An utterly perfect wine that exemplifies this extraordinary vintage for North Coast Bordeaux varietals is the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder, which comes from the Jackson family's Veeder Peak Vineyard. Unfortunately, slightly less than 300 cases were produced, so availability is limited. A dense opaque blue/purple color is followed by notes of lead pencil shavings, ink, blueberry liqueur, raspberries and black currants. The wine is super intense as well as extremely full-bodied and opulent with great structure, purity and density. (I know this sounds weird, but when I smelled and tasted it, it reminded me of the 2010 La Mission Haut Brion that I had tasted a month earlier, no doubt because of its volcanic/hot rock-like character.) This phenomenal wine is a modern day legend from Napa. Still a youngster in terms of its development, it should hit its peak in another 5-6 years and keep for 30+. Winemaker Chris Carpenter, who has worked for the late Jess Jackson for many years, hit pay dirt at Lokoya in nearly every vintage. Certainly these 2001s have aged magnificently over the last decade. These 100% Cabernet Sauvignons are aged for 18-22 months in 100% new French oak and are bottled with no fining or filtration.

Coming from a coastal site just four miles off the Pacific, the 2015 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard was barrel fermented and aged 16 months in 43% new French oak. Buttered citrus, lemon, honeysuckle, white flowers, and building, salty minerality all emerge from this awesomely concentrated, deep, layered, and structured Chardonnay. This is a powerhouse. Full-bodied, opulent, concentrated, yet with bright acidity and perfect balance, it's an incredible effort and one of the finest Chardonnays out there.

Ted Edwards is probably the most underrated winemaker in America, though he’s been at the helm of one of the Napa Valley’s most important wineries for about three decades. Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon helped put the Napa Valley on the map, its Bosche Cab from a small vineyard in Rutherford. Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon can age for up to 30 years. The 2013 is yet another in the winery’s long chain of successes from this vineyard treasure. The soft-spoken Edwards has crafter another masterpiece, a monumental wine that is remarkably concentrated and powerful without being ponderous or heavy. Notes of cassis and blackberry, wood spice and beautifully integrated tannins make the 2013 Bosche irresistible even at this early stage, but it really needs another 10 to 12 years to really strut its stuff.

The Top 40

A lovely cool vintage expression, the oak already seamlessly integrated. This is a wine of exquisite balance and harmony, tender and almost delicate but for the considerable, if disguised, power. There are subtle rose petal notes alongside the more predominant dark berries and a little walnut. Sapid, juicy, lithe and springy in texture, the tannins grip and engage and break up the outer surface of the wine releasing and injecting pure fresh fruit in waves right into the midst of the palate. They build the sensation of fruit intensity as they do so. Fabulous. A wine of layered complexity aligned with wondrous freshness

This beautiful merlot-based wine offers depth, silkiness, layering and subtle, enticing
flavors. It tightens up snugly on the palate while fine, powdery tannins add texture and good
acidity gives balance. An age-worthy red and a great example of an excellent vintage.
Blended with 6% cabernet franc and 5% malbec. Drink now or hold.

The 2023 Le Désir is made from 85% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 5% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out with showy notes of red currants, juicy blackberries, and boysenberries, opening out to reveal a fragrant undercurrent of iris, wet slate, wild sage, and forest floor. Full-bodied, the palate is electric with tension and vibrancy, framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and perfumed. Gorgeous! 

Sumptuous aromatics of pomegranate, black raspberry, clove, orange zest, toasted vanilla, and dried florals arise on the nose of this wine. The palate offers concentrated black currant, black strawberry, coriander, mocha, candied orange zest, and tannins on the finish.

Polish, intensity, and suaveness define this wine, underpinned by an utterly powerful backbone of dusty mountain tannin that supports pure red berry and black cherry fruit, layered with plum, Asian spice nuances, and a subtle minty freshness. Mineral-led, full-bodied, deeply layered, and expressive, the finish is strikingly long—so long, and so fresh in this vintage. This Merlot hails from the same block within the W.S. Keyes Vineyard that Tom Rinaldi once sourced for Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot in the early days. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has a bold vision for this wine, aiming for it to compete on the world stage alongside benchmarks such as Masseto and Pétrus. The Merlot grapes here have thick skins, and Carpenter leans fully into that intensity, blending in 18% Cabernet Sauvignon from the same site to amplify structure and depth. Native fermentations take place in stainless steel, followed by ageing for 22 months in 73% new French oak barrels.

