98pts I.W.R. - Highly Recommended & Editor’s Choice

The 2023 Aperture Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County includes small amounts of 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, and was aged for 18 months in 55% new French oak. In the glass, it reveals an opaque ruby-purple hue. The nose is strikingly layered, bringing together aromas of crushed black cherries, wild marionberries, roasted coffee bean, cedary herbs, and damp forest soil. The palate follows with intensity and grace, offering cassis, mulberry, and dark chocolate, balanced by savory herbs and graphite. Firm, polished tannins and vibrant acidity structure the wine without weighing it down, giving it both power and lift. The finish is extended and resonant, echoing spice, fruit, and earthy undertones long after each sip. This bottling is both deeply expressive and precise, one of the most incredible Cabernet Sauvignons yet from Aperture, built to evolve over two decades. For pairing, it would be stunning with dry-aged ribeye and truffle butter, the wine’s depth of fruit and earthy complexity mirroring the richness of the dish. Highly recommended and editor’s choice.

96pts Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

I tasted the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon in October, not long after it was bottled in August. Grapes were harvested October 5 through November 3. It was blended with 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and matured for 18 months in 55% new French oak barrels plus 10% concrete—a new aging vessel Aperture has started experimenting with. It has slowly unfurling scents of cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate, cast iron and floral hints. The full-bodied palate is impressively concentrated without over-ripeness, and its flavors are rich yet minerally. It has an haut couture frame of powdery tannins and refreshing acidity and a very long, elegant finish. It should be very long lived in the cellar.

95pts James Suckling

Aromas of plums, blackberries, marionberries and red soil. Full-bodied and structured yet approachable, with abundant yet integrated tannins and a lot of earthy minerality in the finish. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Notes

Focusing first on the Cabernet fruit from our mineral-rich, volcanic soil sites nestled on the hillside slopes in the Alexander Valley. This vintage’s blend is uniquely crafted with delicate inclusions of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and a small hint of Merlot and Petit Verdot showcasing intense black fruits enriched with lengthy velvety tannins.

While the significant wildfire challenges of this vintage did not allow us to produce our entire portfolio of wines, the wines we were able to put to bottle were done so with complete confidence and a renewed sense of awe for the delicate balance between unpredictable nature and precise science that our craft is rooted in. We are proud to share this flawless cabernet sauvignon blend with you now. 

Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot