California Oregon Washington Cabernet: Price 100 to 199 - Vinrare - Buy Fine Wine Online - Fine Wines International

1986 Phelps Eisele California (750ml)

$109.00

Robert Parker 92

The youngest and most backward, and the most promising wine of the four 1986 wines in this segment, is the 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. The dense purple color with no lightening or amber is followed by a classic Eisele nose of crushed stones/minerals, black-raspberries/currants, and spicy wood. Full-bodied, concentrated, and pure, yet very youthful, this wine could easily have passed for a 3-4 year old California Cabernet. Hefty and concentrated, with considerable tannin, it requires another 2-4 years of cellaring; it will last for 20 years.

1989 La Jota Anniversary California (750ml)

$98.00

Robert Parker 90

La Jota's 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon is more evolved and forward than usual. The huge, earthy, weedy, tobacco, and blackcurrant-scented nose is followed by a rich, generously endowed, satiny-textured wine that coats the palate and finishes with impressive quantities of fruit, glycerin and alcohol. Most Howell Mountain Cabernets start life with a hard, firm, tannic edge, but this offering is pure suppleness and pleasure. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.

1991 La Jota Anniversary California (750ml)

$130.00

Robert Parker 94

"The 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon 10th Anniversary Release reveals a character similar to the 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, with richer fruit, and more sweetness and intensity on the palate. However, the tannin level is frightfully high, making this wine a candidate for drinking between 2000-2025. This is an immensely impressive Cabernet Sauvignon."

1993 Dalla Valle California (750ml)

$136.00

Robert Parker 93

"Although closed, the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is crammed with so much sweet, blackcurrant fruit that it does not take a genius to figure out what this wine is all about. It offers an opaque garnet/purple color, a moderately intense, cassis, smoky, herb, and earthy nose, fabulous concentration, good muscle, and a boatload of sweet tannin. While drinkable, it needs another 4-5 years of cellaring. It will easily last for 20 years."

1993 Vineyard 29 (Grace Family) California (750ml)

$124.00

Wine Spectator

"Firm and trim, with an attractive band of currant, coffee, anise and cedar. A well-proportioned, moderately rich and complex young red that finishes with mild tannins."

1994 Neibaum Coppola Rubicon California (750ml)

$85.00

Wine Spectator 92

A well-regarded blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this year's version shows impressive balance and finesse. Firm and tightly wound, with a sharply focused, deeply concentrated core of currant, black cherry, cedar, toast and spice flavors, this is a muscular yet polished wine.

1995 Flora Springs Reserve California (750ml)

$85.00

Robert Parker 92

"The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve offers up a chocolatey, cassis, and earthy-scented nose, followed by sweet, jammy flavors, sensational depth, ripeness, and balance, and a sweet finish with well-integrated, silky tannin."

1995 Vineyard 29 (Grace Family) California (750ml)

$124.00

Wine- Maker Notes

winemaker: Heidi Peterson Barrett. 500 cases. This wine has a beautiful deep ruby color. The nose gives you a combination of sweet ripe Cabernet fruit and some racy spiciness. The fruit from this vineyard consistently produces wines with a black cherry and currant character and this vintage shows this as well. In the mouth, the wine is lively but very soft and elegant. The black cherry carries through on the palate with almost no sign of tannin and a rather lengthy finish. This is an easy-to-drink wine with a lot of finesse and can be enjoyed without much bottle age.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Superripe, sappy nose combines blackcurrant, chocolate and brown spices. Sweet, supple and chewy on the palate; already displays expressive inner-mouth aromatics. A fairly big wine, finishing with excellent length and thoroughly buffered tannins. Faint notes of roast coffee and game on the aftertaste.

1996 Bacio Divino California (750ml)

$82.00

Robert Parker 92

"Another terrific offering from this producer, the 1996 Bacio Divino offers a spicy, oaky nose with notions of jammy cassis, strawberries, and cherries. Full bodied and complex, with a dominant black fruit element upstaging the new oak nuances, this fleshly, ostentatious, pure, gorgeously seductive wine will drink well for 7-8 years. Kudos to winemaker/proprietor Claus Janzen."

1996 Leonetti Washington (750ml)

$163.00

Wine Spectator 91

"Firm and focused, a jazzy mouthful of spicy blackberry, black pepper and violet flavors that harmonize nicely on the graceful finish. Approachable now, but can age."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90+

Bright deep ruby. Sappy, sweet aromas of crystallized black cherry, cassis, mocha and mint. Dense and firmly built, with sharply delineated cherry and black raspberry flavors framed by strong acidity. A solidly structured, firmly tannic cabernet that should age for many years.

