Freddy R. Troya

9.8

Five Stones “Monarchy” 2018, Judean Hills, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
Flagship wine produced only in select vintages when estate fruit reaches exceptional quality. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a small block of mature, low-yield vines. Hand-selected grapes crafted into a deeply structured, age-worthy expression of the Judean Hills.

Aromas & Flavors
Raspberry, cassis, black cherry, toasted oak, vanilla, tobacco leaf, espresso, and subtle dark chocolate. Layers unfold with air, revealing complexity and precision.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and commanding. Firm, structured tannins balanced by fresh acidity. Dense core of fruit wrapped in polished oak. Long, persistent finish with depth and refinement. Built for extended aging.

Food Pairings
Prime rib, grilled lamb, slow-braised short ribs, aged hard cheeses, or herb-crusted beef tenderloin.

Verdict
Power with discipline. A Cabernet that confidently expresses maturity, vineyard concentration, and serious intent. Complex, structured, and cellar-worthy. A benchmark Judean Hills Cabernet.

Did You Know?
Low-yield mature vines typically produce smaller berries with a higher skin-to-juice ratio, increasing phenolic concentration and structural depth, key factors in age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon.

🍷 Personal Pick
A permanent resident in my cellar. Among my top Judean Hills favorites, layered, intense, and built to evolve gracefully over the next decade and beyond. — 4 months ago

Ron R

9.2

Really good collaboration beer from Weldwerks and Welder. Cool stuff. On the 93 bubble… — 3 years ago

Deb Hollander

8.9

Good drinking wine. — 5 years ago

Daron Watson

9.1

citrus & tropical hard candy notes dominated by a dank resin bitter bite

Resident Culture Brewing Co ~ Fire Walk With Me ~ DIPA ~ brewed w oats & Galaxy Hops — 6 years ago

Stuart Scheff

8.9

Pineapple, mango,lemon rind sea shell and beach mist. Halibut from my resident chef, perfect pairing. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Winemaker Tony Coltrin was born in St. Helena and is a lifelong Napa Valley resident. Light straw with fresh crisp citrus and stone fruit aromas. The palate shows fruit, peach, apple and Asian pear, with lemony and toasty notes, lively acidity, wine spent 9 months sur lie in 33% new French oak. Medium finish ending with creamy citrus character. Delightful! Good value. — 7 years ago

Marta Jackowska

9.6

Back dating our reviews as we’ve been to this (excellent) restaurant twice in the past three days!
Superb seafood and this Chablis was the perfect accompaniment.
👏 to Michael the resident Sommelier for the selection.
— 9 months ago

with Neville

Barry Shailes

10

Absolutely lovely! One of our faves. 2020 vintage — a year ago

Ben Del Vento

10

My current favorite wine. Resident on my coravin … Barnyard, tannins, black olive, blackberry — 4 years ago

Jason Gelman

9.1

Goodbye NYC! My last bottle of wine as a New York City resident. 12 great years here. Onto the next adventure. — 5 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.4

Pop & pour,
Better than the 17, its not a thinker just a drinker.


Caterwaul is a collaborative project between Thomas Rivers Brown and Matt Hardon. Thomas Rivers Brown is the winemaker for some of Napa and Sonoma’s most iconic labels (Schrader Cellars, Outpost and his own Rivers-Marie), has more than twenty 100-point wines on his resume. Matt Hardin, is a 6th generation Napa resident and farmer, is a partner in Barbour Vineyards, one of the most renowned vineyard — 6 years ago

Darren Dittrich

9.2

Crunchy, vibrant Pinot. 12.55% ABV (woot!) Unfined, unfiltered. This is Brian’s style of wine, a style I’m happy to drink. But, my resident non-credentialed wine drinker said: “It looks like a Pinot, but it doesn’t taste like a Pinot....”
There’s some candied cherry fruit for sure, but grippy minerals and green veggies make this a different animal. Could easily be confused with cru Beaujolais. — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.7

The Chimère from Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non fame, and the Maurel brothers of Clos Saint Jean, is, appropriately, a beast. Cherry, blackcurrant, Christmas spice, violets and chocolate. Many elements combine to make a compelling wine that deserves attention over time. Indeed, when this bottle was initially opened, the prevailing thought at the table was that it would last months. A small tipple to check in, some time later, was tasted with our own resident chimera (well at least she sort of has the head of Lion element down) present. — 7 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.0

Hi Everyone. FYI I am now a resident of Miami! Please reach out if you are ever in town!

