California_Magnums - Vinrare - Buy Fine Wine Online - Fine Wines International

1979 Caymus Napa (1.5L)

$250.00

Wine Spectator 90

1992 Hartwell, Stag's Leap District California (1.5L)

$320.00

1992 Hartwell, Sunshine Vineyard California (1.5L)

$540.00

1993 Hartwell, Sunshine Vineyard California (1.5L)

$540.00

Robert Parker 89

"The 1993 exhibits an elegant, more laid back style than several previous vintages. The deep ruby/purple color is followed by copious amounts of toasty, smoky new oak, and attractive currant aromas. The wine possesses sweet, ripe fruit, medium body, moderate tannin, and a long, nicely-textured, spicy finish. It may develop into an outstanding wine with another 2-4 years of cellaring. It should age well for 15+ years."

1994 Harlan Estate (1.5L)

$2,270.00

Robert Parker 100

"As impressive as this estate's other vintages are, the 1994 somehow manages to cram more richness, complexity, and intensity into the same full-bodied format. This opaque purple-colored wine is super pure, with phenomenal richness, and exquisite flavor intensity."

1995 Williams Selyem Riverblock Vineyard California (1.5L)

$360.00

Wine Spectator 90

"Takes a while to develop, but once the core of cherry, berry and spice unfolds, it reveals more compexlity and nuance, with hints of tea, cedar, anise aqnd oak on the finish."

1996 La Sirena California (1.5L)

$220.00

Wine Spectator 90

Smooth, ripe and supple, with appealing upfrontcherry, plum, currant and spice nuances. Turns complex and elegant on the finish, with polished tannins.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 89

Very bright, floral aromas of cassis, oak spice and ripe mint; fresh and pungent. Dense and layered, with very good intensity and moderate complexity. Still a bit tight on the back half. Finishes firm and clean, with balanced tannins. This will benefit from the addition of about 20% cabernet franc from a prime plot next to Dalla Valle. My projected score may thus prove to be conservative.

1997 La Sirena California (1.5L)

$325.00

Robert Parker 92

The brilliant, opaque purple-colored 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon boast sumptuous levels of black currant fruit intermixed with smoke, minerals, and toasty oak. Pure and full-bodied, with additional layers of extract, richness, and flavor dimension, this intense, well-balanced, seamless classic can be drunk now, yet promises to age well for 20-25 years.

1998 Pride Mountain Reserve Claret California (1.5L)

$430.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92+

"Saturated purple-ruby. Restrained but complex aromas of blackberry, cassis, violet, licorice, bitter chocolate and minerals. Juicy and very firmly built; conveys a stronger impression of acidity. Black fruits complicated by mocha and dark chocolate notes. Less broad than the reserve claret but subtler and longer. Finishes with nobler tannins and slowly mounting, extremely persistent flavor."

Robert Parker 93+

"The opaque purple-colored 1998 Reserve Claret (a blend of 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot) reveals red and black fruit scents intermixed with vanilla, underbrush, and mocha/coffee. Long and opulently-textured, with lower acidity, fabulous fruit, a succulent, expansive mid palate, and a blockbuster, long finish, it is compelling stuff! Drink it over the next 12-15 years."

1998 Silver Oak, Napa California (1.5L)

$435.00

1999 La Sirena California (1.5L)

$300.00

Wine Spectator 93

Ripe and juicy, with beautifully defined plum, black cherry and blackberry jam fruit, with touches of beef and leather. Finishes with a long, complex, concentrated aftertaste and a finish that keeps pumping out the flavors.

Robert Parker 90

The dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon (575 cases) offers up a ripe, sweet nose of black currants, new oak, and road tar. This streamlined, structured, dense 1999 possesses good texture, moderately high tannin, and gorgeous purity as well as ripeness. Drink it over the next 15 years.

1999 Opus One California (1.5L)

$488.00

Wine Spectator 93

An exquisite, complex, stylish wine, wearing a cloak of earthy, leathery tannins around flavors of mineral, currant, earth and blackberry. Gains intensity and shows its depth and concentration on the finish, which is long and detailed. Best from 2004 through 2012.

