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2021 | JS 93
A "second wine" white from Chateau Cos d'Estournel, noted for its excellent balance and high-quality crafting, often described as having "shockingly good" quality.
2022 | JS 95
Medium-bodied with density and fine acidity. It balances rich fruit with a stony, mineral tension.
About Winery
Chateau Cos d'Estournel is a Grand Cru vineyard located in St. Estephe. Its oriental facade is adorned with three pagoda turrets, all cast in a soft golden sandstone. Chateau Cos d'Estournel today covers 170 acres separated from Chateau Lafite, along the southern edge, by the stream between St. Estephe and Pauillac.
The gravelly soil, over a flint, limestone and silicate subsoil low in nitrogen, has eroded over centuries to form steep ridges which perfectly drain the vineyards. The vineyards are planted 60 percent in Cabernet Sauvignon vines, 2 percent of Cabernet Franc, and 38 percent in Merlot. Naturally, the percentage of Cabernet or Merlot in the composition of each vintage depends on the climate which favors one grape variety or the other.
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Del Dotto Cinghiale Vineyard Pinot Noir is an elegant, red-fruit-forward California wine originating from the Sonoma Coast and Fort Ross-Seaview
About Winery
Although the Del Dotto story begins on our Rutherford Estate, it has expanded to include seven other specially selected appellations.
Currently our footprint consists of 437 acres with 121 acres planted of varietals including chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and sangiovese. It took 18 years to find the ideal sites to cultivate each individually selected grape clone and to maximize the terroir flavors in the wines. Each vineyard is organically farmed, with no chemical sprays or fertilizers, and all weeding performed by hand. The plants are meticulously cared for by professional vineyard workers in order to maintain the quality of the crop that defines the Del Dotto reputation.
Winemaker Notes
To celebrate the 30th vintage of Dominus as well as an exceptional year for Napa Valley, the 2013 label dons a special portrait of Christian Moueix by William Kentridge. Kentridge is a South African artist internationally known for his prints, drawings, animations and more recently, stage design for opera.
About Winery
The vineyards of Dominus Estate have connections to the original history of the Napa Valley as they date back to the mid 1850’s, or even earlier, when it was first cultivated. At the time, it was known as the Napanook vineyard.
In the late 1960s, while attending the University of California at Davis, Christian Moueix fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. Son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer from Libourne, France, Moueix returned home in 1970 to manage the family vineyards, including Chateaux Petrus, La Fleur-Petrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in St. Emilion.
His love of Napa Valley lingered and in 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook vineyard, a 124-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, the daughters of John Daniels who owned the vineyard. In 1995, he became the sole owner of the estate and chose the name Dominus, or “Lord of the Estate” in Latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.
One of the most respected wine producers in the world, Christian Moueix is on a personal quest for perfection in grape growing and winemaking. It is a journey that began in Bordeaux and continues today at Dominus Estate.
Winemaker Notes
Since the inaugural Skipstone vintage of 2005, our annual approach with Oliver’s Blend is to create a blend of Cabernet Sauvignons from up to 20 individual small lots. Each lot has a unique profile (based on soil type, exposure and clonal selection) and blended they create a foundation. This Cabernet Sauvignon is then embellished with small amounts of our other blending varietals to best showcase the vintage.
With so many pockets of soil differentiation and exposures, Oliver’s Blend is a symphonic compilation of aroma and flavor. This, coupled with clonal diversity of multiple Cabernet clones throughout our hillside plantings, creates an exceptionally complex wine. Year after year, this is a wine of profound power and elegance.
Oliver’s Blend is aged for two years in barrel and another year in bottle prior to our release. This highly-structured Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent candidate for further cellaring, with potential to age for decades.
About Winery
Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.
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2012 | WE 95
Darker fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant) compared to some vintages, with notes of cassis, tobacco, and cedar.
2015 | WE 95
Notes of blackberry, plum, prune, licorice, and cedar, with a polished, fleshy texture.
2016 | WS 96
Structured and firm, yet balanced with supple tannins, offering a medium-to-full-bodied experience.
2018 | WS 97
Features well-defined blackberry, cedar, blueberry, and liquorice notes with a polished, long, and elegant finish.
2020 | D 95
The 2020 vintage shows intense aromas of blackberry, bilberry, and light minty notes. It has a polished, creamy texture with blue fruit, blackcurrants, and fine-grained tannins.
2021 | D 94
Sleek, finessed, and aromatic with notes of cassis, violets, and cedar.
About Winery
Chateau Branaire-Ducru's 120 acres is located in the St. Julien region of France and has such famous neighbors as Cheateau Gruaud-Larose, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou and Chateau Beychevelle.The name, given by the former owner Monsieur Ducru, means "beautiful pebbles". One of the main features of the vineyard is its richness in pebbles which contribute to the greatness of so many wines of the Medoc.
