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2001 Paul Hobbs Napa Valley California (750ml)

$125.00

Robert Parker 94

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (2,980 cases) possesses big, sweet, smoky oak, cedary, blackberry, and cassis aromas as well as flavors offered in a rich, voluptuous, full-bodied style. While it is already deliciously drinkable (surprising for a 2001), there is abundant tannin lurking underneath the surface, but it is well-concealed by a wealth of fruit. This selection comes from four sources, the Crane, To-Kalon, Hyde, and Stagecoach vineyards. Drink it over the next 10-15 years, although it may last even longer.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90

"Deep red. Ripe cherry and redcurrant aromas, with a deeper note of dark chocolate. Full and round, with flavors of cherry compote and plum jam supported by gentle tannins. A round, sweet cabernet with very good depth and length. You could drink this now."

2001 Rinaldi Barolo Brunate (750ml)

List Price: ~~$130.00~~ Our Price: $115.00

$115.00

Antonio Galloni 93

Rinaldi has produced a gem in his 2001 Barolo Brunate / Le Coste, which announces itself with an explosive nose of violets, spices, licorice, tar and sweet fruit. On the palate it offers much length and elegance in its layers of fruit, with the distinctly balsamic quality that is the hallmark of the wines from the Brunate cru. Those who appreciate traditionally made wines will not want to miss this outstanding effort, which is sure to age gracefully for several decades. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2031

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92-95

Clear medium red. Perfumed, liqueur-like aromas of redcurrant, brown spices and rose petal. Highly concentrated, with strong fruit but also a lovely light touch, thanks to strong acidity. Complex inner-mouth flavors of flowers, tobacco and mocha. Finishes with firm tannins and lovely grip. Offers very strong potential.

2001 Sette Ponti, Oreno (750ml)

List Price: ~~$103.00~~ Our Price: $85.00

$85.00

Robert Parker 95

The 2001 Oreno is simply a great wine. An inky ruby with purple highlights, intensely expansive and sweet on a fruit-rich nose which is loaded with smoky tar and graphite notes, it is packed and powerful on the palate with a density and concentration which are cunningly concealed by the plush and caressing texture, the superb balance and exceptional length of the finish and aftertaste. Drink: 2005-2025. Daniel Thomases

2001 Tor Kenward Clone 4 California (750ml)

$150.00

Robert Parker 91

The most evolved, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4, comes from an old Beaulieu Private Reserve vineyard. It exhibits sweet loamy soil, kirsch, black currant, cedar and spice box characteristics in its full-bodied, soft, silky, sexy personality. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years.

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.

2001 Williams Selyem Precious Mountain California (750ml)

$109.00

Robert Parker 89

One of the most expensive cuvees in the Williams-Selyem portfolio comes from their Sonoma Coast vineyard called Precious Mountain, which is planted with mixed clones at about 1,700 feet elevation. About 250 cases are produced. The 2001 Pinot Noir Precious Mountain reveals extraordinarily complex notes of minerals, earth, leather, red and black fruits, and dried herbs, a sweet entry on the palate, good underlying acidity, medium to full body, and impressive purity as well as intensity. It needs 1-3 years of cellaring, and should age for a decade.

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 Aubert, Quarry Vineyard California (750ml)

List Price: ~~$158.00~~ Our Price: $137.70

$137.70

Robert Parker 95

There are 300 cases of the 2002 Chardonnay Quarry Vineyard, which exhibits wonderful sweet, lemon/lime-like notes along with hints of nectarines and crushed rocks. Opulent, full-bodied, and fleshy, with hints of tropical fruit, this hedonistic Chardonnay should be consumed over the next 2-3 years.

2002 Bollinger Cote Aux Enfants (750ml)

$180.00

Robert Parker 89

"The 2002 Cote aux Enfants is Bollinger's still Pinot Noir from a south-facing vineyard in Ay. The wine possesses an intriguing array of candied cherries, earthiness and wild herbs in a soft-textured style. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2012." Antonio Galloni

2002 Bond, Matriarch California (750ml)

$125.00

Robert Parker 90

"Bob Levy refers to the Matriarch Proprietary Red as our elegant leftovers, a four vineyard blend of juice that did not make the cut for the top wines. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful effort. Sweet black cherry and cedarwood aromas emerge from the medium-bodied 2002 Matriarch Proprietary Red. With a soft, supple texture and an evolved, upfront style, it is ideal for drinking over the next decade. Restaurants as well as consumers who are incapable of deferring their gratification should buy this one by the case."