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker

A mature mahogany core with tawny rim. It has a rather sweet, I am guessing chaptalized nose which turn very toffee-ish with 10 minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, moderate tannins, rather foursquare and conservative but quite mellow and refined on the finish. Drink now-2012. 85 pts. Tasted May 2008. A mature mahogany core with tawny rim. It has a rather sweet, I am guessing chaptalized nose which turn very toffee-ish with 10 minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, moderate tannins, rather foursquare and conservative but quite mellow and refined on the finish. Drink now-2012. 85 pts. Tasted May 2008.

1999 Vineyard 29 (Grace Family) California (1.5L)

$435.00

Robert Parker 89

The 1999 exhibits cassis and licorice characteristics, along with considerable smoky new oak. Although the finish is angular and tough, everything else is impressive, including pure, ripe, concentrated fruit, medium body, Bordeaux-like, austere tannin, and good density, sweetness, and richness.

2000 Darioush Signature California (1.5L)

$105.00

2000 La Sirena California (1.5L)

$300.00

2000 Merus California (1.5L)

$385.00

Robert Parker 90

The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon (450 cases) exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet nose of charcoal, blackberry, cassis, mineral, and Asian spice characteristics. Full-bodied and rich, with well-integrated oak, a creamy texture, and real opulence as well as purity with no hard edges, this is the most evolved and forward effort Merus has yet produced. It should be drunk over the next 10-12 years. This is a thrilling offering from true garagists!

Wine Spectator 94

Tremendous. Ripe, rich, deftly balanced and deeply concentrated, yet with a wonderful sense of harmony and finesse. The flavors are sharply defined, built around cassis, currant, mocha and anise, with a long, luxuriant aftertaste.

2001 Blankiet Estate California (1.5L)

$215.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

"Full, deep ruby-red. Very sexy, perfumed aromas of black raspberry, violet, mint, spices and tobacco. Broad, dry and suave; at once velvety and light on its feet. Bordeaux-like in its texture and inner-mouth verve. Coats the entire palate with flavor. Finishes very long and sweet, with a flavor of melted chocolate. A retaste of a bottle I sampled last year just after it was bottled."

Robert Parker 91

"The dark plum/purple-colored 2001 Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard exhibits sweet aromas of cherry liqueur interwoven with mocha fudge. Firm, hard tannin in the finish closes the wine down on the palate. This is a structured, seriously-endowed Merlot meant for long term aging. The aromatics are a knock-out, but the flavors have yet to completely unfold, and while loaded as well as impressively endowed, the wine is tannic and backward. "

2001 Caymus Napa California (1.5L)

$210.00

Wine Spectator 92

A stylish wine with layers of rich, polished Cabernet fruit and a chorus of currant, herb and black cherry accompanied by pretty smoke and toasty oak. The long, soothing, complex aftertaste keeps pumping out the flavors. Drink now through 2011. 24,000 cases made.

2001 Caymus Special Selection (1.5L)

$375.00

Wine Spectator 95

Another amazing Caymus Special Selection. Lots of aromatic complexity, with blackberry, ripe plum, mineral, slate and cedary oak flavors that are rich and concentrated, with ripe, polished tannins and a long, full-bodied finish that echoes mocha and berry flavors. Keeps revealing extra flavor nuances that are vivid and thick.

Robert Parker 93

Like many wines of the vintage, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection has closed down, but it reveals impressive potential. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a veneer of sweet, creamy, toasty oak intermixed with creme de cassis, earth, and spice box characteristics. The wine is structured, full-bodied, pure, and in need of another 1-3 years of bottle age. It should age well for 10-15 years.

2001 Darioush Signature California (1.5L)

$131.00

Robert Parker 90+

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Signature (84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) reveals a youthful dense, opaque ruby/purple color as well as classic notes of creme de cassis, melted licorice, espresso roast, spice box and a subtle touch of new oak. The tannins are still present, the wine possesses outstanding density and is clearly built for the long haul. It requires 2-4 more years of bottle age and is capable of lasting two decades.

