Search results for: 'Cabernet franc'
- Odette Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2019$159.98Availability:In Stock
97 Points! A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Malbec, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes all from the cool Stags Leap District and was brought up mostly in new French oak. It’s a full-bodied, ripe, powerful 2019 that nevertheless stays balanced and weightless on the palate, with silky tannins and a rare level of polish and elegance. Giving up lots of pure cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of violets, underbrush, and high-class oak, it already offers pleasure yet is going to evolve gracefully for 20 years or more. If you’re looking for ripe, sexy, seamless, and impeccably made Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, look no further. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 8 LEFT! - Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Marble Angel 2019JS93WA94$59.98Availability:In Stock
94 Points! Subtle whiffs of mint and cedar emerge on the nose of the 2019 Marble Angel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, joined by ample cassis fruit. Richly concentrated and tannic, yet ripe, this full-bodied, long-finishing and cellar-worthy effort would put many international competitors in the same price bracket to shame. It's a terrific, single-vineyard wine for the price of entry to Napa Valley, which ought to give nightmares to many investors there. Now if American consumers can just be convinced to give this a chance...
For my money, the best values in the Henschke lineup are those in the next tier of wines: the Tappa Pass Shiraz ($100) and the Marble Angel Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($75). The current vintage here is the 2019, a solid year in the Barossa. At those prices, the wines—particularly the Cabernet—compare favorably with wines from Napa and Bordeaux. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com
Learn More - TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Pure Magic Vine Hill Ranch 2019JD99VM98$399.98Availability:In Stock
99 Points! Lastly, the 2019 Pure Magic Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard checks in as a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon from Block 7 and 46% Petit Verdot from Block 3 of this fabulous Oakville vineyard. It has that classic Vine Hill freshness and purity (this is a cooler site in Oakville) in its cassis and almost blue fruits as well as sappy herbs, spring flowers, chalky minerality, and damp earth. I love its pure, vibrant, focused style, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with building yet polished tannins and a great finish. It's a singular wine in the lineup and builds beautifully with air, offering a complex, nuanced, powerful style that will reward 4-5 years of bottle age and cruise for 30+ years if stored properly. - Jeb Dunnuck
98 Points! The 2019 Pure Magic Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is powerful, dark and intensely savory. A blast of inky dark fruit, scorched earth, tobacco, leather and incense gives this explosive, vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon tons of aromatic complexity and nuance. The 2019 is beautifully perfumed and yet also stunningly deep, a combination that works so well here. The purity here is just striking. Once again, Tor's Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot from Vine Hill Ranch is lights out.
, Vinous MediaLearn MoreHURRY, ONLY 4 LEFT! - Hilary Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Charming Creek 2016WS93$39.98Availability:Out of Stock93 Points! A bright and juicy version, with anise and sassafras notes amid a core of lightly mulled currant, blackberry and raspberry fruit. The finish features red and black licorice details and a hint of roasted apple wood. Best from 2021 through 2033. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. ABOUT THIS WINE: When it comes to real value in Napa Cabernet, pickings are slim. Most Napa Cabernets, especially those from a prime AVA such as Oakville, start at $100 per bottle and go up quickly. So when we come across a wine at half that price that punches like the heavyweights, we’re enthused. Owner and winemaker Nick Goldschmidt is a New Zealand native who has been living in Napa since 1990. This bottling is 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from vines planted in 1980, making them fairly old by Napa standards. They’re also all clone 7, one of the favored clonal selections in Napa, known for producing wines with forward, plush fruit backed by subtle herb nuances. It's extremely rare to find Oakville Cabernet of this quality at this price. - Wine Spectator Learn More
- Noon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve South Australia 2002WA96$79.98Availability:Out of Stock96 Points! The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (400 cases) is a 100% Cabernet from 30-year-old vines that spent 18 months in both small and large oak barrels. It exhibits a striking bouquet of graphite, creme de cassis, new saddle leather, Chinese black tea, and vanilla. The complex aromatics are followed by a full-bodied wine of compelling purity and nobleness with layers of concentration as well as intensity. One of the most prodigious Australian Cabernet Sauvignons ever made, it should hit its prime in 3-5 years, and last for two decades or more. - Robert Parker, October 2004 Learn More
- Noon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve South Australia 1999WA94$69.98Availability:In Stock94 Points! The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve could easily be called a Pauillac from Australia. Dense ruby/purple, a classic Cabernet nose of cedar wood, smoke, cassis, mineral, lead pencil, and new oak soars from the glass. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, with fabulous concentration and multi-layered texture, high levels of glycerin, and a seamless, concentrated, long finish with well-integrated tannin, acidity, and alcohol. This is no wimpish wine at 14.6% alcohol, but sadly, there are only 290 cases of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made from 25-30 year old vines. Anticipated maturity: now-2020. - Robert Parker, June 2001 Learn More
- Noon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve South Australia 1998WA96+$79.98Availability:In Stock96+ Points! Even better is the 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Like its older sibling, it exhibits an inky/blue/purple color followed by an attractive bouquet of creosote, tar, creme de cassis, incense, and flowers, but no evidence of oak. This full-bodied, beautifully layered, stunningly pure, long effort is one of the most compelling Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted from South Australia. It can compete with the best of Napa Valley or Washington State in terms of New World Cabernet Sauvignons. It should evolve over the next 10 years, and last for another decade thereafter. - Robert Parker, June 2009 Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 9 LEFT!
- Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon Eden Valley Cyril Henschke 2018JS96WA93VM95$169.98Availability:In Stock
96 Points! Beautiful, attractive cabernet characters with cigars, tobacco leaf, currants, savory tapenade and sweet roasted chili peppers. Cocoa powder and star anise, too. Intense, but remaining fluid with a bright, red-fruited center palate followed by a lengthy, layered finish, full of Spanish chocolate and cigar box characters. Lasting almost a minute. 2% merlot and 1% cabernet franc in the blend. 10% new French oak 300 liter barrels. Drink now or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 6 LEFT! - Realm Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard 2005WA95$299.98Availability:In Stock
95 Points! From a renowned vineyard site, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon boasts a deep ruby/purple color in addition to a fragrant bouquet of sweet blackberries, cherries, roasted herbs, espresso, cedar, and chocolate. Full in the mouth, with impressive stuffing, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, an inkiness to the fruit, fabulously sweet tannin, and a 50-second finish, this stunning Cabernet should drink nicely for two decades or more. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 1 LEFT! - Thread Feathers Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 2021Special Price $39.98 Regular Price $84.98Availability:Out of Stock
Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and hand-sorted. Cold soak lasts for 3–5 days, followed by a 14 day fermentation with three daily pump-overs during the peak of fermentation with an additional 12 days of extended maceration to optimize the flavor, mouthfeel, and tannin structure of the wine. Once drained and pressed the wine is transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and ageing. Aging lasts for 22 months in 100% French oak (40% new). Blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot
Learn More - Aperture Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2021WA96$74.98Availability:In Stock
96 Points! The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Aperture's estate vineyard in Healdsburg and their newest vineyard acquisition, Farrow Ranch in Alexander Valley, plus some of the original single vineyards in the Aperture program like Oliver Ranch. It is blended with 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 16 months in 55% new French oak. It has vibrant, layered aromas of blueberry compote, lavender, aniseed, milk chocolate and nutmeg with undertones of cast iron and tobacco leaves. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled, pairing deep flavors with a weightless feel due to its bright acidity and velvety tannins. It has a long, latent finish and deserves 3-5 years in bottle. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com
Learn More - Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Soul of a Lion 2020WA95VM96$129.98Availability:In Stock
96 Points! The 2020 Soul of a Lion Estate is a deep, dark, nearly impenetrable ruby color. It has a beguiling bouquet that blends spicy dried flowers, cardamon and red currants. Sweet smoke hints add lift. This flows like pure silk without a single edge in sight. Guided by juicy acidity, textural waves of wild berry fruits soothe the palate. For all of its power and depth, the 2020 finishes remarkably fresh. It’s tannic, yet they are sweet and perfectly formed in a harmonious concentration that tugs at the senses yet never tires them out. The cellaring potential here is off the charts. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 9 LEFT! - Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2004WA97+$3,599.98Availability:Out of Stock
97+ Points! Aged 20 months in 72% new French oak, this blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc comes from a great vineyard on the valley floor in Oakville, just south of Rudd Estate and Plumpjack. The wine’s dense ruby/purple color is followed by a beautiful, Pauillac-like (think Pontet Canet or Mouton), ethereal perfume of creme de cassis, or as Michael Broadbent used to say, “celestial black currants,” full body, a velvety texture, fine tannins, a multidimensional mouthfeel, and a terrific finish. While there were no real surprises tasting this wine, I was somewhat intrigued by just how youthful the 2004 Screaming Eagle is showing. I had expected it to reveal slightly more evolution. I thought the 13% Merlot in the blend would push the evolution more quickly. The finish lasts for a full minute. As it has been in just about every vintage, the 2004 is a profound wine. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com 2014
Learn More - Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Knight's Valley Helena Montana 2019$179.98Availability:In Stock
99 Points! Incredibly spicy and aromatic with pumice and cloves. Pops out of the glass. Cedar, too. Full-bodied with soft, polished tannins adding tension and creaminess. Long and beautiful. All about class and breeding. Try after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com
Learn More - Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia Napa Valley 2018$149.98Availability:In Stock
97 Points! Intense aromas of black fruit, cocoa powder, black olives, dried violets, tar and cigar box. Some black peppercorn, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, chalky tannins. Incredible intensity and purity of fruit with gorgeous breadth and depth. Superb, new-wave Napa red. 80% cabernet sauvignon, the rest mostly cabernet franc with a hit of petit verdot. Try from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 2 LEFT! - Secret Indulgence Cabernet Sauvignon Tarot Napa Valley 2018JD92$39.98Availability:In Stock
