The New York Times says (of the 2020):
Samantha Sheehan makes chardonnay, pinot noir and a variety of rosés under the label POE Wines. She uses the Ultraviolet label for cabernet sauvignons like this one, a pure California expression of ripe fruit that is nonetheless well balanced. This is a juicy, fresh, voluptuous wine that never goes over the top. If you like fruity California cabernets, this is an excellent bottle.
Not only the sole Cabernet to make their Top 20 Under $20 list – this is also the only American red so honored.
It also earned an “Outstanding” rating from John Gilman’s extremely serious View From The Cellar, which said:
On the palate, the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and beautifully balanced, with a good core of fruit, fine soil signature, ripe, buried tannins and lovely length and grip on the nascently complex finish...It is really an extremely well-made bottle of cabernet and an insanely good value…It will age very gracefully and is a flat-out steal!
It was far and away their top-rated American Cabernet Sauvignon for the money.
This year, in a vintage many veteran winemakers call the most extraordinary of their experience, this is once again a blend of Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (from high-altitude, volcanic vineyards northeast of Napa), but with a bit more top-quality Cabernet Franc from Coombsville. In other words, far fancier fruit than you EVER see in a Cabernet at anywhere near this price.
