Drink Window: 2026-2040
97 Points Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Vidovich Lane hits the palate with dark-toned fruit leather incense chocolate gravel and dried herbs. This is an especially virile potent Cabernet Sauvignon a wine that paints a starkly different side of St. Helena vis-à-vis the Panek. Give this a few years to soften. Memorable.
95-97 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe black fruits darker chocolate sappy herbs sage and tobacco notes define the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Vidovich Lane Vineyard another killer 2023 that's medium to full-bodied has ripe polished tannins and just about flawless balance.
94-96 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a two-acre site located south of the city of Saint Helena, near Dr. Crane, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Vidovich Lane Vineyard has layers of ripe cherries tinged with dark chocolate. It's full-bodied and really supple but still shows ample structure and length.
Winemaker Notes
"Our first vintage of VLV, the 2021, taught us quite a bit about this site. We were happy with the effort, but we quickly realized we could do better. Being a stone’s throw from Dr Crane, there was no reason this shouldn’t be one of the stars of our portfolio every year. What we did is obvious now in hindsight, we spent more time in the vineyard. As we watched we saw pockets that struggled, pockets that were overly vigorous and thankfully, a lot in between. Any vine not in balance we flagged for inclusion in our Napa bottling. The differences across the board were surprising given this is only a 2-acre site. At final count, we isolated about 25% of the vineyard for a second pick, putting our arms around only the best sections for the VLV bottling. Because of this, the 2023 reminds me far more of the wines from Dr Crane than the 2021. This is pure black fruit driven with little streaks of crushed rock and liquid mineral shot through. There’s a crystalline quality that feels overly delicate in something so intense but it’s part of what balances the wine and gives it extra dimension. Where the 2021 had some herbal edges, this leads with pure fruit complemented by iron, cassis, grilled bread and violets. The addition of VLV a couple years ago perfectly encapsulates what we search for in our Cabernet program, small jewels that represent the best of what Napa Valley has to offer in only its finest appellations."
- Thomas Rivers Brown, winemaker
