The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Rhythm is a gorgeous wine from estate vineyards in Stags Leap. Crème de cassis, pencil shavings, violet, plum, chocolate, menthol, licorice and cloves fill out the layers. This is another dense, full-bodied offering from Cliff Lede and longtime winemaker Chris Tynan. This is very Stags Leap.
96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Nov 2025)
Wow. This offers enticing, rich flavors with firm texture and great balance from fresh acidity and super-fine-grained tannins. For a big, full-bodied wine, it is remarkably elegant, agile and approachable yet needs time to show its full potential. Black cherries, cocoa, minerals, graphite, blackcurrants and spearmint expand on the palate and linger in the finish. Drinkable now but best from 2033.
96 points, Jim Gordon, James Suckling (Sep 2025)
This wine is extremely bold, with blue fruit, graphite, violets, and sagebrush, alongside ripe cassis and iron-like minerality. These notes emerge across the medium- to full-bodied palate, building incredible depth around that rocky, volcanic core. Savoury nuances of wild herbs weave through the fleshy dark berry fruit and supple tannins, adding further complexity. Production is increasing – a surprise to the winemaking team, who are keen to ensure it remains distinct from Poetry, their flagship. Consumers, however, are embracing the wine, and quality continues to rise. All fruit is sourced from the Rhythm Vineyard on the slopes of the winery’s Stags Leap District estate. Jason Lede envisioned this as a pure expression of the rocky soils beneath the vines, planted to a mix of clonal selections and rootstocks. His aim was to showcase the site’s character, offering a true snapshot of its terroir in the bottle. The vineyard spans 15 hectares, though only the best fruit from select blocks makes it into this wine. Aged for 21 months in 83% new French oak.
96 points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter (Mar 2026)
Rose and violet aromas join flavors of black plum, cassis, and spice with graphite and earth accents. Tannins are refined and well balanced, carrying a generous Cabernet that manages both concentration and poise with energy.
95 points, Elaine Chukan Brown, Wine Enthusiast (May 2026)
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