Wine Spectator 91

A big, ripe and richly fruity wine, with layers of apple, pear, melon and fig. Turns elegant and even delicate on the finish, where the flavors are enhanced by a spicy cinnamon quality. Drink now through 2005.

2001 Stony Hill California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$85.00~~ Our Price: $69.00

$69.00

Wine Enthusiast 92

"Stony Hill Chards are famous for their longevity, but the price of that is hardness in youth. This is a mineral-laden, acidic young wine. The fruit has barely begun clawing its way to the surface. I?ve had Stony Hill Chards at 20-plus years of age and they were fabulous. "

2001 Viader California (1.5L)

$190.00

Robert Parker 87

This elegant, Bordeaux-styled blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc boasts a deep ruby/purple-hued color as well as lovely aromas of smoke, plum, blueberries, and lead pencil shavings. Medium-bodied with sweet tannin, and a supple, approachable style, it should drink well for 10-12 years.

2002 Blankiet Estate California (1.5L)

$245.00

Robert Parker 94

"The deep, rich 2002 Merlot is not up to the level of the 2003, although it does possess fabulously complex notes of scorched earth, chocolate, espresso roast, and meaty black cherries, currants, and plums. A broodingly backward, concentrated, full-bodied, dense, and super-rich Merlot, it should drink well for 15 or more years. As I have written before, the only way readers are going to get any of this wine is to be on the mailing list or check out one of the few restaurants that receives an allocation. This is an amazing operation on the hillsides overlooking the huge Dominus/Napanook estate. A complex set of caves and a remarkable, nearly surreal chateau grace the property. Winemaker Helen Turley, working with her viticulturalist husband, John Wetlaufer, is fashioning some spectacular wines from these hillsides of volcanic ash and basalt. These are big, structured, potentially long-lived wines that will need some cellar time for those lucky enough to latch onto a few bottles. Everything to date has been aged in 100% new Taransaud barrels for 18-19 months and then bottled unfiltered."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 95

"Saturated ruby-red. Wonderfully complex, deep aromas of plum, currant, licorice, smoke, dark chocolate and spices. Superconcentrated, round, sweet and creamy, with highly complex flavors of plum, dark chocolate, minerals and leather. This offers breadth and palate coverage rare for merlot that's not grown on the Po merol plateau. The rising finish boasts superb breadth and length. A great California merlot."

2002 Montelena Napa California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$90.00~~ Our Price: $79.00

$79.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90

"Bright aromas of spiced apple, pear, lime and mint; a bit cooler and livelier than the more tropical, caramelly 2001. Then juicy, firm-edged and penetrating, with a strongly mineral quality. Shows very good flavor development and intensity but is not yet pliant in the middle palate. Finishes with a juicy apple quality and very good length and cut. This will call for at least a year or two of additional aging when it's released in the fall."

Robert Parker 90

"After a year of bottle age, the 2002 Chardonnay continues to reveal fresh apple blossom, white pear, and white peach notes in a medium-bodied, crisp style with good depth as well as refreshing acidity. Purity is a characteristic of these Chardonnays, and it is found in both the 2002 and 2003. Montelena has gotten away from their Calistoga cuvee, a blend of Cabernet, and now simply calls it Napa. They are trying to ratchet up the level of quality and are being more selective about the fruit that goes into this bottling."

2003 Montelena Napa California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$100.00~~ Our Price: $79.00

$79.00

Robert Parker 92

"Montelena?s Chardonnays have always been non-malolactic, elegant, steely efforts with good acidity and, in some vintages, a remarkable aging potential of 15-20 years. My favorite over the last 5-7 vintages may be the 2003 Chardonnay, which boasts a rich lemon custard-like nose with hints of green apples, white currants, pears, and peaches. The wine is vibrant, full-bodied, and surprisingly rich with a vivaciousness and zesty acidity that provide a laser-like precision and freshness."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

"Fresh aromas of pear, apple, mint, flowers and minerals. Sweet and full but bright and youthful, with good citrus and spice intensity and an absence of rough edges. Still, this is a bit less penetrating and minerally than the 2002, which winemaker Barrett describes as "less heat-driven." Barrett is now harvesting his chardonnay fruit at night, pressing whole clusters to get more volume in the wine, and moving the wine from tank to barrel without any filtration."

