Sign In

2022 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

Light label condition issue

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased at retail

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased at retail

2 available
Bid *
Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

97Jeb Dunnuck

...a Bordeaux-like perfume of darker currants, smoke tobacco, sappy flowers, and foresty, earthy nuances. These carry to a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that has beautiful mid-palate density, a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish.

96James Suckling

Charming in aromas and quite firm on the palate...overachieves in terms of fruit, good acidity and savory accents. Cedar and baking spices on the nose, then a rather firm, chewy palate that is tannic, powerful and full-bodied. Flavors of black cherries, black olives, raspberries and orange zest.

95The Wine Advocate

Gentle vanilla shadings accent an attractive mix of red and black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated and silky. This really seems to have it all, with a touch of warmth and some chocolaty notes on the lingering finish. It's a really solid effort.

94Wine Spectator

...plum, boysenberry and blackberry compote notes with noticeable energy in the form of lively flecks of anise, violet and iris. This red pulses instead of just moves along, and a graphite spine delivers cut and drive as the fruit actually takes an encore... Bravo.

94Vinous / IWC

...bold and super-expressive right out of the gate. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, licorice, mocha and spice open gradually with a bit of coaxing.

94.3CellarTracker

94Decanter Magazine (points)

...a brooding, muscular wine showcasing blackberry fruit laced with violets, rose, and roasted walnut. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is defined by long beams of cedar-rich tannins, framing juicy, brambly blackberry fruit, with hints of juniper and mulled spices adding depth...lengthy finish carries both structure and warmth...

17+ Jancis Robinson

Thick luscious black fruit, savoury earth, and a vein of cedary spice. Lovely texture to the tannin, soft and silty balanced by fresh tangy acidity and fine cocoa flavour... A touch baked on the finish... Overall lovely.

PRODUCER

Vine Hill Ranch

Vine Hill Ranch is a family-owned grape-growing operation in Oakville that is now making its own artisanal wine. The Phillips family has been farming the 50-acre Vine Hill Ranch since 1959 growing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon for such producers as Cakebread and Robert Mondavi. But like an increasing number of long-time, multi-generational growers, the Phillips family in the last decade decided to use some of their grapes for their own cuvee. Their first commercial release was a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Francoise Peschon, who trained at Chateau Haut-Brion in Bordeaux and is the long-time winemaker at Araujo, is the winemaker at Vine Hill. Noted viticulturalist Mike Wolf is vineyard manager. Vine Hill Ranch is on prime land at the edge of the Mayacamas Mountain Range with Harlan and Dominus as neighbors. In 2011 the Phillips family won the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ Grower of the Year Award. Reviewers have awarded Vine Hill Ranch wines with ratings in the mid to high 90s. In 2013 Vinous Media wrote that “Vine Hill Ranch is one of the very best and most pedigreed wines in Napa Valley…” Vinous also noted that “Vine Hill Ranch….continues to cement its place in Napa Valley’s top echelon.”

REGION

United States, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

Oakville AVA is one of the two or three most prestigious appellations in the United States. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, its 5,000 vineyard acres produce some of the world’s most acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, including such California “cult” Cabs as Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate. Before those boutique producers rose to fame in the 1990s, Oakville was already renowned as home to Robert Mondavi, Opus One and Groth Vineyards, among others. Along with the famous wineries, there are premier vineyards in this AVA, including Martha’s Vineyard and To Kalon Vineyard. To Kalon was first planted in 1868 by H.W. Crabb, one of California’s first viticultural researchers, and he named the vineyard after the ancient Greek phrase for “most beautiful.” Though many grapes can be successfully grown in Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. Merlot and Chardonnay are also frequently planted. Oakville Cabs are prized for their richness, complexity and weight. Oakville was designated as an AVA in 1993.

TYPE

Red Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.

VINTAGE

2022 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon