The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve is a beauty and is all Cabernet brought up in 51% new French oak, which is on the lower end for this estate. Its deep purple color is followed by a classic, nicely structured Knights Valley Cabernet with lots of savory red and black fruits, loamy earth, tobacco leaf, and spice-driven aromas and flavors. With beautiful richness and mid-palate depth, ripe yet present tannins, and outstanding length, it's going to drink nicely for 10-15 years.

Very pretty depth with a tile and rock-like texture to this. Minerally. Redcurrant. Medium to full body. Juicy finish. Needs two or three years to soften and come together.

I think this is first time we've rated a Knights Valley Reserve ahead of the Private Reserve. Selected from rockier bits of the vineyards, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Knights Valley features aromas of black cherries and red raspberries, offering a vastly different and more interesting fruit profile than the regular Knights Valley bottling. Dark chocolate-mocha notes, vanilla and cedar bring additional complexity to the mix. This medium to full-bodied wine is ripe, plush and long on the finish, with two decades of deliciousness ahead of it.

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Reserve is a very beautiful wine in this vintage. Bright floral and mineral accents play off a core of intense, distinctly red-toned fruit. Best of all, the 2020 can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring. The strong savoriness of Knights Valley is not especially evident. I suspect that is mostly the function of a warm, dry growing season.