Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured. The 2019 pours a deep garnet with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart red and black fruits, green pepper, tobacco, dried herbs, chocolate, purple flowers, cedar box, and baking spice. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ viscosity. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. While Cardinale may not be the “sexiest” label in Napa, it’s got nearly 40 years of history as a consistently exceptional example of Napa, Mountain fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon. If I had this vintage in my cellar, I would decant for an hour+ before service but it shows well on the pop and pour. Drink now with air and through 2049. — 7 days ago

Suneal Vishnupad

9.4

I quite enjoyed this but Kayla didn’t quite love it. Very big, well integrated. Lots of cream de cassis. — 3 months ago

with Kimberly and Kayla

John Van Trijp

9.5

The new project Croix Cardinale — 8 months ago

Peter Chung

9.4

Picked up a 2012 at Wine House for $60 on 12/21/2024

One of the best wines I’ve tasted all year especially in the sub $100 price range

Smells like fertilizer and funk (in a good way) but tastes like blackberries and cherries with hints of soil — 12 days ago

JFP

9.0

2018 blend pf Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Opened slowly but finished well with bbq ribs. A bit dry but at the price a reasonable buy in. — 23 days ago

Emanuel Reitano

9.3

Lovely minerality and acidity. Would buy again and recommend to a friend. stands out among other Santa Barbara sauvblanc. — 3 months ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Huge -not we was amazing. Notes of rose petals and dark fruit and berries. A hint of hibiscus. Drinking really well still tons of life left. The last bit - perfumed and elegant - the rest will wait another 5-10 years. Really fun to drink. — 2 days ago

with David

Sébastien F

9.1

Charmeur, fruité, épicé, frais. — 16 days ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Big fruit. Good spice. Blackberry.

$28 — 5 months ago

Josh Eichorn

9.9

A perfect wine? Perhaps. Not many Napa wines can have this kind of horsepower at 19 years old (I was always told Napa wines fall apart after 15 years). I’ve never had Screaming Eagle or Grace Family or any of the new “premier cru” wines. What I will say, though, is that I have a hard time imagining a wine being better than this. Plush, with a solid core. Very little fade. Let it breathe, but it was drinkable right out of the bottle, rich with refined tannins, so much fruit, so much pleasure. The oak is now seamless with the wine, not an addition, but a part of it. If you had told me this was a more recent vintage, I would have believed you. This was Cosentino’s top of the line and what a top it was. Age has allowed for more complexity (I did taste this when it was newly bottled) and development, but this is a young wine, still. Nothing out of place. It is one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted. Quintessential Napa, the best the valley has to offer. I forget the story of “the secret clone” but knowing what all the steps are in making great wine, having this clone was just one of the many right choices in making this. This one may outlive me. It is in its prime with no end in sight. Perfect? I’m not sure. But I’ve not had better. — 9 months ago