Vine Hill Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (750ML)

97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com: "Looking at the Grand Vin from this terrific estate, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR sports a dense purple hue as well as a Bordeaux-like perfume of darker currants, smoke tobacco, sappy flowers, and foresty, earthy nuances. These carry to a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that has beautiful mid-palate density, a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. There's clearly a Bordeaux-like vibe in this beauty (I suspect it was harvested quite early), but it has everything in the right place. Give it 3-4 years if you can and enjoy it over the following two decades. (Drink between 2028-2049)" 01/25

94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and super-expressive right out of the gate. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, licorice, mocha and spice open gradually with a bit of coaxing. There is a bit of edginess in the tannins for a wine with such mid-weight structure. Hopefully, time in bottle will take care of that. This is a solid effort for the year. Harvest took place from August 30 to September 5. (Drink between 2027-2037)" 12/24

18 Points, Jancis Robinson, MW, JancisRobinson.com: “Owner Bruce Phillips: ‘A punishingly hot vintage, with four days at 110 °F. Even the nights were hot in early September.’ They needed to pick early and they picked 80–90% before the heat spike leaving only Block 4. Vineyard manager Mike Wolf: ‘I’d never seen before that the fruit and vines just stopped ripening after a heat spike. Some others picked at the end of October, but at 22 Brix. It was a tale of two vintages.’ Winemakers learnt in 2017 and even more so in 2020, that they needed to pick relatively early because they knew it would be garbage later. They learnt that early picking can yield good wine. Françoise Peschon’s daughter Isabelle concurred: ‘2020 gave lots of winemakers the confidence to pick early. The fire was positive in that respect. They’re no longer waiting for X Brix (which encourages over-irrigation). So there needs to be a trust element that you’re all on the same page at the beginning.’ Cask sample. Polished shiny purple. Very lively and energetic with great drive as well as lusciousness. Mineral. Long and vibrant. Pretty smart considering the vintage. (Drink between 2027-2045)” 04/24