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

1997 Mondavi Reserve California (750ml)

$150.00

Robert Parker 95

"The profound 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve boasts a saturated ruby/purple color. Production (about 20,000 cases) of this sweet, opulently-textured, rich, full-bodied wine should guarantee widespread availability. Aged in 100% new French oak, this blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot offers a textbook varietal nose of cedar wood, licorice, creme de cassis, and pain grille. Full-bodied, with explosive sweetness and fruit on the attack, this gloriously pure, superbly well-delineated wine should be drinkable young, and last for 3 decades. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025."

Wine Spectator 93

"Packed with currant, black cherry, plum, cedar and spice nuances, finishing long and complete, this Mondavi reserve is a dark, immense, deeply concentrated and sharply focused red."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93+

Very good deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of crystallized red berries, cassis, graphite and grilled nuts. Lush, sweet and minerally; already displays compelling inner-mouth complexity and superb delineation. Youthful fruit flavors show less of the meaty quality that characterized some recent vintages of this wine. Very strong underlying backbone. The wine's lovely sweetness carries through to the very long finish, which features dusty, even tannins.

1997 Pride Mountain (750ml)

$90.00

Wine Spectator 94

Dark and intense, with a solid, plush core of ripe, rich currant, black cherry, blackberry and light cedar notes. Jam-packed with flavors, it's an immense wine but beautifully balanced.

1997 Quilceda Creek Washington (750ml)

$145.00

Robert Parker 94

The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon was fashioned from 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. It offers a boisterous rosemary and black fruit-scented nose. Big, broad, and chewy, this medium to full-bodied wine is packed with black fruits, spices, and hints of tar. It is masculine, concentrated, and in need of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020.

1997 Silverado Limited Reserve California (750ml)

$109.00

Wine Spectator 92

"Sleek and elegant, rich and polished, with a pretty array of herb, black cherry, mint, wild berry, chocolate, anise and tar, finishing with firm yet supple tannins."

1998 Araujo Eisele California (750ml)

$190.00

Robert Parker 91

"Medium-deep red. Complex, inviting aromas of plum leather, spice, game and Burgundian earth tones. Lush and sweet in the mouth, with plum, meat and leather flavors. Harmonious acids give shape to the wine without drying it. Finishes with sweet, rich tannins and very good length. This has filled in very nicely since I tasted it from barrel a year ago. A real standout of the vintage."

Wine Spectator 90

A supple, harmonious, well-crafted effort, with rich yet subtle earthy currant, tobacco, toasty-cedary oak and spicy anise notes. Very complete and focused, with fine-grained tannins on the finish.

1998 Dalla Valle California (750ml)

$152.00

Robert Parker 94

"The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon is even better from bottle than it was from barrel. It is a terrific wine with an opaque blue/purple color and a gorgeously sweet nose of black fruits interrmixed with licorice, mineral, and spice. Full-bodied, opulently textured, and drinkable at an earlier age than most vintages, it should keep at least two decades."

1998 David Arthur Elevation 1147 (750ml)

$115.00

Robert Parker 91

"There are only a few hundred cases of this 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon. Extremely ripe notes of prunes, blackberries, and currants intertwine with coffee and chocolate in this surprisingly dense, low acid, concentrated 1998. A dense ruby/plum/purple color is accompanied by a full-bodied, unctuously-textured, fully mature wine. I am not sure it possesses the structure necessary for extended aging, but it will provide immense pleasure over the next 10-15 years. "

Wine Spectator 91

"Dark, rich, intense and focused, with ripe, spicy currant, plum and black cherry fruit, plus shadings of herb and cedar. Turns a touch prickly, with a slight vinegary edge. Finishes with dry, earthy tannins. "

