The Wine Independent (100)

The 2021 Dominus, 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, is opaque purple-black in color. It needs a lot of coaxing to lure out scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, blackberry preserves, stewed plums, and boysenberries giving way to subtle nuances of violets, licorice, and tar plus a touch of cedar in the background. The full-bodied palate is taut with densely laden, muscular black fruits framed by a firm grainy texture and well-played tension, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. A stunning vinous record of time and place, this is a 50-year+ Napa Cabernet to be experienced across generations. 3,700 cases were made.

James Suckling (99)

Fantastic aromas of blackcurrants and other dark fruit with crushed stone, iron and oysters, following through to a full body that shows incredible energy and depth, offering ripe yet fresh fruit, together with bright herbs and earth. Precision and balance of the intensity of the vintage. Layered. Perhaps the greatest Don Melchor ever made. Try after 2022.

James Suckling (100)

This is amazing. The vibrancy and energy in this wine is stunning. The complexity of aromas are breathtaking with flowers, blackcurrants, raspberries and peaches. Full-bodied, yet ever so refined and polished with impeccable texture and beauty. The length is marvelous. This is a testimony to balance, harmony and transparency in a great red. Drink after 2023.

James Suckling (98)

Very perfumed and aromatic with blackcurrant, sweet-tobacco and Spanish-cedar character. Full-bodied with ultra fine tannins that build on the palate and take the fruit and other flavors to an endless finish. More refined than the perfect 2018 and almost as compelling. Drink in 2023 or after.

James Suckling (97)

Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024.

James Suckling (99)

Ashy graphite, cassis, iron, blackberries and a hint of cigar box and chocolate. Lots of violets, too. Rich and intense with a full-bodied palate. Showing density and very fine but structured tannins. Long and intense finish with lots of flavors. 93% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc and 3% merlot. One of the best over the last few years. Drinkable now, but will fledge and hold very well in the next 20 years.

The Donelan Cuvee Christine Syrah 2012 is an exquisite fine wine, crafted in the heart of Sonoma County, California. This unparalleled vintage stands as a testament to Donelan Family Vineyards' commitment to produce wines of exceptional quality and character.

The Syrah berries, grown in two vineyard locations, were handpicked and carefully sorted to ensure only the finest grapes were fermented in small lots. Aged for 20 months in French oak, the 2012 Cuvee delivers an elegant, nuanced palate of dark fruit, pepper and savoury herbs, beneath a graceful structure.

The wine reveals a layered complexity, a testament to winemaker Joe Nielsen's expertise. Its full-bodied richness and smooth tannins make the Donelan Cuvee Christine Syrah 2012 an excellent partner to robust dishes. A limited production wine that embodies the essence of the cool climate Syrah in the best vintage years, it represents the pinnacle of Donelan's ongoing pursuit of excellence in winemaking.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)

The 2021 Chardonnay DuMOL Estate Vineyard is a powerful, phenolic, driving wine. Sage, crushed rocks, lemon peel, mint, white pepper and dried herbs infuse the Estate with tremendous complexity. High-density plantings of Mount Eden clone Chardonnay on this site yield a wine of tremendous distinctiveness and vibrancy.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2021 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard needs quite a bit of coaxing to unlock notes of ripe yellow apples, grapefruit oil, orange peel, and juicy peaches, leading to wafts of wet slate, shaved ginger, and almond croissant. The medium-bodied palate has super-charged intensity, delivering layer upon layer of citrus, stone fruit, and mineral flavors with a silky texture and laser-precise acidity, finishing with incredible length and so many citrus and mineral sparks. This is phenomenal Chardonnay! These Hyde Vineyard vines were planted in 1986. "Hyde were the first to do custom growing and they do it so well," commented DuMOL's winemaker, Andy Smith. "The shoot growth in 2021 was very low and the yields were down from a typical 21 barrels to 17 barrels. But I believe this is the best quality is the best they've ever had from here." I agree. For number crunchers, the pH is 3.38, and ABV is 13.7%.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The upper third of the Hyde Vineyard goes into this bottling and the lower part goes into the HHS. The nose of the 2022 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is spectacular, with notes of honeycomb, fresh pear, white flowers, and honeyed lemon. The palate offers incredible texture and vibrant fresh acidity, with an elegant feel and a long, long finish. A mouthwatering white, it’s going to be worth laying down and checking in on in a few years. Drink 2026-2038. 22 barrels produced.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (97)

Rich, heady and explosive, the 2024 Pinot Noir MacIntyre Estate is one of the highlights in this range. The purity of fruit here is just captivating. Dark red/blue fruit, rose petal, lavender, new leather and blood orange stain the palate. Unctuous and heady but not at all overdone, the 2024 is magnificent.

