Im looking forward to seeing the notes Will will share before the release, especially for the HL. I believe this is the first vintage since the replant. It would be great to hear if there’s any notable difference in the character of '23 versus past vintages.
That said, I get where your wife is coming from. We has a 2001 HL a couple years back that was just wonderful.
It was really good - probably had an hour decanted, then back in bottle and decanted again at the restaurant. Maybe 3 hours of air when we started drinking. Beautiful dark red fruit, bright acidity, a cool menthol / eucalyptus / minty note, and various other complexities (allspice?) revealed themselves over time. Silky palate and a very long finish.
Oakville Terrace (formerly Lore) has been a favorite of mine, but I lean towards mid-weight red & black fruited Cabs. Usually require 2+hrs of air. Medium body with a lot of complexity & elegance including spicy and herbal tones.
I do worry about the Herb Lamb wine, tho. I’m sure Will/TRB wouldn’t release wines that weren’t up to standard, but this is faster than I expected to see Rivers-Marie wine made from the replanted vines. I wonder how many vintages have been produced on the replanted vines.
Funny - my wife noted how good it was, but remarked that we have tons of red wine and she’s not been in the mood lately for big reds. So hopefully my allocation of HLs goes to a good home and I’ll stick to the Napa / M-Bar for myself.
Tom I totally agree with you regarding the HL but in some cases I believe the 69 Chappellet was from very young vines so I’m hoping for something very good considering its youth. We will see.
Look forward to the feedback on your tastings. Hopefully an awesome weekend of wines!
**Summer 2025**
What a difference a year makes. We went from our most difficult realized years to one of our easiest. With where we are in the wine business right now, we really needed this. There’s no better remedy for bumpy times in our industry than a great vintage. 2023 has proven to be just that. We saw the same thing in 2010 when the world felt like it was on the verge of the great recession, 2007 vintage came and bailed us out. Greatness though may be the only trait 2007 and 2023 share. 2023 felt like a return to my earlier years in the wine business when Cabernet was more of an October phenomenon and making it home for trick or treating was never guaranteed. The vintage never produced anything that resembled the torrid conditions of 2022. We had ideal weather for set so a big crop early on guaranteed slow movement through the mild summer. If anything, the lateness became a bit of a concern as Labor Day rolled in and we were just finishing the color drop in the coldest locations. For comparison’s sake, harvest dates in 2023 were on average 5 weeks later than 2022. All of this speaks to the adage that you should never farm to last year’s conditions. It sounds obvious but the scarring from a rough year can lead to a lot of panicked decisions the following year. Instead, the best approach is to use the collective experience from every year to inform each move each year. A naturally cautious attitude early in 2023 gave way to a very aggressive approach as we passed grape maturity milestones at later and later dates. By the second half of October, the fruiting zone in every Cabernet site was stripped bare of leaves allowing for maximum sunlight to push ripening along to the end. With northern California’s traditional warm autumn, we saw enough finishing heat to allow ourselves a leisurely picking window leading up to Halloween. The results were a rare combination, a bigger than normal crop coupled with far above average quality. The full maturity we saw in 2023 allowed us to extract wines easily giving dark, full fruited Cabernets that are balanced by the acidity preserved by the cool year. The quality of the vintage was apparent early in tank with perfumed ferments filling the winery through the last pressing right before Thanksgiving.
The 2023s and Allocations
There’s a lot of excitement about this vintage and it is certainly worthy of the hype. Everything we harvested in 2023 merited some kind of vineyard designation. Of course that’s not realistic in a vintage this bountiful, but that only makes the appellation wines stronger here. Our first ever single vineyard site, Panek in St Helena, returns as does Vidovich Lane, a stone’s throw from Dr. Crane in St Helena. The big news though is Herb Lamb. All the credit goes to Jennifer Lamb for returning this special site to vine so quickly after the devastating fires of 2020. Sitting in the same footprint as the original site and planted to the same clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, this young vine rendition already has all the great hallmarks of the older HL bottlings. We didn’t think we’d ever see the day of its return, so very pleased to roll it back out so soon. M-Bar and Oakville Terraces, our two Oakville bottlings, round out the lineup. They need no introduction. Quantities were strong in 2023, so we can offer a healthy allocation to everyone. We were not so fortunate in 2024 so this will be an opportunity to grab multiple bottles of each wine in a great vintage.
2023 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley—454 cases, 14.5% alcohol, 60% new oak
I just realized in looking at the vineyard composition of this wine, it is 100% St Helena appellation. I feel like we keep doing this, the 2021 Napa for instance was 100% Oakville. Ultimately, it’s a good sign, always chasing the best appellations every vintage. St Helena in 2023 was particularly strong given the abundant spring rains and cool growing conditions throughout the warmest parts of the summer. This edition is approximately 50% Panek, 20% Vidovich Lane and 30% Dean York, a new western St Helena site that fell into our laps at the last minute. More due to size than quality, we were able to be very selective in how we harvested blocks in 2023. All 4 Panek blocks saw their own tanks and we were able to cut VLV into two pieces based on vigor. Only the absolute top lots made the single vineyard cut but with quality near an all-time high, that selection became more subjective than objective at times. For the Napa wine, the default criteria centered around drinkability, freshness and a slightly less structured build. There’s plenty of power here but there’s also a balancing red fruited note. The abundant fruit of the year is joined by savory notes of tobacco, sandalwood and creosote. Acidity provides a nice lightness to the palate. This as the starter wine is a great indicator for just how great 2023 turned out to be.
