California
California is one of the most renowned wine regions in the world, known for producing exceptional wines that reflect the unique character of the region.
One of the most famous vineyards in California is the Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi Winery, which produces a range of high-quality red and white wines, including the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, the Fumé Blanc Reserve, and the Chardonnay Reserve. The estate is committed to sustainable farming practices and is known for its focus on traditional winemaking techniques.
In California, there is also a strong focus on producing organic and biodynamic wines, with vineyards such as the Frog's Leap Winery and the Benziger Family Winery using these practices to produce exceptional wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region.
Overall, California is a region known for producing exceptional wines, with famous vineyards such as Harlan Estate, Dominus, Opus One, Screaming Eagle, Robert Mondavi and many others. With a focus on sustainable and organic farming practices, and a commitment to traditional winemaking techniques, wines from California are gaining increasing recognition and popularity among wine enthusiasts worldwide.
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(1x75cl) 1992Vinous (95)
Racy and succulent to the core, the 1992 Maya impresses for its sheer depth. Black stone fruits, cloves, menthol, smoke and incense are some of the many notes that flesh out in a dramatic Maya endowed with tons of volume and equally intense tannins that ensure at least another handful of years of very fine drinking. The 1992 is a wine of pure texture and density.Inc. TAX€428.35 -
Wine Advocate (100)
As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.Inc. TAX€787.15 -
Wine Advocate (100)
As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.Inc. TAX€2,234.26 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
As good as it gets, yet in a different style compared to the also perfect 2016, the 2015 Maya Proprietary Red Wine boasts a sensational, ethereal, heavenly style to go with tons of cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notions of dried earth, tobacco, chocolate, and a beautiful sense of minerality. This cuvée is normally a blend of 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, and it’s the Cabernet Franc that gives it another layer of complexity and elegance. The sexy, upfront nature of the 2015 vintage is front and center. This is a magical wine to drink over the coming 3+ decades.Inc. TAX€1,711.50 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2016 Maya offers another level of depth and density and is a truly special, magical wine. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc, it boasts off the chart notes of blackcurrants, Asian spices, lead pencil, chocolate, and incense. These all give way to a massively concentrated, rich, and powerful wine that nevertheless stays oh, so seamless, silky and pure, with a finish that goes on for minutes. Utterly profound in every way, this sensational wine hits every high point you could ever set for a glass of wine. it's one of the top 2-3 wines in this report. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades.Inc. TAX€1,837.88 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.Inc. TAX€1,381.88 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
A smaller production cuvée from a single parcel of the estate vineyard, the 2018 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is the normal 60/40 split of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Incredibly perfumed with complex notes of blue fruits, flowers, loamy earth, graphite, and tobacco, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, polished, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. While this is a rich, concentrated wine, it’s the complexity, elegance, and finesse that define this cuvée, which is going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and cruise for 2-3 decades.Inc. TAX€1,772.75 -
The Wine Independent (100)
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Maya comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of wild blueberries, Morello cherries, boysenberry preserves, and chocolate box, followed by hints of star anise, cardamom, and dusty red soil. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, the tannins are firm yet velvety, while a remarkable burst of freshness lifts the decadent fruit. It finishes with an epically long mineral firework display. Dalla Valle’s Maya comes from a dedicated section of the estate vineyard, located in the valley’s eastern foothills, below Pritchard Hill, and above the Oakville benchlands, overlooking Screaming Eagle and Rudd vineyard.Inc. TAX€1,586.08 -
