Vine Hill Ranch VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2023 750ml

Made by Françoise Peschon, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR is a perfect wine based on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard in the southern part of Oakville and was raised 22 months in 65% new French oak. Cassis, graphite, smoky tobacco, and spicy wood define the bouquet, and it is medium to full-bodied with ultra-pure fruit, a seamless profile, fine tannins, and flawless balance. There are no hard edges, and this has a remarkable sense of class and depth from start to finish. It deserves 5-7 years of bottle age and will be incredibly long-lived.

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is a showstopper. Aromatic and silky, with finesse to burn, the 2023 is immediately captivating right out of the gate. It’s a wine that is going to require at least a few years to open up. Brisk acids and beams of supporting tannin extend a sublime, wonderfully polished finish punctuated by graphite, dried herbs and floral overtones. The 2023 is one of the most elegant, refined wines I have tasted here. (AG)

This is poised, with balanced fruit intensity and aromas of dark cherries. crushed blueberries, spices, black currants, violets, graphite, bay laurel and a deep earthy undertone. The palate is taut and focused, with underlying power that is just waiting to soften, showing firm yet ultra-fine tannins and a mouthwatering palate with a lovely earth-driven, savory edge and a complete finish. A wine for the cellar that will age for decades. Drink or hold.

This wine is beautifully poised in 2023, defined by classic Oakville spice and layered black-fruit intensity, underpinned by graphite and ironstone minerality. Refined cedarwood and chaparral notes rise from the glass, joined by a gorgeous thread of tobacco that adds savoury depth. There is a striking purity of fruit at the core, its intensity amplified by remarkable freshness that keeps everything lifted and precise. The tannins are ultra-fine, powdery, and seamlessly interconnected, building steadily through the finish with a chiseled quality. The 2023 vintage marks the first season Françoise and Isabelle worked together, and the harmony in the glass reflects that partnership. (JC)

VHR's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is marked by ephemeral floral and herbal notes, no doubt the result of the cool, extended growing season. They add a lovely accent to the wine's ripe cherries, cassis, vanilla and cedar notes. Medium- to full-bodied, streamlined in shape on the palate and firmly structured, this vintage needs time, but the dusty tannins and black cherries on the long finish augur well for the future. (JC)