Critic's Choice

Premium grapes from Stagecoach Vineyard are a key ingredient for over 90 wineries. Click here to see a list of winery clients. The following are a few examples of the current Critic’s Choice. Click logos to expand.

Pott Wines ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service is another selection of Aaron Pott from Stagecoach Vineyard. It shows terrific intensity and world-class complexity, with blue and black fruits intermixed with crushed rock and spring flowers. The wine has stunning purity, a dense, full-bodied mouthfeel and moderate tannins in the finish. This is a long-term wine that's coiled tight at present, but promises to unwind over the next 5-7 years and drink well for three decades or more.
96 Points
— The Wine Advocate

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service is powerful, dense and tannic, all signatures of the Stagecoach vineyard on Atlas Peak. Inky blue and purplish fruit, iron, smoke, tobacco and graphite fill out the wine's ample frame effortlessly. This large-scale, super-expressive Cabernet Sauvignon exudes personality.
94 Points
— Vinous; Antonio Galloni

2014, 94 points, The Wine Advocate
2012, 92-94 points, Vinous; Antonio Galloni
2011, 94 points, Vinous; Antonio Galloni

Krupp Brothers M5 Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon M5 could be future perfection if it continues to evolve in the way it seems to be showing itself. It offers gorgeous graphite, white flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, a touch of crushed stone that gives it minerality, yet tremendous precision and definition for a massive, huge wine such as this. There’s no sense of heaviness or heat from its size or mass. This is a potentially legendary effort to age 50 or more years. Kudos to the Krupp brothers!
96-100 points
— The Wine Advocate

2013, 94 points, The Wine Advocate
2010, 95 points, Wine Enthusiast
2005, 95 points, The Wine Advocate

Krupp Brothers Black Bart Syrah

The Krupp Brothers' label has always been counted on for Syrahs of great strength and depth, and, if the 2013 Black Bart version delivers the goods with respect to fruity stuffing and size, it stands as one of the most polished and finely structured to date. It is supple, fleshy and full on the palate, and its intense, extracted, extraordinarily long-lasting flavors are as complex and carefully composed as they are ripe and rich. This one moves to the very head of the class for reasons ranging from richness to balance, and it is guaranteed to get better and better over the next six to ten years. It is a wine that dedicated Syrah lovers will not want to miss.
96 Points
— Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine

2013, 94 points, The Wine Advocate

Mark Herold Wines

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach, another addition to the range, is incredibly vivid for such a big wine. A host of savory and ferrous notes appear first as the fruit gradually opens with air. Intense, dark and decidedly brooding in style, the Stagecoach packs a serious punch. The interplay of fruit, structure and acidity is compelling. Closing notes of violet, rose petal and mint add further nuance. This full-throttle Cabernet could use a few more years in bottle, but it delivers serious quality and tons of personality.
95 Points
— Vinous; Antonio Galloni

From the well-known Stagecoach Vineyard, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Herold Stagecoach is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact, all seven of these wines are. It’s interesting that no other grapes are blended with it. This is a structured, big, boozing, blueberry and blackberry-dominated wine with super intensity, toasty vanillin oak, loads of tannin, crushed rock minerality and a layered, skyscraper-like finish. It is killer wine that is just beginning to strut its stuff. Forget it for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following two-plus decades.
95 Points
— The Wine Advocate

Orin Swift

The 2014 Proprietary Red Blend Machete finished at 15.7% natural alcohol and is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache aged 10 months in 40% new French oak. This wine, at 15,500 cases, is telltale opaque bluish/purple with a super nose of barbecue meat and herbs, blackberries, blueberries, white flowers and sweet, dark raspberries in the background. The wine has fabulous texture, great intensity, full-bodied power (15.7%), and a long, long finish. It is a killer effort and like the Abstract, probably best drunk in its first 5-6 years of life because of its charm.
96 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2013, 94+ points, The Wine Advocate

Venge Vineyards Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah Block I4

Venge's 2013 Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard from Block I 4 is another blockbuster, offering rich, creamy blackberry fruit, some camphor and licorice, and a touch of graphite in a full-bodied, powerful, deep style. Its 15.1% alcohol is well hidden by the gorgeously rich, dense fruit, and the finish goes on for a good 30 seconds. This is another winner from Nils Venge and his son Kirk. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.
95 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2011, 96 points, The Wine Advocate
2010, 94 points, Wine Enthusiast

Patland Select Barrel Reserve Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernets sourced from the Stagecoach Vineyard are rarely prim and proper, but, at their best, as this expressive, fully packed effort attests, they are wines of great presence and fruity weight. From its deep and extracted aromas of currants, dark chocolate, and toasted brioche to its equally imposing, enormously rich, tannin-laced flavors, the wine is kept on course by very keen fruit. Its entirely forgivable sins of youthful toughness will be made irrelevant with age, and those who would pour it before it has reached its tenth birthday will be missing out on a very good thing.
97 Points
— Connoisseurs' Guide

Caymus Special Selection

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection exhibits an opaque purple color, slightly more toasty oak in the aromatics, and explosive richness on the attack, mid-palate and length. The nose is slightly more restrained than in the regular bottling, but there is no doubting the Special Selection is a cut or two above the Napa bottling when it hits the palate. Extraordinary purity of fruit, creme de cassis, licorice and incense all emerge from this full-bodied, iconic classic. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 25+ years.
98 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2012, 96 points, The Wine Advocate
2012, 94 points, Wine Spectator
2011, 95 points, The Wine Advocate
2011, 94 points, Wine Spectator
2010, 96 points, Wine Spectator
2007, 96 points, Wine Spectator

Miner Stagecoach Cabernet Sauvignon

[The 2013 has] Aromas of blackberries, walnuts and light wet earth follow through to a full to medium body, light chocolate and a long finish. Refined and polished. Classic style.
95 Points
— James Suckling

2012, 96 points, The Wine Advocate
2012, 94 points, Wine Spectator
2011, 95 points, The Wine Advocate
2011, 94 points, Wine Spectator
2010, 96 points, Wine Spectator
2007, 96 points, Wine Spectator

Pahlmeyer Piece de Resistance

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Pièce De Résistance is a selection of the five best barrels in the wine cellar, aged in 100% Taransaud cooperage. The first perfect score I’ve given to Pahlmeyer – but highly deserving – this is a masterpiece of gorgeous crème de cassis, blackberry liqueur, forest floor, camphor, charcoal and white flowers, magnificent concentration, wonderfully subtle oak, and a finish of close to a minute. In short, Cabernet Sauvignon rarely gets any better than this, but latching onto a bottle or two will not be easy. Drink it over the next 30-40 years.
100 Points
— The Wine Advocate

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Piece de Resistance is huge, opulent and massively constituted, with off-the-charts richness. There is no shortage of vintage 2013 tannin, but the fruit is so deep those tannins are barely noticeable. Raw, primary and intense, the 2013 is likely to require quite a bit of time to come together, but it is every bit as impressive as it was last year. Most of this fruit came from Stagecoach, and the wine was entirely fermented in barrel. Raspberry jam, mocha, black cherries and dark spices add the closing shades of nuance.
— Vinous; Antonio Galloni

2013, Proprietary Red Blend, 96 points, The Wine Advocate
2013, Proprietary Red Blend, 96 points, James Suckling

Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

The flagship wine, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill, 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec, is a stunner and one of the great, great 2014s. Inky purple with blueberry and blackberry fruit, cassis, licorice, graphite and white flowers, the wine is stunningly concentrated, full-bodied and seemingly one of the greatest of the 2014s. Still youthful, with at least 25-30 years of upside potential at the minimum, this is a wine for patient connoisseurs. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2050.
99 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2015, 95-98 points, Vinous; Antonio Galloni
2013, 97 points, James Suckling

Macauley Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

I only saw two cuvées of the 2015 vintage. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach looks to be even stronger, richer, more complete and concentrated than 2014, which says something about this vintage. Gorgeous levels of blue and black fruits, full-bodied opulence and a voluptuous texture can only mean great things in the future. This should turn out to be special.
95-97 points
— The Wine Advocate

2014, 94-96 points, The Wine Advocate

Sequoia Grove Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard has a similar saturated purple color, a chocolaty crème de cassis and blackberry-fruited nose, and a touch of crushed rock and flowers. This full-bodied, classic, multi-dimensional wine looks to be sensational once again in 2015. It should drink well for up to 20 years.
93-95 points
— The Wine Advocate

Alpha Omega Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Juicy and seductively smooth, this blockbuster beauty from the revered vineyard site is big, bold and intense, with granular tannins and a grip of integrated French oak. Its bright cassis, lavender, Tahitian vanilla and dried herb flavors are irresistible right out the gate. Ripe and rewarding, it’s one to remember. —V.B.
99 points
— Wine Enthusiast

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2013 Pott Wine ‘Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty’s Secret Service is another selection of Aaron Pott from Stagecoach Vineyard. It shows terrific intensity and world-class complexity, with blue and black fruits intermixed with crushed rock and spring flowers. The wine has stunning purity, a dense, full-bodied mouthfeel and moderate tannins in the finish. This is a long-term wine that’s coiled tight at present, but promises to unwind over the next 5-7 years and drink well for three decades or more.
96 Points
— The Wine Advocate

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service is powerful, dense and tannic, all signatures of the Stagecoach vineyard on Atlas Peak. Inky blue and purplish fruit, iron, smoke, tobacco and graphite fill out the wine's ample frame effortlessly. This large-scale, super-expressive Cabernet Sauvignon exudes personality.
94 Points
— Vinous; Antonio Galloni

2013 Krupp Brothers ‘M5’ Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon M5 Stagecoach Vineyard is a big, hulking, masculine style of Cabernet Sauvignon with loads of volcanic earthiness and minerality. It’s powerful, rich, tannic, concentrated and impressive. This wine, made from 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec, spent 24 months in 100% new oak. For those with patience wanting a big, backstrapping, pedal-to-the-metal style of Cabernet, forget it for 4-5 years and drink over the following 2-3 decades.
94+ Points
— The Wine Advocate

2013 Krupp Brothers Black Bart’s Syrah

The gorgeous 2013 Black Bart’s Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard is a big, brawny Syrah (15.1% alcohol) with a black/purple color and a beautiful, meaty nose of blackberry, licorice and truffle. Luscious, heady and full-throttle, this stunner should drink well for another decade or more.
94 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2013 Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach, another addition to the range, is incredibly vivid for such a big wine. A host of savory and ferrous notes appear first as the fruit gradually opens with air. Intense, dark and decidedly brooding in style, the Stagecoach packs a serious punch. The interplay of fruit, structure and acidity is compelling. Closing notes of violet, rose petal and mint add further nuance. This full-throttle Cabernet could use a few more years in bottle, but it delivers serious quality and tons of personality.
95 Points
— Vinous; Antonio Galloni

From the well-known Stagecoach Vineyard, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Herold Stagecoach is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact, all seven of these wines are. It’s interesting that no other grapes are blended with it. This is a structured, big, boozing, blueberry and blackberry-dominated wine with super intensity, toasty vanillin oak, loads of tannin, crushed rock minerality and a layered, skyscraper-like finish. It is killer wine that is just beginning to strut its stuff. Forget it for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following two-plus decades.
95 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2013 Orin Swift Cellars Proprietary Red Machete

Another innovative and genius effort from Dave Phinney is his 2013 Proprietary Red Machete, which is a California red blend made from Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache. This wine is another that shows his tendency to produce wines of great intensity and personality. It is full-bodied and exuberant, with an inky purple color and a stunning nose of boysenberry, black cherry, chocolate and floral notes. Full-bodied, opulent and multilayered, this is another stunner that brilliantly conceals the ten months it spent in 40% new French oak, as well as its rather hefty alcohol. This is unbelievable wine and another great effort from a true, young, up-and-coming force in the world’s winedom.
94+ Points
— The Wine Advocate

2013 Venge Vineyards Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah Block I 4

Venge's 2013 Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard from Block I 4 is another blockbuster, offering rich, creamy blackberry fruit, some camphor and licorice, and a touch of graphite in a full-bodied, powerful, deep style. Its 15.1% alcohol is well hidden by the gorgeously rich, dense fruit, and the finish goes on for a good 30 seconds. This is another winner from Nils Venge and his son Kirk. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.
95 Points
— The Wine Advocate

2013 Patland Select Barrel Reserve Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernets sourced from the Stagecoach Vineyard are rarely prim and proper, but, at their best, as this expressive, fully packed effort attests, they are wines of great presence and fruity weight. From its deep and extracted aromas of currants, dark chocolate, and toasted brioche to its equally imposing, enormously rich, tannin-laced flavors, the wine is kept on course by very keen fruit. Its entirely forgivable sins of youthful toughness will be made irrelevant with age, and those who would pour it before it has reached its tenth birthday will be missing out on a very good thing.
97 Points
— Connoisseurs’ Guide

2012 Caymus Special Selection

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection has a dense blackish/purple color and creamy, sweet crème de cassis fruit, blackberries, a touch of graphite and vanilla, This exuberant, boisterous, in-your-face style of Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly a fruit bomb, so be warned. Full-bodied and opulent with stunning concentration and richness, the wine has no hard edges and is much in the Caymus style of terrific fruit intensity (most of it black and blue), voluptuous texture, and a stunning finish with plenty of glycerin, wood and spice. The alcohol on the label is listed at 14.8%, which seems about accurate. I have Caymus Special Selection in my cellar back to some of the historic wines made by Chuck Wagner’s father in the early 1970s, and while the style’s gotten more precocious and consumer-friendly, these wines, even the more latter-day styles, have a tendency to age beautifully. This can be drunk now, or cellared for 20+ years.
96 Points
— The Wine Advocate

Exhibits a delicious, up-front core of juicy dark berry, blackberry, black licorice and creamy, toasty, vanilla-scented oak. Appropriately tannic and structured, this is made in a style you can drink now or cellar for up to a decade. Drink now through 2026.
94 Points
— Wine Spectator

2012 Decades 5 Petit Verdot Stagecoach Vineyard

It took serious guts to produce a 100% Petit Verdot from Napa Valley. On its own, Petit Verdot tends to show lots of rusticity and astringency, rarely being anything other than a good blending varietal. However, Decades 5 intends to prove otherwise. Their 2012 Petit Verdot Stagecoach Vineyard exhibits a black/purple color (it looks more like Petite Sirah than Petit Verdot) as well as beautiful sweetness, lots of blueberry and blackberry fruit as well as white flower aromas, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and surprisingly ripe, sweet tannin. If I were tasting this blind there is no way I would have guessed it had more than 25% or so of Petit Verdot. Perhaps there is some magic in the Stagecoach Vineyard when it comes to this varietal. This impressive effort is a tour de force in Petit Verdot. It should drink well for 10-15 years.
93+ Points
— The Wine Advocate

2005 Krupp Brothers Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

This cuvee has emerged from the Stagecoach Vineyard on Atlas Peak. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 22 months in all-new oak. A bigger-than-life style of wine (just like the bottle that it is packaged in), this wine has an inky purple color, stunning fruit concentration, sweet velvety tannins, world-class intensity, complexity, and richness. With stunning length and a lofty 15.4% natural alcohol, this impressive wine has turned out to be a profound 2005 capable of another 15-20 years of longevity. It is successful now, but still tastes like a relatively young 3 to 4 year-old Napa Cabernet. Kudos to Krupp Brothers!
95+ Points
— Robert Parker