(12x75cl) 2021Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2021 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is a classic 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that spent 24 months in 80% new French oak. Ripe red, blue, and black fruit, graphite, liquid flowers, and a liquid rock-like minerality all shine in this quintessential, layered, regal, majestic 2021. It has awesome purity, full-bodied richness, flawlessly polished tannins, and a great finish. This is a legend in the making, and Napa Valley simply doesn’t get any better. It will take a solid decade for this to hit maturity, and it should have 30+ years of prime drinking thereafter.Inc. TAX€7,817.88 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2021 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is a classic 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that spent 24 months in 80% new French oak. Ripe red, blue, and black fruit, graphite, liquid flowers, and a liquid rock-like minerality all shine in this quintessential, layered, regal, majestic 2021. It has awesome purity, full-bodied richness, flawlessly polished tannins, and a great finish. This is a legend in the making, and Napa Valley simply doesn’t get any better. It will take a solid decade for this to hit maturity, and it should have 30+ years of prime drinking thereafter.Inc. TAX€1,909.32 -
Vinous (91)
The 2017 Collina Dalla Valle is plump, juicy and absolutely delicious. Vibrant sweet red fruit and floral notes give the 2017 notable energy as well as verve. In 2017, the Collina is not quite as sensual or curvy as it can be, while the tannins show the nervous edge that so typical of the year. Time in bottle will help at least to some degree. Once again, Dalla Valle overdelivers with the Collina.Inc. TAX€765.01 -
Vinous (93)
The 2018 Collina Dalla Valle is a flat out gorgeous wine. Racy and sumptuous to the core, the 2018 captures all of the natural radiance of this eastern sector of Oakville. Soft contours and silky tannins make the 2018 an absolute delight to taste today. Readers will have a very hard time finding a Napa Valley wine that delivers this much sheer pleasure for the money.Inc. TAX€850.34 -
Vinous (92)
The 2019 Collina Dalla Valle is supple, racy and beautifully perfumed. In 2019, the Franc lends quite a bit of aromatic brilliance. Crushed flowers, kirsch and sweet red berry fruit are all nicely lifted in this very pretty, perfumed red blend from Dalla Valle. The Collina is all class, as it always is. It is also a tremendous value in the world of high-end Napa Valley wines.Inc. TAX€806.14 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Just about pure perfection, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard comes from vines around the estate, just outside of Rutherford, which were planted in 1997. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, bay leaf, and graphite all flow to a full-bodied 2015 that has a deep, layered, multi-dimensional texture that’s hard to describe. With building structure and a beautiful floral character that emerges with time in the glass, perfect balance, and a huge finish, this quintessential Napa Cabernet will benefit from a few years of bottle age and cruise for 3-4 decades. Bravo!Inc. TAX€1,850.56 -
(3x75cl) 2017Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96+)
A regal, soaring wine, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard is all finesse. Dried cherry, cinnamon, star anise and blood orange add an exotic flair that adds to the wine's beguiling personality. In 2017, the Helms is a bit understated and medium in body, with less of the breadth of the very best years. Even so, it is a gorgeous Cabernet full of allure and potential. I won't be surprised if it is even more compelling in another few years' time.Inc. TAX€1,628.26 -
James Suckling (99)
Sweet white chocolate with currant, plum and subtle hazelnut on the nose. Some other spices, such as nutmeg and cloves. Floral. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go on and on. Beautiful center plate that is dense yet polished and fine and continues on. Exceptional. Fantastic finish. Drinkable now, but needs four or five years to show it’s true greatness.Inc. TAX€1,267.79 -
(1x150cl) 2014Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard is in a fine place for drinking today. Hints of espresso, spice, lavender, mocha and dried herbs give the 2014 lovely aromatic presence to match its mid-weight personality. There is a bit of firmness in the tannins, but that is the signature of the year. The linear intensity here is impressive.Inc. TAX€1,329.12 -
(1x150cl) 2015Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard is a dark, mysterious wine. Black cherry, new leather, incense, mocha, licorice, lavender and espresso fill out the layers. There is a bit more oak influence here, but it works quite well with the style and character of Howell Mountain. This dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. What a gorgeous wine. This is the best showing yet for the 2015 Hershey since I tasted it in barrel nearly ten years ago.Inc. TAX€1,256.95 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard is a dark, mysterious wine. Black cherry, new leather, incense, mocha, licorice, lavender and espresso fill out the layers. There is a bit more oak influence here, but it works quite well with the style and character of Howell Mountain. This dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. What a gorgeous wine. This is the best showing yet for the 2015 Hershey since I tasted it in barrel nearly ten years ago.Inc. TAX€1,279.43 -
