2021 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

The perfect 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, all of which spent 22 months in 80% new French oak. The idea of this release is to showcase fruit from throughout the valley, and to say that winemaker Chris Carpenter succeeded would be an understatement. It boasts off-the-charts richness and depth as well as notes of cassis, toasted spices, graphite, tobacco, and espresso, with perfectly integrated oak. Inky purple-hued, full-bodied, voluptuously textured, and flawlessly balanced, it can be drunk any time over the coming 25 years or more.

100 points Jeb Dunnuck

In my tasting with winemaker Chris Carpenter, we talked at length about differentiating sub-appellations of Napa in the Lokoya wines. Still, with Cardinale, the Oakville-based crown jewel in the Jackson Family portfolio, the idea is the sum must be greater than the parts. This is not an estate wine. It is culled from multiple appellations, typically between three and nine, depending on the vintage. Sources have been Vine Hill Ranch and To Kalon in the past. The 2021 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap, Rutherford, and St. Helena, with 9% Merlot from the 24ha Keyes Estate Vineyard on Howell Mountain, aged 22 months in 80% new French oak. Super savoury aromatics of black cherry, cedar, black liquorice, graphite, black tea, tobacco leaf, rose petal and sagebrush. Full-bodied with all those aromatic qualities making appearances on the full-bodied palate, framed by a soaring tannin profile that resolves with beautifully crisp and mouthwatering acidity, which is so impressive given the density of the wine. The acidity is so pure and cleansing it gives the sensation of fresh, crisp mountain water washing away the deeply robust and powerful tannins that frame this powerhouse wine, readying you for another sip.

98 points Decanter

Lovely purple fruits with violets, lead pencil, mint, crushed stones, pine needles, resin, and ceramic. Medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins that show a silky beautiful texture. Blend of Stags Leap, Saint Helena, Yountville, and Atlas Peak plus all the mountain vineyards of Cardinale. A blend of 91% cabernet sauvignon and 9% merlot.

99 points James Suckling

Cardinale stands among the icons of Napa Valley, produced in tiny quantities from a meticulous selection of mountain vineyards across the region's most celebrated appellations. Crafted by acclaimed winemaker Christopher Carpenter, each vintage is a masterful blend that captures the power of Napa Cabernet while preserving elegance, precision and extraordinary longevity. It is a wine that has become a benchmark for collectors around the world.

The 2021 vintage is exceptional, drawing fruit from renowned sites on Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain District, Stags Leap District and Diamond Mountain. The season delivered small berries of outstanding concentration and purity, resulting in a Cabernet Sauvignon of remarkable balance and depth. Jeb Dunnuck awarded the wine a perfect 100 points, while James Suckling scored it 99 points, confirming its place among the finest wines of the vintage.

The colour is an impenetrable deep purple black. Aromas of cassis, blackberry and black cherry soar from the glass, layered with violets, graphite, cedar and crushed rock. As the wine opens, waves of dark chocolate, espresso, tobacco leaf and exotic spice unfold with remarkable complexity. The palate is powerful yet seamless, with immense concentration wrapped in velvety tannins and vibrant freshness. The finish is extraordinarily long, revealing layer upon layer of black fruit, mineral notes and perfectly integrated oak.

A wine worthy of the grandest occasions, pair it with dry aged wagyu, roast venison, beef Wellington or black truffle infused dishes. Although breathtaking today with extended decanting, this is a profound Napa Valley Cabernet destined to evolve beautifully for three decades or more.