2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots California (1.5L)

$395.00

Robert Parker 93

The 2004 Les Pavots is ripe and is a relatively similar blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine exhibits notes of forest floor intermixed with chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, espresso, and spice. It is strikingly more tannic, and closed compared to the 2005, which is almost the reverse of the vintage character. There were only 2,000 cases produced of the 2004, which needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should drink well for 15+ years.

Wine Spectator 94

Shows complex aromas of dried currant, sage, anise and cedary oak. Very dense, balanced and concentrated on the palate, with a tight focus on the loamy currant flavors. Ends with firm, chewy tannins, but the fruit pushes through. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Deep ruby. Sexy blackcurrant and boysenberry aromas with complicating tobacco and espresso tones. Lush and sweet, with dark fruit flavors, full body and dense, chewy tannins providing support. Turns silky with air, picking up more energetic red fruit tones and a light suggestion of iron. Finishes suave, focused and long, the blackcurrant note repeating. Luc Morlet compares this to the 2001 version.

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 93

A deep garnet hue. This has a superb nose, incredibly pure with black cherries, violets, blueberries and cassis ? very youthful but naturally, very tight. The palate is full-bodied, dense, muscular tannins, very concentrated with a liquorice-infused middle with a tannic, grippy, nigh brutish finish that develops a touch of dark chocolate with time in the glass. It needs at least ten years in bottle. Drink 2017-2030. Tasted August 2007.

2004 Peter Michael Les Pavots California (1.5L)

$395.00

Robert Parker 93

The 2004 Les Pavots is ripe and is a relatively similar blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine exhibits notes of forest floor intermixed with chocolate, blueberry, blackberry, espresso, and spice. It is strikingly more tannic, and closed compared to the 2005, which is almost the reverse of the vintage character. There were only 2,000 cases produced of the 2004, which needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should drink well for 15+ years.

Wine Spectator 94

Shows complex aromas of dried currant, sage, anise and cedary oak. Very dense, balanced and concentrated on the palate, with a tight focus on the loamy currant flavors. Ends with firm, chewy tannins, but the fruit pushes through. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Deep ruby. Sexy blackcurrant and boysenberry aromas with complicating tobacco and espresso tones. Lush and sweet, with dark fruit flavors, full body and dense, chewy tannins providing support. Turns silky with air, picking up more energetic red fruit tones and a light suggestion of iron. Finishes suave, focused and long, the blackcurrant note repeating. Luc Morlet compares this to the 2001 version.

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 93

A deep garnet hue. This has a superb nose, incredibly pure with black cherries, violets, blueberries and cassis ? very youthful but naturally, very tight. The palate is full-bodied, dense, muscular tannins, very concentrated with a liquorice-infused middle with a tannic, grippy, nigh brutish finish that develops a touch of dark chocolate with time in the glass. It needs at least ten years in bottle. Drink 2017-2030. Tasted August 2007.

2004 Peter Michael Mon Plaisir California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$174.00~~ Our Price: $151.20

$151.20

Robert Parker 94

The 2004 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir reveals a light green-hued straw color, wonderful crisp, orange rind, lemon oil, white peach, wood, and smoke characteristics, medium to full body, and 4-5 years of drinkability.

2004 Pride Mountain California (1.5L)

$103.00

Robert Parker 87

Slightly lighter than previous vintages, the lean 2004 Merlot reveals austere tannin in the finish, but it offers nice herbal undertones in the attractive berry and mocha fruit. Drink this medium-bodied Merlot over the next 3-4 years.

2005 Opus One California (1.5L)

$600.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

Bright, full ruby. Enticing aromas of black raspberry, licorice and melted chocolate. Sweet, lush and superripe; in fact, this is downright massive, with an almost porty, lower-toned quality perked up by complex mineral and red licorice elements. Wonderfully fat, sweet wine with extravagant chocolate, mocha and nutty oak tones. Finishes with rich, broad tannins and a wave of chocolatey dark fruits. This is the first release from Jayson Woodbridge's home vineyard, which features nine separate blocks of vines and six clones, and which was picked in multiple passes and fermented in 500-liter puncheons.