Wine Spectator 93

"Wonderful aromatics, with rich cassis, kirsch and blackberry. Both intense and concentrated, this shows a suppleness at midpalate that lets the flavors glide across the finish. It ends with excellent structure and a touch of cedar. Best from 2007 through 2014. Tasted twice, with consistent notes."

Wine Enthusiast 94

"This is the second label of Bond, a blend of various vineyards. As such, it's one of the best buys in the Harlan stable, retaining the lyrical balance of all its wines. Superrich in chocolate and cassis flavors, the wine is distinguished and refined despite its size. Hard to exaggerrate the richness and beauty of the classic claret."

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 Grace Family, Blank Vineyard California (750ml)

$195.00

Wine- Maker Notes

It's not surprising that the wine made from Grace clone grapes grown at Chotsie and Alan Blank?s 1.8 acre vineyard in Rutherford shows similarities of style to the wine made from our own vineyard in St. Helena. Smooth, firm tannins give an elegant supple texture that frames a graceful and harmonious whole. But Blank Vineyard's own unique terroir affords it a very unique personality as well. The wine serves up a beguiling array of wintergreen, herb and spice notes that point toward coffee and camphor in addition to ripe red fruit. Not really a sibling, but rather a cousin of the original Grace Family Cabernet.

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.

2002 Sean Thackrey Orion California (750ml)

$110.00

Robert Parker 96-100

"A riveting example of Syrah is the 2002 Orion. It boasts a black/purple color with more mint and blackberry notes intermixed with exotic floral characteristics. With great intensity, full body, multiple dimensions, and superb purity as well as length, this blockbuster is incredibly well-balanced/harmonious. It should drink reasonably well young, yet keep for 12-15 years."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

"Deep ruby-red. Fasten your seat belts, red berries, Grand Marnier, Thai basil, geranium, eucalyptus, bitter lime, quinine and resiny oak on the nose. Then thick and dense but penetrating in the mouth, with primary raspberry and strawberry flavors complicated by an exotic apricot note and framed by lively acids. A fascinating, firmly built wine that showed a compelling sweetness as it opened in the glass. Finishes with very sweet tannins and impressive persistence. My score is intended for the initiated: you know who you are."

2002 Verite, Le Desir California (750ml)

$168.00

Robert Parker 97

"Complimentary adjectives are almost inappropriate for the extraordinary complexity, fabulous richness, and sheer nobleness and beauty of the 2002 Le Desir (52.7% Merlot, 41.2% Cabernet Franc, and tiny percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec). Dense aromas of creosote, burning wood embers, blackberries, blueberries, and violets are offered in the full-bodied, fabulously complex perfume. Full-bodied, with tremendous complexity, a voluptuous texture, and flavors of plum liqueur, figs, chocolate, espresso, and minerals, this is a tour de force in winemaking. Anticipated maturity: now-2020."

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

(50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) "Dark ruby-red. Black cherry, mocha and licorice on the nose. Ripe, broad and dry; suave and sophisticated. Flavors of red berries lifted by floral and mineral components. Densely packed, backward wine, finishing with substantial dusty tannins."

2003 Araujo Eisele California (750ml)

$114.00

Robert Parker 94

Araujo's Syrah Eisele Vineyard, which includes a small amount of Viognier, is a beautifully elegant yet full-flavored, authoritative Syrah that begs for attention. The nuanced, classic 2003 Syrah Eisele Vineyard (includes 4% co-fermented Viognier) exhibits a deep ruby/purple color followed by an attractive perfume of graphite, blackberries, chocolate, camphor, and cassis. Despite its power, richness, and concentration, it is a finesse-styled, silky-textured wine that should age well for 10-12 years.

