Napa ’23’s Confident Profile, Plus a Bold Statement from Australia

Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and California chardonnay set the pace over the past week’s worth of tastings, with the top wines in a 574-wine lineup leaning heavily toward 2023 reds from mountain and bench sites, then widening into a smaller but striking set from Australia’s Western Australia and McLaren Vale. The clearest takeaway was consistency at the top end: wines with compact center palates, controlled ripeness and finishes built on firmness and length rather than weight.

The strongest California wines were overwhelmingly from Napa Valley, with Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain District, Mount Veeder and Oakville appearing repeatedly among the highest scores. Many of the best wines show a confident 2023 profile of ripe fruit and density without heaviness, with tannins that feel shaped early and finishes that stay fresh and persistent.

A tight group of 99-point wines leads the pack. The Aaron & Claire Pott and Daughters Napa Valley Howell Mountain Stacked 2023 delivers authority and drive with a compact core, while the Bergman Napa Valley Spring Mountain District 2023 combines depth with polish and control. The Fe Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Spring Mountain District 2023 leans into structure and length, emphasizing line over volume. The Seven Stones Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2023 shows a similarly measured approach, building intensity through a firm center palate. The Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley VHR 2023 stands out for its balance and persistence, finishing with clarity rather than mass.

Just behind them, the 98-point wines reinforce the same theme. The Aaron & Claire Pott and Daughters Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Mount Veeder Incubo 2023 (98) and Aaron & Claire Pott and Daughters Napa Valley Mount Veeder Space & Time 2023  bring a mountain edge of firmness and freshness. The Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley The Lark 2023 shows density with poise, while the Perliss Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Calistoga Pearl of The Ravens 2023 adds a slightly more muscular frame without losing control.

Staff Writer & Critic Ryan Montgomery has been impressed with months of tasting in Napa Valley of so many pristine 2023 cabernet sauvignon. “It's the balance of these wines that is so striking,” he said.

Chardonnay provided the most compelling contrast within California, particularly from Carneros and the Russian River Valley. The Ramey Chardonnay Carneros Hyde Vineyard 2023 (99 points) combines concentration with lift, showing how a generous palate can still finish with definition. The Russian River Valley bottlings continue that theme at a slightly more restrained level, led by the Ramey Chardonnay Russian River Valley Ritchie Vineyard 2023 (97) and Ramey Chardonnay Russian River Valley Westside Farms Estate 2023 (97), wines that favor texture and clarity over overt richness. The Ramey Chardonnay Russian River Valley Rochioli Vineyard 2023 (96) and Ramey Chardonnay Russian River Valley Woolsey Road Vineyard 2023 (96) round out a strong set that stays focused and measured.

Australia made a clear statement in a smaller number of wines, with Western Australia and McLaren Vale providing much of the week’s most distinctive character. The Cloudburst Chardonnay Margaret River 2024 (99) shows tension and depth in equal measure; it’s a wine with intensity delivered through precision and length. The Cloudburst Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2023 (98) pairs ripe fruit with structure, leaning into firmness and drive rather than sweetness.

James recently met with Cloudburst owner Will Berliner, an American who moved to Margaret River more than two decades ago after falling in love with the area on a trip. He soon caught the wine bug and planted a little over a hectare of high-density vineyards, which today make some of the most sought-after bottles from the continent. Everything is handcrafted – from the garden-like vineyards to the low-intervention wines. “I use less and less oak since I want my wines to taste like where they are from,” Berliner said during a tasting in Hong Kong.

McLaren Vale’s strongest wines centered on the winery of Yangarra, with a run of grenaches that emphasize purity and definition. The Yangarra Grenache McLaren Vale Blewitt Springs Trott Vineyard 2024 and Yangarra Grenache McLaren Vale Clarendon Smart Vineyard 2024 (both 98 points) deliver compact, finely structured profiles that build toward long, composed finishes. The range remains deep at the next level, with the Yangarra Grenache McLaren Vale Blewitt Springs Brini Vineyard 2024, Yangarra Grenache McLaren Vale High Sands 2024 and Yangarra Roussanne McLaren Vale Roux Beauté 2024 (all 97 points) showing a consistent house style of balance and control. The Vasse Felix Chardonnay Margaret River Heytesbury 2024 (97) adds another reference point for the region, combining texture with freshness and a firm, shaped palate.

The Yangarra wines were made by the late general manager and chief winemaker Pete Fraser, who made seamless and transparent wines from his region, always focusing on the quality of the fruit and terroir. Ryan, who is Australian, was a close friend and admirer of Fraser, who was one of the most gifted winemakers of his generation.

Italy appeared through Tuscany in a single high-performing wine, the Castellare di Castellina Toscana I Sodi Di S. Niccolò 2021 (96), which shows a polished, measured profile built on structure and clarity rather than size.

Also worth your time this week are additional Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons at the 96- to 97-point level that reinforce the broader theme of compact fruit and firm finishes, along with a small group of Russian River Valley wines that show how California’s top chardonnay can balance ripeness with definition.

Beyond these highlights, the full report includes additional wines from the United States, France, Portugal and other parts of the world worth exploring across styles and categories.

– Contributions from James Suckling, Ryan Montgomery, Jim Gordon and Aldo Fiordelli.

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated during the past week by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. They include many latest releases not yet available on the market, but which will be available soon. Some will be included in upcoming tasting reports.

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