California Wine Advisors

The new Ovid Cabernet blend “Experiment N3.8” 2018 delivers a luxuriously smooth blend of bold and rich dark fruit + delightfully fresh tannins that provide sublime enjoyment now and bode well for pleasure for at least another decade. This Cabernet blend contains a dollop of Merlot which adds rich mocha and baker’s chocolate flavors, as...

The new Continuum Estate 2019 is another awe-inspiring masterpiece from this legendary Napa craftsman. The cashmere-like texture reminds us of the best Harlan and Hundred Acre releases that we’ve sampled while the age-worthy elegance is more akin to a first growth Bordeaux. Intensely satisfying hints of inky dark fruit (currants, plums, blackberry) combine with opulent...

Having judged the last 20 releases of this collector favorite, we believe this is the most seriously age-worthy vintage to date. A bit of inquiry with our friends at Silver Oak revealed this is a reflection of the fact that the 2018 vintage now includes two prominent new Cabernet vineyard sources. This 2018 features a...

Lush, big, bodacious, and loaded with blueberry cream, cassis, plum, currant, sage, vanilla and gloriously toasted oak. A genuine crowd pleaser for aficionados of bold Napa reds. – November 2022

This superbly balanced wine could fool any connoisseur into thinking it cost much higher than its price tag. The aromas of blackberry, cigar box, dried herbs, and toasty oak spices waft out of the glass, and the structured palate with dusty, dry tannins lead to a long, chocolate-covered cherry finish. – October 2022

An impressive new Cabernet with ‘cult’ appeal now plus the potential of a true thoroughbred. The plush texture introduces grainy tannins that frame intense tasting, opulent blackberry, black currant, graphite and exotic spices. The sumptuous finish features tightly wound flavors now and entices with hints of dark cocoa powder, vanilla, and toasted marshmallow. A world-class...

The new Bonny’s Cabernet is another impressive release and a surefire crowd-pleaser for all that appreciate the most opulent wines from Napa’s most historic vineyards. The luxurious, rich & creamy texture is intensely delicious, boasting dark fruit, vanilla bean, toasted oak and coconut flakes and then a cornucopia of savory spices on the exotic finish....

This brand new release of Toymaker Diamond Mountain Cabernet is a deep, dark and dazzling winner from Napa’s unanimously acclaimed 2018 vintage. The texture reminds us of luxuriously smooth cashmere-in-a-glass and is guaranteed to delight fans of Napa’s most intense, Cult-style reds such as Checkerboard (same vineyard source). The intensely pleasurable, dark fruit favors entice...

The 2019 DVO (Dalla Valle Ornellaia) is a tour-de-force and wins our vote as ‘most likely to succeed’ new player on Napa’s Cult Cabernet scene!  2019 is only the second public release and is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, demonstrating how well these two grapes blend together when crafted by two brilliant...

This 2019 vintage Cabernet is a BIG, sexy tasting Napa gem delivering an intense, powerful experience guaranteed to impress with grilled meat menus. The bouquet and initial flavors are alluring with black cherry, pipe tobacco, and the tell-tale dark chocolate that Napa’s Stag’s Leap district always delivers. Opulent on the palate, featuring a plethora of...