1998 Dunn Napa California (750ml)

$75.00

Robert Parker

"The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (a composite blend) is highly-extracted, but very light. It obviously reflects the challenges presented by this vintage. Dry tannin in the finish might turn out to be cause for concern, but there is still plenty of cassis fruit in this medium to full-bodied Cabernet, but it is more compressed than usual. Dunn will undoubtedly build more flesh and fruit into it before bottling, but we will have to wait another year to find out. If Godzilla drank California Cabernet Sauvignon, would there be any doubt as to what choice it would be? Anyone who has regularly tasted Randy Dunn's Cabernet Sauvignons (first produced in 1979) realizes several things. They all possess the following characteristics: (1) remarkable color and richness, (2) massive personalities with huge tannic structures, (3) gorgeous purity and unreal aging potential."

Wine Spectator

"Highly reliant on green, cedary oak for its flavor, this tight, tannic, intense youngster finds enough ripe fruit to counter the wood, with hints of earthy currant, bell pepper, sage and tar. Requires patience."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, licorice, graphite and game. Dense, supple and rich in extract; juicy flavors of cassis and licorice. Offers impressive texture for the vintage, but comes across as distinctly less sweet than the Howell Mountain bottling. Finishes with very good length and ripe, fairly substantial tannins that grew slightly dry with aeration.

1998 Mondavi Reserve California (750ml)

$78.00

Wine Enthusiast 92

"Soft and succulent blackberry and cassis fruit upfront, framed by squeaky clean tannins and solid oak elements. This is most notable for its voluptuous, velvety texture, which coats the palate with sweet flavors. It?s not a big wine but a balanced, harmonious one, and a success for the vintage."

1998 Peter Michael Les Pavots California (750ml)

$174.00

Robert Parker 89+

"The 1998 Les Pavots (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc) was produced from minuscule yields of 1.3 tons of fruit per acre. It exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in additioin to aromas of melted fudge, cocoa, tobacco, and black currant fruit. In the mouth, the wine is medium to full-bodied, with firm tannin, and a compressed, moderately long finish. Not surprisingly, it does not exhibit either the flavor dimension or length of the 1997 or 1996. 1998 was a more difficult vintage, but Les Pavots has turned out well, revealing more of a Bordeaux-like weight profile than the more enormously-endowed, concentrated 1997. Nevertheles, it is a successful effort in a challenging year."

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 Pride Mountain Reserve Claret California (750ml)

$163.00

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 Ridge Monte Bello California (750ml)

$129.00

1998 Silver Oak, Alexander Valley California (3.0L)

$515.00

1998 Silver Oak, Napa California (1.5L)

$435.00

1998 Silverado, Stag's Leap California (375ml)

$30.00

Wine Spectator

"Soft and fleshy, with ripe, supple, medium-weight plum, black cherry and wild berry flavors that are pleasant, if on the simple side."

1998 Spottswoode California (750ml)

$102.00

Robert Parker 88-90

"The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits lots of blueberry fruit, in addition to an attractive, elegant, medium-bodied style. It is a successful wine for the vintage. It should be uncommonly precocious, forward, and delicious when released. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2014."

1998 The Terraces California (750ml)

$51.00

FineWine International

A house favorite at Fine Wines International. Elegant and refined with the aromas and flavors of cherries, herbs and vanilla oak.

1998 The Terraces California (750ml-12pk)

$610.00

FineWine International

A house favorite at Fine Wines International. Elegant and refined with the aromas and flavors of cherries, herbs and vanilla oak.

1998 Verite California (750ml)

$215.00

Robert Parker 95

A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the debut vintage of La Muse is composed of fruit from Sonoma (62%) and Napa (38%) vineyards. It appears to have reached full maturity, but it possesses the density and richness to last another 10-15 years. From a challenging vintage, it reveals a dark plum/garnet color along with a full-bodied nose of coffee, fruitcake, underbrush, forest floor, mocha and chocolate. This outstanding effort is one of the top 1998s from northern California.

