokoya bottling comes. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder offers up fabulous spice notes, ranging from cinnamon and clove to anise and sage, all layered atop a dark-fruited base of black cherries and cassis. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, yet silky smooth, this is tannic but ripe and polished, balanced and long on the finish. Maybe the strongest of the Lokoya bottlings this year?" * Joe Czerwinski , Wine Advocate - Tasted: Oct. 2025
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Drinking Window: 2025-2032 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 91 CT Region: Napa Valley, California ABV: 15.4% "Plush aromas of blackberry compote, graphite, blueberries and blood plums. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, showing a generous, creamy texture and lingering notes of mocha and bramble berries. Fresh and polished for this hot vintage. Drink or hold." *James Suckling - Tasted January 2025
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Drinking Window: 2025 - 2046 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 97 RP Region: Oakville ABV: 15.4%"A selection of the estate's best lots and barrels, Plumpjack's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve spent 19 months in 93% new French oak, yet it seems brighter and fresher than the regular bottling. Cassis leads the way, accented by vanilla and streusel highlights, while the full-bodied palate is expansive, supple and creamy textured, then long and silky on the finish. It's a really strong effort, with ample richness yet no excess weight and a flowing, elegant feel on the palate. Sampled under screw cap." * Joe Czerwinski - Tasted: Feb 27, 2025
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Drinking Window: 2028 - 2046 Size: 750mL Critic Scores: 96 WS, 96 SJ Region: Napa Valley ABV: 14.5% "The powerhouse of the Napa Heritage Vineyards is, without a doubt, To Kalon. Its aromas of wet stone, slate, fresh blueberry, and violet highlight the beauty and depth of this exceptional terroir. On the palate, robust tannins support rich flavors of dark fruit, molasses, and fig." * Winery Notes