The Wine Independent (97)

Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard comes barreling out with bold notes of fresh blackberries and black cherries opening out to suggestions of anise, garrigue, and lilacs. The medium-bodied palate reveals impactful black berry flavors with wonderfully spicy accents supported by grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long with a minerally lift. This is an all Calera vineyard.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Sixty percent of the 2022 Pinot Noir Finn comes from the Bressay Vineyard with Calera selection and the rest from old vines on Occidental Road, with unknown plant material (planted with eight or so clones) that they pick all at one time, which adds a lot of complexity to this wine. It opens to complex and layered aromas of kirsch, fresh violets, sweet tobacco, and mossy earth, followed on the palate by a complete wine with velvety tannins and harmonious acidity, everything coming together seamlessly. A stunning wine, it’s one of the best wines of the vintage. It’s going to be hard to hold in the cellar, but it will be worth it. Drink 2024-2050.

Wine Advocate (98+)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (containing a splash of Cabernet Franc) is a brand-new wine, representing a collaboration between Dalla Valle in Napa Valley and Ornellaia Estate in Tuscany (hence DVO). Deep garnet-purple colored, it is intensely scented of baked plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with an emerging perfume of potpourri, Indian spices and forest floor. The full-bodied palate is opulently fruited and plushly textured, delivering bags of floral and spicy nuances with a long, mineral and earth-tinged finish. Draped in flamboyant drama, this is a very different, very exciting new face of Napa Valley! 400 cases were made.

James Suckling (97)

Intense aromas of black fruit, cocoa powder, black olives, dried violets, tar and cigar box. Some black peppercorn, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, chalky tannins. Incredible intensity and purity of fruit with gorgeous breadth and depth. Superb, new-wave Napa red. 80% cabernet sauvignon, the rest mostly cabernet franc with a hit of petit verdot. Try from 2025.

Decanter (100)

One of the most legendary vineyards in the Napa Valley, the Eisele Vineyard was purchased by François Pinault of Château Latour in Pauillac in the Médoc, Bordeaux from the Araujo family which had owned it for 23 years (from 1990 to 2013). The winemaking is now in the hands of 41-year-old winemaker Hélène Mingot. For this vintage, Hélène used only rockiest blocks planted in shallow soils near Simmons Creek.

James Suckling (98)

Aromas of blueberries and currants and floral hints, such as violets, with subtle minerality. Opens into true beauty and pureness of fruit. Medium to full body. Seamless tannins spread across the palate. Shows finesse and focus and the true character of Eisele. Beautifully crafted. Try after 2023, but already a joy to taste.

The Wine Independent (99)

The 2018 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet-purple color. It is shut tight to begin, needing a lot of swirling to coax out fragrant notes of black cherries, freshly crushed blackcurrants, and mulberries, giving way to notes of iris bulb, black soil, molten licorice, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is very taut, tightly wound, and muscular with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

I was also able to taste the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an utterly classic Napa Cabernet with its layered, expansive mouthfeel and majestic style. Red and black currants, savory herbs, tobacco, new leather, and pressed roses all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a deep, layered mouthfeel, an incredible salinity and minerality, and a gorgeous finish. It's pure class and elegance married with incredible Napa fruit. As with many 2019s, it already offers pleasure yet this should benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and I wouldn t be surprised to see it evolve for 30+ years.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

I was also able to taste the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an utterly classic Napa Cabernet with its layered, expansive mouthfeel and majestic style. Red and black currants, savory herbs, tobacco, new leather, and pressed roses all define the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a deep, layered mouthfeel, an incredible salinity and minerality, and a gorgeous finish. It's pure class and elegance married with incredible Napa fruit. As with many 2019s, it already offers pleasure yet this should benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and I wouldn t be surprised to see it evolve for 30+ years.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Made “like a flan”, according to Ale Vigil, this is a co-fermented blend of Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, with lots of whole bunches and aged in old wooden foudres. Zesty and fresh, with the low alcohol and focus that are a feature of El Enemigo style, it’s savoury and bright with salty minerality and graphite and green herb flavours.

James Suckling (98)

This is really amazing with an exotic dried-fruit character of pineapple and mangoes. Full-bodied, rich and fruity with cream, pie-crust and caramel character. Crazy chardonnay with a little Jura style and some flor undertones. It really does have flor in the barrel when aging. Love. Get it. Drink now.

James Suckling (98)

A tight and beautiful white with a dense palate of beautiful, ripe lemons and apples. Layered and refined with phenolic tension. Complex yeast and hints of oak and flor. Full body. Great length. 80 per cent flor-growth in barrel. Drink now.

James Suckling (97)

This is another rock-star chardonnay from here with dried-apple, pear-skin, crushed-stone and peach-pit character. Full body. Creamy texture. Phenolic form and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

Cooked apple, lemon curd and light vanilla on the nose, together with stone, mineral and some dried flowers. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and beautiful fruit. Hints of vanilla and pie crust in the aftertaste. Always great quality for the price. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

This has aromas of ripe apricots, buttercream, baked apples and pastries. Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy, round and almost oily texture. Lovely balance of ripe fruit and toasted-pastry notes with bright acidity. Delicious finish. Fantastic value, as always. Drink now or hold.

James Suckling (97)

A hint of flint and gunpowder with waxed lemon, oyster shell, mango and salted green apples. Quite a textured, saline expression of chardonnay with tangy flavors and a mineral drive. Full-bodied and reductive with phenolic support. Savory, saline and mouthwatering finish. Love the austerity here. Drink or hold.