Wine Spectator 90

A tightly knit youngster, with hints of earthy cedar, tar and tobacco which join ripe currant, red cherry, anise, leather, sage and spice, ending with a strong, structured tannic finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Robert Parker 95

The opaque purple-hued 2005 exhibits an extraordinary nose of violets, creme de cassis, charcoal, and spring flowers. Gorgeously pure, opulently full-bodied, with sweet tannins, superb concentration, and a low acid, ripe, tannic finish, it tastes like a top-notch vintage of ripe Bordeaux, but made in California. It can be drunk now and over the next 20-25 years. Bravo!

2005 Peter Michael Belle Cote California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$270.00~~ Our Price: $234.00

$234.00

Robert Parker 94

Again, orange blossoms, hazelnuts, brioche, smoke, and honeysuckle along with some peach notes are present in the full-bodied, beautifully well-delineated, pure, zesty 2005 Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille. There are only 1,600 cases of this wine, which has superb uplift and vibrancy. This 121-acre estate with 114 producing acres of vineyard all located in Knight's Valley continues to be at the top of their game and I can't recommend the wines highly enough.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Hazy pale gold. Explosively perfumed nose, with intense iodine and smoke notes accenting ripe orange and pear aromas. Remarkably concentrated citrus and mineral flavors are deepened by sweet butter, smoked meat and an exotic cherry pit note. Really stains the palate and finishes on a zesty citrus pith note, with outstanding persistence.

2005 Peter Michael La Carriere (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$300.00~~ Our Price: $261.00

$261.00

Robert Parker 95

The 2005 La Carriere (1,900 cases) is sensational and showing much better than it did last year, and then it was pretty stunning. This wine has terrific fresh acidity that buttresses the lemon and orange blossom notes mixed with honeyed pear and hints of peach and nectarine. A gorgeous, mineral-laced Chardonnay, it should drink nicely for 5-7 years. This 121-acre estate with 114 producing acres of vineyard all located in Knight�s Valley continues to be at the top of their game and I can�t recommend the wines highly enough.

2005 Peter Michael Mon Plaisir California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$174.00~~ Our Price: $151.20

$151.20

Wine Spectator 91

"Sleek and elegant, with rich yet subtle flavors built around ripe pear and smoky hazelnut-scented oak. Keeps a tight focus on the fruit and oak through the finish."

Robert Parker 94

The 2005 Mon Plaisir reveals greater intensity, full body, and terrific acidity, with hints of orange marmalade, lemon blossom, hazelnut, and earth. The wine is full-bodied, rich, and a terrific Chardonnay. It should evolve for 7-8 years. This 121-acre estate with 114 producing acres of vineyard all located in Knight's Valley continues to be at the top of their game and I can't recommend the wines highly enough.

2005 Pride Mountain California (1.5L)

List Price: ~~$120.00~~ Our Price: $110.00

$110.00

Robert Parker 91

The superb 2005 Merlot, a blend of fruit from Napa (70%) and Sonoma (30%), exhibits sweet plum and black currant fruit intermixed with mocha, coffee, and earth notes. This medium to full-bodied, elegant, lush, heady wine begs for consumption over the next 7-8 years.

2006 Peter Michael Cuvee Indigene California (1.5L)

$275.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 94

"Good pale greenish yellow. Bright, highly perfumed nose combines vineyard peach and minerals. Broad and deep yet almost magically light on its feet, with sexy, expressive flavors of orange rind, minerals and spices, plus suggestions of exotic fruits. As dense and ripe as this is, it leaves a very dry impression on the very long back end. From this winery's oldest vines (in Gauer Vineyard), where the Calera clone preserves acidity and produces big berries that are not particularly juicy owing to thick skins (the Belle-Cote is similarly from Calera clones)."

Robert Parker 93

The 2006 Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene (545 cases) displays toasty hazelnut notes intermixed with subtle toast, tropical fruit, gout du petrol, fleshy, forward, very ripe notes, and some smokiness, all suggesting a more evolved style, and one to drink over the next 3-4 years.