@Ron R maybe we meet in the. #305?

This wine is somewhat unapproachable. Not much fruit even on the front. There are a few attractive notes (dark chocolate) but it's chopped off, no secondary, no tertiary.

90+ points — 10 months ago

Traci Bartkus

9.5

Resident Christmas party, found at the Cellar — 3 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.5

Celebrating another publication this year, for a total of 13 pieces: 10 short stories and 3 installments of the beverage column, Liquid Carriage at No Contact.

Described to me by the owner and resident vino at Frankly in TriBeCa as an electric Chenin that changes over a few days from slightly bready to fresh and zippy to Burgundian-like.

I had to experience this chameleon of flavors.

Fresh Focaccia on the nose. Bready and boozy in the bouquet. Aromas of tropical fruit, papaya and lemongrass.

Super well balanced, fresh acid, nice RS, beautiful softness like rose petal mouthfeel.

Love this. So much. — 5 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Mid Ruby in colour. Aromas of Raspberry (Grenache) and Tar (Mataro). The medium weight palate shows the raspberry sweetness with liquorice and tar coming through with spice from the Shiraz. A blend of 64% Grenache; 18% Mataro/Mourvèdre and 18% Shiraz. These are old bush vines that survived the vine pull scheme of the 1980s (which was viticultural vandalism at the time). The Steading is probably my favourite Torbreck Cuvée regardless of price. A permanent resident in the cellar. — 6 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.7

I’m not as passionate about beer as I once was, and my wife is the resident beer nerd in our house, but there’s no denying the sheer power and complexity of this Imperial Stout. Aged in once-used maple syrup barrels, this was a treat for sure. 11%+ abv, served at cellar temp. — 7 years ago

Dave Teal

10

I usually like Oregon Pinots exclusively but the 2013 was lovely. I’m a DC resident so I’ll be ordering more! — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Charles Hendricks makes perhaps the best domestic Pinot Noir I’ve had. The 2008 I had 3-4 years ago is the only domestic Pinot Noir I’ve given a score of 9.8. This 2014 could end up rivaling it with a few more years of bottle evolution.

The nose is beautifully layered, fruit, earth, herbaceousness and spices. Ripe, brightly floral and creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, blueberries, baked strawberries, pomegranate extract, raspberries and dry cranberries. Vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, soft, dark spices, dark berry cola/licorice, rich & dry dark soils, limestone minerals, touch of eucalyptus & sage, dark chocolate, understated tarriness, hints of smokiness & grilled meats, used charcoal, underbrush and dark red & blue floral, violet with haunting light lavender.

The 2014 has some of the best palate florals I’ve experienced. The body is round, full and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are harmonious and beautifully stitched together. The acidity is like a warm rain shower. Ripe, brightly floral and creamy; blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, plum, blueberries, baked strawberries, pomegranate extract, raspberries and dry cranberries. Vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, soft, dark spices, dark berry cola/licorice, rich & dry dark soils, limestone minerals, touch of eucalyptus & sage, dark chocolate with a little milk layered over the top, mocha powder, salted caramel, understated tarriness, hints of smokiness & grilled meats, used charcoal, underbrush and dark red & blue floral, violet with haunting light lavender. The well balanced, elegantly sexy, finish is pure beauty that persists for several minutes.

This wine has all the makings of pushing a perfect score.

Photos of; a Santa Lucia Highlands vineyard, a paint from one of my favorite modern artists that hangs in the Hope & Grace tasting room where Hendricks wines can be purchased, Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and a vertical Pinot tasting on the bar in the Hope & Grace tasting room with my favorite painting from their resident artist that used to hang in their tasting room behind it but, now hangs in Charles house. — 7 years ago