Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder 2019 (750ML)

100 JD / 99 JS / 98 DE / 97 VM / 96+ WA / 96 WS

Another riveting wine, the 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon has a Château Latour-like stature and regalness, with full-bodied richness and incredible concentration, as well as structure, on the palate. Cassis, blueberry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and graphite notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible power and opulence, yet stays pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is as brilliant as Cabernet gets, and Carpenter is clearly playing with the best in the business. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and it will cruise for 30-40 years.-Jeb Dunnuck

Blackcurrant and graphite in a big way in the nose. Some asphalt and sweet tobacco, too. Full-bodied with a dense, velvety texture. Shows suppleness for such a big wine, with luxurious sensibility. Such fabulous length. Almost drinkable now, but four or five years of bottle age will bring this into its own. Try after 2026.-James Suckling

Powerfully aromatic black fruits, dried herbs, dark-roast coffee beans, toasty oak and dried flowers. Full-throttle, structured and dense, with firm, elongated tannins and compact black-toned fruits, scorched earth, iron shavings and crushed cocoa nibs. A long finish of brandied spiced cherries. Since 1995, Lokoya has produced Cabernet from the Veeder Peak Estate at 548m on the western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains.- Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is one of the most distinctive wines in this range from Lokoya, but it is also the most backward. Huge beams of tannin give the Veeder Cabernet energy and shape. It will be at least a few years before the fruit starts to fully emerge, so a measure of patience is essential. Iron, red plum fruit, sage, mint and white pepper lend striking brightness to this gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from Lokoya and winemaker Chris Carpenter.-Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Produced from the same block of vines since 2001, and matured in a combination of Taransaud and Seguin-Moreau barriques, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder features pretty but restrained floral and herbal notes, cassis and then a wave of exotic spice notes from the wood. Full-bodied and quite tannic on the long, velvety finish, this wine needs more time than the other Lokoya bottlings. It may not be as complete now, but it shows immense promise and length.- Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate

Large-scaled but sleek in profile, with boysenberry, açaí and loganberry pâte de fruit notes that are brightly defined and inlaid with a violet, anise and graphite spine, which lets the fruit just sail through. Shows serious grip, too, but it's well-buried in the fruit. Best from 2024 through 2040. 1,696 cases made.-James Molesworth, Wine Spectator