2006 Peter Michael Cuvee Indigene California (1.5L)

$275.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 94

"Good pale greenish yellow. Bright, highly perfumed nose combines vineyard peach and minerals. Broad and deep yet almost magically light on its feet, with sexy, expressive flavors of orange rind, minerals and spices, plus suggestions of exotic fruits. As dense and ripe as this is, it leaves a very dry impression on the very long back end. From this winery's oldest vines (in Gauer Vineyard), where the Calera clone preserves acidity and produces big berries that are not particularly juicy owing to thick skins (the Belle-Cote is similarly from Calera clones)."

Robert Parker 93

The 2006 Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene (545 cases) displays toasty hazelnut notes intermixed with subtle toast, tropical fruit, gout du petrol, fleshy, forward, very ripe notes, and some smokiness, all suggesting a more evolved style, and one to drink over the next 3-4 years.

2006 Peter Michael L'Apres-Midi California (1.5L)

$84.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Bright, pale yellow. Vibrant aromas of citrus peel, green apple, gooseberry, mint and crushed stone; I was reminded of Loire Valley chenin and Chablis. Then fat but quite firm in the mouth, with lime, lemon drop and honeysuckle flavors complicated by a metallic whiff (this is fermented in stainless steel and does not go through malolactic fermentation). Almost oily in texture and yet pungently fresh, with a solid spine of acidity running through it. A wine like this could stand in for the sorbet course.

2006 Peter Michael La Carriere California (1.5L)

$225.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

"Green-tinged yellow. More precise, subtle aromas of stone fruits, minerals and nutmeg. A step up in energy and fruit intensity, with lovely clarity to the flavors of stone fruits, lemon, lime, spices and crushed rock. Finishes quite long and brisk, in need of at least a year of patience."

Robert Parker 92

One of my favorite cuvees is always La Carriere. The 2006 La Carriere (about 2,600 cases) displays wonderful honeyed grapefruit, crushed rock, and some spicy, yeasty notes along with nectarine and honeyed citrus. The wine is rich, full-bodied, with a striking minerality. It should drink nicely for 3 years maximum.

Wine Spectator 90

"A big, bold style, with plenty of toasty oak and elements of graham cracker and wood. But also shows ripe, rich pear, apple and honeyed fruit that fans out nicely on the palate."

2007 Quilceda Creek Washington (1.5L)

$510.00

Robert Parker 100

"The flagship 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon contains 3% Merlot. This multi-dimensional offering surrenders an inviting bouquet of sandalwood, Asian spices, violets, truffle, black currant, and blackberry. Seamless on the palate with no hard edges, it is mouth-coating, powerful, and exceptionally light on its feet all at the same time. Impeccably balanced and with plenty of fine-grained tannin in the background, it should effortlessly achieve its 30th birthday. The entire portfolio is a tour de force!"

Wine Enthusiast 96

"This feels slightly softer in the mouth than the massive 2006, but carries the density and gravitas that one associates with Quilceda Creek. Wonderful balance, with a deeply detailed set of flavors that gather strength as they move through the palate. Mixed berries, threaded with chocolate, lingering with black cherry, cassis, smoke, cedar, lead pencil and more."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 95

"Dark medium ruby. Lovely vibrancy to the aromas of blackcurrant, plum, licorice and cocoa powder, with a strong impression of minerality. Like liquid silk on the palate and yet powerful at the same time, with strong minerality contributing to the impression of lift and inner-mouth perfume. The dark berry, violet and cocoa powder flavors offer compelling early sweetness, and this wine's wonderfully lush tannins will not get in the way of early enjoyment. A great example of the new generation of Quilceda Creek cabernet. Based on its superb length and balance, I'd cellar this for even more fireworks ahead."

Wine Spectator 94

"Firm, with a light grip of tannins around a core of dark berry, currant, smoke and tobacco flavors. This has elegance and depth, with a welcome sense of reticence that doesn't push the flavors too strong. Finishes very long, with a silky texture."