Vinous: 97 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is fabulous. Dark and brooding with tons of intensity the 2021 is all class. In this edition the TOR wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon blended from Blocks 3 4 and 6 making it one of the very few wines from this site (aside from the VHR wine) that is made from several blocks. That practice allows for a high degree of fine-tuning which very much comes through in this wine. I especially admire the energy here. This is the first vintage of TOR Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet that does not include a touch of Petit Verdot. Even so it is incredibly special. Dark fruit lavender espresso mocha leather and dried herbs linger. - By Antonio Galloni on December 2023 Tor Kenward and longtime winemaker Jeff Ames presented a stellar lineup this year. It?s hard to know where to start with these wines as there are so many highlights. The 2021 Chardonnays capture all the pedigree of that great vintage. Turning to the reds I was especially struck by the Cabernets from Vine Hill Ranch and Dr. Crane both wines that express the essence of site something I am always looking for with vineyard designate bottlings.
Jeb Dunnuck: 97 Points
From an incredible vineyard in the southern part of Oakville the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is about as silky and seamless as they come with full-bodied aromas and flavors of red and black fruits savory herbs chocolate and spicy wood. Coming from Blocks 3 4 and 7 it has polished tannins flawless overall balance and a layered majestic style that will keep for 20-25 years although it's going to be impossible to resist with just 3-4 years of bottle age.
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Wine Advocate: 95-97 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch is all Cabernet Sauvignon from Blocks 3 4 and 7. Stylish notes of cedar accent black cherries and cassis on the nose while the palate is full-bodied concentrated and richly textured. Plush long and gently dusty on the finish it's a terrific effort. Owner Tor Kenward and winemaker Jeff Ames faced with potential smoke taint made only a single red wine in 2020 their Chasing Windmills a Rhône-style blend from Fulldraw Vineyard in Paso Robles. According to Kenward "It?s not Tor?s greatest wine but it keeps that fun stuff alive.? The 2021 growing season posed another set of challenges. "Being a drought year shoots were short canopies were short" said Kenward. Ames added "Fruit thinning was carried out based on the health of the vine and water availability to carry it." The result says Kenward? "The wines have a profile that?s a little bit different from a normal Cabernet year. Denser than usual." The wines are concentrated and some of them are a bit more tannic than say the 2019s but they're also ripe so they should blossom given a decade or so in the cellar. Published: Jun 08 2023
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