Wine Enthusiast 95

"Lush and delicious, this richly fruited wine roars from the glass with a serious, yet still sexy plum, chocolate, spice and cedar nose. Plush tannins and an even mouthfeel, full cherry, plum and cocoa flavors, and this impressive first release finishes long and dry."

1998 Verite La Joie California (750ml)

$158.00

Robert Parker 94

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot (85% Sonoma fruit and 15% from Napa), this fully mature 1998 should drink well for another 10-15 years. Notes of cedar, tobacco leaf, Christmas fruitcake, black currants and loamy soil emerge from this beautifully constructed, rich, full-bodied effort. It comes across like a serious Pauillac from Bordeaux.

1999 Andrake Cellars Reserve Claret California (750ml)

$55.00

Wine Spectator

"Firm in texture, with pretty blackberry and spice flavors on a refined frame. Drink now through 2005. 182 cases made."

1999 Dalla Valle California (750ml)

$142.00

Robert Parker 94

"The opaque purple-colored 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts exceptionally sweet fruit as well as a tell-tale perfume of melted licorice, black currant liqueur, and hints of blueberries and flowers. This wine is long, ripe, and full-bodied, with the vintage's more noticeable, astringent tannin. It will be at its apogee between 2006-2021."

Wine Spectator 95

"Deep garnet core with a ruby rim. Heady sottobosco aroma reminiscent of sweet pipe tobacco laced with the perfumed scent of violets. Deep plum flavor mingles with cherry jam, bitter chocolate and roasted coffee bean; very fresh and clear. The wine offers a superb sense of depth and harmony on the middle palate, and the tannins are firm but ripe. The long, silky finish is graced by an undercurrent of anise. Generous, suave, and delicious."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93+

"Saturated full ruby. Black fruits, bitter chocolate and graphite on the nose. Superripe and impressively deep; conveys a rather austere impression of thick grape skins. Black fruit and shoe polish flavors sweetened by exotic spice notes of mace and nutmeg. Really builds on the very long finish, which features big, tongue-dusting tannins. An outstanding vintage for this bottling."

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 Mayacamas California (750ml)

$88.00

Undergound Wine Journal

This is a gorgeous Cabernet that shows the benefits of a decade or so of bottle age. It is blended with 2% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 12 � %. The wine is dark in color with a gorgeous spice tinged mulberry perfume. Flavorful, rich, rounded and supple, this Cabernet has very pure fruit and a gorgeous finish. It is delicious to drink now, but this wine should age effortlessly for 10 or more years Outstanding Plus. John Tilson Underground Wine Journel, April 2012

1999 Oakville Ranch Reserve California (750ml)

$82.00

Wine Spectator 88

Stalky herb and cedar aromas lead to a tight band of currant, vanilla, mocha and spicy nuances. Gains complexity and finishes with a display of depth and richness, with persistent flavors and chewy tannins.

1999 Opus One California (3.0L)

$985.00

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 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 Togni California (750ml)

$92.00

Robert Parker 91

There are 1,500 cases of the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon. Its dense purple color is followed by a big, spicy nose of black currant liqueur, licorice, and foresty/fern-like scents. It is sweet, medium to full-bodied, and deep, as well as structured, and a Bordeaux-like tannic profile in the finish. It will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2026+.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92-94

"Saturated deep ruby. Reticent aromas of briary blackberry and licorice. Very intensely flavored and vibrant, with extremely primary, powerful flavors of cassis, black cherry and bitter chocolate. Still youthfully grapey. Very dense and very long. Offers very strong potential."

Wine Spectator 90

A wine with a potent personality. Dark and intense, with a massive core of tannins lining the racy, herbaceous bell pepper, currant, earth, mineral and tar flavors. Has a good dose of cedary oak. Finishes with firm tannins and the need to rest, chained in a dark, cool space for a few years.