Just before the war, the vineyard became run down and many Bordeaux critics felt it no longer deserved its rank as a Second Growth. During the Medoc Classification of 1855, the Chateau was rated as a Fourth Growth. In 1942 the Borie family purchased the vineyard completely revamped the vineyard and it began receiving top ratings amongst the Second Growths. Successive generations of the Borie family oversee all winemaking operations.
Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet colored, the 2013 Opus One needs a little swirling before exploding with preserved black and blue fruits—blueberry compote, blackberry pie and blackcurrant cordial—giving way to notes of unsmoked cigars, new leather, beef drippings and menthol with wafts of roasted rosemary and rose oil.
About Winery
Rising gracefully from the vineyards, Opus One winery stands in subtle celebration of the land and the open space that surrounds the estate. It remains an ongoing testament to the founders’ vision of a singular wine that transcends generations.
The estate vineyards of Opus One, comprised of four parcels, sit in the western portion of the famed Oakville AVA in Napa Valley. Two parcels, totaling 100 acres, are within the renowned To Kalon Vineyard. These are complemented by the combined 70 acres of the Ballestra and River parcels, which envelop the winery. In the vineyards, hand-harvesting and other traditional approaches are taken wherever they work best. When modern techniques benefit the winegrowing process, they are researched, evaluated and integrated into practice.
2018 | V 95
The warm growing season gave this wine it’s rich and dark character. The nose is filled with black cherry, blackberry, cassis, and fig, which is perfectly complimented by the classic PlumpJack sage and mint. The palate is silky upon entry and opens up to juicy blackberry and black cherry. The balanced acid and well-integrated tannin give this wine energy and length and leads to a beautiful raspberry and spice finish.
Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot
About Winery
PlumpJack Winery sits squarely in the heart of Napa Valley's renowned Oakville region, surrounded by a 42-acre estate vineyard highly-regarded for the quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon. Both their winery building and their vineyard date back to the 1800s, when winemaking pioneers first took advantage of a unique position on the valley floor. The east side of their vineyard lies along the foothills of the Vaca mountain range and yields grapes with the kind of bold fruit character that comes from well-drained hillside soils. To the west, their estate lies in the Napa River flood zone. Here, their vines take root in rich, deep clay soild, for grapes with softer, more supple varietal character. From their oldest, rockiest section - the "I" Block, where they source their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - to more recent plantings, they strive to maintain balanced vines.
2015 dominus estate christian moueix
Rich Color & AromasDeep ruby-purple in the glass. Aromas burst with red and black fruits—wild blueberries, blackberries, red currant—layered with black cherry, limestone soil, graphite, anise, warm citrus, marzipan, and hints of forest floor .
Complex BouquetIt teases with crème de cassis, damp earth, tobacco leaf, smoke, spring flowers, sandalwood, roses, dried violets, and savory notes of capsicum, sage, bay leaf, cocoa nibs, black olive, licorice, and cured meat .
Elegant Structure & PalateFull-bodied yet weightless, with polished, grain‑fine tannins and vibrant acidity. The palate unfolds with pure, concentrated fruit—the hallmark of its impeccable balance. Oak influence is subtle—just 40% new French—to allow terroir expression .
Long, Layered FinishSeamless transition to a lingering finish, marked by depth, freshness, and savory-mineral elegance. Built for both pleasure now and long-term aging—expect evolution over the next 25–30 years .
🌟 Accolades & Insights
100 pts – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “leaps from the glass… incredible energy and vivacity… firm, pixelated tannins… wonderful length and depth” .
100 pts – Jeb Dunnuck: “flawless… a legend in the making… elegance and power… awesome length” .
Dominus EstateRooted in Napa Valley history, Dominus Estate occupies the famed Napanook vineyard—first cultivated in the mid-1800s and known for producing legendary wines of the 1940s and ’50s.
In 1981, Bordeaux vintner Christian Moueix—son of Jean-Pierre Moueix of Château Pétrus—discovered the historic 124-acre site while honoring a passion for Napa first sparked at UC Davis. By 1995, he became sole owner, naming it Dominus ("Lord of the Estate") to reflect his deep commitment to the land.
Today, Moueix's fusion of Bordeaux tradition and Napa terroir continues to craft some of the region’s most iconic and age-worthy wines.
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About Winery
Domaine Chanson, founded in 1750 in Savigny-lès-Beaune, Burgundy, is one of the region’s oldest and most historic wine producers, with roots stretching back nearly three centuries. It is one of only six Burgundy estates still surviving from the 18th century, and its heritage is tied to the Bastion de l’Oratoire, a fortified tower built in the 15th century that now houses thousands of bottles in ideal aging conditions. Over generations, the Chanson family expanded vineyard holdings across Burgundy, including prestigious parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Mercurey, and Rully, eventually cultivating over 111 acres of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. In 1999, the estate was revitalized under new ownership, restoring its reputation as a leading Burgundy producer. Today, Domaine Chanson continues to blend tradition and modernity, producing wines with precision and respect for terroir, and remains a benchmark for Côte de Beaune Premier Cru wines.
