Raymond Reserve Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Professional Ratings

• 94 Tasting Panel

  From a near-perfect vintage in Napa Valley, this wine sources fruit from organic and Biodynamic vineyards in Rutherford. Aged 19 months in French oak, it’s a Cab-dominant red (90%) that also comprises some Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, and Petite Sirah. Aromas of cigar leaf, strawberry preserves, and black fruit merge before graphite and coffee bean arise on the palate.

• 92 Jeb Dunnuck
  The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a smoking value and has high-quality Cabernet notes of crème de cassis, spice, vanilla bean, and fruitcake-like nuances. It’s charming, sweetly fruited, medium to full-bodied, and certainly already delicious.
• 91 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 2% Malbec and 1% Petite Sirah, aged for 20 months in 38% new French oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve is deep garnet-purple in color. Just bottled last week, it's already showing open and expressive blackberries, blackcurrant and warm plums notes with touches of tobacco leaf and underbrush plus a waft of menthol. The palate is medium to full-bodied with lovely freshness and vibrancy, textured with plush tannins and finishing with a menthol lift.
• 91 James Suckling
  This offers a ripe array of blackcurrants and attractive, violet-like florals, leading to a palate that has a suave, rich and ripe feel and delivers a spice-laced finish. Drink or hold.
• 90 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  COMMENTARY: Raymond Vineyard & Cellar has undergone many changes throughout the decades. I first tasted the wines in the mid-1970s, when the Raymonds were involved. Now time-traveling to the present, we see a very different brand. Quality remains high, and the 2016 Reserve Cabernet is quite excellent. TASTING NOTES: This wine is flavorful and ready to enjoy. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit and savory spices make it a beautiful wine with casual get-togethers. (Tasted: October 23, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
• 90 Wine & Spirits

  This is the kind of simple, clearly stated varietal cabernet that’s rare today in Napa Valley. It’s not ambitious or aggressively extracted, just firmly defined in its juicy tannins and red-currant undertones. Smoke, coffee and cherry-compote flavors emerge with air, though the best thing about the wine remains its silky texture.

• 90 Wine Enthusiast

  This large-scale red is approachable in dense red fruit, thick, supple tannin and integrated oak. Rhubarb, dark cherry, clove and orange peel combine across a full-bodied palate of richness and length.