Reviews

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Malbec, the 2018 Leopard Red Blend has a lively, perfumed style offering lots of red and black fruits as well as beautiful floral nuances. Nicely textured on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, it has a good spine of acidity and is well-balanced. Enjoy it any time over the coming decade or more.

Based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Petite Sirah, the 2018 Knockout Red is another classic wine in the lineup that has purity and freshness while still bringing plenty of opulence and texture. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, and candied violets emerge from this full-bodied 2018, which has integrated acidity, fine tannins, and a great finish.

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the Cabernet Sauvignon JCB #1 cuvee is always made in a more elegant, seamless style, and the 2018 is an incredible wine in every sense. Rock star red and black currants, dried tobacco, cedary spice, and hints of chocolate all define the bouquet, and this full-bodied beauty has a seamless, elegant texture, great tannins, and the class to evolve for two decades.

Also all Cabernet, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB #10 is slightly deeper purple-hued and offers a more blockbuster styled bouquet of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite, with full-bodied, richness, beautiful purity, great tannins, and a balanced, layered, age-worthy style. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 years or more.

The 100% varietal 2018 Cabernet Franc JCB #17 is a beauty, offering pretty Franc notes of red and black fruits, dried flowers, barbecue smoke, and spice. Coming from a vineyard on the east side of St. Helena and aged in 50% new French oak, it’s a character-filled, medium to full-bodied, elegant wine that will last for 10-15 years.

The 100% varietal 2018 Cabernet Franc JCB #17 is a beauty, offering pretty Franc notes of red and black fruits, dried flowers, barbecue smoke, and spice. Coming from a vineyard on the east side of St. Helena and aged in 50% new French oak, it’s a character-filled, medium to full-bodied, elegant wine that will last for 10-15 years.

All Merlot from volcanic soils on the east side of St. Helena, the 2018 Merlot JCB #4 offers lots of ripe black cherry and currant fruits intermixed with plenty of leafy herbs, chocolate, violets, and sappy herbs. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, and juicy on the palate, with silky tannins, it's a balanced, charming Merlot to enjoy over the coming decade.

Also all Cabernet, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB #10 is slightly deeper purple-hued and offers a more blockbuster styled bouquet of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite, with full-bodied, richness, beautiful purity, great tannins, and a balanced, layered, age-worthy style. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30 years or more.

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the Cabernet Sauvignon JCB #1 cuvee is always made in a more elegant, seamless style, and the 2018 is an incredible wine in every sense. Rock star red and black currants, dried tobacco, cedary spice, and hints of chocolate all define the bouquet, and this full-bodied beauty has a seamless, elegant texture, great tannins, and the class to evolve for two decades.

Hailing from the outstanding 2018 vintage, each glass of this wine teems with heady cassis and cocoa powder aromas layered with nuts and poached plum. The same allusions echo on the palate in a velvety-structured, well-balanced whole that lingers with a touch of grip on the finish—holding the flavour in place. This is a fabulous food wine for all those long, slow braises, hearty casseroles and Instant Pot ribs.