(3x75cl) 2014Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Lotus Vineyard is a heady, exuberant wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, blood orange, sweet spice, menthol and espresso build beautifully in the glass, framed by soft, silky contours that add to the wine's racy, open-knit personality. This has come along so well.Inc. TAX€2,221.79 -
Inc. TAX€2,068.75 -
Inc. TAX€787.13 -
Matthew Jukes (18+)
The Fifty Finest Wines 2020 I tasted a large number of Californian wines this autumn and I found many of the wines (whites and reds) over-oaked, sweet, far too high in alcohol and generally out of balance. So, when successful wines put their hands up it was very encouraging. This amazing Cabernet had the very traits I associate with exceptionally expensive Californian red wines and yet, when I discovered its price, I couldn’t believe it. I far prefer this cuvée to the ‘Reserve’, which is £55. The key to this wine’s success is its balance. Every element is in perfect harmony. The fruit is pure and resonant, the tannins are classy and there is no weird-tasting oak whatsoever. Profound balance + a delicious flavour = a mention in the Finest FiftyInc. TAX€563.96 -
Matthew Jukes (18+)
The Fifty Finest Wines 2020 I tasted a large number of Californian wines this autumn and I found many of the wines (whites and reds) over-oaked, sweet, far too high in alcohol and generally out of balance. So, when successful wines put their hands up it was very encouraging. This amazing Cabernet had the very traits I associate with exceptionally expensive Californian red wines and yet, when I discovered its price, I couldn’t believe it. I far prefer this cuvée to the ‘Reserve’, which is £55. The key to this wine’s success is its balance. Every element is in perfect harmony. The fruit is pure and resonant, the tannins are classy and there is no weird-tasting oak whatsoever. Profound balance + a delicious flavour = a mention in the Finest FiftyInc. TAX€434.39 -
(6x75cl) 2019Wine Advocate (98)
The 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle, brown sugar and coffee to begin, opening with time to very pure cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, garrigue and aniseed. The palate is supple and fresh with surprisingly restrained, mineral-laced fruits and a fan of spicy accents across the long finish. This ultra sleek, elegant Cabernet evolves continually in the glass and has the harmonious structure it needs to go the distance in the cellar.Inc. TAX€1,821.13 -
Wine Advocate (92)
The 2018 Pessimist is a barrel sample blend of 62% Petite Sirah, 19% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah and 2% Lagrein. It is expected to age for 11 months in 50% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple, it offers up tar, chargrill, turned black earth and blackcurrants with wafts of blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate, smoked meats and crushed red cherries. The medium to full-bodied palate has lifted flavor layers, a firm, grainy frame and long, spicy, fresh finish.Inc. TAX€612.67 -
Wine Advocate (92)
The 2018 Chardonnay opens with apple pie, baked quince, lemon curd and melon touches with notes of guava, dried hay, toast and a lovely underlying spiciness. Medium to full-bodied and rounded in the mouth, it has intense, ripe, savory fruits with honey-nut accents, lifted by mouthwatering freshness and finishing long.Inc. TAX€506.42 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Also bottled the week before this tasting, the 2016 Soul of a Lion includes more Cabernet Sauvignon than the 2014 and 2015 and is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. It’s an incredible achievement and has sensational notes of crème de cassis, graphite, violets, and lead pencil shavings. Made in a pure California, pedal-to-the-metal style, with full body and loads of fruit, it stays balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a layered, seamless style that just glides over the palate. Don’t think Paso Robles can make world-class Cabernet Sauvignon? Try this wine.Inc. TAX€612.78 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The 2017 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and wonderfully unique expression, with scents of forest floor, underbrush, English breakfast tea, espresso, blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate and exotic flowers mingling over a core of perfectly ripe wild blackberries and Morello cherries, all complemented by a classy framing of new oak spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is slow to unfurl, with a frame like liquid silk and a very long finish that gives up layer after layer of nuanced flavors. Wow!Inc. TAX€980.99 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The 2017 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and wonderfully unique expression, with scents of forest floor, underbrush, English breakfast tea, espresso, blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate and exotic flowers mingling over a core of perfectly ripe wild blackberries and Morello cherries, all complemented by a classy framing of new oak spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is slow to unfurl, with a frame like liquid silk and a very long finish that gives up layer after layer of nuanced flavors. Wow!Inc. TAX€1,156.79
