Vinous 95+ Points: “The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is another fabulous wine from Detert. It is a bit reticent today, but that should not be an issue in time. This classically built, medium to full-bodied Napa Valley Cabernet offers tons of depth as well as structure. It’s another super example of this sector of Oakville. The 2019 is not an immediate wine, though, so readers should plan on being patient.”

Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points: “Next up, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a slightly broader, more expansive wine with textbook notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, Asian spices, loamy soil, camphor, and chocolate. Offering full-bodied richness, a beautiful weightlessness on the palate, and building tannins, this is another gorgeous, seamless, singular wine from this estate that will benefit from short-term cellaring and evolve for 20-25 years or more.”

Jeb Dunnuck 96+Points: ‘From younger plantings in the southwest portion of Mt. Veeder, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is all Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 82% new French oak. Offering notes of cassis, red plums, wild scrub brush, and scorched earth, it’s beautiful on the palate, with surprisingly supple tannins, medium to full body, wonderful balance, and a great finish.”

Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points:  “The 2021 Pinot Noir comes entirely from the Pisoni Vineyard in the southern portion of the Santa Lucia Highlands. It was only partially destemmed and was raised in 68% new French oak. It’s a truly gorgeous effort offering serious aromatics of cassis, darker raspberries, spicy oak, graphite, and crushed stone. Incredibly pure, vibrant, and precise aromatically, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, lots of building tannins, and a great finish. This concentrated, focused, age-worthy beauty needs at least 2-3 years to integrate its structure and tannins and will evolve brilliantly over the following decade. Bravo!

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points: “A bigger, richer, more structured wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate Vineyard has brilliant black fruits, tobacco, iron, and subtle smoke-like nuances in a full-bodied, concentrated, layered package. This is pure Mountain Cabernet genius, and while it’s far from unapproachable today, it will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age. It’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage and should be snatched up by readers.”

Robert Parker 97 Points: “The 2021 Chardonnay H. Klopp Vineyard, from vines planted in classic Goldridge soils, is bursting with alluring, layered aromas: quince paste, honey, and white peach are complemented by accents of roasted almonds and graham cracker, and the palate matches that intensity with its highly concentrated, honeyed flavors. All that flavor is supported by a spine of vibrant acidity, and a touch of textural grip drives a very long finish. This is so delicious! 300 cases were made. “

Vinous 97+ Points: The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is super-elegant and refined, but also somewhat closed following its bottling, which is not uncommon for mountain wines. That period of stubbornness seems to be part of the evolution here, as the wine tends to only blossom after a few years. Today, the 2019 is marked by its brilliant upper register, striking balance and vibrancy. It is another compelling wine from Cornell.”

James Suckling 95 Points: “A wine with a lot of back end, with dark fruits of blackberry and cherry. Ripe strawberry. Hints of toasted oak and smoke. It’s full and layered with very firm and polished tannins. Very serious and real, and shows the structure of the vintage. Some chocolate. Strawberry pie, too. Drinkable but two to three years of age will help it”

FMW 97 Points: This 100% Estate-grown Cabernet (96.3% CS and 3.7% PV), offers up an amazing bouquet of classic dark Cabernet fruit that jumps out of the glass upon impact.  This 2019 youngster is lush, full in bodied and surprisingly well-balanced.  The wine is multi-layered loaded with gorgeous black currant, dark chocolate, a whiff of anise, cassis and a touch of spice on the opulent palate.  Extremely well-balanced and in-sync wine that will please the big Cab lover.  This is a killer wine, but unfortunately a very limited production.

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!”