2017 Bella Oaks ‘Proprietary Red’ Rutherford 1x750ml

Vinous 95

"The 2017 PRW is a wine I tasted from barrel that I then missed from bottle as the estate chose to release the 2018 first and this wine fell through the cracks. Several recent bottles of the 2017 have all been sublime. Readers will find a wine that shows the mid-weight, approachable style of the year off to a great effect. Silky tannins wrap around dark-toned fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and chocolate. The 2017 is an elegant, beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next decade or so. If I have any quibble with the 2017, it is that the oak is a bit evident. I suspect much of that has to do with the mid-weight structure of the wine itself. Bella Oaks is one of the hottest estates in Napa Valley right now. Proprietor Suzanne Deal Booth has done a tremendous job in restoring her historic vineyard. The new Bella Oaks pays homage to the past but is quite contemporary in style. The 2021s, made by winemaker Nigel Kinsman, are positively brilliant. I also had a chance to go back and taste the 2017 from bottle, which I had missed previously." [Antonio Galloni, 01/12/2023]

Anticipated maturity: 2023-2032