1999 Viader California (750ml)

$98.00

Robert Parker 89

This blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Cabernet Franc reveals attractive cassis and blueberry notes, subtle oak, and spice. This wine is graceful, elegant, and medium-bodied, with sweet ripe tannin, and a moderate finish. It will drink well for 10-12 years.

Wine Spectator 90

Shows fresh, subtle aromas of cedar, cigar box, ripe plum and black cherry, with touches of mint and herb. Elegant, supple, full-bodied, complex and stylish, ending with a detailed finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.1999 California Cabernet blind retrospective

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 Araujo Eisele California (750ml)

$215.00

Wine Spectator 92

"A very complete and complex offering, exhibiting rich plum and red currant flavors, touches of anise, sage, herb and mineral, finishing with a plush, focused aftertaste."

Robert Parker 91

2000 Bond, Melbury California (750ml)

$175.00

Robert Parker 90

The 2000 Melbury displays tremendously fragrant aromas of black cherries, currants, licorice, and toasty oak, medium to full body, luscious fruit on the attack, and a slight narrowing in the finish. While outstanding, unlike the profound 2001, it needs to be drunk during its first 10-12 years of life.

2000 Darioush Signature California (1.5L)

$105.00

2000 Dunn, Howell Mountain California (750ml)

$87.00

Wine Spectator 88

"Hard and chewy, with a strong dose of cedary oak, wild berry, blackberry and mineral flavors. Dense and concentrated, it is supported by firm, chewy tannins, ending with a minerally quality and good length."

Robert Parker 88

"Telltale aromas of violets, blackberries, blueberries, and crushed stones are apparent in this medium to full-bodied, slightly lean 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. Tasty and expressive, it needs 3-4 years of cellaring, and should drink well for a decade."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91

First component: Saturated ruby. Wild aromas of crushed dark berries, leather and meat. Juicy and minerally but not particularly fleshy. Shows a slightly rustic gamey quality to go with the mountain berry intensity. Second component: Distinctly animal on the nose. More expressive, expansive flavors of black raspberry, minerals and game. This may well surpass both the '99 and '98 Howell Mountain.

2000 Harlan Estate California (1.5L)

$750.00

Robert Parker 91

The dense purple-colored 2000 Harlan Estate is, as the French would say, facile, which means easy. It is accessible and plump, with copious fruit, plenty of glycerin, and tell-tale smoky, espresso, black currant notes intermixed with minerals and a hint of licorice-infused blackberries. Although rich, plush, and opulent in the aromatics as well as attack, it lightens in the mouth. This medium-bodied, friendly offering is successful for the vintage, but hardly profound. As the wine sits in the glass, notes of cocoa/malt chocolate and black fruits emerge. This is undoubtedly the most supple textured and accessible wine Harlan has yet produced. It has the depth and balance to last for 15+ years, but for readers who found some previous vintages too rich and backward upon release, this is a departure from that style, largely because of the vintage characteristics.

Wine Spectator 94

A temendous wine, dense, tight andchewy,with firm, moutcoating tannins wrapped around a core of moch-laced currant and blackberryflavors. Well-focused, precisely balanced and full of contrated flavors. A great cellar candidate.

Wine Enthusiast 98

A stupendous wine that epitomizes the Harlan style of grace and power. Shows how the most elaborate vineyard and wnery practices can contribute to a near-perfect wine, even in a less heralded vintage. The flavors cascade in endless tiers, black currant, cherry, mocha, Indian pudding, oak and spice, all coming together in a minute-long finish.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

Deep ruby-red. High-toned aromas of dusty currant, black raspberry, graphite and minerals. Very suave, minerally and vibrant, but less obviously ripe and smaller-scaled than the great '99, which showed explosive aromatics, remarkable breadth and texture, and great inner-mouth energy in early March, meriting 95 points. With a bit less mid-palate thickness and extract, the tannins in this 2000 are more apparent than those of the 1999.

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.

