Today covering almost 17 hectares, the estate's Cabernet Franc is subject to a broad as much as a severe selection, which has improved the wines. It was sourced from a single plot in 2008, while this 2016 comes from 10 different plots. The French clones (326 - 327) can be problematic according to winemaker Pierre Seillan: 'With too high yields, too much herbal character is achieved, while with a tight leaf canopy it wouldn't ripen properly'. Cabernet Franc is not new to producing outstanding wines in Tuscany, and Seillant is not new to managing this grape variety in pursuit of excellence. Crimson in colour, it has a super restrained Cab Franc character of cassis and eucalyptus, with an almost citrus flavour in depth and a sweet, toasty finish of milk chocolate, liquorice and cacao powder. This 2016 is sleek and concentrated, with ripe, refined tannins and refreshing acidity. A full and tense wine. Drinking window: 2021-2046. Score - 98. (Aldo Fiordelli, decanter.com, April 6, 2021)
Lokoya's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is a bit floral and herbal, with lovely bay leaf and sage nuances vaguely reminiscent of some Margaret River Cabernets. Ripe cassis and cherries round out the full-bodied palate in a seamless combination of velvet and silk, finishing long and slinky, again marked by fine-grained, soft tannins. Fruit from two vineyards - Yverdon and Wurtele - goes into this wine, which aged in Sylvain barriques for their subtlety. Drink date: 2024-2040. Score - 98. (Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, May 31, 2022)
Coming all from the from the Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain, the 2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) was brought up in 91% new French oak. Incredible crème de cassis, chalky minerality, iron, spring flowers, and black olive tapenade all define the nose, and It's full-bodied on the palate, with building tannins, integrated oak, wonderful sweetness of fruit, and a great, great finish. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass, and while it has classic Mountain structure and concentration, it also has a wealth of fruit and texture, and unquestionably offers pleasure even today. Nevertheless, do your best to hide bottles for 4-5 years if you can. It's a 30- to 40-year wine. Maturity: 2025-2065. Score - 100. (jebdunnuck.com, Dec. 21, 2021)
Another riveting wine, the 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon has a Château Latour-like stature and regalness, with full-bodied richness and incredible concentration, as well as structure, on the palate. Cassis, blueberry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and graphite notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible power and opulence, yet stays pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is as brilliant as Cabernet gets, and Carpenter is clearly playing with the best in the business. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and it will cruise for 30-40 years. Maturity: 2025-2065. Score - 100. (jebdunnuck.com, Dec. 21, 2021)
A serious wine in this vintage with excellent tannic hold and clear definition. The fruit is extremely ripe, with smoked raspberry and ripe blackberry notes. It is closed right now but with a silky, if knitted down, structure and a ton of juice running through the palate from beginning to end. Cabernet Sauvignon dominated. Drinking window: 2024-2040. Score - 97. (Jane Anson, decanter.com, Sept. 3, 2020)
A combination from two sites, the 2019 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is another elegant, yet concentrated, structured, and expansive Cabernet from Chris that shines on all accounts. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, graphite, scorched earth, and some floral notes all define the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with terrific purity, building, ripe tannins, bright acidity, and an undeniable sense of minerality on the finish. This rich, concentrated, structured 2019 warrants 5-6 years of bottle age and will be incredibly long lived. Maturity: After 2026. Score - 97+. (jebdunnuck.com, Dec. 21, 2021)
Lastly, the 2018 La Joie does everything right and offers a Château Lafite-like style in both its aromatics and its elegant, seamless mouthfeel. Gorgeous blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings, damp earth, unsmoked tobacco, and woodsmoke nuances all develop with time in the glass and this is one of those wines that offers something new every time you come back to the glass. Rich, medium to full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and incredibly elegant, it has ripe, polished, yet substantial tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a thrilling finish. Give bottles 4-5 years and it will keep for 30 years or more. Maturity 2025-2056. Score - 98+. (jebdunnuck.com, July 22, 2021)