Cabernet Franc has been made continuously at La Jota Vineyard Co. since 1976, notes winemaker Chris Carpenter. As the wine’s popularity has grown, additional Cabernet Franc vines have been planted at both the Keyes Vineyard and La Jota estate vineyards. The 2023 is a 100% Cabernet Franc, aged for 22 months in 60% new French oak. The wine is ultra-polished and supremely suave, brimming with energy and drive. Pure blackberry and black cherry fruit sit at the core, lifted by blue-skinned fruit aromatics, high-toned sagebrush notes, and accents of smoked paprika and dried thyme. The concentration is positively potent, supported by ultra-fine, immensely powerful tannins and a strikingly mineral finish of exceptional length. There is a saline intensity to the mineral character, and while the tannins are formidable, they are also refined and seamlessly integrated, making the wine remarkably drinkable in its youth, yet clearly destined to age gracefully and develop extraordinary complexity over time in the cellar.

This energetic, finely sculpted Grenache represents the high-water mark of what Yangarra’s late winemaker Peter Fraser strived to capture from this unique 1.7 hectare block of 1946 bush vines on deep, ancient sand. It’s a delicate balancing act, showing bountiful aromas of perfumed red berries, yet still bound by restraint and elegance. There is luscious satsuma plum, dazzling fresh raspberry and a hint of clove on a lively, lengthy mid-palate that is never allowed to run wild. Instead, a keen savoury finish is defined by finely-sculped fine-grain tannins. Complex and engrossing.

Sourced entirely from the estate-owned W.S. Keyes Vineyard at 556 metres elevation, the 2023 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold yet strikingly composed wine. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes that Howell Mountain is the coldest of Napa’s mountain AVAs, where tannins are typically broad in shape and structure. Texturally, this is a compelling experience on the palate, with palate-etching tannins that carry a fine, pebbly, dusty granularity, framed by blue- and black-fruited depth and an ironstone mineral core. The fruit and structure build steadily towards a sanguine, subtly saline finish, layered again and again with mineral intensity. Fresh bay laurel and mint lift the long, persistent finish, which easily stretches to a full minute.

In my tasting with winemaker Chris Carpenter, we spoke at length about how Lokoya
expresses Napa’s mountain sub-appellations with site-specific clarity. But with Cardinale –
the Oakville-based crown jewel of the Jackson Family portfolio – the philosophy is different:
the sum must be greater than the parts. This is not an estate wine. It is a masterful blend,
culled from multiple appellations, including Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, Howell
Mountain, Mount Veeder, Atlas Peak, Stags Leap, Rutherford, and St Helena, with 4%
Merlot from the Keyes Estate Vineyard on Howell Mountain. The wine was aged for 22
months in 76% new French oak. Inky, black-fruited notes are laced with intensely perfumed
red and white rose petals, along with lilac, a dusting of white pepper, and sagebrush. Heady
red spices, crushed-stone minerality, and powerful tannins build with real intensity before
resolving into a polished, mouthwatering finish.

Another heavenly wine, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain offers more red, blue, and black fruits, exotic flowers, graphite, and crushed stone, as well as that classic Spring Mountain vibrant and exotic character that defines the appellation. Based on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 73% new oak, it's deep and full-bodied on the palate, with ample tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. As with all of these 2023s from Lokoya, it's built for the cellar. Hide bottles for 4-6 years and it could be a 40- or 50-, if not 60+-year wine. There are 935 cases produced. Drink 2030-2075.

Based on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 80% new oak, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain tastes like the blood of Cabernet with its deep red and black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and violets, as well as an underlying spice and meatiness that give it incredible complexity. It's full-bodied, rich, opulent, and powerful on the palate, with flawless overall balance, incredible purity, and a monster of a finish. There are 867 cases produced. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will drink beautifully over the following four decades. Drink 2029-2069.

Based on 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in 84% new oak, the 2023 Merlot W.S. Keyes Vineyard is a blockbuster effort from this incredible site. Deep purple-hued, it offers juicy, almost crunchy black cherries, cassis, sappy spring flowers, and the classic freshly sharpened pencil and graphite nuances that are the hallmark of the vintage. It's rich and full-bodied, with incredible vibrancy and purity, as well as a great finish. There are 426 cases produced, and it will benefit from 7-8 years of cellaring if you can wait. Drink 2032-2052.

Based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot and aged in 76% new oak, the 2023
Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep purple hue and offers up a massive nose of crème de
cassis, crushed stone, liquid violets, and freshly sharpened pencil. It's deep, rich, fullbodied, and voluptuous on the palate, with a sensational level of purity, an expansive,
opulent mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. There are roughly 3,500 cases of this
magical elixir, which will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for 40+ years if well
stored. Drink 2030-2070.

The gorgeous 2022 Jett ‘Skysill Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon was stored for 20 months in 77% new French oak before bottling. This is a silky, refined and luxurious wine that has gobs of freshness and flavor density. Heady black fruits mingle well with pencil lead, anise, dried herbs and shades of black licorice. This is the quintessential iron fist in a velvet glove.

The 2022 Le Désir is made from 80% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple colored, it waltzes out with a gorgeous perfume of roses, violets, and cinnamon stick, leading to a core of black raspberries, Bing cherries, and red currants, with a touch of crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is so, so bright and shimmery with intense red berry and floral layers and amazing tension, backed by firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing very long and minerally. Gorgeous! 

The 2024 High Sands Grenache includes a little component of whole bunches for the first
time. This component was vinified as 100% whole bunch, and this was added
incrementally until the desired outcome was achieved—the total was only around 10% in
the end. For me, the nose is fresher and more fragrant, the palate has more capaciousness,
and the perfume translates with seamlessness and eloquence on the palate. The oak
component is invisible (perhaps just a factor of the fruit character of the year, as the
proportion of "new" or "how much" has not changed), and the fruit is a product of the
sensational 2024 vintage. Wow. This is an important evolution in the history of this great
wine, and while not all are developments that a (any) winemaker may choose, this one is
both obvious and genius. This is an unbelievable wine. This is inherently McLaren Vale,
which is emerging as a unique proposition in the global realm of fine Grenache.

One of my favorites in the lineup as well as an absolutely magical Pinot Noir, the 2023 Pinot Noir
3D was not destemmed and spent 15 months in 100% neutral oak barrels. It offers medium to
full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe raspberries, rose petals, iodine, and peppery herbs.
Flawlessly balanced, it has ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and
extraordinary length. This is easily one of the wines of the vintage. It reminds me of a great VosneRomanée with its overall balance and sense of class. It should have 15 years of longevity.

Brilliant. The Cabernet Franc is so fran(c)kly and impressively expressive! Radiant. That ‘blueberry and violet meets fresh wild mountain herbs’ thing. Green Szechuan peppercorns too, cracked and then crushed revealing all their freshness and subtle piquancy. So pure, precise and focussed. Poised, tense, racy yet plump, plush and succulent. Above all, this is profoundly juicy and sapid in the depths of the mid-palate. So gracious. Utterly divine. One of the stars of autumn collection once again. If to covet is to sin, I plead guilty! 

The Cabernet Franc vines here are shaded by towering Douglas firs that cast long shadows
across the site as the sun sets. Originally intended as a blending component for the
Cabernet Sauvignon, winemaker Chris Carpenter was so struck by the wine’s signature
that he chose to bottle it on its own—especially given its kinship to the La Jota Cabernet
Franc from Howell Mountain. But here, across the valley on Mount Veeder, the wine takes
on a distinct profile, with an intense forest berry character that carries through to the
tannins. There’s a deep, redwood or conifer-like quality to them—dark and firm like the bark
of those trees—. Yet, they’re finely grained and seamlessly integrated, forming a solid
foundation for layers of blackberry fruit, rich brown baking spice, dark salted chocolate,
and a piercing graphite minerality that spreads across the palate with thrilling precision. It’s
a structural marvel, and all the more impressive in the challenging 2022 vintage. Enjoy now
for its up-front decadence of dark fruit and spice, or cellar it and watch it evolve into
something truly magical over the next 20 to 30 years.

Chris Carpenter’s thesis at UC Davis was on Malbec, and the knowledge he gained—
especially from studying the grape in Argentina—informs his approach today. When he
began working with this fruit (originally planted in the early 2000s, with a second planting in
2008), he applied that foundation with precision. He’s quick to point out that this is not an
Australian Cabernet substitute—he’s drawn to Malbec’s bright red fruit and rhubarb-like
character. And in the glass? This is, without exaggeration, one of the most compelling
Malbecs I’ve tasted from the United States. It delivers a vivid profile of blue fruit, riveting
dark raspberry, and mineral tension, all wrapped in hauntingly floral aromatics. The palate
is medium to full-bodied, with richness that never tips into excess. Everything is in
balance—fruit, freshness, structure. The tannins are superfine and velvety, and the finish
goes on for days. For those who think they know Malbec, this wine from Napa will challenge
and expand your expectations. A life-changing bottle—seek it out.

The 2021 ‘La Muse’ is nearly all Merlot (90%) with the remainder Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Gorgeous florals on the nose mingle with dark currants, tobacco leaf, and shades of graphite. The drop-dead gorgeous aromatics pull you back to the glass. The palate is ultra-refined with smooth tannins and a silky mouthfeel.