2023 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga—312 cases, 14.9% alcohol, 70% new oak
The 2023 Calistoga is roughly 50% Larkmead and 50% Peterson Family Vineyard, the home ranch for Switchback Ridge Winery. This will be our last year with Larkmead after a very successful 12 year run as a grape buyer. You’ll start to hear some consistent themes in these notes as they progress. The coolness of the vintage allowed us to produce our most successful Calistoga bottling since 2019. Usually, we’d be looking to pick these sites the first half of September after battling heat through most of the growing season. Instead, Peterson was picked October 7th and Larkmead October 24th. The extended hangtime has created a wine that’s more black/purple fruited than years past but one that still contains all the herbal notes of past Calistoga bottlings. Aromas of walnut husk, sage and grilled bread hit first followed by more dried herbs, blackcurrants and tobacco. Crushed rocks and purple flowers come up at the end framed by the structure of the vintage. This may be our last Calistoga bottling for the foreseeable future, but it feels like a great way to go out.
2023 Rivers-Marie Panek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena—515 cases, 14.9% alcohol, 70% new oak
It’s nice to welcome our old friend back after a one year hiatus. Panek has reemerged after a difficult 2022 that saw all blocks declassified to our Napa bottling. It turns out to be a great year for a comeback. Panek always fares best in more structured years, adding a layer of complexity to the wine that the soil and climate in northern St Helena rarely contributes. The general leaning for this site has always been a mix of red and black fruits, brown sugar, espresso roast and blackcurrants but here there’s a textured mid-palate that comes up through the tannin of the vintage adding dimension and more herbal character. This may also be a vine age thing now that these blocks are nearing their 20 year mark. Scorched earth, charcoal, white flowers and burnt sage fill up the aromatics before the generosity of the area kicks in giving the wine a decadent turn. The 2023 vintage stamp comes on strong at the end curtailing the youthful exuberance of the wine and adding a weightier note to the finish. It’s good to see this wine back in the fold and we have no doubt it will take its place among the greatest Panek bottlings to date.
2023 Rivers-Marie Vidovich Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena—395 cases, 14.8% alcohol, 80% new oak
Our first vintage of VLV, the 2021, taught us quite a bit about this site. We were happy with the effort, but we quickly realized we could do better. Being a stone’s throw from Dr Crane, there was no reason this shouldn’t be one of the stars of our portfolio every year. What we did is obvious now in hindsight, we spent more time in the vineyard. As we watched we saw pockets that struggled, pockets that were overly vigorous and thankfully, a lot in between. Any vine not in balance we flagged for inclusion in our Napa bottling. The differences across the board were surprising given this is only a 2-acre site. At final count, we isolated about 25% of the vineyard for a second pick, putting our arms around only the best sections for the VLV bottling. Because of this, the 2023 reminds me far more of the wines from Dr Crane than the 2021. This is pure black fruit driven with little streaks of crushed rock and liquid mineral shot through. There’s a crystalline quality that feels overly delicate in something so intense but it’s part of what balances the wine and gives it extra dimension. Where the 2021 had some herbal edges, this leads with pure fruit complemented by iron, cassis, grilled bread and violets. The addition of VLV a couple years ago perfectly encapsulates what we search for in our Cabernet program, small jewels that represent the best of what Napa Valley has to offer in only its finest appellations.
2023 Rivers-Marie Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley—120 cases, 14.7% alcohol
This vineyard really doesn’t need to be reintroduced but it’s hard for us to express how elated we are to have it back in the fold. All the credit for this incredibly fast turnaround goes to vineyard owner, Jennifer Lamb. It was her passion for this site that restored it to its former glory so quickly. Replanted in its original footprint to the same clonal material, we really had no expectations when we harvested the first fruit in 2023. Herb Lamb has such a site signature, we wondered if that would express itself in such young fruit. In fermenter and through the first few months of tasting, it really didn’t. It was only at the 12 month mark that the wine darkened and the aromatics and palate notes began turning herbal leaning into bay leaf, dried mint, lead pencil shavings and sandalwood. This is always a taut, muscular wine and the 2023 is no exception benefitting from the natural structure of the vintage. There is fruit here but the intellectual interest of the complexity of both the nose and the palate is really the draw.
2023 Rivers-Marie Oakville Terraces Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville—273 cases, 14.6% alcohol, 80% new oak
Now turning to our two Oakville bottlings, the importance of the vintage is even more prominent here. Being in the western hills means Oakville Terraces is exposed to pretty intense afternoon heat in the warmer years. That often forces our hand on pick decisions and sometimes even what blocks can make the single vineyard cut. We spend most of those years playing defense as the weather dictates every move we make at this site. Thankfully this was not the case in 2023. This vintage reminds me of the 2016 version of this wine. That year wasn’t quite as cool as 2023, but it was just temperate enough to allow true ripeness. The nose covers the entire fruit spectrum veering from red to purple to black accented by varietal and barrel notes of charcoal, smoke and sweet tobacco. The palate is dense and carries a near perfect balance between black/purple fruits, acidity and tannin. All the rock and mineral notes contribute a sense of coolness that keeps the wine fresh through the finish. Like all 2023s, especially from this part of the world, there’s plenty of tannin but it’s perfectly round and sweet fleshing out even more savory notes and pure black fruits.
2023 Rivers-Marie M-Bar Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville—311 cases, 14.9% alcohol, 90% new oak
I’ve been working with this site since Round Pond purchased it over 10 years ago. It is now fully replanted and more importantly, mature, in my opinion. Everything along the western bench of Oakville is prized ground and this is along the elite of that small group. The question comes up often about the best dirt in Napa and I’ve heard M-Bar mentioned in a few of these conversations. Now that we have our arms around the vineyard, I’m starting to see why. It has the classic balance between power and elegance that sets sites like To Kalon apart from the rest of the valley. There are all the savory elements you love in Cabernet Sauvignon combined with the fruit unique to the middle of Napa Valley. Tobacco, smoke, graphite and cassis layer the front part of the palate giving way to purple/black fruits with hints of iron and black olives. This is already so complex it’s hard to imagine how much better it will get with age. Site first has always been our motto and the greatness of this wine certainly speaks to the greatness of the dirt in which it was raised.
Looking Ahead
2024 looks to be on par with 2023 qualitatively but that’s where the similarity ends. The vintage presented our portfolio of varietals with several different characters. The Pinot vintage on the coast was large owing to near perfect set conditions and a second year of abundant rainfall. It is more of a charming vintage than 2023 with a lot of upfront appeal and very defined varietal personality. All of that to say, it’s different from the previous year but the perception of quality is probably more subjective than objective. Chardonnay falls in the same line, more forward and open knit with a lot of like right from the start. It was a slightly smaller harvest in 2024 but a little finishing heat on the coast provided wines that are more generous than the 2023s. Cabernets provided the opposite experience. Though the vintage is less consistent than 2023, the best wines ratchet up the intensity to new levels. There’s an extra gear in the great 2024s due to smaller berry sizes and a small heat wave that brought almost everything in by mid-October. There is also considerably less quantity in 2024 Cabernet.
Offer and Shipping Details
This offer will remain open through August 8th quantities permitting. The allocations are not guaranteed but we hope all bottlings last at least a couple days. Everyone receives the same allocation and we try to spread our wine out to as many people as possible. We also have a limited quantity of magnums to offer from 2023. Ground shipping is free for this offer. If you’d like 2 day air please contact Will at will@riversmarie.com for rates.
Thank you for your continued support.
Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh
Thanks as always @William_Segui!
Just when I think I’m out for the Vidovich, you guys pull me back in with the TN. Really bummed to read about Calistoga and especially loved the older vintages that were 100% Larkmead. Will have to scoop some up on auction.
Cracked open a 2018 Lore to ponder what to get for 2023.
Decanted 8 hours and still pretty tight, tannic, not giving much. Came back 48 hours later and it was fantastic, albeit with still dusty tannins.
Deeply perfumed, potpourri, anise, smashed blackberry, cassis. Savory & floral, grilled rosemary on the palate, with a blast of a tart blackberry on the finish.
I thought 7 years would be enough time for more resolution, but I think this is meant for the long haul.
Will be excited to nab (at least) a bunch of oakville terraces tomorrow!
Ugh. Don’t know what to get. All sound amazeballs
Live! (on the website)
2 Herb Lamb, 3 Oakville, 3 M-Bar, 2 Vidovich for me!
Well that was the biggest order I ever made one place
3 Napa (asked for 3 more)
3 Calistoga
4 M Bar
2 Herb Lamb
4 Oakville Terraces
2 Vidovich
Likely my last big order as Im getting on in years and cellar is overflowing
hard to use restraint, but I limited myself to
(2) Napa
(2) Calistoga
(2) Vidovich
(1) M-Bar
(1) Oakville Terraces
Was the Herb Lamb totally replanted or just in part?
Jumped in. Refreshing pricing for some high quality Napa vineyards and proven winemaking with so many ballooning to 200+.
Was tough to decide on SVD targets.
Grabbed Vidovich, M-Bar, and Panek.
4 Panek for me.
Jennifer handled the replant but I’m pretty sure it was a full reset.
I’m really excited for these wines. This year I went for some Napa, Calistoga, Panek (always in my orders), and M-Bar. This rounds out the wines I have bought in 2021 and earlier a bit.
I have never opened an RM cabernet I haven’t truly and thoroughly enjoyed, and more often than not wowed me. Some bottles need some air and time open to come together, maybe more than most other labels. Interested to hear other folks take on this…
Also - I searched for some maps and tried to get a sense for where the vineyards are. Maybe others have found this in the past, but if I saw this correctly, M-Bar is next to Vine Hill Ranch, up against Mt Veeder at the southern edge of Oakville. Anyone know if this is so?
Yes