92 Points! I always like this cuvée and the 2018 Tarot is no exception. It’s also a terrific value. Based on 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it has a great, perfumed nose of red and black fruits, toasted spices, dried herbs, and chocolate. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, silky, nicely balanced 2018 red blend that’s ideal for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 4 LEFT! - Canon La Gaffelière Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC95JD95-97JS97-98WA94-96VM94-96, 93-95TWI95-97$91.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
97-98 Points! Redcurrants with dark chocolate and hints of fresh herbs like basil and thyme on the nose. Full-bodied with a beautiful center palate and a lovely fine tannin texture. Extremely long. Classy. 35% cabernet franc, 15% cabernet sauvignon and 50% merlot, From organically grown grapes. - James Suckling
96-98 Points! Deep, and dark in color, the wine opens with flowers, oceanic influences, plums, smoke, licorice, and black cherries. On the palate, the wine is concentrated, opulent, polished, vibrant, silky and fresh, finishing with multiple layers of chocolate-covered, plums, black cherries, espresso, crushed stones and spices. What makes everything work here is the balance, freshness, and purity in the fruits. The wine blends 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.2% ABV. Drink from 2027-2055. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
95-97 Points! The 2022 Canon la Gaffeliere is blended of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields were 47 hl/ha and it is aging in 40% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with a fantastically flamboyant nose of kirsch, wild blueberries, and red currant preserves, followed by hints of lavender oil, fallen leaves, and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is coated with taut, muscular black fruits with a firm frame of ripe, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with a spicy lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
95-97 Points! The 2022 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière is brilliant stuff and should be snatched up by readers. Black cherries, iron, tapenade, and exotic floral notes all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and no shortage of mid-palate depth or length on the finish. A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that will see 40% new oak, it's a flawlessly balanced, incredibly impressive Saint-Emilion that will have no problems competing with the 2019 and 2020. - Jeb Dunnuck
94-96 Points! A blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Canon la Gaffelière exhibits aromas of raspberries and plums, complemented by notions of iris, rose petals, incense and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's supple, suave and sophisticated, with a lively core of fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94-96 Points! The 2022 Canon La Gaffelière is bright, punchy and full of character. Blood orange, rose petal and spice overtones brighten a core of red/purplish fruit in Saint-Émilion that impresses with its saline intensity, energy and focus. If tasting this blind, I would never say it is a wine from a warm, drought year. It will be interesting to see if the 2022 retains its youthful vibrancy through élevage. This is super promising. Drinking window : 2032-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
93-95 Points! The 2022 Canon La Gaffelière was picked from 6 to 22 September at 47hL/ha, with more Merlot this year and matured in 40% new oak. This lovely bouquet shows red cherry, wild strawberry, blood orange and light cedary scents. Utterly charming, as this Saint-Émilion so often is. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, slightly chalky in texture, and fresh with a vibrant limestone-driven finish. Excellence from a Saint-Émilion that just never lets you down. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
95 Points! Ripe perfumed, floral and black fruits on the nose. Intense and concentrated, with tobacco, cherries, violets and crushed stones. Full, chewy and round, plushly textured but keeping a cool and savoury touch to the palate with balancing acidity that keeps the interest and movement. Dynamic and structured, lovely detail and density to this, you have richness but there’s also a vein of sweetness and tension that focuses the wine and gives the definition. Smooth and elegant, not the most vibrant, but the composure and overall character is lovely. Higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than usual in the grand vin. A yield of 47hl/ha. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend. A yield of 29hl/ha. A yield of 47hl/ha. 40% new oak barrels. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
HURRY, ONLY 3 LEFT! - Trottevieille Saint Emilion 2022 Pre-ArrivalDEC98JD95-97JS98-99WA94-96VM94-96TWI96-98$84.98Availability:In Stock
PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE
98-99 Points! The most structured and impressive Trottevieille I have ever tasted. It is full-bodied yet compacted with a fine velvet texture. Intense finish with super tension and focus. Could move up a notch. - James Suckling
98 Points! A striking and seriously impressive Trotte Vieille in 2022. Serious and strong aromatically, fully expressive with dark ripe bramble fruits, softly fragrant with gentle perfumed nuances. Bright and alive in the glass, has some tension, a sense of linearity and focus, with not much expansiveness at this point but the tannin detail and definition is exceptional with a soft creamy, chalky, powdery and firm texture. So refined, feels almost light in the mouth but there’s concentration and power underneath with mouthwatering acidity keeping the sense of life. Extremely well constructed with poise and a sense of definition to the overall frame. Very precise and totally moreish in a brooding way. A very complete wine with so much to like. 100% new oak. 60% grand vin. 30hl/ha. 3.70pH. First vintage fully operating in the new gravity fed cellar. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com
96-98 Points! The 2022 Trotte Vieille is composed of 50% CS, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc - less Cabernet Franc this year because the Cabernet Sauvignon was so good. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with evocative notes of redcurrant jelly, warm cassis, baked plums, and candied violets, giving way to suggestions of licorice, tar, and black truffles. The full-bodied palate explodes with vibrant, expressive black berry and earthy flavors, framed by beautifully ripe, plush tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is stunning. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
95-97 Points! My rough note on the 2022 Château Trotte Vieille included more than one expletive, and this beauty is straight-up gorgeous. Vivid blue fruits, violets, flowers, and chocolate all make an appearance on the nose, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, layered texture, perfect tannins, and nicely integrated oak. Based on 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it remains to be seen if this will ultimately match the magical 2020, but we're not far off. This is a château readers need to have on their radar. - Jeb Dunnuck
94-96 Points! The 2022 Trotte Vieille represents the first year when all the Cabernet Sauvignon entered the Grand Vin (5%). Picked from 2 to 27 September, it is aged entirely in new oak. It has an intense bouquet that is well-defined albeit coated with the oak at the moment - this will be subsumed with time. There is an underlying orange pith/tangerine element lending nuance. The palate is very harmonious on the entry with pliant tannins. Very precise, silky smooth in texture thanks to the use of their new cuveries equipped with smaller vats. The acidity is nicely judged, opulent yet controlled with a touch of white pepper right on the finish. Very stylish. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media
96-98 Points! Almost opaque in color, the wine pops with black cherries, tobacco leaf, flowers, plums, smoke, and chocolate in the aromatics. The palate is silky, vibrant, and plush. The fruits are deep, intense, long, vibrant, and most importantly, pure. There is length, complexity, opulence, balance and a strong sensation of crushed stones, blackberries, chocolate, and plums in the finish you can taste and feel. TrotteVieille has been on an incredible roll lately. Perhaps, with the aid of their new cellars, this is the best vintage in the history of the estate! The wine blends 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.14.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 8 - September 27. Yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2055. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
94-96 Points! The 2022 Trotte Vieille is a hugely intriguing wine. The aromatics alone are wonderfully alluring. Sweet red-toned fruit, mint, blood orange, spice, licorice and rose petal infuse the 2022 with compelling inner perfume. Layered and complex, with tons of character, Trotte Vieille is shaping up to be terrific. In 2022, Trotte Vieille is not as bombastic as it has been in some recent years, and that is a positive. Drinking window : 2028-2052 - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
94-96 Points! The quality of the 2022 Trotte Vieille took me by surprise, but clearly more diligent viticulture, combined with a new winery equipped with fully 26 vats for the estate's 11 hectares of vineyards, is beginning to pay off, as this is the most complete, integrated young wine I have ever tasted at this address. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, rose petals, violets and incense, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a deep core of vibrant fruit, beautifully refined tannins and a long, saline finish. A blend of fully 50% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, it derives exclusively from Trotte Vieille's historic clay-limestone walled vineyard. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
- Long Shadows Cabernet Sauvignon Feather Columbia Valley 2020JD96WA98$69.98Availability:In Stock
98 Points! Instantly impressive, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather opens to silky, fresh and fleshy dark red and black fruit tones with picturesque rich and ripe notions that sashay out of the glass with elegance, power and precision. Medium to full-bodied, the Cabernet shows incredible depth and breadth with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins. This will have no trouble aging past its 20th birthday. World-class and devastatingly beautiful, the wine continues to somersault across the ever-evolving finish, and it will undoubtedly be well received upon its release in the fall later this year. Mark your calendar now, and run, don’t walk to add this to your cellar. - Anthony Mueller, robertparker.com
Learn More - Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 2019JD98+WA98+TWI98+Special Price $349.98 Regular Price $399.98Availability:In Stock
98+ Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is another magical vintage for this cuvée. All Cabernet Sauvignon from hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Stags Leap, it offers a vivid purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of cassis, black raspberries, violets, camphor, and spring flowers, with perfectly integrated background oak. Full-bodied but not massive, it’s flawlessly balanced on the palate and has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. It’s another 30- to 40-year wine from this incredible team that readers will absolutely love. - Jeb Dunnuck
Learn MoreHURRY, ONLY 6 LEFT!