Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points: “Beautiful, sweet cassis and blue fruits, as well as lots of violet and floral notions, emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a full-bodied, rich, concentrated barrel sample with wonderful purity of fruit, a good sense of freshness, and serious length on the finish. This promising, elegant yet powerful wine is going to shine with short-term bottle age and keep for two decades.”

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “The 2019 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard comes from a great vineyard outside Santa Maria and is all Syrah that’s still sitting in 50% new barrels. Its dense purple color is followed by a classic Bien Nacido nose of red and blue fruits, cracked pepper, smoke game, and liquid violets. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it has both integrated acidity and gorgeous tannins as well as notable balance and a great finish. Yes, please.”

James Suckling 95 Points: “A structured and layered white with apple, light honey and acacia aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Creamy mouthfeel. Phenolic texture that runs through the wine. Flavorful yet subtle finish. Touch of flint and cedar. Drink or hold.”

Robert Parker 99 Points: “The 2019 Cabernet Franc feels like a finished wine, although it is still maturing in barrel. The nose offers super pure violet, green pepper, exotic spices and blackberries, and the palate is fresh with youthfully gregarious fruits, finishing with great length. This was made entirely from free-run juice and will be aged for about 30 months in new French oak.”

Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points: “Another release from Oakville, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is almost all Cabernet (there’s 1% Petit Verdot) and comes from a single, rocky parcel in the vineyard. It has incredible purity in its cassis, spring flower, spicy oak, graphite, and subtle iron aromas and flavors. A singular wine in the lineup with its pure, focused, balanced, almost old school style, this medium to full-bodied, incredibly impressive 2019 has solid mid-palate density, ripe, velvety tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s the purity of fruit, balance, and quality of the tannins that set this beauty apart. Hide bottles for 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades. “

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “The 2019 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard was 80% destemmed, which is a lot of stems by this estate’s standards, and spent 16 months in 40% new barrels. It’s another exotic, complex, incredibly satisfying Pinot Noir in the lineup that offers ripe red and black fruits, black tea, orange blossom, and spice-laced aromas and flavors. I love its texture, and it has terrific mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a great, great finish.”

Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points: “The 2020 Grenache is absolutely brilliant, and unquestionably up with the finest examples of this variety out there. Based on 78% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah raised in 50% new oak, it has a kaleidoscope-like bouquet of kirsch liqueur, ripe strawberries, spring flowers, incense, and ground pepper, to name just a few aromatics. This carries to a full-bodied, multi-dimensional, layered, hedonistic beauty with velvety tannins, a powerful yet somehow still fresh and elegant mouthfeel, and a blockbuster of a finish. It will evolve for two decades.”

TWI 99 Points: “The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of black cherries, blackberries, and blackcurrant jelly spill from the glass, followed by an evocative perfume of black raspberries, red roses, lavender, and cinnamon sticks. The full-bodied palate is taut with muscular, intense fruit, framed by firm, finely-grained tannins and just enough tension, finishing long and graceful. This tiny production (195 cases) of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is made by the very talented Martha McClellan (who also makes Sloan) and it is simply gorgeous!”

Wine Enthusiast 97 Points: “Hedonistic and yet intellectual, this bold and brooding bottling manages to remain joyous. Aromas of muddled black cherry, sage, bay leaf, and turned loam lead into a hearty palate loaded with boysenberry, crushed oregano and lemon peel. The acidity never stops on the compellingly complex finish”

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “My favorite of the Pinot Noir releases, the 2021 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard comes from a terrific vineyard in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Mostly destemmed (10% whole clusters) and aged 11 months in 55% new French oak, it offers a gorgeous perfume of black raspberries, mulberries, spicy herbs, underbrush, and sandalwood that develops beautifully with time in the glass. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated Pinot Noir with ripe, polished tannins, terrific balance, and outstanding length. It’s another stunning wine from this team.”

Vinous 95 Points: “The 2021 Chardonnay Rosemary’s Vineyard is a classic Brian Talley wine. Rich and creamy, with notable texture, the Rosemary’s is superb in 2021. There’s a bit more oak here than in the other Chardonnays, but the wine has the depth to balance things out. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, and a kiss of new French oak build as this resonant, expressive Chardonnay shows off its considerable charms.”

Robert Parker 100 Points: “Tasted blind, in a lineup that included vintages back to 2010, a barrel sample of Spottswoode’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon stood out as being one of the most exciting efforts. Full-bodied, ripe, and rich without being overbearing, it delivers concentrated black cherry and cassis fruit framed by supple, velvety-textured tannins. It’s long on the finish, with an attractively soft, dusty-loamy texture and no overt signs of a fire-troubled Napa vintage.”

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points:  “First made in 2009 (the first vintage of Maybach was in 2004), the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus offers an incredible, full-bodied, pure, seamless style, and I suspect this is the finest vintage of this cuvée ever made. Gorgeous red and black fruits, toasted spice, brioche, violets, and flowers are just some of the nuances here, and it’s one of those wines that brings massive richness and depth while staying pure, seamless, and as graceful as they come. Don’t miss it!”