1996 Seavey California (750ml)

$78.00

Robert Parker 92

The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. This opaque purple-colored effort reveals aromas of black currants, creosote, smoke, minerals, and plums. It is full-bodied, with exquisite density and terrific fruit purity and intensity, particularly in the mid-palate and length (always good signs for wines that are meant to improve and last). There is plenty of tannin, but this is a generous, impressively endowed wine that should stand the test of several decades of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2025.

Wine Spectator 92

Firm, tight and complex, with a rich, focused band of spicy currant, mineral, plum, cherry, cedar and anise, turning rich and flavorful on the finish.

1996 Whitehall Reserve California (750ml)

$59.00

Wine Spectator 93

"Has a wonderful sense of harmony. Ripe, rich and deeply concentrated, with layers of juicy plum, black cherry, plum and spice, with a pretty toasty oak and blackberry aftertaste."

1997 Chappellet Pritchard Hill California (750ml)

$129.00

Wine Spectator 93

"Dark, ripe and concentrated, with pretty currant, plum, black cherry, roasted coffee and shoe-leather flavors woven tightly together, finishing with lively acidity and firm tannins."

Robert Parker 90

The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill (a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc) is the finest wine to emerge from Chappellet since the Philip Togni era (remember the exquisite 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon Togni fashioned?). A dark saturated blue/purple color is followed by tight aromatics offering up scents of blueberries, minerals, cassis, and subtle toast. It is medium to full-bodied and elegant, with sweet tannin as well as a tightly-knit, convincing finish. This wine appears to have a promising future. Although still young and unevolved, it is impressively endowed and pure. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

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."

2001 Behrens & Hitchcock Ink Grade California (750ml)

$67.00

2001 ZD Reserve California (750ml)

$75.00

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 90

Rich in the toasted coconut, vanilla bean smells from oak barrel aging, this ripe, balanced and somewhat fleshy offering delivers plenty of Cabernet fruit once past its creamy, cedary coverlet. In the mouth, it is especially impressive for its admirable depth and its luxuriously lengthy flavors. It should improve for some years yet and hold for up to a decade. Limited production and/or limited geographic distribution.

Wine Spectator 91

This wine grows on you, revealing both rich and subtle flavor nuances that spread out nicely. Built around a core of ripe cherry, wild berry and blackberry fruit, it picks up hints of sour cherry candy, currant, anise and cedary oak. The long, complex finish is supported by firm but ripe and polished tannins.

2002 Abreu Rothwell Hyde California (750ml)

$142.00

FineWine International 92-93

Another very intense, highly extracted Cabernet from Abreu. This is a brooding, darkly colored Caberent that will need a decade of cellaring before it will be ready to drink. "This is an irrefutable blue chip superstar, but, sadly, the small production is all sold via a mailing list. David Abreu, the first-rate viticulturist to many of Napa Valley?s best run vineyards, is an uncompromising perfectionist whose ?take-no-prisoners? policy and demanding formula for producing top quality fruit does not always sit well with some. However, if readers are looking for great wines, David Abreu is the real deal. Longtime readers know that I have long regarded his wines as monumental examples of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Abreu has not endured a bad vintage to date, and even his off years are better than most winemakers? top years." Robert Parker

2002 DuBrul Vineyards, Cote Bonneville Washington (750ml)

$141.00

Wine- Maker Notes

"The 2002 C�te Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard is the best expression of our vineyard. The wine is estate-grown DuBrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (59%) and Merlot (41%). The deep garnet color and exuberant aromatics lead to sweet plum, blackberry, bright cherry and cassis flavors that unfold into a long, lingering finish. This wine is eminently age-worthy, its brightness imparted from the soil. It pairs beautifully with mesquite-grilled Chateaubriand or alder-roasted wild salmon, followed by chocolate lava cake. After ageing for 24 months in new French oak barrels, the wine was bottled, unfined and unfiltered, on September 4, 2004. Alcohol measured 14.5%, ph 3.52, Total Acidity 0.64. 496 cases were produced."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of redcurrant, licorice, tobacco and nutty oak. Sweet, lush and highly concentrated, with a candied quality to the flavors of currant, black cherry, menthol and spices. A creamy, concentrated fruit bomb with huge material. Finishes with broad, sweet, fine tannins and very good length.