2000 Mondavi Reserve California (750ml)

$78.00

Robert Parker 90-92

"The wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Malbec. It exhibits a deep purple color as well as an elegant, sweet perfume of black currants intertwined with licorice, loamy soil, and hints of mints as well as new oak. It is ripe, long, and structured, with medium to full body, outstanding purity and concentration, and a persistent finish. This elegant Cabernet will be at its finest between 2006-2020."

Wine Enthusiast 92

"Oak dominates in the wine?s youth, with scents of wood and smoky earth. In the mouth, rich and dense. The tannins are thick, but soft and melted. Acidity kicks in on the finish. Structurally superb, but curiously lean and herbal in flavor, as thought it were deliberately picked early. No doubt meant for the cellar. "

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

"Deep ruby-red color. Captivating aromas of currant, black cherry, violet, tobacco, iron and smoky oak. Very silky on entry, then broad, rich and sweet, with superb, expressive fruit. Seamless, full, very suave wine, with lovely layered texture and flavor definition. Really opens out on the finish, showing fine-grained tannins and terrific length."

2000 Pride Mountain Reserve California (750ml)

$163.00

Wine Spectator 89

"Sleek and elegant, with pretty scents of blackberry and sandlewood, turning elegant and polished. Well-structured, with firm, integrated tannins and a long, complex finish. Drink now through 2009."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91

"Good medium ruby. Rather reticent, brooding nose hints at black cherry, blackberry, violet, bitter chocolate and new oak; suggestions of almost port-like superripeness. Lush, sweet and fat, with intriguing mineral and tar notes; showing more mid-palate density than the reserve claret but this is also less open and juicy today. Finishes with substantial, broad, oak-driven tannins that slightly shorten the wine's fruit today, but this has very good thrust and length. This actually got more than 100% new oak, according to Foley: the wine began with a sojourn in new barrels, then after the various components were allowed to marry in neutral barrels the wine was returned to another set of new barrels."

2000 Quilceda Creek Washington (750ml)

$235.00

Robert Parker 94

The dark ruby-colored 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon has a nose reminiscent of a blackberry-flavored Yoplait yogurt laced with roasted oak and hints of licorice. A full-bodied wine of power and structure, it is crammed with black currants, blackberries, and spices. Its dense fruit is matched blow for blow with a muscular, firm structure. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.

Wine Spectator 93

"Announces itself as a serious red from the first whiff of earthy, smoky notes weaving through the licorice-scented dark berry flavors. This firm, chewy wine expands on the long finish under a layer of fine-grained tannins, holding it all together seamlessly. It begs for time in the cellar to develop. Best after 2006."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

"Bright medium ruby. Aromas of crystallized dark berries, tobacco, mocha, peat, graphite and smoky, spicy oak. Very rich and dense but not overly sweet, with strong oak notes of spice and chocolate along with suggestions of pipe tobacco and fresh herbs. Finishes with ripe, chocolatey tannins and excellent length."

2000 Shafer Hillside Select California (750ml)

$215.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90

"Ruby-red. Deep, slightly medicinal aromas of black cherry, mocha and menthol. Smooth and round on the palate, with noteworthy sweetness and texture for the vintage. Coolish flavors of black cherry, currant and tobacco. This can't match the best recent vintages of this bottling for depth and flavor authority, but it neatly avoids the green cast and drying tannins of so many 2000 Napa Valley Cabernets."

Wine Spectator 95

"A mouthful, this wine gushes with pure, ripe Cabernet fruit. Tiers of currant, anise, blackberry, cherry and wild berry flavors are supported by pretty mocha-scented oak and plush, velvety tannins that firm up on the finish, giving it a solid backbone, yet the persistent flavors keep pushing through. Best from 2004 through 2014."

Robert Parker 93

The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select was performing even better this year than it was last year. While not as weighty and ageworthy as some of the more hallowed vintages, it is a seriously endowed wine. Deep ruby/purple to the rim, with a gorgeous nose of creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, spice, and cedar, it is more forward than most vintages, but full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully seductive. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.

