REVERIE WINES RATED OUTSTANDING - SOLD OUT

Reviews of Current Vintages
Reviews of Future Vintages
Reviews of Sold Out Vintages

Reverie 2004 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker Jr., of the Wine Advocate

The outstanding 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve offers sweet licorice, black currant, smoke, game, and pain grille aromas along with a soft, voluptuous mid-palate and velvety, firm tannin in the finish that makes for an attractive, medium-bodied, Bordeaux-styled red to drink over the next 10-15 years

2004 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by the Wine Spectator

Rich and intense, this is deftly balanced, with a mix of red and black currant, herb and loamy earth notes that are shaded by light cedary oak. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins, which highlight the depth and richness of the fruit. Drink now through 2015..

2004 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer of the International Wine Cellar

Bright, medium red. Superripe, slightly porty aromas of black cherry, mint and underbrush. Rich, ripe, sweet and thick, with impressive concentration of black raspberry flavor. A major mouthful of wine, with an intriguing sappy, slightly saline quality. Finishes with big, ripe, broad tannins and excellent length. This may last longer than the 2005 simply on its huge structure. Incidentally, wine consultant Ted Lemon told me that some 2005 juice was blended into these 2004 reds to soften their tannins.

2004 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

Denser than it’s 2004 sibling this Special Reserve is smooth, rich, and easy to enjoy, with tannins that seem to melt in the mouth.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

Both this 2004 and Reverie’s Special Reserve have a lot of espresso-scented oak to absorb before they can show fully show their flavor distinctions. This one hints at mineral scents underneath the chocolate richness of the wood; it’s ripe, plum, and black cherry flavors feel increasingly bold the longer the wine is open. With a day of air, the fruit has evolved to a pure black currant flavor bathed in mineral tannins, juicy and fine. Cellar this eight to ten years from the vintage.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer of the International Wine Cellar

Blended with 20% merlot, including 5% from the 2005 vintage. Bright ruby-red. Complex nose features cassis, black plum, licorice, spices and earth. Sweet, juicy and fruit-driven, with lovely lift for the vintage. More primary and more firmly built than the cab franc. Finishes fresh and long, with building tannins that avoid dryness. These reds were aged in about 80% new oak.

2004 Merlot - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

This gracious wine has impressive finesse and plummy varietal flavor that seem to defy gravity in a complex arc of fresh ripe fruit. The texture is luscious, the flavors firm and lasting.

Reverie 2004 Cabernet Franc Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker Jr., of the Wine Advocate

Reverie’s 2004 Cabernet Franc exhibits a floral, blue and blackberry, loamy soil-scented bouquet, medium body, a soft, sexy texture, and a smooth finish. It is a complex, delicious red to drink over the next 5-6 years.

2004 Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Wine Enthusiast

If you thought Cab Franc was the soft, early-drinking cab, reconsider. This is a tough wine, dry, and so tannic that it numbs down the palate. But, it’s huge in sappy red, and black cherry fruit, with a chocolate fudge finish, and should develop well. Try holding for 3 or 4 years.

2004 Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

Smooth and ripe, with a foresty edge to the tannins this wine is as rich as chocolate with green herb scents.

2003 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding and Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast

Shows typical Diamond Mountain youthful tannins that are tough and hard, and in this good vintage a dense, vibrant core of cassis and cherry fruit that’s jamlike in its richness. Very dry, the wine will benefit from decanting, but it really wants fairly extended cellaring. Hold until 2009, then drink through 2015

2003 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Connoisseurs Guide

While both of the Reverie releases are loaded with lovely oak and display highlights of briar and loam, this bottling is the preferred of the two by dint of its concentration and its more clearly defined fruit. It is deep and dense and still has lots of expansion to go, but even as its entirely appropriate tannins rough up the lengthy finish, its central, very curranty fruit carries comfortably through. Be assured that a half-decade or more of very positive growth lies ahead.

2003 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Wine and Spirits

Growers on Diamond Mountain have figured out how to farm cabernet for intensity without excess weight. This one has it, a contrast of freshness and power, somehow lean and satisfying at once. The scents are black herbs and tart raspberries, the mineral tannins giving a sense of the cool uplands above this vineyard. Balanced to age over the next decade, or longer.

2003 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker

Reverie’s top cuvee is the 500-case blend called Special Reserve. The 2003 Special Reserve (93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc) boasts a deep ruby/purple color as well as an elegant, charming but restrained aromatic display of red and black fruits, smoke, and earth. With beautiful balance, a forward style, good ripeness, and a silky texture, it will drink well for 10-12 years.

2003 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Good full medium ruby-red. Lovely floral lift to the aromas of plum, smoke and underbrush. A sweet, juicy fruit bomb in the mouth, with excellent breadth of flavor and attractive floral freshness. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and noteworthy subtle length. Very sophisticated wine, and an excellent example of Diamond Mountain.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding and Cellar Selection by Wine Enthusiast

There's a nice classic structure to this dry wine, but it's pretty much in lockdown tannin mode now. However, underneath those tannins is a solid core of blackberries and sweet cassis, and one of these days, when the wine has been aged, and decanted to rid it of sediment, the sweetness should be gorgeous. Drink 2010-2016

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding By Wine and Spirits

This wine’s spicy red plum flavor has a cool, foresty tone, its structure a contrast of tart, floral acidity and savory tannins. Give the fruit several years to absorb that tannin, or enrich it now with a steak.

2003 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Blended with 12% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Red-ruby. Plum, chocolate, pepper, tobacco leaf and cedary cigar box on the nose. Sweet, shapely and elegant, with lovely acidity framing the complex fruit, oak and spice flavors. Nicely fine-grained in the middle, and firmly tannic on the end. This seemed inkier and more herbal in barrel and has turned out well.

2003 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Wine Enthusiast

This is more tannic and full bodied than most Cabernet Francs, more akin to Cabernet Sauvignon, and with darker berry and stone fruit flavors. That must be because of Reverie's steep mountainside vineyard. The black cherry fruit is ripe. Best now with a great steak.

2003 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

Reverie consistently produces one of the best Cabernet Francs in Napa. Made from a suitcase clone brought over from Europe and grown next to Diamond Creek, the 2003 is lean in structure, yet the texture feels generous, with just enough fat to balance the mouthwatering green spice that fans out from the aroma. It continues to broaden in the finish.

2003 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker

Made from one of Reverie’s favorite varietals, the 2003 Cabernet Franc Diamond Mountain (94% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon) reveals complex aromas of sweet blackberries and currants intertwined with licorice, smoke, and scorched earth. Possessing sweet tannin and an opulent personality, it should be consumed over its first decade of life.

2003 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Bright ruby-red. Ripe aromas of blueberry, blackberry, chocolate, violet and meat. Sweet, lush and full, with satisfying dark fruit flavors and terrific breadth for Cabernet Franc. Finishes firm, with a fine dusting of tannins. This young, deeply fruity wine is built to age. Excellent California Cabernet Franc.

2003 Merlot - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

Black at first, with long flavors of black cherries and tannins that place it on Diamond Mountain, this has a ferrous almost rusty edge to the tannin that’s finely tuned to the char on a steak. The fresh fruit develops more prominence with air, continuing to improve, as it will with several years in the cellar.

2002 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Wine & Spirits

This wine has tense red fruit flavor, black currant cabernet tones, and tough substantial tannins. But it also has a sophistication, and elegance that's unusual for a potent wine. The mountain grown fruit contributes complexity in wooden flavors that last. Cellar it for a decade or more.

2002 Reverie Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker

2002 Reverie Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Good medium ruby, not quite as black as the regular cabernet. Floral, high-pitched aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, mint and violet. Juicy and tight but more pliant than the regular cabernet despite its superb precision of dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors. Stylish and vibrant wine, finishing with very fine-grained tannins and superb length. A superb example of Diamond Mountain cabernet.

2002 Reverie Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Wine News

Slow to open nose of dark chocolate, and berry-cassis fruit with blueberry and dried herbs. Rich and full bodied with medium-full chewy tannins, the chocolate note resonates on the palate amid lush berry cassis fruit that shows great purity and depth. Blended with 10% verdot and 5% merlot.

2002 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Wine Enthusiast

This is a tight young wine showing firmer, harder tannins and a youthful stubbornness. Five to seven years should soften and sweeten it.

2002 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker

Slightly bigger, more muscular, and richer than the 2003, is the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain. A sweet perfume of black currants, smoke, cedar, tobacco, and subtle toasty oak is followed by a firmly structured, medium to full-bodied, moderately tannic, well-made Cabernet. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017.

2002 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Steven Tanzer

Stephen Tanzer of the International Wine Cellar in his outstanding review said, “Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, redcurrant, licorice and tobacco on the nose. Denser and riper than the 2001, but uncompromisingly dry, with deep flavors of currant, dark chocolate and licorice. This has impressive material and persistence on the palate. Quintessential Diamond Mountain cabernet in the making.”

2002 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker

The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2002 Cabernet Franc Diamond Mountain (100% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a gorgeous nose of lead pencil shavings, menthol, underbrush, black currants, and barbecue spices. This generous, lovely offering should be at its finest between now and 2015.

2002 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Good bright ruby. Vibrant aromas of blackberry, coffee, smoke and violet. Fat and sweet but juicy, with palate-saturating flavors of sweet dark berries, violet and licorice. This has a lovely lush middle palate. Showing attractive forward fruit but also has enough in reserve for aging. Finishes with ripe tannins and excellent length. Quite complete for 100% cabernet franc.

2002 Reverie Cabernet Franc - “Among the top 5 I have tasted in the last year” by Vinfolio

Too often, Cabernet Franc takes on elements of the “Dark Side,” weedy, green and peppery on the nose with restrained, tart flavors. When done right, the varietal can be delicious and a good alternative to other red varietals. The current Reverie release is right up there with the best. Very dark in color, a nose brimming with spicy loam and violets. On the palate, the flavors of smooth black fruits and coffee bean are everything I look for in a good Franc. This is among the top 5 I have tasted in the last year.

2001 Reverie Cabernet Franc - Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

Rich aromas, sweet tannin, and fruit characterize the 2001 Cabernet Franc Diamond Mountain (90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot). A fragrant perfume of dried herbs (or is it menthol?) intermixed with plums, cherries, and black currants is followed by a medium-bodied, ripe, concentrated wine that should improve over the next 2-5 years, and last for 12-15.

2001 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

The outstanding 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot) offers sumptuous aromas of creosote, black currants, incense, Asian spice, and toasty oak. It is medium to full-bodied, rich, and delineated, with moderately high tannin in the finish. Meant for patient connoisseurs, it will be at its finest between 2008 and 2015.

2001 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Good red-ruby color. Cassis, black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Juicy, penetrating and sharply focused, with intense flavors of wild mountain berries and licorice. The firm but ripe tannins reach the front teeth. This vibrant, youthful cabernet needs at least four or five years of additional bottle aging and is built to last.

2001 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon - Rated Outstanding By Wine News

Nose of subtle green olive, red berry-cassis fruit, with blueberry and star anise framed in toasty oak. Juicy, and generous with deep, intense flavors of brambly blackberry and anise seed: medium - full ripe tannins.

2001 Reverie Roussanne from Matt Kramer of the Wine Spectator his “Top 6 Wines of the Year”

I hesitate to mention this wine because Reverie Winery, in Napa Valley’s Diamond Mountain district, made just 35 cases. But this 100 percent Roussanne was so exceptional in its yellow-gold color with a greenish cast (like a great Chablis), intense lemon, pineapple and lanolin scent and mouthfilling flavor that it reminded me there's a lot more to Diamond Mountain than just Cabernet -- if anyone cares to try.

2001 Reverie Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Rated Outstanding by Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine

Endowed with a fair dollop of richness if a bit reserved in its aromatic display of emergent ripe fruit, this well-balanced offering is deeper on the palate both for its fleshy feel and for its ripe, concentrated black fruit flavors. It deserves several years in the cellar to come fully around and is certain to prove quite rewarding with a standing rib roast or sturdy leg of lamb.

2001 Reverie Special Reserve - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot, bright medium ruby. Burnished aromas of cassis, licorice, mocha and menthol. Sweet, sexy, creamy wine, with a mid-palate lushness I've never before found in a wine from this estate. And yet this very generous blend has terrific spine and inner-mouth aromatic character. The tannins spread out to cover the entire palate. Very chewy, dense, ageworthy wine-a superb example of this appellation. The label says 13.9% alcohol, but this is actually 14.5%.

Savor Wine Country Magazine Double Gold Category: Cabernet Sauvignon priced above $35. Our first wine competition ever entered.

2001 Reverie Special Reserve - Rated Outstanding by Robert Parker

Reverie's top cuvee is their proprietary red called Special Reserve, a serious and potentially long lived offering. Great aromatics characterize the classic 2001 Special Reserve, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Merlot. An inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by a full-bodied, textured wine with tremendous purity, intense flavors, yet surprising elegance for its mass and size. It is a nuanced, rich example that behaves like a young, classic Bordeaux (because of austere tannin) with sweet fruit as well as tremendously penetrating, even pungent aromatics (spice box, cedar, black fruits, earth, and toast). Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+.

2001 Reverie Special Reserve Diamond Mountain District - Rated Outstanding by Vinfolio

This wine is the pinnacle of what Reverie produces—very limited production with all of the concentration I look for in a wine of this type. Tasted twice over the last week, I find a seductive nose of smooth black fruits with pleasant hints of violet and clove. On the palate, I find dense polished black fruits with elegantly formed tannins.

2000 ASKiken - Rated 93 by Wine and Spirits Magazine

Grown at Reverie's estate vineyards, between Diamond Creek and Von Strasser, this Bordeaux blend manages to be both lean and completely rich. The structure is taut, its muscular black tannins soften with air to accentuate the redder aspects of the fruit. Think strawberries in fresh cream and you’ll be close to the lightness and suppleness of the wine. The finish is lively, energized by the youthful tension of its tannin and acidity. Drink 2008 through 2015 with well marbled steak. (660 cases)
- to appear in August 2005 Wine & Spirits Magazine

2000 Reverie Special Reserve - Rated Outstanding by James Laube of the Wine Spectator Issue May 15th, 2004

Dark and richly flavored, with a complex tapestry of concentrated blackberry, currant, sage, mineral and cedary oak supported by ripe, rich tannins and finishing with a long, persistent aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink now through 2012. 725 cases made.

2000 Special Reserve - Rated Outstanding by Stephen Tanzer

Good full red-ruby. Complex, gamey aromas of cherry, smoke, licorice and leather. Supple and spicy, with nicely restrained sweetness and suggestions of licorice, tobacco and fresh herbs. Juicy and aromatic on the back end. A spicy, dense, expressive wine with very good length.

2000 Reverie Special Reserve - rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast

Compelling for it’s ripeness, balance, harmony, and the way those tannins work to put it all together. This cab based wine has it all, blackberries, cherries, cocoa, great acidity, wonderful oak. Ultimately, it’s the soft intricate tannic structure that makes it complex.

