WE Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points
This wine has a beguilingly spicy and complex nose of bramble, black pepper, purple flowers and black plums. The seamless palate is balanced with additional flavors of orange peel, baking spice and lots of bold tannin that will soften nicely with a few years in the cellar.
W&S Wine & Spirits: 92 Points
In 2018, a vintage admired by many, the blend was 79% cabernet sauvignon, 9% petit verdot, 6% malbec, 4% merlot, and 2% cabernet franc aged for 24 months in French oak barrels, of which 75% were new. The goal is to capture the essence of the Alexander Valley AVA. The nose and palate are alive in slick black plum and fig, Sonoma savoury notes, and vanilla, all dusted in baking pieces. The tannins are light and sticky but are already fading in the wine. This could easily be aged ten years and will only get better. Suave and sophisticated, it is rich in symmetry and harmony. Lamb, anyone?