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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 97 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 73 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Asull2k on 2/22/2024 & rated 98 points: Decanted with stir for 5 min then back in bottle for 4 hrs prior to serving, and it was well opened although smoothened out and changed in character over an hour. Deep dense maroon and dark ruby color. Black cherry, violets, brambles, leather, and earth on the nose. Concordant great initial complexity on the palate and just beautifully balanced, with nearly 55 sec finish. Subtly complex yet powerful at the same time. One of the few wines I have seen that I think is better by itself, without food, although perhaps the chimichurri sauce on steak was to blame. Over an hour the complexity was lost as it became smoother with some hints of vanilla. For this old Napa/Peschon style of wine it is nearly a perfect representation. 97.5 but rounding up since it still has more potential to age. (2901 views) | | | Tasted by MJP Hou TX on 2/2/2024: CDV713/MacDonald Event.
I've always have loved this vineyard, vintage and wine. Tonight, this had a bit more oak than I remember in the past. I little out of balance so I'm assuming this might have been an off bottle or awkward phase.
Still fantastic but not the near perfect wine I remember. (3818 views) | | | Tasted by HeavyPourWine on 12/31/2023 & rated 92 points: NYE Vino Fest (Atlanta, GA): Tasted at the annual 2023 New Years Eve Vino Fest in Atlanta. BYOB and guests were encouraged to bring wines with years ending with a 3. No formal notes, just scores. Brad - heavypourwine.com (4058 views) | | | Tasted by bugdoced on 10/21/2023 & rated 95 points: far from being ready, but how great is this?
steak and oysters at gallaghers in nyc (4267 views) | | | Tasted by I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine on 10/17/2023 & rated 97 points: Marvin (WineBurrowingWombat) Visits Minnesota; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Jason's House): Decanted, but can't remember how long....After quaffing on a 2013 Marcassin Pinot, Marvin a.k.a. WBW, requested to open this wine. Of course, I obliged him! I had not tasted this wine yet, and was very curious after reading CT reviews, and also knowing how highly Michael reveres this wine! I believe this wine will get even better, but no regrets drinking now!
TN: Violets, cherry, cedar and spice on the nose. Palate echoed the violets and cherry, but also added some dark fruit, earthy notes, tar, tobacco and some toasty oak.
Do I get the hoopla? Yes, I do! It is very tasty now, and improved the whole time we drank it. Like the Immortal we had, this too was delicious now, but will definitely get even better. One of the best VHR bottles I have tasted. I personally think the 2018 has the most potential, followed closely by this wine. However, IMO, the 2012 is drinking best right now (and likely in the next couple years). This wine is a 97 now, but will likely flirt with perfection down the road! Wish I had more of this! (4248 views) | | | Tasted by WineBurrowingWombat on 10/17/2023 & rated 98 points: Cracking the whip; 10/16/2023-10/23/2023 (Eagan, MN): N: Clean new oak (akin to that new leather smell of a brand new car), cut stems of a flower, a clean and dry forest floor with a blend of black and dark red fruits, and a subtle dusting of graphite.
P: Black and red fruits, a core of beautiful dark graphite and tar, deep earth to soften the landing of any roughness, fine black minerals, and golden steeped tea on the finish. There’s an aura of savoriness that envelops everything, protecting everything from sharp edges or random stiff arms. With time, flavors come together in a beautiful integration of everything, while keeping a dark, serious profile. Deep roasted coffee beans develop as well, with its tasty bitterness, strong earthiness and bright, savory stones.
