Accolades
2022
2022 Ritchie Vineyard, Chardonnay | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 94
All Old Wente selection from this famed Sonoma site, there are 168 cases of the 2022 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard. Fermented and matured in barrel, the wine kicks off with toasty, nutty nuances of almond and/or hazelnut and penetrating notes of lemon curd. In the mouth, it’s full-bodied, plush and rounded, even a touch oily in feel, with a long, slightly warm finish. It’s generous, even opulent, yet with enough acidity on the finish to provide a sense of balance.
2021
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon | Jeb Dunnuck, 99
A big, ripe, opulent 2021, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyards boasts a dense plum purple hue as well as a sensational nose of black raspberries, currants, flowery incense, sweet tobacco, and underbrush. This carries to a full-bodied, deep, incredibly layered Cabernet with velvety tannins, a great mid-palate, no hard edges, and a killer finish. Drink this singular beauty over the coming two decades.
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard | Jeb Dunnuck, 96
This valley floor site continues to deliver the goods. Boich’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard reveals a dense purple/plum hue to go with a smorgasbord-like bouquet of ripe black fruits, chocolate, roasted herbs, Asian spices, and camphor. This powerful, full-bodied, concentrated Cabernet has plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It’s going to knock your socks off any time over the coming two decades.
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III | Jeb Dunnuck, 95+
Blackcurrants, ripe tobacco, chocolate, and lead pencil notes, as well as ample Asian spice, all emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III, a full-bodied Cabernet that’s concentrated, has plenty of mid-palate depth, building, firm tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years or more.
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road Vineyard | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 95+
Boich’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road Vineyard originates high on Mount Veeder, next to the Tesseron family’s Pym Rae (formerly owned by the late Robin Williams). One of the last picks of the year for Winemaker Jeff Ames, the wine includes 5% to 6% Cabernet Franc, picked at the same time as the Cabernet Sauvignon and co-fermented. Typical mountain scents of bay leaf and crushed herbs accent cassis on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is impressively concentrated and tannic, dry and dusty on the lengthy finish. Give it some time in the cellar before pulling a cork.
2021 Ritchie Vineyard, Chardonnay | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 96
Even more exciting than past (excellent) vintages, the 2021 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is a polished golden hue in the glass, with just a bit of cloudiness. Don’t let that turn you off, as the wine is fabulously full-bodied, rich, and texturally honeyed, with a long-lasting finish that highlights the wine’s flavors of ripe pineapple, guava, pear and citrus. Really impressive stuff, this was barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts and bacteria and aged in 60% new French oak. Winemaker Jeff Ames only stirs the barrels when sulfuring them, “to avoid sacrificing longevity.”
2021 Syrah Wall Road Terrace | Jeb Dunnuck, 97
The inky-hued 2021 Syrah Wall Road Terrace comes from a site on Mount Veeder and spent 22 months in barrel. It’s an utterly awesome Syrah with loads of ripe black fruits, spring flowers, camphor, bacon fat, and sagebrush all emerging on the nose. This carries a full-bodied, concentrated, opulent Syrah offering ripe tannins, a good sense of freshness, and outstanding length. If given the chance, don’t miss it.
2019
2019 Perennius, Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 98
A best barrel selection from winemaker Jeff Ames, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Perennius reveals a dense purple hue as well as an incredibly complex bouquet of red and black currants, caramelized blueberries, sandalwood, smoked tobacco, and toasted spice. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, it also stays light on its feet and is beautifully balanced, with an elegant mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and a great, clean, lengthy finish. This gorgeous, layered, multi-dimensional, and utterly seductive 2019 can be drunk any time over the coming 20-25 years.
2019 Beckstoffer To Kalon, Cabernet Sauvignon | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 97
A truly impressive effort, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon is all Clone 337 from Block E1. Marked by scents of sage, loam and black cherries, the wine is also incredibly plush, concentrated, and rich, with flavors of dark chocolate and a gently tannic feel akin to cocoa powder on the long-lasting finish.
2019 Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper, Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 95
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard is cut from the same cloth as the Georges III with its darker, herbal, classic style. Tobacco leaf, currants, and earthy notes define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied and has a tighter, more compact mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I love its sense of elegance and purity, and it’s a gem to drink over the coming 15+. There are 328 cases produced.
2019 Beckstoffer Georges III, Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 97
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Vineyard is terrific and up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. All Cabernet aged in new barrels, it has a beautiful array of darker currants, chocolate, truffly earth, and tobacco leaf on the nose. This carries to a quintessential, full-bodied, ripe, yet classically built Cabernet with ripe tannins and a great finish. It doesn’t have the sweetly fruited, hedonistic style of the To Kalon and is a classic expression of this vineyard. Drink it over the coming 15 years as well.
2019 Wall Road Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon | Robert Parker Wine Advocate 94, From a vineyard on Mount Veeder next to Pym-Rae (the former Robin Williams property purchased by the Tesseron family in 2016), the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road Vineyard includes a bit of co-fermented Cabernet Franc. A lovely effort, it features scents of pencil shavings, cassis, and a hint of sage, displaying lovely restraint and mountain character yet also notes of dark chocolate. Full-bodied, velvety, and long, with a softly dusty finish, it should drink well through at least 2040.
2019 NVS, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Jeb Dunnuck, 93
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon NVS is rock solid and, as far as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon goes, a terrific value. Giving up a juicy Cabernet nose of darker fruits, cassis, chocolate, tobacco, and just a hint of flowers, it’s medium to full-bodied, has ripe tannins, and a forward, undeniably delicious style perfect for drinking over the coming decade. There are just 375 cases made.
2019 Ritchie Vineyard, Chardonnay | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 93
Sourced from a terrific Sonoma vineyard, the 2019 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is green gold in hue and features complex aromas of crushed stone and shell, plus hints of lime, pear and honey. In the mouth, it’s full-bodied, round and mouthfilling, with attractive flavors of white peaches and anise, then the wine turns lightly citrusy on the finish. Made from the Old Wente clone (more properly, selection), the grapes are whole cluster pressed, briefly settled, then go to barrel dirty. Uninoculated, it’s bottled without cold stabilization, unfined and unfiltered.
2018
2018 Perennius Cabernet Sauvignon | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 99
Boich’s 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Perennius is the best blend winemaker Jeff Ames could assemble, from the best barrels in the cellar. It really shows how blending and selection can shape a wine, as while it shares the dark fruit shown by the single-vineyard bottlings, it takes the mocha, cassis, plum and black cherry notes and raises the bar even higher, adding impressive length and freshness. Full-bodied, lush, fruit-driven, rich and enormously complex, this is really terrific stuff and nearly worthy of a perfect score.
2018 Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 98
The 2018 Beckstoffer To Kolan may be the super star in the Boich Family 2018 line up. A big dense purple color is followed by awesome notes of blueberry liqueur, spring flowers, incense, tobacco leaf and graphite. With full-bodied richness, sweet tannins and flawlessly integrated oak and that rare mix of opulence and elegance. This brilliant Oakville Cabernet can be drunk over the coming 25-30 years.
2018 Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper, Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 96
The 2018 Missouri Hopper brings more exuberance and up-front character, offering beautiful notes of red and black currents, blueberries, spring flowers. Toasty oak, violets, and incense like aromas. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, this pure, elegant, balanced 2018 shows the vintage’s style to a T and has polished tannins as well as a great finish, It can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 15-20 years if you are so inclined.
2018 Beckstoffer Georges III, Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 95
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer George III is another more than noteworthy wine in the lineup. Lots of classic Cabernet notes of darker currant, damp earth, chocolate, and tobacco notes give way to a full-bodied wine that has lots of richness and dept while staying nicely balanced and light on its feet. It builds with time in the glass, and while not a true blockbuster, it shines for its classic character and overall balance, It’s beautifully done and is going to evolve for 20-25 years.
2018 Wall Road Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 96+
From the venture’s home vineyard on Mount Veeder, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Road Vineyard includes a bit of Cabernet Franc, which is picked at the same time as the Cabernet Sauvignon and co-fermented. Sage and thyme notes accent cassis and crushed stone on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied but restrained, concentrated and intense, with fine-grained tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish.
2018 NVS, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Jeb Dunnuck, 95
Starting with the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon NVS, this deeply colored 2018 boasts a big, opulent nose of dark currants, chocolate, tobacco, and damp earth. Dense and backward aromatically, it has full-bodied richness on the palate and stays lively and balanced, with a solid sense of freshness, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Blossoming with time in the glass and showing more freshness and elegance, this is a beautiful, layered wine I’d be happy to drink. It should evolve for 20 years or more and drink well for all of it.
2018 Ritchie Vineyard, Chardonnay | Jeb Dunnuck, 94
The 2018 Ritchie shows a clean, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced style that carries lots of ripe white peach, pineapple, white flowers, and honeysuckle aromas and flavors, with a touch of minerality emerging with time in the glass. I love its mix of richness and freshness, and its going to evolve for a solid 8 to 10 years in a cold cellar.
2017
2017 Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 96
This deep purple-hued effort offers a big blast of classic To Kalon red, blue and black fruits as well as notes of flowery incense, spice box, orange blossom and lead pencil shavings, It’s ripe, full-bodied and sexy on the palate and offers way more hedonistic pleasure than most in the 2017 vintage.
2017 Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabernet Sauvignon | Jeb Dunnuck, 95
An Oakville AVA wine the 2017 Missouri Hopper is inky colored and has a ripe, sweet nose of blueberries, dark chocolate, violets and tobacco. With full-bodied richness, remarkable purity of fruit, fine tannins and a great finish, it’s another beautiful, elegant wine from this site that’s up with the crème de la creme of the 2017 vintage.
2017 NVS, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon | Robert Parker Wine Advocate, 94
Deep garnet-purple in color the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon NVS features spice box, dried herbs, tobacco and tilled soil over a core of blackberry preserves, crème de cassis and preserved plums. The palate is full-bodied, firm and grainy with lovely freshness and plenty of ripe black fruits, finishing long and spicy.