"Bright medium ruby. Crystallized black raspberry, blueberry, violet and some sexy earth tones on the alluring nose. Suave and savory on the palate, conveying a seductive creaminess of texture to its dark fruit, mocha and soil flavors. I loved this wine's 3-D, mouth-saturating character and complicating salinity. Really resounds on the very long, chewy, savory finish, where the ripe tannins are nicely buffered by the wine's strong mid-palate material." -Vinous
Robert Parker
RP97
"Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection comes wafting out of the glass with drop-dead gorgeous scents of Christmas cake, Chinese five spice, sandalwood and dried roses over a core of warm cassis, dried mulberries and stewed tea plus wafts of pencil lead and underbrush. Full-bodied, the palate is oh-so-light on its feet, featuring layers of perfumed black and red fruit preserves and an exquisitely fine-grained frame, finishing long with bags of freshness and loads of minerally sparks."
Wine Spectator
WS93
"Temptingly rich and layered, with complex mocha, plum and wild berry fruit that's spicy and aromatic. Full-bodied, gaining depth and turning ever more elegant and detailed, with tannins that give this traction."
Wine Enthusiast
WE97
"So delicious now, you can hardly keep your hands off it. Blackberry tart, ripe blueberry, cassis, milk chocolate, licorice and sweet, smoky cedar flavors flood the mouth, dramatically huge and memorable, and lasting long into the finish. The tannins are obvious, but sweetly ripe and soft. A brilliant evocation of Napa Cabernet, despite a high production level of nearly 30,000 cases, which is about the same size as a Bordeaux first growth. Shows the class and potency this bottling has exhibited for many years, and believe it or not, the price is a is a relative bargain these days."