1999 Reverie Special Reserve rated outstanding by James Laube of the Wine Spectator. Issue November 15th, 2002

Rich and intense, with vibrant, racy currant, shoe leather, anise and sage flavors that firm up nicely on the finish, holding a tight focus and pumping out richness and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2004 through 2012. 225 cases made.

1999 Special Reserve Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

The flagship wine of Reverie, the 1999 Special Reserve (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc) is a dense and complex offering. It exhibits body and weight, with sweet fruit in the aromatics as well as glycerin and length. This impressive, intense 1999 will have 20-25 years of positive evolution.

1999 Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

Very good is the opaque purple-colored, full-bodied 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. This blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc reveals a sweet, cedary, black currant nose displaying a judicious dose of toasty new oak. Full-bodied and pure, with nicely integrated acidity and tannin, it comes across as Bordeaux-like, but with the ripeness and weight of a big California Cabernet. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2022.

1999 Reverie Cabernet Franc Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

There are 300 cases of the 1999 Cabernet Franc. A splendid 100% Cabernet Franc, it boasts a dense purple color as well as a sumptuous nose of menthol, black raspberries, cherries and currants. Mineral and licorice notes also make an appearance. Full-bodied for a Cabernet Franc, with super purity and intensity, it should drink well for at least 10-15 years.

1998 Reverie Special Reserve Rated Outstanding by Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine

Awash in rich oak and somewhat exotic in its caramel, currant, tamarind and cocoa scents, the wine is broad and fleshy in feel and carries its ripe fruit handsomely from first palatal impression to lasting, noticeably tannic but still fruity finish. A bit of time in bottle is all that is needed to bring this already smooth and rich rendition into its prime.

1998 Reverie Special Reserve Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

1998 Reverie Special Reserve Rated Outstanding By James Laube of the Wine Spectator

Dark, ripe, intense and concentrated, with well-focused, plush-textured currant, blackberry, anise, sage and mineral. Shows depth and complexity, with a long, luxuriant finish. Sufficiently tannic to cellar short-term. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2010. 425 cases made

1996 Special Reserve Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker

The 1996 Special Reserve proprietary red (87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc) is an outstanding offering. Only 252 cases of this beauty were produced. Bottled unfiltered, this is a Bordeaux-styled wine with a Medoc-like, mineral, lead pencil, and black currant fruitiness intertwined with weedy tobacco and spice box scents. Dense, with high tannin as well as beautiful rich, ripe fruit, this stylish, graceful, potentially complex wine would be difficult to pick out as a California Cabernet in a blind tasting. Anticipated Maturity: 2002-2020.

1996 Reverie Special Reserve Rated Outstanding by James Laube of the Wine Spectator

Wonderful balance and sense of harmony, with layers of currant, cherry, coffee, cedar, herb and spice. Finishes with a tight focus and smooth, polished tannins that keep pumping out the fruit. Best from 2001 through 2010. 196 cases made.

1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Rated Outstanding by James Laube of the Wine Spectator

Wonderful balance and sense of harmony with layers of currant cherry, coffee, cedar, herb and spices. Finishes with a tight focus and smooth, polished tannins, that keep pumping out the fruit.

1995 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Rated Outstanding By Robert Parker, Jr. of the Wine Advocate

The outstanding 1995 Special Reserve makes me think that its 1996 sibling will certainly come around with more time in barrel. The 1995 Special Reserve, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, possesses a deep ruby/purple color, a spicy, ripe, concentrated character, tight aromatics, but enticing quantities of red and black fruits, minerals, and pain grille notes. This elegant wine should repay readers willing to cellar it for 5-6 years. It appears to have all the necessary raw materials to last for two decades or more. I am impressed by what has emerged to date from this relative newcomer's small 1,500 case production from their estate vineyards on Diamond Mountain.

1995 Special Reserve Rated Outstanding by James Laube of the Wine Spectator

Dense, complex and concentrated, with an earth band of cedar currant, tar, tobacco and black cherry, this is a tightly wound firmly tannic wine that will need short term cellaring.