Wines (12 View)

94 points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley checks in as 88% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, aged 17 months in 62% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a rich, inward, nicely concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon that has both red and black fruits, some spicy, chocolaty, herbal, and tobacco nuances, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a beautiful finish. It's not massive by any means, but it s beautifully balanced and has a layered mouthfeel along with rock-solid depth and character. Give bottles 2-3 years if you can and enjoy over the following 15

Organic

#38. on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

92 points Wine Spectator
A compelling red on a juicy, fresh frame, with smooth, polished tannins and fresh pomegranate and maraschino cherry flavors at the core, showing details of milk chocolate, nutmeg and white peppercorn, plus an appealing hint of toasted herbs and fresh earth. Reveals tannins that firm up on the finish, which packs a spicy kick. Drink now through 2033.

92-94 points Jeb Dunnuck
The only barrel sample I was able to taste, the 2021 GSM Santa Barbara County showed beautifully, and if this wine is any indication, this estate didn’t miss a beat in 2021. Giving up pretty blue fruits, peppery herbs, and sappy flower nuances, it’s medium to full-bodied, has terrific tannins, and an elegant yet textured style that will drink nicely right out of the gate.

92 points Wine Spectator
Plush and savory, with sleek raspberry, orange-tinged mocha and smoked pepper flavors that build richness and structure toward refined tannins. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Drink now through 2030. 1,350 cases made.

91-93 points Vinous
The 2021 GSM is a promising wine. Deep and beautifully layered in the glass, with terrific vibrancy, the GSM is marked by gorgeous purity in its red/purplish fruit and terrific balance. It is the only 2021 that had been racked at the time of my visit, but also a wine that portends well for the vintage if its representative of quality across the range.

93 points Vinous
The 2021 Graciano Portico Hills shows the darker, weightier side of Graciano. Black cherry, plum, gravel, menthol, crushed rocks, dried herbs and incense are all dialed up in this brooding, potent Graciano. The 2021 is going to need some time to soften. (7/2023) Drinking Window 2023-2031

Zac Wasserman is now on his own after a number of years working alongside Joey Tensley.

Listan Prieto (70%), Listan Negro (15%) and Tintilla (15%) grown on Pedro and Antonio's poorest sites (the badlands). Planting these grapes, which are slowest to ripen on the poorest soils is important here; if they were planted in parcels that are too mineral rich and fertile, the plants would produce too many berries on the bunch and grapes could not fully ripen. Aged for 4-6 months in French and American oak.

A red blend which shows red currant, plum and peppercorns on the nose while the youthful palate is rich with generous berry fruit and spice, balanced with integrated oak nuances. The palate is smooth with firm tannin a long fresh finish.

92 points Wine Advocate
The new young red 2021 El Predilecto recovers Predilecto, which was a historic brand of the house, a wine with less aging than the rest and more fruity character. In this case, they want it to show the fruit expression of the vineyard without oak. They call it the new old concept in Rioja, what the wines used to be before the arrival of the French, pure fruit. It's a blend of 65% Garnacha from Cárdenas and Cordovín and 35% Tempranillo from Samaniego that fermented destemmed but uncrushed (so not exactly a carbonic maceration) with clean and fresh aromas and flavors. It's ripe and hedonistic, with 14.5% alcohol and good freshness. It matured in concrete for five months.