2001 Behrens & Hitchcock Ink Grade California (750ml)

$67.00

2001 Blankiet Estate California (750ml)

$125.00

Robert Parker 92

The dense purple-colored 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard reveals Graves-like characteristics of charcoal embers, roasted herbs, blackberries, currants, and hints of chocolate, cassis, new saddle leather, and earth. Full-bodied, dense, and powerful, it is a serious vin de garde. This chewy, intense Cabernet should be at its finest between 2008 and 2020+.

2001 Bond, Matriarch California (750ml)

$116.00

Robert Parker 94

A great introduction to Bond's style is the 2001 Matriarch, which Bob Levy calls, our elegant leftovers. This is a three-vineyard blend of the juice that was not rich or concentrated enough to be included in the single vineyard bottlings. Beautifully made, with wonderfully sweet notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black cherries, and cassis, an opulent texture, impressive concentration, low acidity, and silky tannin, it possesses more up-front charm and accessibility than its bigger siblings. Enjoy it over the next 10-12 years.

2001 Bryant Family California (750ml)

$295.00

Robert Parker 91

"The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits the classic Bryant bouquet of melted creosote intermixed with blackberry liqueur and other black fruits. It is medium to full-bodied, opulent and sumptuous, but the finish is shorter, with drier tannin than it would have had if it had been bottled unfiltered. Give it 3-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 10-15 years."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93-96

Good full deep medium ruby. Aromas of kirsch, cassis, bitter chocolate and licorice; extremely primary yet hints at almost exotic ripeness. Wonderfully sweet, intensely flavored and bright; dense, sharply delineated and seamless. This hasn't really expanded yet in barrel and thus is not yet showing its flesh. But this young cabernet's solid structure and outstanding persistence suggest that it may ultimately surpass my current projected range. 93-96 points

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 Chappellet Pritchard Hill (750ml)

$125.00

FineWine International

Chappellet has hit one out of the park with this Bordeaux blend this year. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot has resulted in a seamless, very complex wine with supple, elegant tannins and a very long finish. The fruit flavors are dominated by blackberry, black cherry and anise. The complex nose has whiffs of leather, forest floor and spice. This is a big wine but also a graceful wine. The fruit flavors are beautifully concentrated without being overripe. In short a very impressive release from Chappellet and perhaps the best wine ever from them.

Wine Spectator 92

Dense and immense; a big, rich, firmly tannic style that packs in lots of chewy currant, mineral, sage and wild berry flavors that fold into herb, cedar and tobacco notes. Finishes with a long, potent aftertaste that suggests short-term cellaring.

Wine Enthusiast 94

Your first impression ishow concentrated in cassis fruit this wine is. It's immense as well in fleshy new oak. Then there are the tannins. Gentle and sweet, yet subtle as a tapastry, they offer structure to the decadent flaovrs. This is a real achievement, as soft as it is, the wine seems balanced enough to evolve nicely over the next 10 years.

Wine News 95

Inky hue with a garnet rim. Heady menthol aromas with blueberry and milk chocolate notes. Layers of supple cherry and mint flavors. Lasting and creamy with a cherry-chocolate finihs. A perfectly balanced wine with chard and muscle.

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 97

9% Petit Verdot; 5% Merlot. Absolutely riveting aromas of currants, cocoa, very rich oak and layers of minerals and loamy earth set this serious wine apart from the rest of the field from the very first sniff, and its opulent, fully stuffed flavors make good on the promise. It is as deep and as rich as any of the Cabernets under current review, and its stands among the very best of the vintage when it comes to structure, balance and wine-making polish as well. A convincingly ageworthy wine that will grow for a decade or more, it is nothing short of a tour de force effort and confirms Chappellet's pre-eminent place as a maker of superb Cabernet Sauvignon. Three Puffs

2001 Darioush Signature California (750ml)

$75.00

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.