Tasting Notes
The 1989 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is considered a solid but now mature wine, originally praised for its cedar, tobacco, vanilla, cassis, and red currant notes, though bottles today may vary significantly depending on storage, with some showing elegance and others past their prime.
About Winery
Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality.
Joe’s son, Bill Phelps, joined the family business in 1998 after a successful career in law, and as Executive Chairman now oversees Joseph Phelps Vineyards with a continued dedication to excellence.
Family owns and farms 425 acres of vines in Napa Valley on nine estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to an estate-based model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards, paired with select long-term grower relationships, give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.
Winemaker Notes
Shy at first, the 2019 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that takes its time to show its true characteristics. Dark fruit and toasted oak explode from the glass to invite you in. Once the wine opens up, currants, smoky oak and bold tannins round out a luscious mid-palate.
About us
Palmaz Vineyards’ winemaking takes place in a flawlessly engineered maze of tunnels and domes carved into rock at the base of Napa’s Mount George.
The winery is built into an 18-story cavern in the flank of Mount George, providing it with not only all the benefits of gravity-flow winemaking but also the natural temperature control of a cave. By eliminating mechanical pumps from the winemaking process, gravity-flow design minimizes the turbulence that damages wines’ molecular structure. In 1881, gold rush pioneer Henry Hagan founded the Cedar Knoll Winery. His wines would go on to be served at the San Francisco Opera House and could be found on the dining room tables of San Francisco's high society. The winery was abandoned after the death of Henry Hagan and the onset of Prohibition. The Palmaz family purchased the Hagan property in the late 1990s and promptly set about crafting premium wines from their 45 distinct vineyard blocks, while also restoring the once grand estate to its former glory. The 2013 Cabernet bottling is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc aged 20 months in 89% new French oak.
Jerry’s instincts led him to two regions located about 75 miles apart. In the early 1970s, he chose Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco district for its cool, windy climate and rocky soils as ideal for Chardonnay. In the 1980s, he recognized the potential of Paso Robles for growing Bordeaux varietals, especially Cabernet Sauvignon – given the area’s rich soils and dramatic diurnal temperature swings between warm days and cool nights.
After Jerry Lohr’s nearly decade-long search for the right place to plant his first vineyard, he chose a site in Monterey County that was to become the heart of the Arroyo Seco appellation. Jerry originally planted 280 acres in 1972 and 1973 near Greenfield. Monterey County’s Arroyo Seco appellation has proved ideal for growing layered, complex Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Brisk winds and fog off Monterey Bay, stony, well-drained soils, and a lack of damaging fall rains all combine to produce grapes with trademark fruit intensity and balancing acidity. In 1974, Jerry unveiled the first J. Lohr winery in San Jose.
In the early 1980s, Jerry Lohr saw the potential for great Cabernet Sauvignon further south. Borrowing a lesson from the French—that great Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon excel in very different growing conditions—Jerry began planting Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varieties in San Luis Obispo County’s little-known Paso Robles region in 1986. With the hands-on devotion of an artisan farmer, Jerry tended to the vines while diligently working toward the creation and development of an adjacent winery and barreling cellars; J. Lohr’s Paso Robles production facility was opened in 1988.
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Insignia opens with beautifully perfumed floral, dark fruit, anise and cigar box aromatics. A wine of depth, elegance and finesse, the palate is fresh and focused with creamy texture and layers of blackberry, mocha and black cherry. The seamless tannin structure and balance culminate in an uplifting, lengthy finish.
About Winery
Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned and operated wine estate with vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and on the western Sonoma Coast. The winery was founded in 1973 by Joseph Phelps, a successful construction executive and entrepreneur whose early interest in wine led him to establish vineyards on a 670-acre former cattle ranch in Napa Valley. Over the next 42 years Joe became one of the most respected figures in the California wine industry, building Joseph Phelps Vineyards into a critically-acclaimed winery internationally known for its iconic wines and unwavering commitment to quality.
Joe’s son, Bill Phelps, joined the family business in 1998 after a successful career in law, and as Executive Chairman now oversees Joseph Phelps Vineyards with a continued dedication to excellence.
Family owns and farms 425 acres of vines in Napa Valley on nine estate vineyards in St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap District, Oak Knoll District, South Napa and Carneros, as well as 100 acres over two vineyards on the western Sonoma Coast. Strategically chosen over many decades, each vineyard has its own personality and brings a different characteristic to our wines. Our commitment to an estate-based model is our way of ensuring consistency and the highest quality we can possibly achieve. Our estate vineyards, paired with select long-term grower relationships, give our winemaking teams unparalleled depth and diversity when it comes to producing Joseph Phelps wines.
