Wine Reviews 2023 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon
Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media, vinous.com <span>Dec. 2024</span>
My recent tasting at Vine Hill Ranch was incredibly instructive, as it spanned three very different and distinct vintages. Revisiting the 2021s was a reminder of how gorgeous those wines are. In recent years, VHR has experimented with an Extended Age bottling. While that wine is quite interesting, in 2021, I slightly prefer the regular bottling because of its greater freshness. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon turned out well. Harvest took place from August 30 to September 5. Judging by the wine’s tannin profile, I suspect that was a touch earlier than would have otherwise been optimal, but these are the kinds of decisions owners and winemakers had to make in 2022. The young 2023, tasted from barrel, is quite simply one of the most refined, finessed wines I have ever tasted here. Kudos to proprietors Bruce and Heather Phillips, and their team led by vineyard manager Mike Wolf, winemaker Françoise Peschon and her daughter Isabelle, the latest addition to the team.
2023 VHR, Vine Hill Ranch
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is a very delicate, elegant wine. Bright, floral and very primary, the 2023 is an infant. At this stage, it is a decidedly mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon built more on finesse rather than power. Brisk acids lend notable energy throughout. This is simply exquisite. 95–98 pts.