Wine Spectator 91

Firm in texture, with distinctively etched cherry and rhubarb flavors, picking up a touch of earthy red pepper character as the finish lingers. This has impeccable balance. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

2002 Hoopes California (750ml)

$103.00

FineWine International

This Oakville vineyard Cabernet burst onto the scene last year with their 2001 vintage and the new 2002 is a worthy successor. "A nose of dark cherry, currants, rose petals, allspice, and new leather. The wine is full-bodied, wonderfully spicy, with fine tannins on the finish." - Winemaker Tasting Note.

Wine Enthusiast 94

"Graceful and decadent, this wine is made by longtime growers now with their own brand. It's ripe and gooey in black current, cassis and chocolate, and beautifully structured, with fine, crisp acids and dusty tannins. As good as it is now, it should hold and improve for several years." Editor's Choice

2002 Pride Mountain California (750ml)

$114.00

Robert Parker 92

The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon (5,000 cases made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon) is a supple, flamboyant, and more accessible version of the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with a classic nose of tobacco leaf, black currant, licorice, and smoke, the wine is medium to full-bodied, has a supple texture, an attractive textural mouthfeel in addition to a plush, heady finish. Drink it over the next 8-10 years.

Wine Spectator 93

A polished, seductive style, offering rich black cherry and blackberry fruit that's ripe and well-defined, with an overlay of smoky, toasty oak, folding together nicely on the finish. For all its richness and complexity, this is a graceful wine that's already fun to drink.

2003 Behrens & Hitchcock, The Heavyweight California (750ml)

$115.00

Robert Parker 93

Speaking of a Heavyweight, the 2003 (50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% equal parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) is a sensational 375-case effort from the Thorevilos Vineyard owned by David Abreu and Ric Foreman. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by an explosive bouquet of black and blue fruits, cedar, and high quality French oak. Boasting tremendous richness, fatness, opulence, and a viscous feel in the mouth, it is a big, in-your-face offering with low acidity, huge fruit, and a blockbuster finish. It should drink well for 10-12 years.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91

Ruby-red. Fresh aromas of cassis and violet. Lush and sweet, with enticing flavors of black cherry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Finishes broad and round, with fine tannins. Sexy wine, from Thorvilos and Madrona Ranch fruit.

2003 Bond, Matriarch California (750ml)

$120.00

Robert Parker 90

The 2003 Matriarch (1,500 cases) is a ripe, spicy, supple-textured effort offering beautiful plum, anise, black currant, tobacco, and toasty oak notes. Full-bodied, lush, and concentrated, it should drink well for 10-15 years.

Wine Enthusiast 94

This second label of BOND is so rich and opulent, it�s hard to believe it�s the least expensive of Harlan�s stable. Masses of cherries, blackberries, chocolate and vanilla-caramel new oak, accented with mint and herbs, leading to a refined, smoothly tannic finish. Just delicious. - S.H.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 89

Superripe, roasted nose shows a medicinal quality. Lush and sweet but a bit cooler in style than the 2004. Today, the wine's edge of acidity has not yet come into harmony with its firm tannins.

2003 Mondavi Reserve California (750ml)

$107.00

Robert Parker 94

The rich and intense 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve has a saturated ruby/purple color and is sweet and dark, with a complex nose of creme de cassis, blackberry, subtle oak, and smoke. It is medium to full-bodied and seems richer, fuller, and more intense than the 2004, but again reminds me of a St.-Julien made in Napa.

Wine Enthusiast 92

"Shows all the hallmarks of great Mondavi Reserve. Ageworthy and complex, with enormously ripe, rich fruit, classic chocolate, cassis plus cream and spice from new oak. So smoothly voluptuous now, it goes down like velvet, but the tannin-acid balance will easily hold this wine through 2015. "

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

"Good saturated ruby-red. Perfumed aromas of currant, black cherry, espresso, milk chocolate and flowers; a real essence of Napa Valley cabernet. Enters the palate like silk, then builds slowly toward the back, offering a lovely light touch and plenty of inner-mouth aromatic character. Finishes with substantial but very fine tannins that reach the incisors, and lingering perfume."

