California

98 Points! Even better, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon The Estate is straight-up awesome and will stand up to anything in the vintage. Pure creme de cassis, crushed stone, liquid violets, and classy oak all emerge from this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is full-bodied, concentrated, and flawlessly balanced. There are a scant six barrels produced, but if you see a bottle, buy it. It will probably take a decade to hit maturity, but it will evolve for well over two decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The 2024 Syrah ODE is a stone-cold stunner. Powerfully extracted but completely weightless, it casts a dizzying number of layers and mind-bending complexity into your nose and onto your palate with complete confidence and utter grace. Blueberry, incense, oyster shell, lavender and chalk explode through the polished, precise statuesque finish. Truly impressive- there's not much else to say here. Hands-off Winemaking yielded a wine of sublime balance and resonant harmony. The 2024 spent just ten months in neutral oak with 45% whole clusters, native fermentations and no added sulfur. Vineyard sites are Bassi, Spanish Springs and Hi Kite. - Billy Norris, Vinous

96 Points! One of the most impressive wines I tasted from the San Luis Obispo Coast is the 2024 Syrah Ode, a compelling testament to Syrah's potential in the region that evokes Gonon Saint-Joseph by way of the Pacific Ocean. It is comprised predominantly of fruit from Bassi, with smaller additions from Spanish Springs and Hi-Kite. Off the bat, it displays Bassi's signature combination of intensely perfumed, floral energy mixed with distinctly umami-driven aromas of nori and soy, with a black- and blue-fruited backdrop, all delivered with crystalline purity. The texture is a paradoxical and impressive combination of ethereal energy, measured richness and enveloping elegance, culminating in a weightless, saturated and remarkably precise finish that lingers with saline, spice and floral notes. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

93 Points! All Syrah that was fermented with 65% whole clusters and aged in neutral wood, the 2022 Syrah Sta. Rita Hills is a riper, more sun-kissed expression compared to the 2023. Ripe red and black fruits, leather, sweet spices, and dried flowers all give this an Hermitage-like character, and it's medium-bodied, with a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love it today, yet it should cruise for a decade or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

92+ Points! The 2021 Constant Variable is sweetly satisfying on the nose, blending crushed blackberries and wild blueberries with autumnal spice. It's silky in texture yet lifted in feel, with liquid violet flowers that coat the senses. Ripe red and black fruits cascade throughout. It takes on a spicy tinge through the finish, leaving gently grippy tannins and exotic spice. - Eric Guido, Vinous

98 Points! The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS, which is also from Clone 337 but from different blocks on the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, saw oak with 90% new Darnajou and 10% new Taransaud. This wine seems slightly more expansive, shares the black ruby/purple color with all of it siblings, and has a boatload of crème de cassis, incense, licorice, graphite and vanilla along with plenty of spice box and forest floor. This is a killer, full-bodied, super-duper, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 20 years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

100 Points! A full-bodied, structured red with blackcurrant, violet, dark-chocolate and burnt-orange aromas. Walnut husk, too. Such precision and elegance. Firm, smooth tannins and a long finish. Really complex at the end. A stunning wine from Stags Leap District. Drink from 2023. - JamesSuckling.com

98+ Points! From the estate property around the new winery in Stags Leap, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Moonracer (there are normally small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the blend) offers a glorious Napa Cabernet nose of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, dried flowers, and chocolate that develops beautifully with time in the glass. It doesn't lose a beat on the palate either and is full-bodied, with a layered, focused texture, building structure, and a great, great finish. It's a serious, age-worthy wine that needs 4-5 years of bottle age yet will evolve like a First Growth from Bordeaux. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Lots of perfume and dark-fruit aromas with floral and burnt-orange undertones. Full-bodied and very, very refined and long. It goes on for minutes. Such subtlety and wonderful tannins. Love it. Drink in 2020. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon yet from Pritchard Hill, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard offers a massive blast of blue fruits, crushed violets, spice box, and new leather. This beauty comes from a site next to David Arthur and has a ripe, rounded, and incredibly sexy style that belies its mountain terroir. Still, it has plenty of underlying tannins, impeccable balance, and one seriously long finish. Give it a year or so and drink bottles over the following 2-3 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Super bright and fresh, with tropical fruit notes leading the way, intermixed with pops of bright citrus fruit. Round and silky fruit on the palate is redolent of white peach, guava, and green papaya, all of which build with a lovely richness balanced by a fantastic thread of saline-minerality and lime citrus on the finish, along with a burst of spring flowers. Incredibly food-friendly. - Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine

92 Points! A blend of Wenzlau, La Rinconada and Bentrock aged in a mixture of barrique and puncheon, the 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvée is fresh, tangy and flinty on the nose. The palate is svelte and succulent, lined with taut acidity supported by a gentle creaminess. The finish is balanced between lift and depth, slowly unfolding with additional layers of richness and salinity with aeration. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

91 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills Cuvée is bright and beautifully focused. Citrus, white flowers, slate and white pepper are all beautifully delineated throughout. The clean, saline finish is a thing of beauty. The Cuvée is a blend from La Rinconanda, Wenzlau and Bentrock. I very much admire the energy here. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

92 Points! Coming from across the neighborhoods of the Russian River Valley, the 2022 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is ripe with aromas of toasted spice, orange rind, preserved lemon, honeysuckle, and baked apples. Full-bodied, with a ripe, classic feel, it has a nice, rounded mouthfeel and offers a lovely sense of place. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! A rich golden hue with a slight haze, the 2021 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards is a bit more inward aromatically at the moment but has a darker tone, with warming notes of toasted cedar, spice, and ripe, baked orchard fruits, Full-bodied, with a nutty texture and notes of ripe yellow pear, tangerine, and almond, it has a pithy texture and meatiness throughout. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

93 Points! Pure aromas of lemon confit, poached Asian pears, pastry and lanolin. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity and a creamy texture, giving notes of lime curd, orange blossoms, yellow apples and flint. Very well constructed and polished. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Elegant and fragrant up front, with notes of orange blossoms and ginger paste alongside fleshy, juicy flavors of ripe melon, peach, apricot and fresh lemon zest. Accents of smoked sea salt and fennel pollen linger on this white's sleek frame. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! A creamy texture carries lush, ripe tropical fruits, ample butter and toast nuances in this bold, full-bodied wine. The layering of baked apples, vanilla, Bartlett pears and almonds is impressive and delicious. - Wine Enthusiast

93 Points! A medium-bodied, balanced and elegant chardonnay with notes of apples, spiced pears, burnt lemons and sweet spices. Delicate and creamy with a fine texture and a supple, mellow and delicious finish. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! The 2022 Chardonnay Watson Ranch comes from vines planted in calcareous clay over limestone in 1993 in southern Napa County. Matured for 10 months in used French oak, it has savory scents of cheese rind, button mushrooms, beeswax, jasmine and white orchard fruit. The light-bodied palate is understated and perfumed. Its creamy texture is balanced by bright acidity, and it has a long, fragrant finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

100 Points! A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is deep garnet-purple in color. It has a wonderfully flashy and flamboyant nose of blackcurrant cordial, redcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and potpourri with hints of chocolate mint, tilled soil, chalk dust, and forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is very taut and muscular with tons of bright, crunchy black fruits and wonderful tension, finishing with tons of earthy nuances. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, TheWineIndependent

99 Points! Composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder of Petit Verdot, the 2019 La Joie is compact and unfolds more slowly in the glass. The nose is rich with graphite, sage oil, and black plum. The palate is full of kirsch, fresh leather, currant, and tobacco, with fine tannins that go for ages, along with the fruit and well-balanced acidity. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! One-third of the Pinot Noir grapes come from two sites in the Russian River Valley: Bailey and Pinot Hill vineyards. Two-thirds are from Twomey’s ‘Last Stop’ estate in Russian River’s Green Valley sub-appellation. The site is planted to heritage clones of Calera, Mt. Eden, Swan, and Burgundy Dijon clones. They developed a hillside in 2017, and they imported some clones from their Prince Hill property in Oregon, which they bought in 2017. Elegant red berry fruit is laced with vanilla and cedarwood. Emerging brown spices layer in nuance on this medium-bodied Pinot Noir, which boasts plenty of dark fruit concentration with plush textures and ripe tannins. There’s a lovely floral lift on the finish. - Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter Magazine

92 Points! Tobacco, cedar, turned earth and leather aromas lead to a full body packing spiced plum, red cherry and savory bay flavors over chunky tannins. Grown in the hilly Sage Canyon area of Napa, the wine offers all the savory notes of merlot blended with 9% cabernet franc and 8.7% petit verdot, with most of the tannin coming from the latter two. -JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a gorgeous, entry-level wine for the estate. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice and gravel are all pushed forward. This is an unusually forward wine although there is plenty of the typical savory/graphite notes that are so typical of this site. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

99 Points! A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com