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(1x75cl) 1992
Vinous (95)
Racy and succulent to the core, the 1992 Maya impresses for its sheer depth. Black stone fruits, cloves, menthol, smoke and incense are some of the many notes that flesh out in a dramatic Maya endowed with tons of volume and equally intense tannins that ensure at least another handful of years of very fine drinking. The 1992 is a wine of pure texture and density.In Bond€353.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.In Bond€652.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
As stunning as this basic Cabernet Sauvignon is, the 2002 Maya, a proprietary blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc, is pure perfection. It boasts an inky purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of incense, black fruits, charcoal and forest floor. Full-bodied, with monumental intensity, a multidimensional texture/mouthfeel, and a stunning finish, this beauty reveals the brilliant quality of the Dalla Valle Cabernet Franc plantings meshed with their powerful Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040+.In Bond€1,850.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
As good as it gets, yet in a different style compared to the also perfect 2016, the 2015 Maya Proprietary Red Wine boasts a sensational, ethereal, heavenly style to go with tons of cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notions of dried earth, tobacco, chocolate, and a beautiful sense of minerality. This cuvée is normally a blend of 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, and it’s the Cabernet Franc that gives it another layer of complexity and elegance. The sexy, upfront nature of the 2015 vintage is front and center. This is a magical wine to drink over the coming 3+ decades.In Bond€1,415.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2016 Maya offers another level of depth and density and is a truly special, magical wine. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Cabernet Franc, it boasts off the chart notes of blackcurrants, Asian spices, lead pencil, chocolate, and incense. These all give way to a massively concentrated, rich, and powerful wine that nevertheless stays oh, so seamless, silky and pure, with a finish that goes on for minutes. Utterly profound in every way, this sensational wine hits every high point you could ever set for a glass of wine. it's one of the top 2-3 wines in this report. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and it will keep for 3-4 decades.In Bond€1,520.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (97+)
The tiny production 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Maya is another thrilling wine. The normal blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc that was brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it offers a full-bodied, concentrated, yet sensationally elegant style as well as fab notes of crème de cassis, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth. It’s a primordial example of this cuvée that has ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Do your best to give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age.In Bond€1,140.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
A smaller production cuvée from a single parcel of the estate vineyard, the 2018 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is the normal 60/40 split of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. Incredibly perfumed with complex notes of blue fruits, flowers, loamy earth, graphite, and tobacco, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, polished, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. While this is a rich, concentrated wine, it’s the complexity, elegance, and finesse that define this cuvée, which is going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and cruise for 2-3 decades.In Bond€1,465.00 -
The Wine Independent (100)
A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Maya comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of wild blueberries, Morello cherries, boysenberry preserves, and chocolate box, followed by hints of star anise, cardamom, and dusty red soil. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, the tannins are firm yet velvety, while a remarkable burst of freshness lifts the decadent fruit. It finishes with an epically long mineral firework display. Dalla Valle’s Maya comes from a dedicated section of the estate vineyard, located in the valley’s eastern foothills, below Pritchard Hill, and above the Oakville benchlands, overlooking Screaming Eagle and Rudd vineyard.In Bond€1,310.00 -
(12x75cl) 2021
