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This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous

Welcome to this week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous! Each week we compile a list of wines from the Vinous database that you need to add to your wine wish list. With all the various regions, producers, and grapes, no week will be the same! All of the wines listed in this feature are available for purchase on Banquet . This week's must-try wines are from Antonio Galloni’s article, The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One . Enjoy his notes for this week's must-try below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “After the brutal 2020 vintage, Napa Valley fans will be thrilled to start exploring the 2021s. The 2021s are aromatic, refined and wonderfully expressive. I found many wines to be truly exceptional both in terms of quality and what seems to be a more finessed approach than in the past, something that is evident at many estates. Vintage 2022 presented more than its fair share of challenges, so 2021 is most certainly the vintage to focus on, at least for the time being.” --Antonio Galloni, The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One, December 2023 1. 2021 Amici Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2. 2021 Amuse Bouche Winery Vin Perdu 3. 2020 Dominus 4. 2021 Kongsgaard Chardonnay Napa Valley 5. 2021 Lail Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint 6. 2019 Opus One 7. 2021 Patria Avoyelles 8. 2018 Promontory Penultimate 9. 2021 Realm The Bard 10. 2021 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five

Shafer Vineyards

One Point Five Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Delectable Wine
9.4

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five is a very beautiful wine and also the first edition that marks the move towards a more serious Cabernet. Black cherry, plum, gravel, spice, leather and tobacco are nicely pushed forward. The 2021 shows the mid-weight style of the year nicely. The One Point Five is mostly estate fruit, with some outside vineyards, including sources that are now owned by Shafer. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

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Lail Vineyards

Blueprint Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint is packed with fresh blueberry, lavender, cloves, licorice and chocolate. Juicy and medium in body, this flavorful, vibrant Cabernet delivers the goods. Savory and floral notes linger on the close. As always, the Blueprint is a blend taken from various sites. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Amuse Bouche

Vin Perdu Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Delectable Wine
9.5

The 2021 Vin Perdu is another terrific wine from Amuse Bouche. Cabernet aromatics drive this mid-weight, vibrant and savory red, with crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, mint, cedar, tobacco and dried herbs all running through. I especially admire the understated depth here. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Amici Cellars

Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Delectable Wine
9.4

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is laced with dark cherry, plum, mocha, dark spice and chocolate. In 2021, the Reserve is a bit softer and less opulent than it can be, and that adds to its overall immediacy. Once again, it is one of my favorite wines in this range. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Realm Cellars

The Bard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2021

Delectable Wine
9.5

The 2021 The Bard is fabulous. Rich, ample and beautifully resonant, the 2021 offers up generous dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, spice, menthol and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2021 flaunts tons of flavor intensity and vibrancy. It’s a gorgeous wine, especially considering it is the largest-production wine at Realm. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2019

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 2019 Opus One shows off the more opulent side of the vintage to great effect. Sumptuous dark fruit, spice and floral accents wrap around the palate, with a fair amount of new oak adding volume and exotic flair. This is an especially showy Opus One that will drink well with minimal cellaring. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2020

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2020 Dominus is one of the wines of the vintage in this crazy year marked by drought and fires. There's plenty of upfront richness and fruit, but the mid-palate and finish taper off faster than they would in a higher-quality vintage. Here, too, the balance is notable, even if there is no escaping the reality that the 2020 is a relatively small-scaled Dominus. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Promontory

Penultimate Red Bordeaux Blend 2018

Delectable Wine
9.3

The 2018 Penultimate is a seriously beautiful wine that captures all the qualities that made this vintage so special. Bright and articulate, the 2018 is wonderfully vibrant from start to finish. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, spice, cedar and dried herbs flesh out in this super-expressive and inviting edition of Penultimate. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Patria

Avoyelles California Red Blend 2021

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 2021 Avoyelles is a bruiser, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Strong, savory and floral notes open first. There's plenty of weight and intensity, but it appears gradually. All the elements are so well balanced in this young, potent Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago

Kongsgaard

Napa Valley Chardonnay 2021

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 2021 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) is stellar. Wonderfully refined and airy, the 2021 impresses with its total harmony. It is especially elegant. Whether that is due to the vintage, a tendency to pick on the earlier side these days, or the combination of sites, the 2021 is magnificent, if a bit less showy than it used to be. Readers should plan on cellaring it for a few years. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2023)
 — a year ago