ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96+ POINTS - "I tasted the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon in October, not long after it was bottled in August. Grapes were harvested October 5 through November 3. It was blended with 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and matured for 18 months in 55% new French oak barrels plus 10% concrete—a new aging vessel Aperture has started experimenting with. It has slowly unfurling scents of cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate, cast iron and floral hints. The full-bodied palate is impressively concentrated without over-ripeness, and its flavors are rich yet minerally. It has an haut couture frame of powdery tannins and refreshing acidity and a very long, elegant finish. It should be very long lived in the cellar."
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep, youthful, coating red color and reveals aromas of Amarena cherries and pure fresh flowers. It has all the components of Aperture’s top wines, with a very appealing, accessible tone. Fresh lavender and pretty blue fruit shine through, alongside 55% new oak. Ripe and long on the palate, it has a chocolaty, refined, velvety texture and a clean finish. Drink 2026-2040."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 94 POINTS - "Opaque garnet in the glass, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is everything you could want from a modern Sonoma County Cabernet. Varietal signatures abound, with black olive, tomato leaf, sage and gravel underscoring a core of sweet red/blue berry preserves, but this is another wine that needs several years of time to shed some of its serious tannic heft. A creamy mid-palate provides a beautiful canvas for the freshness of the vintage to shine. This is a screaming value at $75."
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep, youthful, coating red color and reveals aromas of Amarena cherries and pure fresh flowers. It has all the components of Aperture’s top wines, with a very appealing, accessible tone. Fresh lavender and pretty blue fruit shine through, alongside 55% new oak. Ripe and long on the palate, it has a chocolaty, refined, velvety texture and a clean finish. Drink 2026-2040."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 94 POINTS - "Opaque garnet in the glass, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is everything you could want from a modern Sonoma County Cabernet. Varietal signatures abound, with black olive, tomato leaf, sage and gravel underscoring a core of sweet red/blue berry preserves, but this is another wine that needs several years of time to shed some of its serious tannic heft. A creamy mid-palate provides a beautiful canvas for the freshness of the vintage to shine. This is a screaming value at $75."
