2005 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
92 POINTS - "Shows all the hallmarks of a wine that will improve with mid-term aging. The flavors leap out now, and are all about ripe, crushing blackberries, red and black currants, anise and sweet, smoky cedar. Yet there's a tannic interference that's a little hard and astringent. Decant, if you have to open, but should hit its stride after 2009." - S.H., Wine Enthusiast, December 2008
TWO PUFFS, 91 POINTS - "11% Merlot; 7% Cabernet Franc. An immediate and accessible nose of juicy blackcurrants, vanilla and violets makes for a most attractive start here, and there is no let down in either richness or fruity depth in the mouth. If lacking the solidity and muscle found in its pricey cellarmate, this nicely composed wine gets the nod for its polish and fine sense of proportion, and it will develop very well over the next seven to ten years by dint of its structure and depth." - Connoisseur's Guide, August 2008
"Contains 18% merlot and 7% cabernet franc. Aged 21 months in 43% new French oak, it has ripe, soft, sweet aromas of raspberry, blackberry, cherry, and light oak. All repeat as lightly sweet flavors with the additions of some spice at the front and sides and loads of tannin. The finish is a dollup of spice at the front center." - Colorado Wine News, October - December 2008
2004 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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"Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, in year 17 is really a joy to drink. The '04 is intense and black, but with a twist of Stags Leap refinement. Look for black currant, vanilla and pepper to dominate with a full, showy mid-palate and finish. The tannins are substantial, but fine grained. It will take a decade of aging to really release the full glory of this wine. A great gift for collectors." - Anthony Gismondi, The Vancouver Sun
94 POINTS - "Napa Valley hillsides east of the Silverado Trail are the home to Signorello's low yielding cabernet grapes - now at 17 years of age and around 2 tons to the acre it is settling in a for a long run of quality. The '04 is intense and black but with a twist of Stags Leap refinement. Look for black currant, vanilla and pepper to dominate with a full showy mid-palate and finish. The tannins are substantial but fine grained. It will take a decade of ageing to really release the full glory of this wine." - Gismondi on Wine
3 STARS - "Dark, ripe and spicy, very fine. Plenty of fresh, ripe plum fruit. Big layer of tannin. Long, firm finish. Very nice. Drink 2016-21." - Decanter, 2008
93 POINTS - "Modern Signorello, with its dusty aromas of pepper, tobacco and mocha coffee over a core of blueberry/blackberry fruit. Lean by Napa standards, but with balance, finesse and supple tannins. It's a terrific cabernet with Euro sensibilities. Only 50 per cent new French oak is used today." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
92 POINTS - "Very fine and rich, especially the texture, which is as velvety smooth as Napa Cab gets. The tannins are a wonder, perfectly ripe and soft, which gives the wine a feminine mouthfeel. But the oak and fruit are pure power." - S.H, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2007
91 POINTS, 2/3 PUFFS - "Every bit as rich in creamy oak as is its proprietary partner, this impressive extracted youngster is solidly focused on curranty fruit with accents of root beer, vanilla, dried herbs and are scattered throughout...and it comes with the recommendation for another four or five years." - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, August 2007
"The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $45, is a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 18% merlot, and 7% cabernet franc. It was aged for 21 months in French oak, 45% new, and opens with earth, black tea, oak and blackberry jam before soft, clean flavors of raspberry, black tea,
oak, and earth which are laced with light round tannin. The long, meduim-broad finish shows increasing and persistent black tea. Well put together. Tasty."
- Colorado Wine News, October - December 2007
90 POINTS - "Lean, dusty aromas of clove, tobacco, black coffee and cocoa powder leave the fruit notes in the background. Surprisingly fruity flavors of cherry, red berry mocha and coffee. Dry lingering finish." - Wine News, August/September 2007 issue
2003 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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91 POINTS - "Signorello's low-yielding cabernet grapes - less than two tons to the acre - were the key to transforming this harvest. Cedar, blackcurrant and vanilla mix with supple fine-grained tannins - some of the softest we've seen - and chocolate, cassis jam, mocha flavours." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, 2003 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon smells of mesquite, rich plum and wood spice, vanilla and tastes of ripe black currants with anise, molasses and baking chocolate. High alcohol and firm tannins keep your attention in this very good example of a Napa Cabernet." - The Citizen's Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA, January 2, 2008
92 POINTS - "A very good follow up to the excellent '02, the '03 is plush and ripe and ageable. With cherry, blackberry, cassis and chocolate flavors it offers plenty of opulence now, but has the tannic backbone to peak and gradually fade for 10 years. Signorello's Estate Cab is really one of the more dependable bottlings in the valley." - S.H, Wine Enthusiast Magazine (5/1/07)
TWO PUFFS - "14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc. Slightly closed in but nicely concentrated and hinting at layering in its mildy woodsy, forest-floor and currant aromas and again in its extracted flavors, this fully ripened youngster is built for future enjoyment rather than near-term appeal. It is a gutsy, big-bodied wine with more than nominal tannins, but, at every step of its way, it offers up plenty of fruit and the taste of cassis powers its way past considerable closing astringency. A half-dozen years seems the minimal wait here, but it will not peak drinkability until another decade has passed." - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, April 2007
