Reviews

The 2019 The Sheriff of Buena Vista is composed of 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Petite Sirah, 22% Syrah, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Grenache, 3% Mourvedre, and 2% Mission. Medium garnet-purple in color, it swaggers out of the glass with confident blueberry pie, warm cassis, and blackberry preserves scents, plus suggestions of Indian spices and tree bark with a touch of Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, rich, spicy, and plush, the palate offers soft acidity and an earthy finish.

The 2019 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, with 10% Merlot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% Malbec in the blend, is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with notes of warm cassis, baked plums, and boysenberries with hints of menthol, cedar chest, and dried bay leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate has a soft texture and just enough freshness supporting the generous black fruit layers, finishing with an herbal lift.

The 2019 Chateau Buena Vista Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, with 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep purple-black in color. It needs a little swirling to coax out notes of warm cassis, black cherry compote, and fresh juicy blackberries, followed by hints of charcoal, crushed rocks, and sassafras plus a waft of cracked black pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is jam packed with bright, black fruit layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with epic length.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon needs a little shaking and swirling to unlock notes of creme de cassis, blueberry compote, and juicy blackberries opening out to fragrant notes of candied violets, chocolate box, and menthol. The full-bodied palate has a fantastic backbone of freshness and firm, ripe, grainy tannins to support the muscular fruit, finishing long and energetic.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District is a little closed to start, unfurling to reveal notes of baked blackberries, blackcurrant jelly, and baker's chocolate with hints of star anise, crushed rocks, and tapenade. The full-bodied palate has a firm, finely grained texture and plenty of freshness to support the taut, muscular black fruits, finishing long and minerally. Nice!

The single-varietal 2020 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville was picked prior to the Glass Fire. Deep garnet-purple in color, it rolls out of the glass with intense notes of juicy plums, baked blackcurrants, and chocolate-covered cherries plus wafts of dried mint, pencil lead, and dusty soil. The full-bodied palate has a chewy texture and bags of black fruit preserves flavors, finishing with a minty kick.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford explodes with bombastic notes of blackberry preserves, creme de cassis, and Morello cherries followed by hints of red loam, garrigue, and tar. The full-bodied palate is ripe and juicy, with pleasantly chewy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a provocative earthy note.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2019 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford features sweet notes of chocolate box, vanilla pod, and licorice pie over a core of blackcurrant cordial, menthol, and plum preserves. Medium to full-bodied, soft, and juicy in the mouth, it has plenty of ripe black berry and spicy layers, finishing long and minty.

The 2021 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena, with some Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. It delivers evocative notes of blackcurrant jelly, kirsch, and mulberries followed by nuances of fallen leaves, cast-iron pan, cardamom, and pencil lead. The full-bodied palate is electric with crunchy black and red fruits, supported by a lively line and firm, grainy tannins, finishing with great length and a real skip in its step.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Franc prances out with showy notions of redcurrant jelly, Morello cherries, and wild blueberries giving way to hints of rose oil, pencil shavings, and iron ore. Full-bodied, intense, and impactful, the palate has a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the tightly wound fruit, finishing long and fragrant.