A regal darkness but with such class and grace, like a badass villain that you would cheer for.. you know you shouldn’t be, but you do anyways because of the charm and charisma the character brings (like Loki or Wukong). Amazing now and should develop into near perfection within a handful of years. This is something you should definitely try to follow along throughout the years if you have the bottles. If you’re having now, pop and pour and journey along. (4264 views) | | | Tasted by jimyeni on 6/17/2023 & rated 95 points: Needs a couple of hours of decant. Super well balanced and so clean and lighter in body than most Napa cabs. Can benefit from more time. (4377 views) | | | Tasted by cubswinws on 4/14/2023 & rated 96 points: Exceptional wine with modest tannic bite upon initial opening but really smoothed out after a 2 hour decant. Still ascending. (4755 views) | | | Tasted by TXRDW on 2/11/2023 & rated 97 points: WOTN after tasting 2011 VCC, 2018 Eastside & 2013 Kathryn Hall. The VHR seemed to take on a life of its own at the 3 hour mark. Such craftsmanship in winemaking. (4939 views) | | | Tasted by Montesquieu on 12/11/2022 & rated 97 points: Gave it 4 hours decant before first glass, which was plenty to open up. Not materially better four hours after that. Outstanding in a New World style. Have to think time will improve this further. (4834 views) | | | Tasted by LilSeb_58 on 11/21/2022 & rated 96 points: A superlative wine. Supple tannins, long finish. Dark cherry core with raspberry and blackberry. Herbs de provence, subtle spice, cocoa and a touch of minerality. Impressive finish. (4674 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 11/21/2022: WT's. My third experience with this wine and it remains, unequivocally, the most perfect cabernet I've ever drunk--from anywhere. A perfectly balanced mixture of dark cherry and cassis with cigar box, graphite, nutmeg and bay leaf. Neither old world nor new but in some ultra sophisticated class of its own. (4315 views) | | | Tasted by WST on 11/19/2022: Served blind to others; my bottle. Classic, well made young cab. Dark in color, flavor and character. Cassis, cigar box, caramel, graphite. A clay-like minerality. It was disappointing upon opening, but improved with 8 hours in the decanter. It could have used twice that or more, as it improved in a glass set aside for hours after the decant. Perhaps I'd have liked a little more acidity, but there was no denying its nobility. I have a little left in the bottle, and may visit again tomorrow. (4086 views) | | | Tasted by tyfabes on 9/17/2022 & rated 99 points: Decanted for 6 hours and then slow-ox'd another 2 before serving. This bottle needed every minute of the extended decant to strut its stuff, but it certainly paid off.
Incredibly perfumed on the nose with the palate showing layers of dark cherry, raspberry, cassis, cedar, graphite, baking spice, and hints of vanilla. It continued to evolve in the glass over the hour it was consumed.
This bottle is so elegant with incredible depth and precision. A true joy to drink.
No need to hold on these, but I would give 8 hours of air minimum. This was in a much better spot than the bottle I previously had in 2020. Patience was rewarded, but will be very hard to keep my hands off these going forward. (4677 views) | | | Tasted by AGELVIS on 8/14/2022 & rated 97 points: Seven hour decant (really only needs four hours). Deep dark magenta color. Raspberry jelly on buttered toast, barrel spice, plum, black currant, and subtle thyme on the elegant nose. Super smooth, tongue drying palate. Plush tannins on the longish finish.
This was one of the pinnacles of the wine weekend with Mark1NPT, but every night had several gems. (5562 views) | | | Tasted by Mark1npt on 8/14/2022 & rated 97 points: So kindly opened by Agelvis for me tonight.....if you've read my prior reviews on this one, nothing more needs to be said. This was the WOTN for me, again......thanks, J! (6221 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 6/24/2022 & rated 96 points: It’s been three years since my last note on this wine. Back then I scored is 99. This time around I’m less enthusiastic but nonetheless still beautiful Napa wine. Like I’m finding in many 16’s a powerful cassis note has come into the foreground. Fortunately this one is still massively structured and tannic and will grow out of it. Syrupy raspberry, red cherry, vanilla, graphite, tobacco and cassis. Lots of lift here from the acid.
I had the 2013 a few months back and it was starting to fade but this one is just a baby. Hold for another five years. (4913 views) | | | Tasted by MJP Hou TX on 6/13/2022 & rated 100 points: This bottle of 2016 VHR was absolutely singing while sitting river side along the Roaring Fork. Each day of our family vacation capped off with special glass of wine to reflect upon the day. After 24 hrs of slow ox in the bottle this wine was perfect in every way. No reason to be concerned that 16 might not reach the same heights of the first year. I can easily say all is well.
Consumed along side 18 Continuum & 19 Cedric Bouchard Val Vilaine.
Other wines of the week.
13 Kapcsandy Roberta's Reserve
18 Accendo
19 Lail Georgia
16 Under the Wire Alder Springs
20 Louis Latour Pouilly Fuisse (6959 views) | | | Tasted by Badmonkey on 5/29/2022 & rated 97 points: Wanted something special for the Champions League final game and decided to finally pop a bottle. Dark ruby fruit - dark cherry, raspberry, currants, and some blackberry. Really smooth with a nice purity and solid depth/concentration - medium/medium plus body. A fairly elegant profile. Nice vibrant flavors of dark berries, some spice, cocoa, and a mineral/graphite component. Fairly long finish. Decanted during the day for around seven hours and drank over a couple more. Improved with time and showed its best towards the end of the session after around ten hours. A beautiful wine - Galloni’s 100 rating doesn’t surprise me with a little more time as it opens-up some more. According to WS, best from 2023 to 2038 which makes sense - although it can be coaxed into a nice drinking point now. 96/97 at this stage for me. (5963 views) | | | Tasted by AGELVIS on 5/24/2022 & rated 99 points: Four hour decant (preceded by a one hour slow ox). Very deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, dark raspberry, persimmon-infused dark chocolate, plum, toasted coconut, and buttery caramel on the complex nose. Super smooth, dry palate, with fine, satiny, tongue drying acidity. Plush tannins on the longish finish.