2003 B.V. Private Reserve California (750ml)

$103.00

Wine Enthusiast 95

"Just classic Georges, balanced, elegant and refined, hiding its power under a blanket of controlled finesse. There?s great depth of flavor, with oodles of blackberry, cherry and raspberry, mocha, Chinese plum sauce, soy and spicy oak, wrapped in firm, dry tannins. Just wonderful now, but with the certainty of a long life ahead."

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 Blankiet Estate California (750ml)

$163.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Saturated ruby-red. Sour cherry, plum, menthol, mocha and smoked meat on the nose. Less fleshy than the young 2004 but still round, large-scaled and mouthfilling, with considerable complexity. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and excellent grip.

Robert Parker 96

The 2003 Merlot is better out of bottle than it was from cask. An explosively rich wine that ranks among the finest Merlots I have tasted from California in the last decade, it boasts an incredibly perfumed nose of espresso roast, mocha-infused chocolate, blackberry, cassis, cherry liqueur, and smoke. With an enormous texture, fabulous concentration, a packed-and-stacked mid-palate, and an explosive intense, ripe, long finish, this stunning wine is extraordinarily complex and savory. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.

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 Buccella Napa California (750ml)

$158.00

Robert Parker 95

This is one of the most exciting projects of winemaking consultant Mark Herold. Unfortunately, only 325 cases of the 2003 were produced, and there will probably be even less of the 2004. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was superb from cask, is even more spectacular from bottle. Its dense, opaque black/purple color is accompanied by scents of graphite interwoven with creme de cassis, charcoal, espresso roast, and spice box. This layered, full-bodied, elegant effort possesses wonderful purity as well as definition. Bottled unfined and unfiltered after 20 months in 100% new French oak, it should drink beautifully for 15 plus years.

2003 Climens (750ml)

$190.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92-95

Palish yellow color. Aromas of peach, mirabelle and mentholatum. Racy, gripping and quite fine, with juicy acidity contributing to an impression of energy. Very Barsac in style, even in this freakishly hot year. Still some oakiness to be integrated. Not at all exotic in the middle, but hints at almond and plum brandy on the back. This will need time to harmonize.

Robert Parker 95-97

2003 is a rich, sweet vintage of powerful, full-bodied wines that possess huge levels of glycerin, alcohol, and residual sugar.

Wine Spectator 96

Loads of honey, maple syrup, dried apricot and spice. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with a refined, spicy character. Pretty wine. Masses of botrytis. This is refined and long, a racy wine compared with the power and muscle of so many others. Beauty among the beasts.

2003 Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes (750ml)

$142.00

Allen Meadows, Burghound 89-92

"This too is elegant and pure..ripe, fresh and punchy medium-full flavors and underpinned by well-intergrated structure and a subtle minerality that adds lift to the backend."

2003 Guiraud (750ml)

$103.00

Wine Spectator 95

This is very sweet and rich on the nose, with toffee, honey and spices. Full-bodied, with thick honey, spice, dried apricot and syrup flavors. Lasts for minutes on the palate. Big botrytis bomb. Love it.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 92

Full yellow-gold. Musky aromas of exotic apricot liqueur, baking spices, toffee and smoke. Supersweet and unctuous, but with its glyceral texture cut by bright acids. The exotic apricot flavor is nicely complemented by coconut, vanilla and caramel. Finishes very long and juicy. Offers a very successful combination of thickness and firm acid edge.

Robert Parker 94

2003 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle (750ml)

$170.00

Wine Spectator 96

Deceptively graceful at first with a Burgundian-like perfume, this quickly delivers a torrent of fruit-blackberry, boysenberry and black currant-that cascades over itself, pushed from behind by flavors of mocha, mineral, tar and violets. Long, sweet and pure through a densely structured finish.

Robert Parker 95

The finest example of this cuvee since 1990, the 2003 Hermitage La Chapelle (50,000 bottles rather than the normal 96,000+ were produced) possesses an inky/purple color as well as a tremendous bouquet of creme de cassis, crushed flowers, truffles, and licorice. Full-bodied and powerful (15% natural alcohol) with good freshness and definition, this big, rich, dense, reassuringly great La Chapelle should be cellared for 5-8 years, and drunk over the following 20-25.

2003 Kistler, Cuvee Catherine California (750ml)

$150.00

Robert Parker 94-96

The 2003 Pinot Noir Cuvee Catherine has a ruby/purple color, a big, ripe, framboise and currant fruit nose with some floral notes, forest floor, and a touch of new oak. The wine has great purity, medium to full body, and a long finish with good acidity.

2003 Leoville Las Cases (750ml)

$195.00

Robert Parker 93

The solidly made 2003 Leoville Las-Cases (13.2% alcohol) is a blend of 70.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.2% Merlot, and 12.6% Cabernet Franc. In this incredibly hot vintage, the alcohol is slightly lower than achieved in 2002, a cool-climate year. While not a profound example of Las-Cases, the 2003 is muscular, deep, and full-bodied with an impressive ruby/purple color, a tight but juicy bouquet of vanilla, black cherries, crushed rocks, and flowers, a sweet attack, and moderately high tannin. Backward and fresh, displaying impeccable delineation and purity, it can be enjoyed between 2012-2023.

Wine Spectator 97

"Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure cr�me de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid. Best after 2011"

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 94

Tasted blind at Farr Vintner?s Left Bank tasting. Lifted red fruits on the nose with wild strawberry, raspberry, mocha and earthy aromas, touches of wild heather developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly coarse entry, but good weight with lively earthy red-berried fruit intermingled with rosemary and a touch of sage. Well defined on the finish. Very fine. Tasted October 2010.

2003 Leoville Las Cases (750ml)

$195.00

Robert Parker 93

The solidly made 2003 Leoville Las-Cases (13.2% alcohol) is a blend of 70.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.2% Merlot, and 12.6% Cabernet Franc. In this incredibly hot vintage, the alcohol is slightly lower than achieved in 2002, a cool-climate year. While not a profound example of Las-Cases, the 2003 is muscular, deep, and full-bodied with an impressive ruby/purple color, a tight but juicy bouquet of vanilla, black cherries, crushed rocks, and flowers, a sweet attack, and moderately high tannin. Backward and fresh, displaying impeccable delineation and purity, it can be enjoyed between 2012-2023.

Wine Spectator 97

"Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure cr�me de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid. Best after 2011"

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 94

Tasted blind at Farr Vintner?s Left Bank tasting. Lifted red fruits on the nose with wild strawberry, raspberry, mocha and earthy aromas, touches of wild heather developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly coarse entry, but good weight with lively earthy red-berried fruit intermingled with rosemary and a touch of sage. Well defined on the finish. Very fine. Tasted October 2010.

2003 Leoville Las Cases (750ml)

$195.00

Robert Parker 93

The solidly made 2003 Leoville Las-Cases (13.2% alcohol) is a blend of 70.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.2% Merlot, and 12.6% Cabernet Franc. In this incredibly hot vintage, the alcohol is slightly lower than achieved in 2002, a cool-climate year. While not a profound example of Las-Cases, the 2003 is muscular, deep, and full-bodied with an impressive ruby/purple color, a tight but juicy bouquet of vanilla, black cherries, crushed rocks, and flowers, a sweet attack, and moderately high tannin. Backward and fresh, displaying impeccable delineation and purity, it can be enjoyed between 2012-2023.

Wine Spectator 97

"Incredible nose of crushed berry, licorice, violets and lightly toasted oak. Pure cr�me de cassis. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Solid. Best after 2011"

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 94

Tasted blind at Farr Vintner?s Left Bank tasting. Lifted red fruits on the nose with wild strawberry, raspberry, mocha and earthy aromas, touches of wild heather developing with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly coarse entry, but good weight with lively earthy red-berried fruit intermingled with rosemary and a touch of sage. Well defined on the finish. Very fine. Tasted October 2010.

2003 Lynch-Bages (750ml)

$145.00

Robert Parker 95

This sexy, evolved, dense ruby/purple-tinged 2003 reveals notes of smoke, herbs, black currant jam, licorice and graphite. Full-bodied, opulent and flamboyant, it is another example of a stunning 2003 northern Medoc that can be drunk now or cellared for 10-15 more years. This irregular vintage hit its zenith in the northern Medoc and in a handful of limestone terroirs in St.-Emilion. In contrast, other areas, particularly Pomerol, Graves and the sandy, gravelly soils of St.-Emilion, experienced difficulties in 2003.

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 91

Tasted blind at Farr Vintner?s Left Bank tasting. After a rather troublesome infancy, the Lynch Bages ?03 is finally revealing its true character. It has a very perfumed, floral bouquet with blackberry leaf, wild hedgerow, a touch of fresh tobacco and undergrowth. Natural and charming. The palate is very well balanced on the entry with well-judged acidity, grainy in texture with savoury-tinged blackberry and cedar towards the finish. Good length, very harmonious: this is a well executed 2003 Pauillac. Tasted October 2010.

2003 Merus California (750ml)

$147.00

Robert Parker 95

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec and Petit Verdot) boasts an inky/purple color along with a rich bouquet of creosote, blueberries, blackberries, sweet earth, and smoky, spicy oak. With full body, abundant fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, a multilayered mouthfeel, and stunning upside potential, it is accessible enough to be drunk in 2-3 years, or cellared for two decades.

2003 Merus California (750ml)

$147.00

Robert Parker 95

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec and Petit Verdot) boasts an inky/purple color along with a rich bouquet of creosote, blueberries, blackberries, sweet earth, and smoky, spicy oak. With full body, abundant fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, a multilayered mouthfeel, and stunning upside potential, it is accessible enough to be drunk in 2-3 years, or cellared for two decades.

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 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 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."

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 Pichon Lalande (750ml)

$145.00

Robert Parker 95

The brilliant, opulent, fleshy 2003 Pichon Lalande (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) possesses a high pH of 3.8 as well as 13% alcohol. Reminiscent of the 1982 Pichon Lalande (which never shut down and continues to go from strength to strength), the dense plum/purple-colored 2003 offers gorgeous aromas of blackberries, plum liqueur, sweet cherries, smoke, and melted licorice. Fleshy, full-bodied, and intense, displaying a seamless integration of wood, acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 20 years or more.

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 93

Good deep red. Flamboyantly expressive aromas of raspberry, currant, earth, smoked meat, chocolate and pepper. Fat, full and voluptuous yet somehow light on its feet. This has a texture of liquid velvet. Wonderfully opulent wine with considerable inner-palate flavor complexity: raspberry, game, leather, mocha and chocolate. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins that coat the entire palate. A wonderful success for the year, and a wine that can be enjoyed already, even if its sheer material promises 15 to 20 years of life in bottle.

Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 92

Tasted blind at Farr Vintner?s Left Bank tasting. An attractive, classic nose with cedar, sous-bois and pine interlacing the ripe black fruit. Very fragrant. The palate is very supple on the entry, rounded texture with fine tannins, blackberry, sandalwood, cigar box and sous-bois. Quintessential Pauillac, although it is very conservative on the finish. Tasted October 2010.

2003 Robert Foley, Claret California (750ml)

$125.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 94+

cabernet sauvignon, from Pride Mountain Vineyards and Switchback Ridge fruit) Deep ruby. Sexy aromas of blackcurrant, graphite and licorice. Dense, sweet and superconcentrated, with terrific intensity of briary black raspberry flavors. Powerful, long, brooding wine, finishing with toothcoating tannins. This big boy begs to be served with a piece of meat. Not as lush at this stage as the wonderful 2002, but this may live longer.

Wine Enthusiast 96

Nearly 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this firm young wine showcases Napa Cab at its best. It's powerful in cassis and mocha flavors, with complex spice notes. The considerable new oak fits in fine given the wine's size. Extraordinarily smooth and lush, it's beautiful now, but has the structure to age for a decade. What a beauty.

Robert Parker 96

The top wine here is the classic 2003 Claret, a gorgeously proportioned, opaque purple-colored effort boasting a big, sweet nose of smoky meats, creme de cassis, coffee, and dark plums. Dense and opulent, with superb concentration, full body, high glycerin, decent acidity, and ripe tannin, this a superb mouthful of wine that can be approached now or cellared for 12-15 years.

2003 Rudd, Oakville Estate California (Magnum (1.5L))

$163.00

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

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

2003 Sloan Estate, Asterisk California (750ml)

$163.00

2003 Switchback Ridge California (750ml)

$103.00

Robert Parker 94

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and full, but structured, tannic, broad, and savory. Opaque purple to the rim, with a big, smoky, earthy nose of melted licorice, creme de cassis, espresso, and chocolate, the wine is huge, dense, and full-bodied, but beautifully balanced. This is classic New World/Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 12-15+ years.

2003 Turley, Hayne Vineyard California (750ml)

$102.00

Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 91+

Saturated ruby. Exotic aromas of black cherry, candied dark berries and licorice. Like a confiture of dark berries and black cherry in the mouth, given penetration and grip by underlying mineral character and powerful tannic spine. Quite dry and uncompromising.

Robert Parker 93-95

"The 2003 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard displays the telltale squid ink-like color with some purple hues, and a stupendous nose of pure, black fruits intermixed with minerals, licorice, and incense. Full-bodied, with massively extracted flavors but incredibly well-balanced and vibrant, this wine needs 5-10 years of bottle-age and should age effortlessly for a quarter of a century."

Wine Enthusiast 94

What an aroma. So cote-Rotie, so poerful and rich, yet so refined. Masses of white pepper, cassis, freshly ground French roast, cocoa, ginersnap cookie, char, vanilla, cinnamom-and that's just the smell! In the mouth, there's allthat and more. Dry, massive, deep and long. A triumph. Cellar Selection.

2004 Albrecht Riesling Clos Himmelreich (750ml)

List Price: ~~$125.00~~ Our Price: $108.90

$108.90

Wine- Maker Notes

From a steep, chalky, nearly five acre monopole near the Pfingstberg,

2004 Araujo Eisele California (750ml)

$129.00

Robert Parker 94-96

Although production is tiny (300 cases), Araujo�s Eisele Vineyard Syrah is an ageworthy effort that is generally co-fermented with a small amount of Viognier (around 4%), and aged in French oak (50% new). An exotic, floral, litchi nut, blackberry jam, licorice, and spice-filled bouquet soars from the glass of the inky/blue/purple-hued 2004 Syrah Eisele Vineyard. The dollop of Viognier included in the blend provides uplift to the aromatics of this opulent, flamboyant, ostentatious 2004. It should drink beautifully for 7-10 years.

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 Blankiet Estate California (750ml)

$147.00

Robert Parker 96

"There are 1,300 cases of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard. Boasting delicious fudge-like aromas intermixed with blackberry, coffee bean, and pain grille scents, this super-rich, full-bodied effort displays a Graves-like, volcanic, scorched earth/hot stone element in its flavors. With moderately high tannin, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well over the following two decades."

2004 Blankiet Estate California (750ml)

$147.00

Robert Parker 96

"There are 1,300 cases of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard. Boasting delicious fudge-like aromas intermixed with blackberry, coffee bean, and pain grille scents, this super-rich, full-bodied effort displays a Graves-like, volcanic, scorched earth/hot stone element in its flavors. With moderately high tannin, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well over the following two decades."

2004 Blankiet Estate California (750ml)

$170.00

Robert Parker 94

"The 2004 Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard (1,100 cases) includes a dollop of Cabernet Franc in the blend. It exhibits gorgeous notes of chocolate, espresso, plums, blackberries, and cherries. Full-bodied with terrific intensity and opulence, it makes a dramatic statement about how great Napa Merlot can be. It should drink beautifully for 15 or more years."

Wine Enthusiast 95

This is a stunning Merlot, impossibly rich. Saturated and opaque in color, it tastes fat and flashy, with masses of cherry and blackberry jam, anise, chocolate and Provencial herb flavors. Yet this opulently soft wine has a classic structure, backed up with firm tannins. This is profound Merlot. Steve Himoff