FLAME-PROOF
TOP 8 WINES FROM CALIFORNIA’S 2017 VINTAGE
ABREU NAPA VALLEY LAS POSADAS 2017 Score: 100
Wow. Blackberries, lead pencil, dried flowers, black olives and purple fruit. Full body and super-polished and refined tannins. Creamy and well defined. Nutmeg, clove and other dried spices. It goes on for minutes. Superb. Drink after 2024.
ABREU NAPA VALLEY MADRONA RANCH 2017 Score: 99
Fabulous aromas of sweet tobacco, flowers, wet earth and blackberries. Black olives, too. Full body and chewy yet polished tannins. Dusty texture. Extremely flavourful. Tight and polished. A sophisticated, intriguing wine. Drink in 2022.
BRYANT FAMILY VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY 2017 Score: 99
Extremely complex and fresh with blackcurrant, liquorice and blueberry aromas. Fresh herbs, such as sage and mint, as well as crushed cloves add complexity. Always subtle. Full-bodied, tight and beautifully pointed. Juicy yet subtle fruit at the end. Gorgeous and serious. Drink after 2024.
DANA ESTATES NAPA VALLEY RUTHERFORD HELMS VINEYARD 2017 Score: 99
Perfect aromas of crushed berries, cedar, roses and blackberries. Touch of rose leaf. Medium body, very fine tannins and nuanced flavours. Lovely, complex finish. Wonderful elegance and length. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.
PETER MICHAEL WINERY CHARDONNAY SONOMA COUNTY KNIGHTS VALLEY BELLE-COTE 2017 Score: 99
Lovely green apples and pears with attractive cream and light bread-dough undertones. Some white peaches. Full-bodied. Dense and solid with grand-cru Burgundy sensibility. So amazing, long and seamless. Goes on for minutes. Will age beautifully. Drink or hold.
SCHRADER CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY BECKSTOFFER LAS PIEDRAS VINEYARD COLESWORTHY 2017 Score: 99
This is a phenomenal red with blue fruit that turns to plums, raw meat, dust and rust. Some dried flowers. Full-bodied, yet very tight and racy with dark-berry, plum and dark-chocolate character. Dried chili pepper, too. Complex and satisfying. Drink after 2022.
SCREAMING EAGLE NAPA VALLEY 2017 Score: 99
A very vertical wine with creamy, silky tannins running through the centre and plenty of berries, herbs and currants intertwined with the tannins. Some tile and liquorice undertones. Medium-to-full-bodied. Excellent complexity. Extremely long. Svelte and racy. Drink after 2025. Only 600 magnums made.
TOR NAPA VALLEY BLACK MAGIC 2017 Score: 99
This is classically structured with a near-perfect centre palate of uber-fine tannins that run and run and run through the wine. Full body. Blackberries, black olives and liquorice. Extremely long and caressing. Harmony with power. Give it at least four or five years. Better after 2021. Only 100 cases produced.