VHR, Napa Valley, 2018

Name: VHR, Napa Valley
Brand: Vine Hill Ranch
Price: 809.8 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2016 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

justerini & brooks tasting note

This 11th iteration of the Phillip's family's VHR unfurls from the glass gaining in nuance and refinement as it takes on air.Iinitial richness is shot through with sparks of red berry, a fine seam of graphite, cool gravelly stones and then blueberry. Still very much in its primary phase it hits the palate and the just opened bottle grips and holds the tongue with a cloak of fine tannins, a sleek rich pool of dark fruit behind. Mouth filling and clearly intense, yet also nimble and almost refreshing, this is both powerful and very precise, finishing long but also somehow airy and transparent. It is very impressive to see density, concentration and length allied to such energy, latent freshness and layer after layer of flavour. Superb!

critic reviews

98+/100Antonio Galloni,Vinous

The 2018 VHR – Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is off the charts. What a wine. Nearly seamless in feel, the 2018 possesses tremendous stature and intensity from the very first taste. Dark-fleshed fruit, menthol, dried herbs, leather and graphite are some of the many notes that saturate the palate. The 2018 is a wine that continues to blossom, exceeding even my own early expectation. This is an especially fine showing, the best yet.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2043

date of review 07/2023

100/100Lisa Perrotti-Brown,The Wine Independent

“2018 was a nice, long 4–5-week harvest period,” said Vine Hill Ranch’s managing partner, Bruce Phillips. “We could bring the fruit in when we wanted.”<br /><br /><br />Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon starts slightly closed. A little patient swirling unlocks vibrant notes of black currant cordial, black cherry compote, and dark chocolate notes with hints of star anise, beef drippings, and Indian spices, followed by an earthy suggestion of fragrant soil. Full-bodied, the palate shimmers with energetic black and blue fruits, framed by exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long and opulent. This spectacular expression of Napa Cabernet will need another five years in bottle, at least, then watch it blossom and transform over the next 30 years+. Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1100 cases were made.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2060

date of review 08/2022