95pts Decanter

The Cloudy's Vineyard is on Dutch Henry Canyon Road, just south of Calistoga, near Blue Line Vineyard, a source for Hourglass and Switchback. Just 1.0ha of vines are situated on a northwest-facing hillside of rocky volcanic, tufa, and fractured shale soils, aged 28 months in 100% new French oak. Those volcanic minerals shine through here, interlaced with ripe boysenberry fruit, sweet cedar spices and tangy blood orange peel notes. Full-bodied with terrifically plush fruit, satiny tannins, layers of cherry pit nuances, dark chocolate, saline minerals, and length. It is very delicious now and capable of long-term cellaring. Claus Janzen, the founder, is from Canada. Kyle Janzen, the second generation, is the co-owner and GM. Kirk Venge began making wine in 2003 for Bacio Divino, which means ‘Divine Kiss’ in Italian.

93pts Wine Advocate

From the highest portion of the estate vineyard in Dutch Henry Canyon (east of Calistoga), Bacio Divino's 2021 Janzen Cabernet Sauvignon Cloudy's Vineyard features brandied cherries on the nose, complete with hints of cinnamon and clove. It's full-bodied and concentrated, with fairly muscular but fine-grained tannins that linger on the finish. While a little tough to drink right now, it should look better in a few years and drink well for at least a decade after that.

93pts Wine Enthusiast

The structural refinement of the 2021 vintage combined with full-bodied richness, delivers a Cabernet Sauvignon with savory, dark fruits integrated with oak toast, and palate cleansing tannins. Decant to enjoy with food, or hold well in cellar. 

Winery Notes

Planted in 1999, Cloudy’s Vineyard sits on the steepest part of our estate hidden high up in the Vaca Mountains. The rugged terrain forces the vines to work overtime, focusing all their energy on ripening the fruit. The result is fruit that is both exceptionally ripe when picked and also very concentrated in flavor.

The nose expresses very rich, blackberry jam with undertones of vanilla and other oak- derived flavors. The palate has layers of blueberry, hints of crushed herbs and a volcanic soil minerality. A long but not overly tannic finish leads us to believe this wine will age gracefully over the next 10-15 years. It is already showing great balance and is thoroughly enjoyable now in its youth.