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Inventory updated: Thu, Nov 13, 2025 04:02 PM cst
2018 California—The Vintage to Anchor Your Cellar
For collectors who prioritize structure, longevity, and pure drinking pleasure, 2018 California remains the most compelling red wine vintage of the last decade. The wines offer rare harmony—generous, layered fruit supported by freshness, ripe tannins, and remarkable balance. They impress immediately, yet many will improve for 15–25+ years.
The 2018 growing season unfolded exactly as winemakers hope: an even spring, a warm but controlled summer, and an extended, cool finish to harvest. Without heat spikes, phenolic ripeness arrived with natural acidity intact. The result is power without heaviness and concentration without sacrifice of detail.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the headline act. Across the benchlands and valley floor, 2018 delivered wines of energy and refinement—blackcurrant, ripe plum, and cassis framed by cedar, dark chocolate, graphite, and that signature whisper of Rutherford dust. Tannins are abundant yet polished, giving these wines their cellar-worthy spine. Move into the mountains—Howell, Spring, Veeder—and you’ll find even greater verticality: wild herbs, crushed stone, mountain berries, and thrilling tension.
Sonoma also excelled. 2018 Cabernet and Bordeaux blends show plush dark fruit, bay leaf, mocha, and iron-laced minerality, with firm, fine-grained structure. Meanwhile, Pinot Noir from cooler pockets delivers vivid red cherry, pomegranate, and rose, underscored by earth, spice, and refreshing lift.
These are reds built with intention—wines that reward both patience and immediate pleasure. Allocations are shrinking quickly, and market interest continues to rise.
The following are the wines remaining from the offer sent on Monday, November 10, 2025. Please enter your desired quantities and click the 'Add' button.
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | USA Red |
| B Cellars |
2018 |
Beckstoffer Georges III Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$225 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$225 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$225 |
2 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Bridgeline Vyd. Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon |
$155 |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Ehrlich Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon  |
$155 |
4 |
|
| |
| JD 95 (1/2021): Moving to the single vineyard releases, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Ehrlich Vineyard comes from a site in Oakville and is 100% varietal that was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Its inky purple color is followed by a gorgeous yet unevolved bouquet of red and blue fruits, graphite, toasted spices, leather, and crushed rock-like minerality. It’s more giving on the palate, offering a full-bodied, expansive texture that carries plenty of ripe, velvety tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. Give this exuberant, plush, impressive Cabernet Sauvignon 3-4 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two decades. (Drink between 2024-2045). |
|
|
2018 |
Star Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon |
$155 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 96 (1/2021): Coming from a site in Rutherford, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Star Vineyard is beautiful, offering lots of ripe blackcurrants, toasted spices, dried violets, leather, and tobacco leaf-like aromas and flavors. These all carry to a full-bodied, beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon with perfectly integrated tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. It’s one of my favorites in the line-up and can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20 years or so. (Drink between 2021-2042).
WA 95+ (11/2020): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Star Vineyard opens with expressive notions of blackcurrant jelly, chocolate mint, blackberry pie and mulberries with touches of mocha, tilled soil and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and lively freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a persistent minty note. |
|
| Bevan Cellars |
2018 |
Dr. Crane Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$360 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): I always seem to compare great wines from this site with Haut-Brion, and I think the comparison holds here, although it’s a Haut-Brion on steroids! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard reveals a dense purple color as well as a powerful nose of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, earth, coffee beans, and gravelly earth. All of these carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied and has a deep, layered mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. Hats off to the talented Russell Bevans for another brilliant, singular wine that’s going to keep for 20-25 years. (Drink between 2021-2046.)
WA 100 (2/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard was aged for 19 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of redcurrant jelly, Black Forest cake, blackcurrant pastilles and rose oil with suggestions of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and tilled soil plus a waft of fragrant earth. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated with firm, exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, it delivers an incredible mineral and perfumed red fruit firework display finish. Fans of Dr. Crane are going to LOVE this expression, masterfully crafted by Russell Bevan—an absolute must-try! |
|
| Chappellet |
2018 |
Pritchard Hill Estate Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$423.15 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 98 (1/2021): Always one of top wines in a vintage, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another gorgeous wine with a more plush, supple texture that hides solid underlying structure and tannins. Beautiful notes of blueberries, new leather, camphor, violets, and smoked tobacco all flow to a full-bodied, seamless, gorgeously textured beauty that's very much in the style of the vintage. Possessing remarkable purity, flawless balance, and building tannins, give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 25+ years.
VM 96+ (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is bright, punchy and structured. Blackberry jam, grilled herbs, lavender, menthol and crushed rocks all come alive in the glass. This searingly tannic, mountain Cabernet needs a good deal of time to open, but when it does, it dazzles. Bright floral notes, blood orange and slightly redder tonalities of fruit develop over time. The Pritchard Hill is a wine for readers who can be patient. Antonio Galloni.
WA 98+ (11/2020): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 100% new French oak for 22 months. The alcohol weighed in at 14.5%. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the gate with bold expressions of warm cassis, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of chocolate box, menthol, tapenade, smoked meats and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bursting with vibrant black fruits, framed by fantastically ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. |
|
| Colgin |
2018 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend |
$425 |
5 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2022): What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2048)
WA 98 (3/2024): One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish. |
|
|
2018 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$1,050 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2022): What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2048)
WA 98 (3/2024): One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish. |
|
| Continuum |
2018 |
Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$450.45 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 98 (1/2022): The 2018 Proprietary Red Wine Sage Mountain Vineyard is another magnificent wine from the Mondavi family. Soaring and regal in its intensity, the 2018 possesses breathtaking aromatic presence and tons of the pedigree that have made wines off this site so compelling pretty much since the beginning. Vibrant dark fruit, lavender, sage, mint and mocha build into an impossibly long, silky finish. The 2018 is a flat-out stunner. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97+ (12/2021): Coming all from the Sage Mountain Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, the 2018 Proprietary Red Wine is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. This is classic 2018 with its dense, concentrated, slightly backward, yet full-bodied and incredibly impressive style. Offering lots of ripe black (black cherry, currant) fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and chocolate-like aromatics, it has terrific concentration, ripe, building tannins, a terrific sense of freshness, and a great finish. It's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age but will have upwards of three decades of overall longevity. |
|
| Cornell |
2018 |
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon |
$140 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Dakota Shy |
2018 |
Ten Cabernet Sauvignon |
$89 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Dalla Valle |
2018 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$245 |
5 |
|
| |
VM 97 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, explosive wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its finest. The energy and raw intensity are so pronounced. Inky dark fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and cedar add striking aromatic nuance, but it is the wine's phenomenal balance that stands out most. This is the first vintage that includes component wine aged in amphora. This is far from an easygoing 2018. Antonio Galloni.
JD 97 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, which always includes a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is incredible juice and a wine readers should seek out. Showing the quality and style of the vintage beautifully, it offers a captivating bouquet of crème de cassis, unsmoked tobacco, bouquet garni, and violets, with just a touch of foresty, earthy notes in the background. Aged 22 months in barrel (with a small amount in amphora), it’s full-bodied and perfectly balanced, with integrated acidity and a great finish. I love this wine and don't make the mistake of overlooking this while only focusing on the Maya cuvee. |
|
| David Arthur |
2018 |
Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon |
$175 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 96 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine is a huge, dramatic wine. Dark and virile in the glass, the 2018 is endowed with terrific presence. My impression is that the Old Vine, like all of these 2018s, has really gained depth in bottle, which bodes quite well for the future. Black cherry, sage, lavender, menthol and licorice are all finely knit. I would give the 2018 at least a few years in the cellar, as the tannins are pretty incisive at this stage. This is a superb showing. (Drink between 2024-2038). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Detert |
2018 |
Cabernet Franc (1.5 L) |
$279 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 96 (1/2021): Detert's 2018 Cabernet Franc is fabulous. It may very well be the single most expressive and distinctive Cabernet Franc in the valley. Deep and inky in the glass, the Detert Franc is marked by soaring aromatics and beams of saline minerality that distinguish it from the Cabernet Sauvignon in this range. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, menthol, licorice and cloves build into the huge, resonant finish. (Drink between 2026-2043). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Fe Wines |
2018 |
Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon |
$265 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 97+ (1/2021): The flagship is the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Fe, and it's 100% Spring Mountain Cabernet. As with the Red Wine Blend, it has a notable freshness in its aromatics and offers impressive blue fruits, cedar, forest floor, bouquet garni, and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. These carry to a concentrated, full-bodied mountain Cabernet that has terrific mid-palate depth, building tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It's structured and tannic, and needs 4-5 years of bottle age, but this beauty is going to age like a great Bordeaux and keep for 30 years or more. (Drink between 2025-2058).
VM 96+ (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon emerges from a six-acre vineyard on Spring Mountain just outside of St. Helena planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Rich, powerful and structured, with tremendous nuance, the 2018 hits all the right notes. A whole range of feral, savory and floral notes add striking aromatic nuance, with beams of mountain tannin that give the wine energy. Fe is one of the most exciting debuts of the last few years. What a knock-out! (Drink between 2026-2043). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Forge Cellars |
2018 |
Bellows Vyd. Pinot Noir Lightly Scuffed Label |
$20 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Bellows Vyd. Pinot Noir Scuffed Label |
$20 |
1 |
|
| |
|
|
2018 |
Tango Oaks Pinot Noir |
$20 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Hall Winery |
2018 |
Eighteen Seventy-Three Cabernet Sauvignon |
$99 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 89-92 (1/2020): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon 1873 is gorgeous. A blend taken mostly from sites in the eastern hillsides of Napa Valley (Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, Rutherford) the 1873 shows just how appealing the vintage is, even among the more mid-tier bottlings. The 1873 offers an enticing combination of fruit intensity and freshness, all in a mid-weight style that can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Institution |
2018 |
Erba Vyd. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$175 |
3 |
|
| |
| JD 94+ (1/2021): Coming from a steep, higher elevation vineyard and made by Russell Bevan, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Erba Vineyard offers a smoky bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, smoke tobacco, chocolate, charred barrel, and rocky, earthy minerality. This rich, full-bodied, powerful 2018 has some chewy tannins and a dense, backward, mineral-laced style that's going to benefit from bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 3-5 years, and it should evolve for two decades. (Drink between 2024-2046). |
|
| Krupp Brothers Estates |
2018 |
Veraison Cabernet Sauvignon |
$95 |
3 |
|
| |
|
| Lail Vineyards |
2018 |
J Daniel Cuvee Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$450.45 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (1/2021): Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 75% new. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with seductive notes of crème de cassis, blueberry preserves and Black Forest cake, followed by suggestions of espresso, yeast extract, black truffles and charcoal plus a fragrant waft of violets. Full-bodied, rich and opulently fruited in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, earthy nuances and savory sparks, framed by firm, finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and fragrant. 1,290 cases were made.
JD 100 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee comes from a mix of terroirs (Howell Mountain, Stags Leap, Oakville, Calistoga) and is brought up in 75% new French oak. Heavenly notes of red and black currants, dried tobacco, sandalwood, flowers, and spice give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, yet weightless texture that carries awesome tannins, no hard edges, and just flawless balance. This majestic, regal wine is going to drink brilliantly for 25 years or more.
VM 96 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée is quite restrained in this vintage. Silky and medium in body, with lovely red berry fruit character, the 2018 has a lot to offer. I would cellar it for a few years, as the tannins are pretty clamped down today. As always, the J. Daniel Cuvée is a blend taken from a handful of top sites in Napa Valley. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Larkmead Vineyards |
2018 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$115 |
2 |
|
| |
| JD 93 (1/2021): Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the base 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beauty, offering classic currant and mulled cherry fruits as well as plenty of cedarwood, tobacco, and spice aromas and flavors. It's rich and medium to full-bodied, with some grippy tannins and a classy finish. It's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20. |
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|
2018 |
Dr. Olmo Cabernet Sauvignon |
$129 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 95+ (11/2020): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Olmo (Black Label) is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged in French oak, 56% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with scents of black currant cordial, kirsch, red currant jelly and wild blueberries plus suggestions of dark chocolate, bay leaves and pencil lead with a touch of cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has loads of delicately framed nuances among the red and black fruits with a soft texture and energetic finish.
VM 95 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Olmo has really come together nicely over the last year. A dark, brooding wine, the Dr. Olmo is imbued with so much character. Black cherry, plum, scorched earth, leather and game reveal a wine of considerable nuance and complexity. There is so much going on here. The 2018 finishes with notable substance and feeling of sheer pedigree that is impossible to miss. (Drink between 2026-2040). Antonio Galloni. |
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|
2018 |
Firebelle Proprietary Blend |
$90 |
2 |
|
| |
| VM 92 (1/2021): The 2018 Firebelle (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon) is gracious and beautifully lifted in the glass. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, cedar and tobacco are all laced together in this attractive, mid-weight red. This is an unusually elegant, restrained style for Calistoga, where the wines are often bigger. Savory Cabernet aromatics and the bright acids of 2018 linger. Antonio Galloni. |
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|
2018 |
LMV Salon Proprietary Blend |
$129 |
2 |
|
| |
| VM 93 (1/2021): The 2018 LMV Salon, Larkmead's Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, is terrific. Black cherry, mocha, spice, new leather, licorice and lavender infuse the 2018 with striking depth and character while remaining very much in the style of the year at Larkmead. Bright acids perk things up nicely. This is such a pretty wine. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Solari Cabernet Sauvignon |
$149 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 96 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is all Cabernet and was brought up in mostly new French oak. A gorgeous wine from this estate, it has incredible notes of blackcurrants, camphor, new leather, and dried tobacco. It takes some air yet gets even more complex, with ample licorice and loamy soil notes developing as it sits in the glass. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has terrific overall balance, lots of underlying structure, and a great, great finish. It's going to need 5-7 years for these tannins to melt away, but this is a beauty.
WA 94+ (11/2020): Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (Black Label) was aged in French oak, 92% new. It sports a deep garnet-purple color and fragrant notions of boysenberries, black and red cherry preserves and black currant pastilles with hints of garrigue, sautéed herbs and tobacco leaf plus a waft of charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, features a racy backbone and has finely grained tannins that support the intense red and black fruits, finishing with refreshing herbal lift.
VM 94 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is laced with the essence of wild cherry, tobacco, licorice and a whole range of earthy, savory notes. Dark and inward, but medium in body, the 2018 is a bit tightly wound today. I would give it a few years to soften. Like all the 2018s at Larkmead, the Solari is a wine of transparency and nuance. Its resonance is more implied than overtly stated. (Drink between 2026-2040). |
|
| Linne Calodo |
2018 |
Overthinker |
$99 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Maybach |
2018 |
Amoenus Cabernet Sauvignon |
$174 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 98+ (1/2021): Looking at the two 2018s, the 2018 Amoenus comes from the Blossom Creek Vineyard outside of Calistoga and was brought up in new French oak. Both 2018s are concentrated, powerful wines. The Amoenus possesses a beautiful sense of freshness and purity, yet backs that up with a huge, opulent profile that carries incredible black and blue fruits. Showing more chocolate, tobacco, graphite, and foresty, earthy notes with air, this full-bodied beauty has ample ripe, polished tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It certainly shows the more brooding, backward, powerful style of the vintage and is built for the long haul. Hide bottle for 5-7 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 40 years or so. |
|
| Memento Mori |
2018 |
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$425 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (1/2021): Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard was aged for 22 months in French oak, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with notes of kirsch, Black Forest cake, cassis and lilacs, plus hints of cumin seed, star anise and tilled soil, leading to wafts of Sichuan pepper and pencil lead. Full-bodied, firm, fine-grained and with jaw-dropping freshness, the palate is packed with subtle black and red fruit layers and bags of earthy nuances, finishing very long with all those exotic spices coming through.
JD 98+ (1/2021): In the same ballpark as the 2016 (I’m probably underrating it), the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard boasts a serious, age-worthy, full-bodied, powerful style that offers Graves-like blackcurrants, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and chocolate. It’s young, unevolved, and primary, yet the purity and freshness of the vintage are front and center This is a magical Cabernet that’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades or more. (Drink between 2025-2047). |
|
| Myriad |
2018 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$89 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 94 (8/2020): Gorgeous stuff, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes from a mix of the single vineyards and was aged in 50% new French oak. Showing beautifully, with lots of cassis fruit, spice, graphite, and tobacco, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has supple, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful, sexy wine to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years. (Drink between 2020-2035). |
|
| Newton |
2018 |
Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$200 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 95 (2/2023): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard Mount Veeder has plenty of gravelly earth and loamy soil nuances as well as chocolate, red and black fruits, and savory spices. This big, medium to full-bodied, structured wine has serious tannins and is going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age, but it’s seriously good. I suspect it will see its 20th birthday in fine form. (Drink between 2027-2038).
WA 93+ (9/2022): From another part of the Chandon property, now being redeveloped under a 50-year lease, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Estate features bold cassis fruit, with herbal, sage-like complexities. This medium to full-bodied effort is firmly tannic but ripe, with a lingering, fruit-filled finish. Give it a few years in the cellar, then drink it over the next 15 years or so. |
|
|
2018 |
Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$200 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 94+ (2/2023): Another gem, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard Yountville has the vintage’s fresher, vibrant, utterly classic style as well as pure cassis fruits, notes of lead pencil shavings and tobacco, full-bodied richness, and building tannins. It’s a beast of a wine that needs to be forgotten in the cellar for 4-6 years at a minimum. (Drink starting 2027).
WA 92+ (9/2022): From a rocky knoll at the back of the Chandon site, near Dominus and Blankiet, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Estate is herbal, even close to bell pepper but not quite there. Instead, it's nicely complex, with hints of thyme and sage accenting dark fruit notes of black cherries and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, richly tannic and firmly structured, this is another Newton red wine that needs a bit of time to come around. |
|
| Next of Kyn |
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend |
$275 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend |
$295 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend |
$395 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$585 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Numero Quatro Touriga Nacional (1.5 L) |
$470 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 99 (8/2021): I was able to taste two new releases from the Krankls’ Next of Kyn release. Starting with the 2018 Touriga Nacional Numero Quatro, which also includes 9.1% Syrah, 7.2% Grenache, 6.2% Petite Sirah, and 1.5% Roussanne, it’s a full-bodied, deep, rich monster of a wine that still stays balance and elegant, with a terrific perfume of blue fruits, violets, gravelly earth, and peppery spice. It has building tannins, but the balance is as good as it gets, and it has a finish that won’t quit. Fermented with 35% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 60% new French oak, it’s going to keep for a solid 15 years or more.
VM 98 (10/2021): The 2018 Touriga Nacional – Número Quatro is sourced from Elain and Manfred Krankl's estate vineyard in Oak View. It is a wine of tremendous character and personality. Sadly, production remains tiny, at just over 130 cases. Copious black cherry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, new leather, licorice and spice build in an deep, powerful wine that is loaded with personality. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Numero Quatro Touriga Nacional (1.5 L) |
$575 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 99 (8/2021): I was able to taste two new releases from the Krankls’ Next of Kyn release. Starting with the 2018 Touriga Nacional Numero Quatro, which also includes 9.1% Syrah, 7.2% Grenache, 6.2% Petite Sirah, and 1.5% Roussanne, it’s a full-bodied, deep, rich monster of a wine that still stays balance and elegant, with a terrific perfume of blue fruits, violets, gravelly earth, and peppery spice. It has building tannins, but the balance is as good as it gets, and it has a finish that won’t quit. Fermented with 35% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 60% new French oak, it’s going to keep for a solid 15 years or more.
VM 98 (10/2021): The 2018 Touriga Nacional – Número Quatro is sourced from Elain and Manfred Krankl's estate vineyard in Oak View. It is a wine of tremendous character and personality. Sadly, production remains tiny, at just over 130 cases. Copious black cherry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, new leather, licorice and spice build in an deep, powerful wine that is loaded with personality. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Occidental |
2018 |
Freestone-Occidental Pinot Noir |
$125 |
4 |
|
| |
WA 95+ (7/2020): The 2018 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental comes mostly from younger vines at the Occidental property but is made with the same attention to detail as the other wines in the portfolio, using free-run juice. Its nose is an aromatic well, offering crushed blueberries, charcuterie, Earl Grey tea leaves, graphite, saline, bitter orange peel and potpourri aromas. In the mouth, it explodes with lush fruits that give way after their initial rush to bitter, citrusy, minerally accents. It has a fine grain, seamless freshness and long, layered finish. It's enjoyable now but will age well over the next five to eight-plus years.
VM 94 (1/2020): The 2018 Pinot Noir Freestone Occidental is a truly remarkable wine. Maybe that is the vintage, or the added complexity the vines are acquiring with time, but the 2018 Freestone Occidental makes me incredibly curious to taste the rest of the 2018s. Bright, focused and beautifully sculpted, the 2018 is a wine of total elegance and finesse. Moreover, it captures the savory, energetic, saline style that is so typical of this part of the Sonoma Coast. (Drink between 2023-2039). Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Occidental Station Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$159 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 98 (7/2021): Medium ruby in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Vineyard has intense, liquid-like raspberry and boysenberry aromas, layered with notes of dusty earth, Earl Grey tea leaves, salted licorice and graphite, continuing to blossom with time in the glass. The medium-bodied palate merges intense, detailed fruit character with seamless freshness and a finely pixelated texture. It finishes with tremendous detail and perfumed flavors that seem to hang on forever in the mouth. Wow!
VM 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Pinot Noir Occidental Station is a dense, packed Pinot. Its huge core of fruit gives the Occidental Station tons of inner strength. Readers will have to be patient. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of inky red fruit, blood orange, exotic spice aromas and flavors, with swaths of tannin that wrap it all together. As always, the Occidental Station is quite a different beast from the other wines in the range, as it emerges from a site about fifteen miles from the winery that is quite a bit warmer and therefore lends a decidedly more exotic, ripe personality to the flavors. Even so, there is plenty of supporting structure and minerality to balance things out. (Drink between 2024-2038). Antonio Galloni.
JD 97 (7/2021): Slightly deeper hued, the 2018 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Vineyard has a rich, spicy nose of cassis and ripe black cherries supported by beautiful bouquet garni and floral nuances. It has background oak, medium to full body, ripe yet building tannins, and just a beautiful purity as well as freshness that keeps you coming back to the glass. It has enough tannins and acidity to benefit from short-term bottle age, but it has a rounded, elegant texture as well and is far from unapproachable today. It should have 15 years of longevity. (Drink between 2021-2036). |
|
| Outpost |
2018 |
True Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$209 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 95+ (1/2021): Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color, prancing out of the glass with flamboyant notes of stewed plums, crème de cassis and baked blackberries, plus touches of bay leaves, lavender, unsmoked cigars, pencil lead and tilled earth. Full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of firm, grainy tannins and a lively line, finishing long and lifted.
JD 95 (1/2021): A big step up, the single vineyard 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard has beautiful cassis and blue fruits as well as plenty of foresty notes, pine, bay leaf, chocolate, and earthy minerality. This classic Howell Mountain Cabernet is medium to full-bodied and has a focused, elegant texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's going to evolve for 20-25 years. (Drink between 2021-2046).
VM 94 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard is loaded with crème de cassis, chocolate, spice, licorice and sweet French oak. Floral overtones emerge over time, adding lift and a hugely appealing upper register to this luscious, opulent Cabernet. Polished, racy and silky to the core, the True Cabernet is a winner from Outpost. (Drink between 2023-2038). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Patz & Hall |
2018 |
Alder Springs Vyd. Pinot Noir |
$50 |
1 |
|
| |
|
| Peacock Family |
2018 |
Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon |
$55 |
2 |
|
| |
|
| Pride Mountain Vineyards |
2018 |
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
$149 |
4 |
|
| |
VM 95 (1/2022): Pride's flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is going to need a number of years to come around. Black cherry, plum, spice, new leather, licorice, lavender and mocha all open with a bit of time. This deceptively mid-weight Cabernet packs plenty of mountain punch. The Reserve is not an obvious wine, especially in comparison with what these wines were like a few years ago. (Drink between 2025-2038). Antonio Galloni.
JD 94+ (5/2022): Lastly, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve can be thought of as the top cuvée, and in 2018 it's 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Its deep purple hue is followed by a powerful, medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that builds beautifully in the glass, with ripe yet present tannins and integrated acidity all giving it an age-worthy feel. Classic crème de cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and tobacco all define the aromatics. The balance is spot on, but like many 2018s, the cellar is going to be your friend. Do your best to hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it's going to drink brilliantly for two decades. (Drink between 2026-2047). |
|
|
2018 |
Reserve Claret |
$159 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 95 (5/2022): The 2018 Reserve Claret is based on 56% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Petit Verdot, and there are a tiny 610 cases produced. It's a beautiful, impeccably balanced 2018 that shows the vintage's straighter, more elegant style on the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied and has solid acidity as well as tannins. Offering up plenty of red and almost blue fruits as well as floral and sappy herb aromatics, this beautifully textured, silky red blend will drink nicely for upwards of two decades. (Drink between 2022-2042).
VM 95 (1/2022): The 2018 Claret Reserve is a blend of two-thirds Merlot and one-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright floral accents give the 2018 its energetic, vibrant feel. It is a perfect example of the Pride style today - a style that increasingly balances fruit richness with bright acids and plenty of drive. The 2019 is absolutely exquisite. (Drink between 2024-2035). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Realm |
2018 |
The Absurd Proprietary Blend |
$825 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): As always, the 2018 Absurd is a cellar selection of what the estate thinks is the absolute best they can do in the vintage, and in this reviewer’s opinion, they succeed brilliantly. (I’ve rated four of the five vintages I’ve tasted 100 points.) The 2018 reveals a dense purple/blue color to go with a monster bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth/burning embers, tobacco, lead pencil shavings, chocolate, and gravelly earth. I’ve often compared this wine to a great Pessac from Bordeaux given its incredible minerality and cold fireplace-like nuances, and the 2018 has these in spades. Concentrated, full-bodied, and built like a skyscraper, it builds beautifully with time in the glass and has incredible purity, silky, polished tannins, and a dense, layered mid-palate. As with the majority of Realm’s 2018s, the cellar is going to be your friend, since this needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age, but it will be incredibly long-lived. Hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette and the entire team at Realm for yet another magical, legendary wine.
WA 99 (10/2020): The 2018 The Absurd—the estate's über-blend of the best elements from the vintage—displays a deep garnet-purple color, offering alluring notes of baked plums, crème de cassis and boysenberries with suggestions of chocolate box, aniseed, iron ore and candied violets plus a perfumed hint of Indian spices. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in decadence, coating the mouth in black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, supported by velvety tannins and beautifully integrated freshness, finishing epically long and fragrant. |
|
| Scarecrow |
2018 |
M. Etain Cohn Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon |
$239 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 93+ (11/2020): The 2018 M. Étain is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 4% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it charges out of the gate with expressive notes of crème de cassis, baked plums, wild blueberries and tilled soil with loads of exotic spice and fruitcake accents. Full-bodied, the palate is as rich as it is vibrant and refreshing, featuring approachable, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. 2,400 cases were made.
JD 97 (1/2021): The 2018 M. Étain is another gem of a wine, and while it’s billed as a second wine of Scarecrow, it has a style all its own. The 2018 is reminiscent of a great Saint-Julien, with its purity and elegance paired with textbook Cabernet notes of crème de cassis, crushed violets, earth, and liquid rock-like minerality. It’s just as gorgeous on the palate and has a full-bodied, seamless, ultra-pure texture, ripe yet present tannins, and a great finish. As with the Grand Vin, it offers pleasure today but is going to be better with 3-5 years of bottle age. You can’t go wrong with either of these releases from Scarecrow, and this is another brilliant release from winemaker Celia Welch.
VM 94 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon M. Étain is a powerful, muscular wine that speaks with booming authority. Blackberry, gravel, chocolate, spice and lavender are some of the many aromas and flavors that saturate the palate. Far from an easygoing 2018, the M. Étain is a brooding Cabernet that needs time in bottle to allow the formidable tannins to soften. It remains one of the most distinctive wines made in Nape Valley. Dollops of Merlot and Malbec from the back of the property round out the blend. There are 2,400 cases of the 2018, a large production within the context of Napa Valley for a wine of this level. |
|
| Schrader |
2018 |
Beckstoffer To Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$375 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (1/2021): This “Schrader” label comes from Beckstoffer’s To Kalon vineyard in Oakville, produced from clone 4 grown on the C2 block. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard has a wonderfully perfumed nose of potpourri, baking spices and dusty soil over a core of crème de cassis, blueberry pie and flamboyant Indian spices. Full-bodied, super firm with super ripe tannins and lovely freshness, it delivers layer upon layer of black fruit preserves and exotic spices, finishing long and beautifully poised. Give it a good 3-5 years in bottle to really strut its stuff and drink it over the next 30+ years.
JD 98+ (1/2021): A powerful, backward, and concentrated wine, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader exhibits a dense purple/plum color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, graphite, gravelly earth, and tobacco leaf. It takes plenty of air to show at its best, and I suspect 3-4 years of bottle age are warranted, but this full-bodied, multi-dimensional 2018 has flawless balance, building tannins, and is just loaded with potential. |
|
|
2018 |
CCS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon Bin-Soiled Label |
$339 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (1/2021): Just pure gold, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from one of California's greatest terroirs, that was brought up in 100% new French oak. This dense purple-colored effort has a magical bouquet of pure crème de cassis, smoke tobacco, white flowers, crushed stone, truffle, and hints of chocolate. Possessing full-bodied richness, this beauty builds incrementally on the palate, showing lots of ripe, polished tannins, no hard edges, and a rare mix of power, structure, and elegance that's something to behold. Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, or red wine for that matter, just doesn't get any better. Hats off to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown for yet another majestic, singular wine that’s as good as it gets. |
|
|
2018 |
Heritage Clone To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$278.10 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 97+ (1/2021): This is the very first vintage of this new label for Schrader. True to Schrader form, the wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single block in the southern part of Mondavi’s section of To Kalon vineyard. The “Heritage Clone,” a.k.a. clone 39, is pretty much exclusive to Mondavi To Kalon, with the exception of some cuttings Robert Mondavi may have given out. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown noted that this clone produces very small bunches and tiny berries, equating to super intense fruit. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mondavi Heritage Clone To Kalon Vineyard was aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of stewed blueberries, plum preserves, Chinese five spice and fragrant earth, giving way to hints of beef drippings, iron ore, espresso, tobacco leaf and dried roses. Medium-bodied, it has a firm, chewy texture and loads of bright, lively freshness lifting the densely packed berry preserves layers, finishing very long and very spicy. This is certainly a singular style—somewhat atypical for the 2018 vintage, but nonetheless compelling. |
|
|
2018 |
Heritage Clone To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$279 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 97+ (1/2021): This is the very first vintage of this new label for Schrader. True to Schrader form, the wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single block in the southern part of Mondavi’s section of To Kalon vineyard. The “Heritage Clone,” a.k.a. clone 39, is pretty much exclusive to Mondavi To Kalon, with the exception of some cuttings Robert Mondavi may have given out. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown noted that this clone produces very small bunches and tiny berries, equating to super intense fruit. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mondavi Heritage Clone To Kalon Vineyard was aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of stewed blueberries, plum preserves, Chinese five spice and fragrant earth, giving way to hints of beef drippings, iron ore, espresso, tobacco leaf and dried roses. Medium-bodied, it has a firm, chewy texture and loads of bright, lively freshness lifting the densely packed berry preserves layers, finishing very long and very spicy. This is certainly a singular style—somewhat atypical for the 2018 vintage, but nonetheless compelling. |
|
|
2018 |
MMXVIII "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,595 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (1/2021): There are few vintages of Old Sparky that don't merit a perfect rating, and the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Old Sparky isn't one of them. This flawless wine offers up a wild smorgasbord of aromas and flavors, with loads of crème de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, lead pencil, violets, blood orange, tobacco, and flowery incense all developing with time in the glass. Deep purple-hued and incredibly full-bodied, it has ripe, silky tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that won't quit. This magical wine stays weightless and elegant on the palate, never seeming heavy, cumbersome, or over the top, and it's a wine that just begs to be drunk yet will evolve for decades. Hats off to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown for yet another heavenly Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that could come from nowhere else in the world. Life is too short not to have experienced this cuvée! (Drink between 2021-2041) |
|
|
2018 |
RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$279 |
5 |
|
| |
WA 97 (1/2021): Schrader’s RBS comes from Beckstoffer’s To Kalon vineyard in Oakville, produced from 337 clone grown on blocks B1, B2 and E2. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with gregarious exotic spice scents—cumin seed, cloves and star anise—over a core of Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and black currant pastilles plus a waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely coated with spicy, open-knit black fruit preserves flavors, marked by bright red-fruit accents. Supported by great tension and velvety tannins, it finishes on a lingering cinnamon toast note. 1,715 cases were made.
JD 99 (1/2021): Another heavenly wine in the lineup is the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS, which comes from Clone 337 and a handful of different blocks in the vineyard. This deep purple-hued beauty has an incredibly seamless, elegant, yet full-bodied style as well as killer notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, wildflowers, violets, white chocolate, and new saddle leather. Flirting with perfection, the tannin quality, purity of fruit, balance, and overall harmony here is just about off the charts. It makes you want to drink the whole bottle, but it should age effortlessly for 25+ years.
WS 96 (10/2021): This is packed with steeped plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, yet cuts a very focused line nonetheless, with a graphite underpinning keeping the fruit harnessed while licorice, alder and tar nots fill in on the back end. A muscular version that demands cellar time. Best from 2024 through 2038. 1,715 cases made.
JS 97 (1/2021): Aromas of red fruit, plums, herbs and dark chocolate with some bark and forest-floor notes. Full-bodied, yet very finely crafted and poised. Lots of fresh and dry herbs to the dark fruit at the finish. Lasts a long time. Try after 2024. |
|
|
2018 |
RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon Bin-Soiled Label |
$279 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 97 (1/2021): Schrader’s RBS comes from Beckstoffer’s To Kalon vineyard in Oakville, produced from 337 clone grown on blocks B1, B2 and E2. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with gregarious exotic spice scents—cumin seed, cloves and star anise—over a core of Black Forest cake, blueberry compote and black currant pastilles plus a waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely coated with spicy, open-knit black fruit preserves flavors, marked by bright red-fruit accents. Supported by great tension and velvety tannins, it finishes on a lingering cinnamon toast note. 1,715 cases were made.
JD 99 (1/2021): Another heavenly wine in the lineup is the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS, which comes from Clone 337 and a handful of different blocks in the vineyard. This deep purple-hued beauty has an incredibly seamless, elegant, yet full-bodied style as well as killer notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, wildflowers, violets, white chocolate, and new saddle leather. Flirting with perfection, the tannin quality, purity of fruit, balance, and overall harmony here is just about off the charts. It makes you want to drink the whole bottle, but it should age effortlessly for 25+ years.
WS 96 (10/2021): This is packed with steeped plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, yet cuts a very focused line nonetheless, with a graphite underpinning keeping the fruit harnessed while licorice, alder and tar nots fill in on the back end. A muscular version that demands cellar time. Best from 2024 through 2038. 1,715 cases made.
JS 97 (1/2021): Aromas of red fruit, plums, herbs and dark chocolate with some bark and forest-floor notes. Full-bodied, yet very finely crafted and poised. Lots of fresh and dry herbs to the dark fruit at the finish. Lasts a long time. Try after 2024. |
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2018 |
T6 Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$269 |
1 |
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| JD 97 (1/2021): Rocking levels of blueberries, creme de cassis, exotic spices, tobacco, cigar wrapper, and candied violets emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard T6, which is full-bodied, has a ripe, concentrated mouthfeel, and lots of building tannins. There's no shortage of structure here, yet the tannins are sweet and polished, it has nicely integrated acidity and just beautiful overall balance, although it remains relatively tight and doesn't have the same opulent, expansive mouthfeel found in the CCS, RBS, and Schrader releases. Regardless, it's an incredibly impressive bottle of wine. Give bottles 4-5 years, and it's going to cruise for 20 years or more. |
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| Seaver Vineyards |
2018 |
GTS Cabernet Sauvignon |
$195 |
3 |
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2018 |
GTS Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$390 |
1 |
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2018 |
NLS Cabernet Sauvignon |
$125 |
5 |
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| Sine Qua Non |
2018 |
Profuga Grenache |
$229 |
6 |
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JD 98 (8/2021): Tasted out of bottle, the 2018 Grenache Profuga is firmer and more focused than the 2019 and has deep, layered, full-bodied style as well as ample pepper, iron, and herbes de Provence like nuances all grounded by a massive core of cassis, kirsch, and assorted berry fruits. The 2018s from this estate are brilliant across the board and shine for their purity, focus, and precision, and this beauty is going to benefit from a few years of bottle age and keep for 15+. The blend is 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, and the rest Petite Sirah and Viognier that saw 41% stems and 23 months in 37% new French oak.
WA 98 (8/2021): The 2018 Grenache Profuga is composed of 77.5% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 38% Cumulus Estate, 35% The Third Twin Estate, 23% Eleven Confessions Estate and 4% Bien Nacido vineyard. Forty-one percent whole cluster was performed, predominately on the Grenache. The small proportion of Viognier was co-fermented with red grapes, but interestingly, because it ripens earlier, the white berries are frozen and added to the reds at the time of fermentation. As an added bonus, these frozen grapes help to cool and, therefore, slow the fermentation. The wine was aged for around 23 months in 37% new French oak, 57.8% used oak and 5.2% concrete. It was bottled on July 29, 2020.
VM 95-97 (8/2020): The 2018 Grenache Profuga is glorious. Sweet, nuanced and exquisitely perfumed, the 2018 possesses terrific energy and plenty of verve. A rush of ripe red/purplish berry fruit, mint, blood orange, pomegranate and cinnamon races out of the glass, with silky, polished tannins that give the wine so much pure immediacy. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine. The blend is 77.5% Grenache, 10.0% Mourvèdre, 8.3% Syrah, 3.3% Petite Sirah and 0.9% Viognier taken from Cumulus, The Third Twin Estate Vineyard, Eleven Confessions and Bien Nacido which makes it nearly a pure estate wine. Antonio Galloni. |
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| Slacker (Linne Calodo) |
2018 |
Self Esteem Scuffed Label |
$59 |
6 |
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| Somnium Cellars |
2018 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$85 |
4 |
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2018 |
Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$175 |
1 |
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2018 |
Cabernet Sauvignon Nicked Label |
$85 |
1 |
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| Spring Mountain Vineyard |
2018 |
Elivette Proprietary Blend |
$115 |
1 |
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| Tablas Creek |
2018 |
Le Complice Proprietary Blend |
$40 |
1 |
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| WA 93 (10/2020): The 2018 Le Complice is a blend of 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 15% Terret Noir. It has a medium ruby-purple color and very pretty scents of blackberries, blueberries, bergamot, forest floor and aniseed. The palate is medium to full-bodied, silky, perfumed and ultra juicy with a long, flavorful finish. |
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| Tensley Wines |
2018 |
Colson Canyon Vyd. Syrah |
$46.75 |
3 |
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| The Third Twin (Sine Qua Non) |
2018 |
Third Twin Vyd. Nuestra Senora del Tercer Gemelo |
$195 |
6 |
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| JD 98 (10/2019): The 2016 Nuestra Senora Del Tercer Gemelo, named after Our Lady of Guadalupe, is based on 53% Mourvèdre, 16% Syrah, 14% Grenache, and the rest Petite Sirah, Graciano, and Viognier, aged 31 months in 42% new French oak. It boasts a huge, powerful bouquet of ripe currants, white chocolate, white pepper, and graphite. This carries to a full-bodied wine that shows more Mourvèdre spice and meaty notes with time in the glass, has a stacked mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. This is a big, rich wine yet, like everything from the Krankls, it stays incredibly balanced and weightless. Mourvèdre can shut down quickly, so I’d lean toward trying bottles on release or giving then a good 4-5 years in the cellar. |
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2018 |
Third Twin Vyd. Nuestra Senora del Tercer Gemelo |
$215 |
7 |
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| JD 98 (10/2019): The 2016 Nuestra Senora Del Tercer Gemelo, named after Our Lady of Guadalupe, is based on 53% Mourvèdre, 16% Syrah, 14% Grenache, and the rest Petite Sirah, Graciano, and Viognier, aged 31 months in 42% new French oak. It boasts a huge, powerful bouquet of ripe currants, white chocolate, white pepper, and graphite. This carries to a full-bodied wine that shows more Mourvèdre spice and meaty notes with time in the glass, has a stacked mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. This is a big, rich wine yet, like everything from the Krankls, it stays incredibly balanced and weightless. Mourvèdre can shut down quickly, so I’d lean toward trying bottles on release or giving then a good 4-5 years in the cellar. |
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2018 |
Third Twin Vyd. Nuestra Senora del Tercer Gemelo |
$299 |
5 |
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| JD 98 (10/2019): The 2016 Nuestra Senora Del Tercer Gemelo, named after Our Lady of Guadalupe, is based on 53% Mourvèdre, 16% Syrah, 14% Grenache, and the rest Petite Sirah, Graciano, and Viognier, aged 31 months in 42% new French oak. It boasts a huge, powerful bouquet of ripe currants, white chocolate, white pepper, and graphite. This carries to a full-bodied wine that shows more Mourvèdre spice and meaty notes with time in the glass, has a stacked mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. This is a big, rich wine yet, like everything from the Krankls, it stays incredibly balanced and weightless. Mourvèdre can shut down quickly, so I’d lean toward trying bottles on release or giving then a good 4-5 years in the cellar. |
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| Three Wine Company |
2018 |
Old Vines Field Blend |
$15 |
1 |
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| Turnbull |
2018 |
Analogy Red Wine |
$75 |
1 |
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| Union Sacre |
2018 |
Clandestin Cabernet Franc |
$15 |
1 |
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| Venge |
2018 |
Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon |
$139 |
1 |
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JD 96 (2/2023): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve is a touch more perfumed and complex, with a beautiful mix of both red and black fruits as well as flowery incense, smoked tobacco, sandalwood, and exotic herbs. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied and concentrated, with an elegant, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, a great core of sweet fruit, and no shortage of length on the finish. It's another brilliant, singular wine from this estate that readers will love. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 15+ years. (Drink between 2023-2039).
WA 96 (11/2021): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon explodes with crème de cassis, baked plums and Black Forest cake scents, plus hints of candied violets, clove oil, cedar and unsmoked cigars. Big, full-bodied and richly fruited, the palate has a firm and grainy frame to support the generous black fruits and spicy accents, finishing very long. |
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| Verite |
2018 |
Le Desir Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$614.25 |
2 |
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JD 98+ (7/2021): The Cabernet Franc blend of the trio, the 2018 Le Desir is 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 6% Malbec, and as with all these wines, it was brought up in new barrels. Ruby/purple and not completely opaque, it offers up a classic Cabernet Franc nose of mostly red fruits, spring flowers, damp earth, cedary spices, and truffle. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it shines for its incredible elegance and purity more than outright power, yet it still brings plenty of richness. With ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and one heck of a great finish, it's another great, great wine from this estate.
WA 97+ (7/2021): Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the 2018 Le Désir was aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer glimpses at notes of kirsch, raspberry preserves and mulberry scents, plus hints of cedar chest, crushed rocks, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper and lavender with a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has tons of freshness to support the melange of preserved red and black fruits, textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a lingering peppery kick. It may require just a little more time to come around than the La Joie and La Muse, and then I suspect this beauty is going to reward the patient. |
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| Vice Versa |
2018 |
Houyi Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$259 |
4 |
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| Vine Hill Ranch |
2018 |
VHR Cabernet Sauvignon |
$234 |
1 |
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VM 98+ (7/2023): The 2018 VHR – Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is off the charts. What a wine. Nearly seamless in feel, the 2018 possesses tremendous stature and intensity from the very first taste. Dark-fleshed fruit, menthol, dried herbs, leather and graphite are some of the many notes that saturate the palate. The 2018 is a wine that continues to blossom, exceeding even my own early expectation. This is an especially fine showing, the best yet. (Drink between 2026-2043). Antonio Galloni.
WA 98 (1/2024): From an obviously cooler year than 2016 and 2017, VHR's 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a terrific effort marked by hints of mint, baking spices, and loamy earth sprinkled over a base of ripe red cherries. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, it's silky, long and harmonious, yet with a long life ahead.
JD 98 (3/2022): Showing brilliantly, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR is a thrilling, magical Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that offers a sensational bouquet of pure crème de cassis, graphite, white flowers, spring flowers, and subtle smoke and crushed stone. As with most 2018s, in has a dense purple color, full-bodied richness, building yet ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. Certainly no dainty wine, it’s one of those powerful yet perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignons that has the fruit and texture to drink well even today yet will have 30 or 40, if not 50 years of longevity. (Drink between 2022-2052). |
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| Vineyard 7 & 8 |
2018 |
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon |
$180 |
2 |
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VM 97 (1/2022): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a great example of this site. Rich and explosive in feel, the 2018 hits the palate with serious intensity. Blackberry, chocolate, spice, leather, licorice and dark spice give this powerhouse Cabernet much of its brooding intensity. A few more years in bottle is an absolute must. (Drink between 2026-2028). Antonio Galloni.
JD 95 (5/2022): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is all varietal and saw over two years (26 months) in new French oak. A deep, powerful, concentrated Spring Mountain Cabernet, it reveals a dense purple hue to go with powerful black currant and black cherry fruits as well as notes of licorice, chocolate, espresso, and new leather. As with the Block Six, it has lots of oak, yet the tannins here are sweet, it has a beautifully layered mouthfeel, and a gorgeous finish. It’s not for those seeking instant gratification (or the oak adverse) and this beauty demands cellaring. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it should last for 2-3 decades. |
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| White Rock Vineyards |
2018 |
Laureate Cabernet Sauvignon Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$95 |
1 |
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| William & Mary Wine Company |
2018 |
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$92.65 |
1 |
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2018 |
Shifflett Ranch Proprietary Blend |
$84.15 |
2 |
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| Realm |
2018 |
Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$375 |
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2018 |
The Bard Proprietary Blend |
$145 |
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