Bond Vecina 2018 (750ML)

100 JS / 100 WI / 99 VM  / 98 JD / 98 WCI / 96 WS / 17 JR

Seductive aromas of blackcurrants, plums and flowers, including roses. Really incredible this year with such verticality, depth and brightness. Goes on and on and on. Superb fruit character with plums and currants. Love it. Drinkable now, but give it time. Try after 2025.—James Suckling

Deep purple-black colored, the 2018 Vecina springs with notes of black raspberries, redcurrant jelly, and crushed blackcurrants scents, with hints of roses, cinnamon toast, and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is very fine-grained and elegant with tightly knit flavors and a perfumed finish. This is a real head-turner!--Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

A regal, soaring wine, the 2018 Vecina is immediately captivating. Red fruit, iron, dried rose petal and exotic spice all soar out of the glass. Over the last two months the Vecina has acquired stunning aromatic presence to play off its deep, layered fruit. The 2018 is an absolute gem in the making. As a reminder, Vecina is sourced from Vine Hill Ranch, at the southern end of Oakville, where the Cabernets are distinguished by a beguiling combination of power and savory/earthy intensity.-Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Coming from an east-facing site not far from Harlan Estate in Oakville and all volcanic soils, the 2018 Vecina reveals a dense purple color as well as a great nose of red and black plum, chocolate, Asian spices, tobacco, and lead pencil. It's a rich, concentrated, powerful wine that says fresh, lively, and pure, with gorgeous tannins. It's one incredible wine that has some up-front appeal, yet it will cruise for 30 years if stored correctly.—Jeb Dunnuck

Smoke, flowers, peppery red fruits, cherries, and licorice are the first thing you notice. On the palate, the wine shows a beautiful sense of purity with ease. The fruit is pure silk in texture, seamlessly lingering on your palate. The only problem with wines like this is when the bottle is finished.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

Ripe and focused, with a solidly built core of black currant and fig paste lined with tar and loam. Ends with an encore of fruit swathed in bittersweet cocoa and tobacco, giving this a muscular feel, but there's also a nicely buried iron note that adds cut. This begs for cellaring. Best from 2024 through 2040.-James Molesworth, Wine Spectator