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.

(97 + points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2022 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon needs a little patient swirling to coax out scents of blackcurrant jelly, licorice, tar, and ripe plums, leading to suggestions of cedar chest, graphite, lavender oil, and cumin seed. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with muscular black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and well-knit acidity, finishing on a persistent mineral note. Forget it in the cellar for a good 4-5 years and then enjoy it over the next 20-25 years+. This will be one of the longer lived 2022s!

Charming in aromas and quite firm on the palate, this wine overachieves in terms of fruit, good acidity and savory accents. Cedar and baking spices on the nose, then a rather firm, chewy palate that is tannic, powerful and full-bodied. Flavors of black cherries, black olives, raspberries and orange zest. Best after 2030.

According to Managing Partner Bruce Phillips, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon from Vine Hill Ranch includes only fruit that was picked prior to the Labor Day heat spike. Gentle vanilla shadings accent an attractive mix of red and black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated and silky. This really seems to have it all, with a touch of warmth and some chocolaty notes on the lingering finish. It's a really solid effort.

The 2022 Vine Hill Ranch is a brooding, muscular wine showcasing blackberry fruit laced with violets, rose, and roasted walnut. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is defined by long beams of cedar-rich tannins, framing juicy, brambly blackberry fruit, with hints of juniper and mulled spices adding depth. The lengthy finish carries both structure and warmth, making for a powerful yet refined expression of the vintage. Three generations of the Phillips family have farmed this exceptional site in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. They source fruit they love from among the seven blocks they farm, while a host of impressive labels source grapes from this spectacular vineyard in Napa's Oakville AVA.

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. - By Antonio Galloni on December 2024

There’s a clear edge of the vintage’s warmth, but it’s warm rather than sheer heat. This leaves the plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote notes with noticeable energy in the form of lively flecks of anise, violet and iris. This red pulses instead of just moves along, and a graphite spine delivers cut and drive as the fruit actually takes an encore—all rare aspects in this vintage. Bravo. Best from 2026 through 2038. — J.M.