Description
Named for the Welsh word for love, the 2007 Cariad is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Critical Acclaim
100 points James Suckling
I am not sure what to say. This is like standing in a perfectly tended vineyard with stoney soil on a beautiful sunny day. Gorgeous nose of cardamon and cloves. Full bodied, with a breathtaking depth of fruit. The texture is perfect. The tannins are perfect. This is mind blowing wine that has left me speechless. I am in love with this. (04/2011)
100 points Wine Advocate
There are 550 cases of the perfect 2007 Cariad (original rating was 99). One of northern California’s watershed vintages for Bordeaux varietals, according to Allison Tauziet, this wine revealed great potential from the day the first grapes were crushed. It possesses a dense purple color, massive fruit, soft but high tannin, and a structural profile somewhat similar to the 2002. There appears to be more underlying minerality in the 2007, but the sweetness of the tannin, the enormous concentration of fruit (blackberry, blueberry, cherry) intermixed with graphite, chocolate, coffee and crushed rock characteristics is striking. This is a compelling, even prodigious wine that hits all the palate’s sweet spots, possesses phenomenal upside potential, and is a modern day legend in the making. (RP, 05/2011)
95 points Wine Spectator
Dense, chewy and extracted, rich and layered, with tightly wound blackberry, melted black licorice, new leather, shoe polish and herbal notes that are expansive and gain traction on the finish. (JL, 10/2010)
94+ points Vinous
Bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Spectacularly complex aromas of roasted plum, cassis, currant, graphite, anise, licorice and tobacco. Wonderfully sweet, youthful and lively, with perfectly integrated acidity giving the wine an enticing combination of cool and warm qualities. Finishes very young and very long, still in need of more time in bottle to unwind. This perfumed blend reminded me of a Bordeaux from the Right Bank owing to its seductive plum, dark berry and licorice notes and sexy sweetness. But its dusty tannins are still quite firm and in need of patience. (ST, 05/2017)
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