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2021 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is a classic 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that spent 24 months in 80% new French oak. Ripe red, blue, and black fruit, graphite, liquid flowers, and a liquid rock-like minerality all shine in this quintessential, layered, regal, majestic 2021. It has awesome purity, full-bodied richness, flawlessly polished tannins, and a great finish. This is a legend in the making, and Napa Valley simply doesn’t get any better. It will take a solid decade for this to hit maturity, and it should have 30+ years of prime drinking thereafter.In Bond€6,470.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2021 Maya Proprietary Red Wine is a classic 60/40 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that spent 24 months in 80% new French oak. Ripe red, blue, and black fruit, graphite, liquid flowers, and a liquid rock-like minerality all shine in this quintessential, layered, regal, majestic 2021. It has awesome purity, full-bodied richness, flawlessly polished tannins, and a great finish. This is a legend in the making, and Napa Valley simply doesn’t get any better. It will take a solid decade for this to hit maturity, and it should have 30+ years of prime drinking thereafter.In Bond€1,580.00 -
Vinous (91)
The 2017 Collina Dalla Valle is plump, juicy and absolutely delicious. Vibrant sweet red fruit and floral notes give the 2017 notable energy as well as verve. In 2017, the Collina is not quite as sensual or curvy as it can be, while the tannins show the nervous edge that so typical of the year. Time in bottle will help at least to some degree. Once again, Dalla Valle overdelivers with the Collina.In Bond€615.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2018 Collina Dalla Valle is a flat out gorgeous wine. Racy and sumptuous to the core, the 2018 captures all of the natural radiance of this eastern sector of Oakville. Soft contours and silky tannins make the 2018 an absolute delight to taste today. Readers will have a very hard time finding a Napa Valley wine that delivers this much sheer pleasure for the money.In Bond€685.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2019 Collina Dalla Valle is supple, racy and beautifully perfumed. In 2019, the Franc lends quite a bit of aromatic brilliance. Crushed flowers, kirsch and sweet red berry fruit are all nicely lifted in this very pretty, perfumed red blend from Dalla Valle. The Collina is all class, as it always is. It is also a tremendous value in the world of high-end Napa Valley wines.In Bond€648.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (99)
Just about pure perfection, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard comes from vines around the estate, just outside of Rutherford, which were planted in 1997. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, bay leaf, and graphite all flow to a full-bodied 2015 that has a deep, layered, multi-dimensional texture that’s hard to describe. With building structure and a beautiful floral character that emerges with time in the glass, perfect balance, and a huge finish, this quintessential Napa Cabernet will benefit from a few years of bottle age and cruise for 3-4 decades. Bravo!In Bond€1,530.00 -
(3x75cl) 2017
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96+)
A regal, soaring wine, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard is all finesse. Dried cherry, cinnamon, star anise and blood orange add an exotic flair that adds to the wine's beguiling personality. In 2017, the Helms is a bit understated and medium in body, with less of the breadth of the very best years. Even so, it is a gorgeous Cabernet full of allure and potential. I won't be surprised if it is even more compelling in another few years' time.In Bond€1,345.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Sweet white chocolate with currant, plum and subtle hazelnut on the nose. Some other spices, such as nutmeg and cloves. Floral. Full-bodied with extremely fine tannins that go on and on. Beautiful center plate that is dense yet polished and fine and continues on. Exceptional. Fantastic finish. Drinkable now, but needs four or five years to show it’s true greatness.In Bond€1,045.00 -
(1x150cl) 2014
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard is in a fine place for drinking today. Hints of espresso, spice, lavender, mocha and dried herbs give the 2014 lovely aromatic presence to match its mid-weight personality. There is a bit of firmness in the tannins, but that is the signature of the year. The linear intensity here is impressive.In Bond€1,100.00 -
(1x150cl) 2015
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard is a dark, mysterious wine. Black cherry, new leather, incense, mocha, licorice, lavender and espresso fill out the layers. There is a bit more oak influence here, but it works quite well with the style and character of Howell Mountain. This dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. What a gorgeous wine. This is the best showing yet for the 2015 Hershey since I tasted it in barrel nearly ten years ago.In Bond€1,040.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard is a dark, mysterious wine. Black cherry, new leather, incense, mocha, licorice, lavender and espresso fill out the layers. There is a bit more oak influence here, but it works quite well with the style and character of Howell Mountain. This dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. What a gorgeous wine. This is the best showing yet for the 2015 Hershey since I tasted it in barrel nearly ten years ago.In Bond€1,055.00 -
(3x75cl) 2014