2003 Philip Melka California (750ml)

$125.00

Robert Parker 93

The 2003 Metisse, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, is a 20-year wine from the famed Madrona Ranch. It offers beautiful scents of white chocolate, charcoal embers, flowers, blackberries, and currants. Aged in 75% new French oak, it is full-bodied with silky tannin, a superb texture, and a window of drinkability between 2007-2020.

2003 Rudd, Oakville Estate California (750ml)

$103.00

Robert Parker 93

The 2003 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and equal parts Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec. This opaque purple-colored 2003 offers sweet aromas of scorched earth, tobacco leaf, blackberries, and currants. Layered, beautifully-textured, broad, elegant, and refreshing, this well-structured, superb effort should be consumed between 2008-2020.

Wine Spectator 92

An inspiring red. Dark, intense and concentrated, yet polished and supple. Lots of red currant, black cherry and berry flavors are well-focused, picking up a tasty dash of toasty, mocha-laced oak. Firms up on the finish with solid, ripe tannins

2004 B.V. Private Reserve California (750ml)

$103.00

Wine News 92

Aromas of cassis, fresh oak and leather. Intense flavors of cooked cherry and red licorice with a viscous quality. Youthful tannins surface in the finish along with red fruit, pencil shavings and cedar.

Wine Enthusiast 95

B.V. Private Reserve has been on a roll. This Georges is enormous and impressive, gigantic in fruit, explosive in blackberry tart, cherry pie, blueberry, plum, cigar box and vanilla aromas and flavors. Structurally, it's an impeccable wine, showing the fine acidity and firm, dusty tannins that always constitute George. Beautiful now, and should age well for 10-20 years.

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 92

A rich blanket of rooty, slightly briary spice overlies plenty of well-defined, cassis-like fruit in both the deep aromas and nicely filled flavors of this very solid young Cabernet. If not readily showing the dusty spice that so often typifies Beaulieu's Private Reserve bottlings, the wine is nonetheless a fairly classic varietal working with fine continuity, a good bit of flesh and an admirable sense of balance. Its nominal tannins lend spine with-out being abrasive, and there is real promise here for five to ten years of steady improvement.

2004 Chappellet Pritchard Hill California (750ml)

$129.00

FineWine International

The 2004 vintage of the this wine does not disappoint. It's big, but balanced with superb fruit, black currents, cassis and chocolate overtones. The tannins are ripe and fine and the wine has a long and lingering finish. Outstanding in everyway.

Wine Spectator 90

Rough-hewn, dense, abundant and chewy, with concentrated, extracted dried currant, mineral and hefty oak and mineral flavors that make this broad-shouldered, framed by potent tannins. Needs lots of time. Best from 2009 through 2018.

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 92

In its last two outings, Chappellet's Pritchard Hill bottlings have been among the best Cabernet's of the vintage, and, if not quite at the very head of the class in 2004, this wine still conveys an immense measure of well-ripened currants and is infused with lots of very sweet oak. It is fairly plush on the palate and a touch softer in feel, and its relatively silky tannins allow its generous fruit to shine through even now. It might well grow for a decade or more, but it could become open enough to enjoy in but three to five years.

Robert Parker 94

The full-bodied 2004 Pritchard Hill Estate Proprietary Red (78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot, and 8% Merlot) boasts a sensational inky/ruby/purple color to the rim as well as broad, rich, creme de cassis, licorice, graphite, and spice-like flavors, and a tannic finish. While approachable, it will benefit from several years of bottle age, and should age gracefully for two decades.

2004 Dunn Napa California (750ml)

$98.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 89

Good ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, smoke and licorice. Sweet and wild, with flamboyant flavors of dark fruits, chocolate, leather and game. In its sauvage flavors, this reminded me of a Chateau Lafleur from the '80s! Finishes with firm, dusty tannins. 88-91 pts.

Robert Parker 91

I don?t know whether it?s me, the vintage character, or whether Randy Dunn and his son have intentionally softened their wines, but these 2004s are more opulent and up-front than previous renditions. Yet, they lack neither concentration nor richness. Those of us who have been cellaring Dunn?s wines for twenty years, waiting for them to reach maturity should be thrilled by this new development. The Howell Mountain is denser and richer with blacker fruits as well as more body. Both are full-bodied, powerful Cabernets very much in keeping with his style. However, the tannins are softer and the wines reveal surprisingly developed aromatics. Look for the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa to drink well for 15 years. It is a brilliant achievement.

