Popped this puppy a few days ago at Wolfgang's Steakhouse along with som of their thick bacon strips and sliced tenderloins and it was about as good as it gets! 96% of the juice comes from one of my favorite vineyards, To Kalon in Oakville. This bottle tastes like a $150 wine - easy. Plenty of smoked meats and ripe cherries on the nose. Full body and loads of fresh fruit with explosive ripe plumb and cedar. Long finish that leaves you wanting another sip. (97 SPW)

What was previously released as the Oakville Cabernet, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estates Tier comes all from To Kalon and was fermented in oak tanks and aged in 96% new French oak. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and the rest Malbec. Ripe black fruits, smoked herbs, graphite, and even a touch of minerality define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully textured on the palate. Drink it over the coming two decades.

This wine marks a comeback for the venerable Robert Mondavi Winery, with its first appearance in our Top 100 since 2011. Winemaker Nova Cadamatre helped oversee significant replanting in the famed To Kalon vineyard during her tenure (she left the winery in 2021). As young vine parcels came into production, she employed a strict selection for the winery’s The Reserve, instead feeding the new-parcel fruit into the middle-tier Oakville bottling (renamed The Estates starting with the 2018 vintage). Relying on organic farming practices, with native yeast fermentations and no filtration at bottling, this is very much a new and promising Mondavi.

With everything from raspberries to blueberries to dark chocolate, this concentrated wine is delicious. Lots of fruit and a dash of oak spices are carried nicely by moderate tannins and good acidity for a complete and balanced expression. Best through 2030.