This was a pre-birthday wine. My wife said the palate was “angelic”. Interesting balance of refinement and decadence. A bit more acid-driven. Best overall wine I’ve had in a while (maybe ever). (5748 views) | | | Tasted by Eye Drink Reds on 4/30/2022: This bottle was contributed by a generous friend for a birthday celebration @ Rare Society in San Diego. Was only decanted for 1 hour before consumption, which wasn't enough for the wine to fully open up. Super dark red and nearly opaque, I could tell this was going to be dense and sure enough, it was. Shy nose of crushed rocks, smoke, and some darker fruits (cassis and black raspberry). Palate similar as the nose with additional hints of tobacco, and dark chocolate. The wine was earthy and tightly wound with dry, chewy tannins.
Unfortunately the short decant didn't allow the wine's fruit to fully reveal itself, so I got more of the barrel influences. However the substance and density is there for a long life. As with some other '16s, this felt pretty shutdown still. I have a few bottles of the '16 and would either decant for +6 hours or better yet, wait a few years to try again. (4656 views) | | | Tasted by Cristal2000 on 2/13/2022 & rated 97 points: Had a Super Bowl face off between 2016 Bond Vecina v 2016 VHR. As many probably know, they are both from the Vine Hill Ranch vineyard. Bond has leased blocks from VHR for a long time right at the base of the mountain, in a prime location. Both wines achieved 100pt ratings from prominent critics, but the Bond is over twice the price of VHR. I set out to see whether I am just throwing dollars down the drain buying the Bond.
Doubled decanted both about 5 hours before consumption. Cutting to the chase, these are VERY different wines. The VHR is far more red fruited, better integrated, more regal but shows less overall concentration and potential than the Bond. Of the two, this is the wine you drink now with a proper decant.
Wonderful nose of violets, raspberries, black cherries, loamy soil and wet stone. This is oh so elegant on the palate, showing seamless integration with super refined tannins and nice pure red fruit. The earthy notions appear around the mid palate where the wine really stretches its legs and expands. There's excellent overall structure and complexity, already showing some transition to tertiary flavors. The finish is long and satisfying, if not quite achieving the length of the Bond.
I was surprised how ready to go this wine is now with a nice long decant. I am sure it has a few years of improvement to go, but I think the peak is perhaps in 3-5 years as opposed to way down the line. At least if you still want some fruit. (7270 views) | | | Tasted by TXRDW on 11/13/2021 & rated 96 points: What an elegant and sophisticated wine. Drank alongside a 2013 Hall Exzellenz, which contrasted the VHR very much in the area of sweetness. Still quite tannic, the wine finally started to open up at the 5 hour mark, leading me to believe I consumed the VHR several years prior to the optimal drinking window. No denying the pedigree of the fruit, though extra patience is required to get the wine to a potential 97-98 mark. Such a pleasant wine. (5834 views) | | | Tasted by Geaux Tigers on 10/8/2021 & rated 98 points: Opened, a quick shake decant, and then slow ox for 11 hrs.
Whoa! What a wine! Young? Absolutely. Regret that opened? Absolutely not! Red fruit, hints of herbs and minerals, complimentary spice box notes, air handled the oak, but a rigid tannic backbone carried this on a medium to long finish. AG got the 100 right, in a few years, but tonite it fell just short. Don’t cry for me or my fellow drinkers—this was a great bottle of wine! (6257 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 9/15/2021 & rated 98 points: "Like it" just isn't strong enough. This is one of the most captivating young Napa cabernets I can remember having--impeccable balance and sophistication without an overload of oak or other manipulations. It earns the scores. Btw, I read thru all the notes here before deciding how to prep it and decided to err on the side of a splash decant. The result of pouring off (yes there was some sediment) 80% of it, filtering the remainder then adding all back to the cleaned bottle and recorking about two hours before service was perfect. The wine was fresh and accessible, and we drank it over two hours without the tannins clamping down. Outstanding. (5921 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2008-2019 (Mar 2022) (3/1/2022)
(VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/26/2021)
(VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Up From The Cellar #5 & Misc New Releases (3/27/2019)
(Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon VHR Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets (Dec 2018) (12/1/2018)
(Vhr, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Brilliance in Napa Valley: 2016 & 2015 Cabernets (Jan 2018) (1/18/2018)
(Vhr, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (oakville) Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and JebDunnuck.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Oakville |
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