2004 Levy & McClellan Ampersand California (750ml)

$150.00

2004 Mondavi Reserve California (750ml)

$107.00

Robert Parker 92

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which mostly comes from To-Kalon, has a relatively small production in this vintage (7,500 cases). The wine has a dense purple color and a wonderful, sweet, almost St.-Julien like nose of licorice, red and black currants, cedar, and spice. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, but authoritatively flavored, this wine is still young, rich, and very fine.

Wine Spectator 95

Weaves together a complex array of ripe, rich currant, anise, smoky oak and black cherry. Dense, concentrated and persistent, with great depth and focus, ending in an amazingly long, richly flavored finish. Best from 2008 through 2018. Number 9 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 for 2007

Wine Enthusiast 92

"One of the ripest, highest alcohol Mondavi Reserve Cabs in memory, this wine is forward in cassis and cherry flavors, and while the tannins are pretty sturdy, it?s sweet and soft enough to drink now. It definitely has the rich mouthfeel you want in a pricey Napa Cab."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

"Bright ruby-red. Complex, sweet nose combines black cherry, blackcurrant, gravel, licorice and graphite. Silky, minerally and sweet, with terrific intensity and thrust, not to mention inner-mouth energy. Finishes with a firm spine of ripe tannins and very persistent, mouthcoating fruits and minerals. This is a full 15.3% alcohol but I never would have guessed it. Interestingly, associate winemaker Gonzalez told me he particularly likes the power of the 2003 reds here, "especially in their youth." But this has real verve."

2004 Montelena Estate California (750ml)

$118.00

Robert Parker 94

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from their old vineyards in Calistoga. This is a dense, ruby/purple-tinged wine with full body, and despite the softness of the general vintage, Montelena has plenty of structure. Like nearly every vintage of their top Cabernet Sauvignon, it will last for 25 or more years. The wine has sweet tannin in a broad, flavorful, concentrated style with plenty of black currant, licorice, and spice. The wine is beautifully textured, slightly more forward than most Montelena Cabernets tend to be. It is another beauty from probably the most consistent winery for Cabernet Sauvignon over the last three decades.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Good bright ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, licorice, dark chocolate and menthol. Dense, thick and powerful, with a chewy texture and impressive concentration to the plummy fruit. This has a silky texture but no shortage of inner-mouth energy. Finishes long and aromatic, with late-arriving tannins. In spite of Barrett's description of the "Aussie-like surmaturite" that figured in the harvest of 2004, I am not put off by a hot-vintage character. (However, I retasted the 2003 this year and found it in a very tough stage, with the tannins cutting off the fruit; on this occasion I scored the wine 89+?. My impression is that the 2004 was made from more consistently ripe fruit.). This wine weighs in at 14.2% alcohol, making it the first Montelena estate cabernet to surpass 14% since the '78, which was 14.4%.

2004 Paul Hobbs, Stagecoach Vineyard California (750ml)

$175.00

Robert Parker 94

A cuvee needing some bottle age is the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard. This broodingly backward, deep ruby/purple-hued effort gives up scents of crushed rocks, smoky oak, blackberries, and cassis. Powerful and rich with exceptional concentration and structure, it requires 2-3 years of cellaring, and should drink well over the next two decades or more.

2004 Togni California (750ml)

$109.00

Robert Parker 95

Readers looking for more ripeness, opulence, and an extroverted character should check out the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which is actually a larger crop than 2005. This sensational dense purple-colored effort boasts delicious blueberry, black raspberry, cassis, licorice, and olive-like notes. In the mouth, there is more creme de cassis as well as background toasty oak, structure, and tannin. I don�t think there has ever been a vintage where Philip Togni has cheated anybody on flavor intensity or tannic structure as his wines always last, even in lighter vintages, for twenty or more years. The 2004 will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age, and should last for 25-30 years. It is, atypically for the vintage, front-end loaded.

2005 Paul Hobbs, Stagecoach Vineyard California (750ml)

$164.00

Robert Parker 93

As usual, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard is more primordial and broodingly backward than its siblings. It offers notes of charcoal and earthy black currants, high tannins, and a full-bodied, powerful personality. While filled with purity and depth, it will need time in the bottle.

Wine Spectator 93

Dense, rich and savory, with earthy hazelnut, dried currant, black cherry and blackberry fruit that slowly unfolds to reveal extra facets of spice, berry, fresh-cut flowers and sage. Returns to the fruit theme on the finish.

