From a vineyard named for Aubert's frequent collaborator, Ulises Valdez, and still farmed by his family, the 2021 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard (1,000 cases produced, from a Laguna Road site that's slightly warmer than Aubert's other Pinot Noir sources) features bold notes of cherries, cinnamon and wood spice. It's medium to full-bodied and silky across the mid-palate, finishing long and softly tannic. Nicely balanced and structured, it should age well for more than a decade. The Wine Advocate, Dec 31, 2022, Joe Czerwinski
Overture express aromas of ripe dark fruits with subtle undertones of olive tapenade and fried herbs. The juicy mouthfeel delivers layered flavours of expresso, strawberry and lilac. Extended barrel aging provides a long, elegant finish with a satin texture.
An excellent wine, even if not a great Dominus, the 2020 Dominus delivers waves of dark fruit—think predominantly cassis. A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, it's full-bodied and richly textured, perhaps a bit warm and open-knit because of the summer's heat, but with a long, velvety finish attractively tinged with mocha and dark chocolate. Wine Advocate, 8 June 2023, Joe Czerwinski
A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, the fruit for the 2020 Napanook (like the 2020 Dominus) was picked prior to the start of the Glass Fire on September 27. Scents of redcurrants and cherries lead the way, bolstered by notes of dark chocolate and mocha. It's medium to full-bodied and silky in feel, despite a touch of warmth on the palate, while the long finish picks up a hint of red capsicum and a touch of coarseness. The Wine Advocate, 8 June 2023, Joe Czerwinski
“...from the Sanford & Benedict and Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, is already stunning... Perhaps the inclusion of white varieties ramps up the perfume of this wine—the nose explodes with layers of tar, turned earth, dried sage, lavender, cast iron and grilled beef over a core of blueberry and blackberry jam. The palate is concentrated and powerful with floral fruits, silky tannins, seamless freshness and a very long, fragrant finish. 312 bottles were made” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“From the Bien Nacido and Sanford & Benedict Vineyards in Santa Barbara County... Opaque ruby-purple in color, this Grenache explodes with pure blueberry, boysenberry, loamy earth, coffee and violet perfume on the nose. The palate is concentrated yet lifted, with abundant, grainy tannins, seamless freshness and a long finish with tremendous floral perfume. It offers considerable complexity at this early stage with its continually shifting nuances on the nose and palate. 310 bottles were made” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The recently bottled 2020 Grenache Distenta II is a blend of 77.9% Grenache, 9.4% Mourvèdre, 7.9% Syrah, 4.3% Petite Sirah and 0.5% Viognier. Fruit comes entirely from the Krankls' estate vineyards: Eleven Confessions (40%), Cumulus (33%), The Third Twin (21%) and Molly Aïda (6%). It was made with 29% whole clusters, predominantly Grenache. "Ten years ago, I was afraid of whole clusters," Manfred Krankl recalls. "Now, I quite like it, especially on Grenache, a little less so on Syrah." Matured about 23 months in 52% new French oak and demi-muids, it has a deep ruby-purple color and blossoms beautifully in a decanter over several hours, particularly notable for its super-fine texture and detailed aromas and flavors. Its youthfully dense wild berry fruit unfolds to nuances of salami, powdered sugar, olive and potpourri as it airs in the glass. Medium-bodied with pixelated tannins, the palate is lighter on its feet than expected, boasting mouthwatering acidity, ethereal, layered flavors and detailed, spicy accents that fan across the finish. Around 1,630 cases and 600 magnums will be made, due to be released in the spring of 2023. March 2023 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 10th Mar 2023, Erin Brooks
The recently bottled 2020 Syrah Distenta II is a blend of 82.9% Syrah, 7.5% Grenache, 3.9% Mourvèdre, 3.4% Petite Sirah and 2.3% white grapes (1.5% Muskat and 0.8% Petit Manseng, to be precise). It comes entirely from estate vineyards: The Third Twin (43%), Eleven Confessions (32%), Cumulus (21%) and Molly Aïda (3%). It was fermented with 16% whole clusters and matured for about 23 months in 66% new French oak. "I like whole cluster less on Syrah," Manfred Krankl explains. "It can be more herbal. But these 2020s are much more fleshy and unctuous, so it shows better." Opaque ruby in color, it opens significantly as it spends time in the decanter, unfolding to cassis, crème de violette, coffee and warm chocolate. The palate embodies weightless power, its concentrated, graphite-laced flavors carried by a velvety, seamless frame, while soft bursts of acidity highlight floral perfume on the long finish. Still very tightly coiled, its intense, latent flavors suggest this has much more to give as it unwinds in bottle. 1,999 cases and 600 magnums will be released in the spring of 2023. March 2023 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 10th Mar 2023, Erin Brooks