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Lotus Vineyard is a heady, exuberant wine. Succulent black cherry, plum, blood orange, sweet spice, menthol and espresso build beautifully in the glass, framed by soft, silky contours that add to the wine's racy, open-knit personality. This has come along so well.In Bond€1,840.00 -
In Bond€1,720.00
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In Bond€632.00
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Matthew Jukes (18+)
The Fifty Finest Wines 2020 I tasted a large number of Californian wines this autumn and I found many of the wines (whites and reds) over-oaked, sweet, far too high in alcohol and generally out of balance. So, when successful wines put their hands up it was very encouraging. This amazing Cabernet had the very traits I associate with exceptionally expensive Californian red wines and yet, when I discovered its price, I couldn’t believe it. I far prefer this cuvée to the ‘Reserve’, which is £55. The key to this wine’s success is its balance. Every element is in perfect harmony. The fruit is pure and resonant, the tannins are classy and there is no weird-tasting oak whatsoever. Profound balance + a delicious flavour = a mention in the Finest FiftyIn Bond€424.00 -
Matthew Jukes (18+)
The Fifty Finest Wines 2020 I tasted a large number of Californian wines this autumn and I found many of the wines (whites and reds) over-oaked, sweet, far too high in alcohol and generally out of balance. So, when successful wines put their hands up it was very encouraging. This amazing Cabernet had the very traits I associate with exceptionally expensive Californian red wines and yet, when I discovered its price, I couldn’t believe it. I far prefer this cuvée to the ‘Reserve’, which is £55. The key to this wine’s success is its balance. Every element is in perfect harmony. The fruit is pure and resonant, the tannins are classy and there is no weird-tasting oak whatsoever. Profound balance + a delicious flavour = a mention in the Finest FiftyIn Bond€339.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle, brown sugar and coffee to begin, opening with time to very pure cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, garrigue and aniseed. The palate is supple and fresh with surprisingly restrained, mineral-laced fruits and a fan of spicy accents across the long finish. This ultra sleek, elegant Cabernet evolves continually in the glass and has the harmonious structure it needs to go the distance in the cellar.In Bond€1,495.00 -
Wine Advocate (92)
The 2018 Pessimist is a barrel sample blend of 62% Petite Sirah, 19% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah and 2% Lagrein. It is expected to age for 11 months in 50% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple, it offers up tar, chargrill, turned black earth and blackcurrants with wafts of blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate, smoked meats and crushed red cherries. The medium to full-bodied palate has lifted flavor layers, a firm, grainy frame and long, spicy, fresh finish.In Bond€463.00 -
Wine Advocate (92)
The 2018 Chardonnay opens with apple pie, baked quince, lemon curd and melon touches with notes of guava, dried hay, toast and a lovely underlying spiciness. Medium to full-bodied and rounded in the mouth, it has intense, ripe, savory fruits with honey-nut accents, lifted by mouthwatering freshness and finishing long.In Bond€377.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Also bottled the week before this tasting, the 2016 Soul of a Lion includes more Cabernet Sauvignon than the 2014 and 2015 and is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. It’s an incredible achievement and has sensational notes of crème de cassis, graphite, violets, and lead pencil shavings. Made in a pure California, pedal-to-the-metal style, with full body and loads of fruit, it stays balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a layered, seamless style that just glides over the palate. Don’t think Paso Robles can make world-class Cabernet Sauvignon? Try this wine.In Bond€499.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The 2017 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and wonderfully unique expression, with scents of forest floor, underbrush, English breakfast tea, espresso, blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate and exotic flowers mingling over a core of perfectly ripe wild blackberries and Morello cherries, all complemented by a classy framing of new oak spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is slow to unfurl, with a frame like liquid silk and a very long finish that gives up layer after layer of nuanced flavors. Wow!In Bond€806.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The 2017 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and wonderfully unique expression, with scents of forest floor, underbrush, English breakfast tea, espresso, blackcurrant bud, dark chocolate and exotic flowers mingling over a core of perfectly ripe wild blackberries and Morello cherries, all complemented by a classy framing of new oak spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is slow to unfurl, with a frame like liquid silk and a very long finish that gives up layer after layer of nuanced flavors. Wow!In Bond€941.00
