California Wine Advisors

The new 2018 vintage is another masterpiece and the most impressive new release we’ve ever judged from this acclaimed Estate. Bravo! Dark purple-colored, this nectar offers a hypnotic perfume of lilacs and red roses plus Darjeeling tea. The texture is weighty – – think heavy corduroy – – and delivers an array of captivating dark...

The new Nine Suns 2018 delivers a massively impressive experience, on par with many of the well-established Cult Cabernet we judge. Just a mere youth, this new release is tightly wound with a luxuriously smooth blend of bold and rich dark fruit + delightfully fresh tannins that provide sublime enjoyment now and bodes well for...

Offers a luxuriously rich and velvety texture plus an array of gorgeous dark fruit flavors. We are particularly impressed by the approach-ability at such a young stage. The dense tannins remind me of plush cashmere in a glass and lead to full-throttle fruit notes of fresh figs, blackberry compote, and Toblerone chocolate combined with espresso on the blissful...

It doesn’t get any better than the 2018 Levy & McClellan Reserve, a majestic beauty well on the way to perfection. An utterly vivid, breathtaking wine, this vintage is built like a thoroughbred with immaculate balance and overall sense of harmony that may be savored tonight (decanting recommended prior to 2025) or anytime over the...

Another magnificent release from the universally acclaimed 2018 Napa vintage (Wine Spectator’s top rating all-time). This new Dark Matter is truly breath-taking, offering a silky smooth texture that leads to an enormously impressive combination of  opulent black and blue fruit flavors deftly balanced with vanilla cream (from the new French Oak), Toblerone chocolate, espresso and plush...

Imagine alternating between milk chocolate covered blackberries and s’mores tossed in baking spices. Lush, big, bodacious, jammy, spicy, and loaded with blueberry cream, cassis, plum, currant, sage, vanilla and gloriously toasted oak. A genuine crowd pleaser for aficionados of hedonistic Napa reds. (Photo: Hobel Winery)

This ultra-velvety new release is 100% rich and luscious, displaying intense blueberry cream and hints of cocoa on the finish. We were dazzled by the almost Amarone-like finish that featured a complex array of exotic tobacco and black tea. Bravo!   Photo: Sloan Estate

This dreamy new release captures your attention from the start with a velvety-rich & creamy texture, a result of the glorious integration of underlying oak. In fact, the 2019 Reserve bottling is the most deliciously age-worthy Textbook we’ve sampled as it reminds us of opulent favorites trading for $200-$300 per bottle. This barrel sample already...

Given the unanimous acclaim for Napa’s 2016 vintage, it’s no surprise that the new edition of Dark Matter is another show-stopper. Launching forth with a cashmere-like, silky texture, you’re introduced to statuesque tannins and lavish black and blue fruit flavors. The distinguished finish includes alluring notes of vanilla cream, graham cracker, and espresso tightly wound...

The Araujo Eisele 2010 has become a truly ravishing wine, benefiting immensely from a full decade of cellar time. Built like a thoroughbred, this Cabernet blend is a remarkable experience now and will continue to delight for another the remainder of this decade. Intense notes of voluptuous dark fruit are deftly balanced by plush tannins...