97pts Tasting Panel

This wine is built to last, with tannins that are svelte and architecturally sound Graphite and black tea add grip and verve, gaining depth and flavor with each sip.

95pts Jeb Dunnuck

All from Oakville fruit, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Branding Iron sports a deep plum hue as well as a gorgeous perfume of cassis, darker currants, graphite, iron, and spicy wood. It's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, seamless mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It shows the purity, structure, and depth, as well as the finesse, of this great vintage. Give bottles 2-4 years if you can and drink over the following two decades. Drink 2027-2045.

93pts Wine Advocate

From a site in western Oakville, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Branding Iron features cool, gently herbal aromas highlighting cassis and black cherries. It's medium- to full-bodied, firmly built and rather restrained, with a tight, tannic finish that leaves behind a cloud of dust. There is good underlying fruit, but this wine seems to require some cellaring.

Winemaker Notes

The elegantly balanced Nickel & Nickel Branding Iron Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of blackberry and raspberry fruits mixed with toasty cedar from the oak. These lush, ripe flavors carry through on the palate with hints of green olive and dried herb. The juiciness from the fruit continues through to a lingering finish on soft, coating tannins. This is a wine that can be easily be enjoyed upon release, but will also age beautifully with time in the bottle.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon