This might be the best effort from Mike Smith to date!  The wine has a dense purple hue and the aromas are AMAZING! The color STUNNING! The flavors are MIND BOGGLING! The wine is loaded with black stone fruit and chocolate aromas. On the palate the wine gushes with more chocolate, black currant, jam and some delicate Rutherford dust. The wine is full in body, yet elegant and refined! Gorgeous from start to finish. Massively scaled for a Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.

“The 2018 McGah Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a brooding, complex, and beautiful Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon that can only be made in this storied appellation. The uplifting aromatics showcase multiple layers of black cassis, red fruits, and earthy components known for this terroir. The mid palate is perfectly balanced with abundant blue, red and black fruits, followed by a full-bodied mouthfeel that hovers across the spectrum of the palate. Perfectly integrated structure and polished tannins lead to a detailed and long finish that carries the signature Rutherford dust component that our wines are known for. A blend from five of our Cabernet Sauvignon blocks on the estate, this wine showcases the unparalleled terroir of the McGah Vineyard. Allow 2-3 years for the tannins and fruit to come together or enjoy it in its prime 5-10 years out.”

93 Points Jeb Dunnuck – The 2018 Cabernet showed nicely, possessing the fresher, more elegant style of the vintage. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is textbook all the way, offering a vivid ruby/purple hue, lots of cassis fruit, notes of graphite, tobacco, and subtle oak, medium to full body, and a balanced, pure, seamless texture. It’s unquestionably an outstanding wine.