91 pts "HIDDEN GEM" - Wine Enthusiast v.22
You don’t often see Cabernet Sauvignon selections from this region. This one doesn’t disappoint, with aromas of dark berries, dark cherry, dried florals, and dried herbs.
On the palate, flavors convey blackberry, dark plum, black licorice, coriander, cocoa, and grippy tannins on the finish. Hidden Gem. —T.P.
92 pts - James Suckling v.22
A classic red that’s more like a sturdy Bordeaux than a Napa cabernet, with its earthy, tobacco leaf and leather aromas and deep blackberry and black olive flavors. Generous toasted oak spices, black pepper and iron notes emerge as you sip. Well-structured with tannins. Drink or hold.
Jim Gordon - Executive Editor
94 pts - Tasting Panel Magazine v.22
Melded with 8% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, the team of Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitsky have the talent to smooth out a Sierra Foothills Cab with supreme elegance, aging this wine in (25% new) French oak for 14 months. Mountain garrigue intensifies with licorice-kissed boysenberries and mocha-cherry cedar. Plush and energetic, with concentrated floral tones, the ripest blue fruit and a fine acid structure. Publisher's Pick
88 pts - Jeb Dunnuck v.22
From high-elevation sites, the velvety 2022 Painted Fields Curse of Knowledge is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, including from Andis Estate, with smaller amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It has a sappy, cedar, sage, and herbal undercurrent with subtle red fruit and medium-bodied weight, balanced in both acidity and oak. The power is understated too. Aging happened over 14 months in French oak, 25% new. Drink now through 2030.
92 pts - Somm Journal Magazine v.21
A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot that spent 14 months in 25% new French oak barrels. Dried heather, licorice, and wild strawberry are surrounded by gentled tannins. Cola and bittersweet chocolate merge with cedar for a sassy, rustic finish.
88 pts - Wine Spectator v.21
Direct, with a fun burst of cherry and red currant, laced with singed vanilla and tobacco through the slightly taut finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2027. 5,500 cases made. – JM
