98 Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"On the valley floor, with an almost Châteauneuf du Pape layer of small stones, is the Aida Estate, one of my favorite vineyards just north of St. Helena. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc aged 20 months in three-fourths new French oak. The good news is that there are 800 cases of this magnificent wine, with a somewhat Graves-like scorched-earth, charcoal, burning ember-scented nose, with notes of hot earth, blackberry and cassis fruit. Big, full-bodied, exuberant and rich, this thick, unctuously textured, purple wine should drink beautifully for 25-30 or more years.

Talking to proprietor Chuck McMinn on the eve of the 2015 harvest, he said this year’s harvest was even earlier than 2014, and that was the earliest ever! This magnificent estate just north of St. Helena on Highway 29 continues to turn out an array of enticing wines, including a limited-production, super-expensive, but brilliant Sauvignon Blanc.