ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Justin Willett's new Ad Ripa label is dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon, adding yet another feather in the cap for one of the region's most accomplished and esteemed winemakers. The wines are strongly reminiscent of classically structured California Cabernet—or as Willett puts it, "This isn't your parent's Cabernet; this is your grandparent's Cabernet"—produced with destemmed fruit fermented in large oak vats and aged in 50% to 70% new oak for 22–24 months."
"The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon China Blue leads with a polished, blue-fruited nose flanked with subtle tinges of tobacco, woody accents and the welcome herbal lift that runs through this roster. The palate is beautiful and decadent while remaining alluring and light on its feet, concluding with a graceful, harmonious and tense finish that gently but persistently swells in dimension with time in the glass. It's a fantastic and unique showing of Happy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon."
ANTONIO GALLONI 93 POINTS - "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon China Blue Vineyard is polished and sensual from the get-go. Crushed flowers and bright red-toned fruit immediately confer freshness and a level of high-toned notes not especially typical of Happy Canyon Cabernets. This is an especially savory and pungent Cabernet. Soft tannins make it a delight to taste, even in its youth."
"The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon China Blue leads with a polished, blue-fruited nose flanked with subtle tinges of tobacco, woody accents and the welcome herbal lift that runs through this roster. The palate is beautiful and decadent while remaining alluring and light on its feet, concluding with a graceful, harmonious and tense finish that gently but persistently swells in dimension with time in the glass. It's a fantastic and unique showing of Happy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon."
ANTONIO GALLONI 93 POINTS - "The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon China Blue Vineyard is polished and sensual from the get-go. Crushed flowers and bright red-toned fruit immediately confer freshness and a level of high-toned notes not especially typical of Happy Canyon Cabernets. This is an especially savory and pungent Cabernet. Soft tannins make it a delight to taste, even in its youth."
