So much pine needle, flowers, currants and ripe plums on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine and polished tannins. Linear and very tight with a clarity and energy. Vivid is the word. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.

Heady and explosive red and black fruit notes are intermixed with an enticing graham cracker crust and toasty oak element. Full-bodied and overflowing with pure black fruits and more savoury-sweet oak spices. Powerful mountain tannins are burly and grippy, like the vines clinging to the rocks. Gaylon Lawrence purchased Heitz Cellar in 2018, including Ink Grade estate on Howell Mountain, an organically and biodynamically farmed 303-hectare ranch with 220ha planted to vine. In 2020, Lawrence Wine Estates CEO Carlton McCoy helped engineer the launch of Ink Grade as a standalone brand led by winemaker Matt Taylor. Born and raised in Windsor, California, Taylor worked at Eisele Vineyard for six years and worked a stint at Domaine Dujac and Joseph Swan.

This classic style of Cabernet shows great balance, a snug structure and complex flavors that range from black cherry to black olive to sage and cedar. Moderate tannins and good acidity add to a slightly grippy and appetizing texture. Best 2025–2030. — Jim Gordon

Expressive, with bramble and black licorice notes leading off, followed quickly by fresh black cherry and currant preserves. Features flashes of bay leaf and mesquite on the sleek finish, with a strong mineral underpinning as well. Drink now through 2035. 5,600 cases made.