Nickel & Nickel John C. Sullenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 - 750ml

99pts Tasting Panel

Dried lavender and mulberry are fine contenders for attention. This fragrant and well-tempered red shows restraint amidst its broad, generous demeanor. Licorice, leather, soy sauce, and purple plum weave through a mineral core to a most elegant finish.

97pts Wine Enthusiast

So silky but also so potent and concentrated, this luxurious wine is drenched in black fruits, oak spices, cocoa and mint that come up in the aroma and expand beautifully on the palate while the texture remains elegant and seductive. The wine is remarkable more for its finesse than its power. Best from 2027–2037.

96pts Wine Advocate

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard comes from a site just south of To Kalon. Loaded with black cherries and ripe fruit, this full-bodied wine is rich, voluptuous and silky on the outside, but underneath that flesh, there's a firm structure and dusty tannins that linger easily on the elegant finish. This is a real beauty from the western side of Oakville.

95pts Jeb Dunnuck

Another Oakville beauty, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard sports an inky purple hue and gorgeous aromatics of cassis, currants, iron, leafy tobacco, and violets. It's medium to full-bodied, tight and focused on the palate, with building tannins, the fresher, structured style of the vintage, and outstanding length. It's tight and reserved at the moment, so hide bottles for 3-4 years if you can. It's another brilliant wine I'd love to have in the cellar, and it will see its 20th birthday in fine form.

Winemaker Notes

Dark cassis and black cherry lead with a violet lift and graphite undertone. Sleek yet powerful on the palate, ripe black fruit is framed by fine, cocoa-powder tannins and subtle notes of espresso and cedar spice. Polished and cellar-worthy, it finishes with length and precision.