Vinous 97 Points: ” The 2021 Pinot Noir Coastlands Old Firs emerges from a block planted with Martini and Wadenswil clones planted in 1989. Exotic and compelling, with captivating inner perfume and stunning balance, the 2021 is unforgettable. Orange peel, kirsch, spice, rose petal, mint and crushed rocks gradually emerge from the glass. The 40% stems are beautifully woven into the wine’s fabric. Bright acids and beams of tannin are holding the wine back today, but make no mistake about it, the 2021 is magnificent.”

Robert Parker 94 Points: “Medium ruby, the 2019 Zinfandel Lolita Ranch is delicate and pretty this vintage, with scents of raspberry jam, apricots, citrus peel, and floral perfume. The palate is light-bodied, soft, bright, and approachable, with floral character lingering on the finish. This Lolita Zin is perfect for shorter-term drinking, and I’d be tempted to have it without food for its particular delicacy and nuance. 222 cases produced.”

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 92+ Points: “The latest release of Billecart’s NV Brut Sous Bois is excellent, unwinding in the glass with notes of lemon oil, crisp stone fruit, buttery pastry and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and elegantly vinous, with chalky phenolic structure and an enlivening pillowy mousse, it’s impressively deep and concentrated, with fine tension and grip. Early renditions of this cuvée tended to be at their best on release, but this impressive effort appears to be built to age.”

Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points: “A 60/40 split of Syrah and Grenache that comes from the Bien Nacido and Larner vineyards, the 2021 Letters to Europe offers up a rocking bouquet blackberries, ground pepper, spring flowers, and leather that needs air to show at its best. This spicy, complex, medium to full-bodied effort has terrific intensity, a stacked mid-palate, and ripe tannins that carry through the finish. It’s a head-turning beauty, that’s for sure.”

James Suckling 96 Points: “Aromas of hibiscus, lemon, iron and strawberry follow through to a medium to full body with very fine tannins that melt into the wine. Lovely freshness. Succulent and juicy. Drink now or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “The 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 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!”

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points: “The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon continues to show brilliantly. (I rated it 97-100 from barrel last year.) It has a quintessential Cabernet nose of pure crème de cassis, crushed stone, lead pencil, graphite, and tobacco that gains depth and richness with time in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, rich, and incredibly textured, yet still fresh, light on its feet, and beautifully balanced, this gorgeous Cabernet shows what’s possible with the variety from Paso Robles.”

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.”

sFMW 97+ Points: “Sourced from 40-year-old vines from Charley Heintz’s site just east of Occidental.  This 2022 radiant Chardonnay offers up a deep, rich, lush style body with electrifying notes of bright orchard fruits, brioche, and a whiff of minerality.  Incredibly well-balanced, with a touch of amalgamated acidity, it showcases a lush and rich mid-palate and a long, sophisticated finish. This is a classic Sonoma Coast Chardonnay that can be enjoyed now, and should drink and cellar well for a good decade!”

Robert Parker 97 Points: “Mae Estate is brand new cuvée from Tyler. “This place came on the market in 2014,” explains winemaker Justin Tyler Willett. “We had contemplated buying a place, so we will break ground here in 2022 on a new winery.” Located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation on marine sediment soils, the Mae Estate will become the new home for Tyler wines. The 2019 Chardonnay Mae Estate is a beautiful first iteration. The nose features creamy panna cotta, lemon peel and pastry aromas streaked with sweet spice, and the palate has a unique satiny texture that coats the mouth and draws out its plush, creamy citrus and apricot layers. Don’t hesitate to try this promising new cuvée from Tyler”

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.”

James Suckling 98  Points: “Spices and dried strawberries with stone and mineral aromas as well as sandalwood and oyster shell. Some orange peel and lavender. Full-bodied with layers of very fine tannins that have a firm and direct nature. It goes on for minutes. So structured with tannins that spread across the palate. Needs time to soften and open. Try after 2028.”

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points: “A step up over the 2018, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is gorgeous juice, offering lots of cassis, tapenade, chocolaty oak, and spicy notes in a round, lush, sexy package. The tannins are first-rate, and this will last for 15 years. It’s well worth checking out.”

Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points: “Another brilliant wine from this family, the 2021 Chardonnay comes all from the estate Pisoni Vineyard in the southern part of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Unfortunately, it’s made in tiny quantities, but I consistently think it ranks with the finest Chardonnay in California. Honeyed lemon, pear, flowers, crushed stone, and a beautiful kiss of toasted walnuts define the aromatics, and it’s medium-bodied, vibrant, and elegant, with a liquid rock-like sense of minerality on the finish. It plays in the more elegant, focused, lengthy style of the vintage and is slightly closed and tight at present. Give bottles another 2-3 years in the cellar and enjoy through 2031. It’s a beautiful Chardonnay.”

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “The 2019 Pinot Noir Seabiscuit Zotovich Vineyard comes from the Sta. Rita Hills and was brought up in 65% new French oak. It shows the spicy, savory, salty style of the appellation, yet all with restraint, and it’s the purity of fruit that leads, with gorgeous ripe raspberries, cherries, and mulberries all front and center. More medium-bodied, elegant, and impeccably balanced, it’s already impossible to resist yet has a good 7-8 years of prime drinking ahead of it.”

Vinous 97 Points: “The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Lava Block is a potent, explosive wine. Rocky soils yield a potent, intensely mineral-drenched Cabernet Sauvignon. Crushed rocks, graphite, chocolate, lavender, incense, and crème de cassis all race across the palate, supported by salivating acids and big yet well-balanced tannins.” ”

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.”