Cardinale - Napa Valley 2018

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe7/23/2021

Ripe and dense, but sleek and polished, with red and black licorice notes framing the core of lush plum sauce, blackberry compote and boysenberry reduction flavors. A licorice edge struts on the finish too. A showy style that should have lots of fans. Drink now through 2036. 5,000 cases made. — JM

Jamessuckling.com

97 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/26/2021

Aromas of blackberries, plums and spice with some pine needles and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied with very fine, round tannins and a juicy sophistication and flavorful profile. Dark and thought-provoking. So approachable. 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. Drink or hold.

Jeb DUNNUCK

98 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe1/27/2021

98+
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that spent 22 months in 81% new French oak. It’s a wonderfully complete, borderline perfect wine that shows the class of this estate as well as the vintage, revealing a seamless, full-bodied style that carries lots of blackcurrant, graphite, lead pencil, and tobacco aromatics, a deep, layered mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. As with most of Chris’s 2018s, it’s a wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a layered, singular character. It’s a gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today with ample pleasure, but it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age, at which point it should evolve gracefully for 30-40 years.

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe1/14/2021

Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2018 Cardinale was aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, 81% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with gregarious notions of warm cassis, black cherries and wild blueberries, followed by emerging earth scents with a tobacco and garrigue undercurrent. Medium to full-bodied, gracefully styled and refreshing, the vibrant black and blue-fruited palate offers a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bags of energy, finishing long with a skip in its step. 5,107 cases were made.

Decanter.com

95 / 100

the10/13/2020

The perennial centerpiece wine from Jackson Family Wines and winemakers Chris Carpenter. Composed around mountain fruit with supporting roles from valley floor vineyards across the valley. Hedonistic and commanding on the nose, with dense aromas of ripe black currants, black cherries, coffee beans and fresh herbs. The palate is svelte, balanced and expansive. The finish is grainy but fine, retaining a core of bright, refreshing acidity. Very much in the style of a modern cult Napa Cabernet but manages to do so with restraint.

Drinking Window 2024 - 2042