Reviews

Sweetened tannins highlight a depth of chocolate and blackberry in this 100% varietal wine made in small amounts. Soft and juicy, it crafts a balance of richness and density around elegant spicy clove and cinnamon. —V.B.

A rich red, this is structured and firm in the middle, then it loosens up to a touch of sweetness in the end. There's interesting detail in the tannins, yielding the scent of tobacco and the feel of crushed stone. The flavors are smoky with oak, broad and juicy, built for eggplant roasted with ground lamb. 

Cellar Selection                                                                                                                   
From the cooler reaches of the Napa Valley, this Coombsville wine is herbal and leathery, with a taste of bittersweet chocolate at its core. Integrated oak plays a background role behind baked plum and intense, ripe fruit, finishing in tobacco.  — V.B.

A gorgeous Cabernet, combining rich, firm, vivid raspberry, blackberry, currant and dusty oak flavors with a loamy, crushed rock— and graphite-accented minerality that gives the tannins traction on the finish. Drink now through 2028. – JL

Fragrant, boasting rose, wild strawberry, sandalwood and olive aromas and flavors, matched to a delicate frame. Persistent, showing staying power on the lingering finish.

There are only 120 cases of the 2012 Oakville District Collection (100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Clones 4 and 337). A very good effort, it offers spicy, underbrush, red and blackcurrant, and toasty oak notes. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. - Robert Parker

There are fewer than 100 cases of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon JCN No. 10, a tannic, muscular, dense effort made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Clone 4. A backward, muscular wine built for long-term aging, it is more structured and masculine than most 2012s. It was difficult to evaluate because of its massive structure.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB No. 1 is composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Oakville Ranch and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. Sadly, there are only 101 cases of this fabulous wine. Aromas of lead pencil shavings, chocolate-infused expresso, crème de cassis and blackberries along with some barrique smells emerge from this full-bodied, dramatic, flamboyant 2012. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

The outstanding 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Generations is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It reveals a dense purple color as well as lots of licorice, blackcurrant, tobacco leaf and crème de cassis characteristics. Opulent, full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, it should drink well for 10-15 years. – Robert Parker