2005 Phelps Insignia (750ml)

$190.00

Wine Spectator 92

Smooth, supple and complex, offering wonderful aromas and serving up a range of herb- and mineral-laced currant, black cherry, blackberry, sage and pebble notes. Ends with a clipped edge. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot.

Robert Parker 95

Since 2004, 100% of the Bordeaux varietals used in the Insignia proprietary blend have been from estate vineyards. The beautiful, dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Insignia (a 12,500-case blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot) possesses sweet aromas of black cherries, cassis, chocolate, camphor, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs. Medium to full-bodied and elegant, with a European style imposed on the rich, velvety, California fruit, this cuvee will benefit from several years of bottle age, and should easily keep for three decades.

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine 97

Still in its youth, this wine reveals extraordinary depth and finesse beginning with rich cassis and blackberry aromas that are warmly blanketed in notes of toffee and vanilla. Savory aromas of rosemary, truffles, and cocoa powder reward those who linger over the bouquet. Take a sip, and discover a core of dark berry, cassis, and cherry fruit flavors amid notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, and espresso. Silky, supple tannins carry this wine into a long, fruity and gratifying finish. Enjoy it with a prime rib roast with Cabernet jus or with venison chops with blackberry compote.

Wine & Spirits 94

This vintage of Insignia is primarily caberent sauvignon (92%), blended with small amounts of petit verdot and merlot, sourced from Phelp's estate vineyards in Rutherford, Stags Leap District, south Napa and St. Helena. For now, it's a sleek wine, with black currant flavors equal to a substantial presence ofoak. Th tannins are superripe and luxurious; they gain detail with air, becoming more mineral while allowing a fresh scent of roses to come forward. Accessible now for its richness, this will yield more cmplex pleasures with ten years of age.

2005 Togni California (750ml)

$130.00

Robert Parker 92-94

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which was actually a short crop on Spring Mountain, is an 18-barrel composite blend with every lot represented proportionally. It is a classic, elegant effort, perhaps not as extroverted and intense as some of Togni�s riper vintages, but offering a beautiful dark ruby/purple color as well as hints of menthol, tapenade, licorice, blackberry, and cassis. Like many top 2005s, it smells terrific, although there may not be as much fat and succulence as are found in most top California Cabernets. It is loaded with fruit, well-delineated, and capable of 20 years or more of aging. Not yet released.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91+

Medium ruby-red. Wild nose combines black raspberry, blackberry, coffee bean, licorice, leather and smoked meat, along with hints of menthol and smoky oak. Then almost surprisingly lush and sweet in the middle palate, with ripe acids giving shape to the sauvage blackcurrant and game flavors. Turns more austere on the back end, finishing with firm-edged tannins and very good length. Philip Togni told me he thinned the vines heavily in 2005 and ultimately brought in less crop than he did in 2006 or 2007. He noted that he always tells his clients to wait at least five years to try his wines but that "we expect the 2005 to improve in bottle for 20 years."

2005 Tor Kenward Cimarossa Vineyard, Howell Mtn. California (750ml)

$153.00

Robert Parker 93

"Dominated by minerals, tannins, and earthiness is the dark ruby/purple-colored 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa Block 10. Aged in new Taransaud and Damy oak, it exhibits sweet black raspberry and blackberry fruit along with crushed rock, white flower, and spice characteristics. Full-bodied and moderately tannic, it will benefit from several years of bottle age, and should drink well for two decades."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92+

"Good medium ruby. Subdued but pure aromas of black fruits, graphite, minerals, licorice and spices. Dense, sweet and youthfully medicinal, with considerable fat to the black fruit and medicinal flavors. Very long and sweetly tannic on the finish, which communicates a medicinal reserve that suggests this will repay several years of cellaring."

2005 Vineyard 7 Reserve Cabernet (1.5L)

$163.00

Wine News 91

Black garnet hue with a ruby rim. Light cherry and cinnamon aromas with notes of leather and spicy oak. Youthful, slow-developing flavors of cherry fruit, clove and fine-grain wood tannins. Compact and restrained with a light herbal nuance lingering in the finish

Wine Enthusiast 92

It would be a pity to pity to open this wine anytime before, say, 2010, because it needs to age. Now, and for a while, it will taste closed and tannic and raw. Bus such are the tannins and acids and overall balance, and the core of blackberries and cherries is so rich, that it should effortlessly negotiate the next decade. Cellar Selection