98pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red Wine was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 55% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of candied violets, red roses, black raspberries and fragrant earth over a core of cassis, wild blueberries and Morello cherries with a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully balanced velvety tannins and seamless freshness framing the opulent black and red berry layers, finishing very long and perfumed.

94pts Wine Spectator

This sports some richness, with warmed plum sauce and cassis mixed with a melted red licorice note, all while apple wood and sweet tobacco fill in from behind. Rich but focused, with nice grain and detail through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2038.

Winemaker Notes

The 2018 Rudd Oakville Estate Red has a stunning magenta and youthful purple hue. The wine's fragrance is perfumed, poised and elegant. The more traditional black cherry and cassis fruit that one find in this wine are complemented by intriguing green olive, cigar leaf, and violet floral components that they find throughout their 2018 vintage wines.

Upon the first sip, the bright and luscious black cherry and plum notes consume the palate. Threaded throughout those fruit components are an inviting combination of cocoa nib and dried rosemary, elevating the wine's complexity and power as the wine builds. While the tannins are persistent and firm, the slate-like texture of this wine offers a smooth and elegant finish. While showing well at the time of release, this wine had plenty of time to develop and age gracefully over the next 15-20 years.

Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc