Hundred Acre Fortunate Son "The Diplomat" - 2019

Wine Advocate 92: The 2018 Red Wine The Diplomat is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon but contains a fair bit of Merlot, being, as Jayson Woodbridge calls it, "A 21st-century claret." It comes across as earthy, tobacco-scented and even a bit evolved, despite its youth. Redcurrants and dark chocolate round out the spectrum of aromas, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, streamlined in shape and not overly rich or generous but balanced and attractive for early drinking.

Wine Advocate 94: Riper and substantially more expressive than the 2018, Fortunate Son's 2019 Red Wine The Diplomat is a plush, luscious wine, laden with black cherries, mocha and loam notes. It's full-bodied, rich, velvety and supple, with a lingering finish. Like the previous vintage, it's mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a fair whack of Merlot.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown 95: Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 The Diplomat shoots out of the glass with bold notions of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, and mulberries followed by suggestions of dusty soil, Indian spices, and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is wonderfully plush, with a refreshing line to support the generous black fruit and exotic spice layers, finishing with a compelling red berry burst. "This is a classic Claret (it says Teralc on the label, which is Claret backwards) with a lot of old-vine Merlot in the blend," says owner Jayson Woodbridge.

James Suckling 95: A full and layered red with lots of plums and chocolate with dark chocolate and crushed stones. Full and layered. From old dry-farmed, head-pruned merlot and cabernet sauvignon vines, all Calistoga. Drink or hold.

Decanter 97: Elegant, ephemeral, and expansive. Showing exceptional polish in the glass and revealing mounds of juicy, crunchy red cherry fruit and a wash of compellingly sweet and savoury baking spices. An open-knit structure affords juicy, crunchy acidity to lift the deliciously pure red fruit. A blend of Cabernet with Merlot and Petite Sirah, the Merlot lends an almost claret-like quality to this sophisticated and seamless blend, which builds to an elegant medium-bodied finish of crushed red flowers and river stones.