"Bright dark ruby. Crushed blackberry, cassis, black pepper and bitter chocolate on the nose, plus a sexy oak component that's not intrusive. Wonderfully sweet and yet quite penetrating, conveying terrific inner-mouth floral lift to its flavors of dark fruits, minerals and cocoa powder. Finishes very long, with dusty, fine-grained tannins and captivating fruit sweetness. This wine's aromatic expression is still a bit constrained by its sheer mass but it possesses the energy to broaden and expand with time in bottle."

93+ points, Stephen Tanzer, Vinous

"The 2016 Reserve Claret is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that opens to a frame of dark cherry, blackberry and plum before offering aromas of sweet oak, vanilla and dusty florals with herbal essence. Full-bodied, the palate is ripe, juicy and correct, full of complexity and shows depth and breadth across the mid-palate. The wine has impressive weight and balance and pleasing structure, and it ends with flavors of black plum skin, mocha and subtle nuances of dried herbs on the long, lingering finish. This is a well-constructed wine that will age for more than a decade. I’m impressed, I’m going back for seconds. 391 cases produced."

92+ points, Anthony Mueller, The Wine Advocate