The UV site is right in the middle of Russian River, planted to Calera and Vosne-Romanée (suitcase) clones. The 2019 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard was aged in French oak, 60% new, and bottled at the beginning of July. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the nose is wonderfully perfumed, featuring notes of red roses, underbrush, wild sage and menthol over a core of pomegranate, black raspberries and wild strawberries. The palate is softly textured and beautifully balanced with full-bodied, generous fruit and just enough freshness, finishing long with a red berry lift. January 2021 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 8th Jan 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Continuum's 2019 Proprietary Red is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot, all from the estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill. Aged in two-thirds new French oak, with the balance in second or third-use barrels and a single concrete amphora, it's remarkably dark in hue, a deep, saturated purple in the glass. On the nose, it's floral and herbal yet fruit-driven, with violets, sage and bay leaf adding nuance to black cherries, while the palate is full-bodied, plush and silky. There's an enticing yin-yang to the interplay between high-toned herbals and bass notes of dark chocolate in this dense, concentrated effort that finishes lush and long. It's a magnificent wine that should drink well for at least two decades. The Wine Advocate, 31 May 2022, Joe Czerwinski
Exuberantly fruity on the nose, the 2019 Napanook is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Despite seeing 40% new French oak, what shines on the nose are the ripe cherries, delicately brushed with wisps of tobacco, sage and bay leaf. It's medium to full-bodied, supple and silky in feel on the palate, while the finish lingers easily, adding notes of pencil shavings and mocha. To get this sort of pedigree for less than $100 is a rarity in Napa these days, making it a notable value. End of May 2022, The Wine Advocate, 31st May 2022, Joe Czerwinski
The 2019 Insignia is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. The vineyard sources this year include: 32% Yountville (Oak Knoll District), 23% Banca Dorada (Rutherford), 14% Suscol (South Napa Valley), 14% Home Ranch (St. Helena), 12% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 3% Barboza (Stags Leap District) and 2% El Venadito (Oak Knoll District). The wine is aging for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little swirling to unlock a gorgeous perfume of black cherry compote, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of bay leaves, red roses, underbrush and pencil lead plus a hint of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit preserves layers with finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and layered. 18,000 cases are due to be made. Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Ai is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it explodes with vibrant blackberry preserves, warm cassis and black cherry compote notes, plus hints of rose oil, fragrant earth and tar, with a waft of unsmoked cigars. The taut, muscular, full-bodied palate has a grainy texture and refreshing line, finishing with fantastic length. The Wine Advocate, Dec 01, 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Winemaker Michael Silacci commented that usually the blends are finished in January or February after the vintage. This year, with the 2019s, he was still tweaking the blend, but he did mention that this is "pretty close to the final blend." Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making. The Wine Advocate, Mar 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
This is a winemaker’s master class in blending and understanding of a longstanding site. Dried herb, cedar and pencil shavings accent lifted red fruit and brilliant acidity on the palate, with a supple yet still youthfully grippy texture that is framed by structured, graceful tannins. Wine Enthusiast
The 2019 Grenache Distenta I is composed of 76% Grenache, 8% Mourvèdre, 9.3% Syrah, 4.3% Petite Sirah and 2.4% Viognier. The vineyard sources are 11% Cumulus Estate, 39% The Third Twin Estate, 32% Eleven Confessions Estate, 3% Molly Aida and 15% Bien Nacido vineyard. Around 43% whole cluster was performed, predominately on the Grenache. The small proportion of Viognier was co-fermented with red grapes, but interestingly, because it ripens earlier than the reds, the white berries were frozen and added to the reds at the time of fermentation. As an added bonus, these frozen grapes help to cool and, therefore, slow the fermentation. The wine was aged for around 23 months in 26.5% new French oak, 66.7% used oak and 6.8% concrete. It was bottled June 21, 2021. Medium to deep garnet-purple it bursts with profound perfume of black raspberries, boysenberries and cherry preserves, leading to an undercurrent of charcuterie, charcoal, bouquet garni and aniseed. Notions of red roses and garrigue reward patient swirling and coaxing. The full-on full-bodied palate is wonderfully opulent, its intensity offset by fantastic freshness, finishing long with a savory dried herb-laced lift. August 2021 Week 3, The Wine Advocate, 19th Aug 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred told me last year. “It kinda triples the effect of the wine.” The red winemaking included 33% whole cluster. The vineyard sources for this wine are 35% The Third Twin, 33% Eleven Confessions, 31% Cumulus and 1% Molly Aida—all estate-owned vineyards. This wine was bottled at the end of July 2021, after 23 months in French oak, 43% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts from the glass with a powerfully fragrant nose of red roses, Morello cherries, boysenberries and juicy blueberries, followed by hints of mocha, star anise, cardamom and cassia. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed with bright, crunchy black, blue and red fruits. It has a rock-solid structure of firm, finely-grained tannins and seamless freshness lifting the shimmering layers to a long, energetic finish. The complexity and vivacity of this Syrah are simply jaw-dropping! August 2021 Week 3, The Wine Advocate, 19th Aug 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 Aubert Pinot Noirs were bottled at the beginning of July 2019. Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir UV-SL sashays out of the glass with flashy black cherries, black raspberries and mulberries scents plus suggestions of violets, dark chocolate, cinnamon stick and cloves with wafts of garrigue and mossy bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a taut backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and fantastic freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a lingering earthy note. Issue 245 End of October 2019, The Wine Advocate, 1st Nov 2019, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Composed of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple 2018 Proprietary Red has a fantastically fragrant nose of candied violets, red roses, Morello cherries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of wild blueberries, red currant jelly, iron ore and forest floor, plus a waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely packed with tightly wound black and red berry layers, framed by firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredibly persistent and evocative floral and mineral layers. An absolute head-turner, this 2018 is all that and then some. Tim Mondavi mentioned that this is due to be bottled in just a few weeks—mid-August—meaning this barrel sample I tasted is pretty close to being a finished wine. With the estate vineyard turning 10 year's old in 2018, here's where we see how incredibly special this singular Pritchard Hill site really is. August 2020 Week 1, The Wine Advocate, 6 Oct 2020, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine to focus on in this range in 2018. Dark and brooding, the 2018 is such a classic Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet. It offers up copious black fruit, dried herbs, chocolate, lavender and underbrush, all in a super-classic, mid-weight style that is hugely appealing. This might very well be the best value in artisan, high-end California Cabernet
Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Dominus slowly emerges from the glass with profound notes of blackcurrant cordial, ripe black plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with hints of violets, star anise, cracked black pepper, raspberry leaves and pencil lead, plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit layers, creating a beguiling sense of richness that is beautifully countered by invigorating freshness and great poise, framed by super ripe, plush tannins and beautiful tension, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note and, finally, lots of mineral sparks. For all that it is at the moment, one cannot help but feel that this 2018 is holding something back. Give it a good five years in bottle, at least, and then get set for what I suspect will be a mind-blowing transformation over the next 30 years+. 2026-2056 Wine Advocate (253), Feb 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Napanook leaps from the glass with vivacious scents of fresh blueberries, black cherries, crushed blackcurrants and redcurrant jelly with hints of pencil shavings, red roses and dusty soil plus a waft of bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is very tightly wound, allowing glimpses at loads of mineral and savory nuances among the taut black and red fruit notes, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with a compelling herbal lift. 2022-2036 Wine Advocate (253), Feb 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
“ The 2018 Syrah Off the Record is layered, pure and seamless, an archetypal California Syrah with unabashedly ripe, hedonistic fruit. It's composed of some of the best Syrah vineyards in the Central Coast, including The Third Twin, Cumulus, Bien Nacido and Sebastiano ... Bottled in July of 2020 and tasted in May of 2022, it's had a chance to come together gracefully in bottle. Opaque ruby-purple in color, the Off the Record Syrah offers layered scents of cassis, iron, salami, aniseed and fried, savory herbs with touches of cracked pepper and beef drippings. The palate is stunning—it explodes with concentrated, floral fruits and has a silky, seamless feel as it glides through the mouth to a very long, nuanced finish. Wow! Only 193 bottles were made” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Pale ruby in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge opens with classic cranberry, dried citrus peel, aniseed, bark and dried earth with gentle herbal touches. The palate is light-bodied and seriously styled, with a firm frame and earth-laced fruits, finishing long with bright freshness. September 2020 Week 4, The Wine Advocate, 24 Sep 2020, Erin Brooks
Blackberry and black chocolate with mint, conifer and clove. Sweet tobacco, violets and flowers, too. Some graphite. Cool and complex. Full-bodied with ultra fine, dusty tannins and a wonderful, extremely long finish. Savory and refined. A classic-styled 2018. This needs time, but is so approachable and gorgeous. One of the best Insignias ever. Alive and changing all the time. 40% Stags Leap AVA. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 8% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% cabernet franc. Leave this for five or six years, but so wonderful now. James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
The 2018 Pinot Noir is gorgeous. Deep and super-expressive, the 2018 has so much to say. Hints of dried herbs, blood orange, rose petal, cinnamon and star anise complement a core of red cherry/plum fruit nicely. This stylish, elegant Pinot has a ton of offer. But it also needs time, as the stem component is a bit pronounced in the early going
Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note. The Wine Advocate (253), Feb 2021, Lisa Perrotti-Brown