95 points - James Suckling
94 points - Decanter
"A barrel sample, the 2017 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon is very deep purple-black colored with pronounced notes of crème de cassis, mocha, plum preserves and unsmoked cigars with touches of dried herbs, fragrant soil and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a great intensity of ripe black fruit and grainy tannins with just enough freshness and a long, slightly chewy finish."
"On the spring day our panel tasted this wine, sitting outdoors, the breeze picked up as we approached this glass, and it seemed to cool down its intense concentration. As it turned out, that cool concentration stayed with the wine for days after opening, a structural component giving this the clarity and lively power of an epic Cask 23 vintage. Marcus Notaro finalized the blend at 52 percent from S.L.V. and 48 percent from Fay and aged it almost two years in new French oak barrels. The tannins are rich, the aroma smoky, but the bright liveliness of the fruit—the persimmon, the cherry and the fresh cigar tobacco—are the elements that shine through. Youthful and unevolved, this wine is an investment in the future, with patient cellaring required."
94 points - Decanter
"A barrel sample, the 2017 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon is very deep purple-black colored with pronounced notes of crème de cassis, mocha, plum preserves and unsmoked cigars with touches of dried herbs, fragrant soil and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a great intensity of ripe black fruit and grainy tannins with just enough freshness and a long, slightly chewy finish."
95 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"On the spring day our panel tasted this wine, sitting outdoors, the breeze picked up as we approached this glass, and it seemed to cool down its intense concentration. As it turned out, that cool concentration stayed with the wine for days after opening, a structural component giving this the clarity and lively power of an epic Cask 23 vintage. Marcus Notaro finalized the blend at 52 percent from S.L.V. and 48 percent from Fay and aged it almost two years in new French oak barrels. The tannins are rich, the aroma smoky, but the bright liveliness of the fruit—the persimmon, the cherry and the fresh cigar tobacco—are the elements that shine through. Youthful and unevolved, this wine is an investment in the future, with patient cellaring required."
94 points - Wine & Spirits