4 1/2 glasses out of 5 - "With some Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Signorello Vineyards 2003, Cabernet Sauvignon smells of mesquite, rich plum and wood spice, vanilla, and tastes of ripe black fruit with hints of anise, molasses and baking chocolate. Complex flavors, high alcohol and firm tannins keep your attention. The wine is unfiltered. By not filtering, some winemakers say they preserve the wine's flavors. This bottle may be submitted as evidence." - Times- Tribune in Scranton PA, May 2, David Falchek
The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It spent 21 months in Frencho oak, 45% new and has soft, inviting aromas of smoke, caramel, vanilla, and black cherry. All repeat as bright, light bodied flavors laced with juicy acidity and light, fine tannins. The long, medium-broad finish adds a hint of pepper. Well balanced, structured, and integrated, it will be even better with another year in the bottle which will allow it to smooth out more and grow and become even better integrated. Very Good. - "Colorado Wine News, April - June 2007"
A lovely Napa Cab with restrained style, ripe plum fruit, polished tannins and very nice balance. - "Blue Lifestyle, July 30th - August 5th "
16.5/20 POINTS - When was the last time you had a bottle of anything Signorello? Since the production levels are quite limited, you don't come across this Napa estate program winery very often. Their flagship label is the Padrone blend ($100) dedicated to winery founder Raymond Signorello, Sr. Now his son, Ray Jr., commands a premium program delivering rich wines with commendable structure, complete with wine club, private reserve tasting program and interactive culinary classes. Assisted by winemaker Pierre Birebent, Ray crafts quality wines that are not over the top and reasonably priced for their level of quality. Just released, the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate will take you on a pleasant voyage. Starting with black currant, cedar and vanilla scents, this full-bodied blend of 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 percent Merlot and 11 percent Cabernet Franc, will transport you to a fine destination. On the way, you'll experience flavors of ripe cassis, blackberries and hints of tobacco. To finish the trip, you'll be accompanied by velvety tannins. We'd advise you to stop by a steakhouse along the way. - "Wine of the Week - Novus Vinum"
92 POINTS - Fifteen-year-old Napa Valley hillsides east of the Silverado Trail are the home to Signorello's low yielding cabernet grapes, less than 2 tons to the acre. Cedar black currant, vanilla and peppery cardamom notes mark the nose and flavours. Supple fine-grained tannins that are the softest we've seen from this winery with chocolate, cassis jam, mocha flavours. A fine effort at fair price. - "GISMONDI on WINE"
Ray Signorello Jr. is the kind of man who can get things done. And with all he's got on his plate these days, he'd better be. First, there's Signorello Vineyards, which Ray took over when his dad, Ray Sr., died in 1998. In the mid seventies, Ray Sr. purchased 100 acres of prime Silverado Trail land with the idea of selling grapes. In the plentiful 1985 vintage they had so much fruit they couldn't sell it all. So just like that, the Signorellos went into the winemaking business. Twenty years later, Ray Jr. is still at it, dividing his time between homes in Vancouver , San Francisco , and Napa . With Pierre Birebent, Ray makes all the wine by the “vigneron” method employed in Burgundy . In this tradition, which we might call “winegrowing” here, the winemaker takes part in every step of the process—from grape selection (hand sorted three times) to fermentation (native yeasts) to bottling. “We don't use any consultants,” says Ray; “everything is done in-house. The right way. The old way— where it's the vineyards and the owner's philosophy that leads us.” Signorello's current releases are testament to the quality that comes from this practice, including the elegant and tantalizing 2005 Estate Chardonnay, Vieilles Vignes ($38, 90 points) and the stylishly restrained 2003 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($40, 91 points) . On top of his work at Signorello, Ray has started a side project called Edge Wines with three of his boyhood friends. Meant to be a premium Napa Valley Cab at a far from premium price, the luscious 2003 Edge Cabernet Sauvignon ($20, 90 points) accomplishes precisely that. Add to that Ray's California Cult Classics project— a private club in which members can make wine in Vancouver (and, soon, other cities) with optimal Napa Valley fruit—and you can see just how full his plate is. But Ray Jr.'s just the kind of guy who can get it all done. - "Blue Reviews"
2002 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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93 POINTS - "The '02 is all about big colour, weight and density contained in an elegant package. Finesse-over-form frees its cedar, spice and cherry-chocolate flavours to really capture your palate. One of the best versions we've tasted." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
92 POINTS – As fine as this Cab is, it's best to leave it alone for some years to develop bottle complexity. It's a big, rich, dry wine, with a huge core of black current and cassis fruit, but the sticky tannins kick in right away and don't quit. Should be very good after 2008. Cellar Selection – S.H. “ Wine Enthusiast Magazine – December 2005 ”
2001 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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91 POINTS - "Dry peppery, saddle leather, black berry jam, cardamom notes mix with dusty chocolate. Supple but grainy tannins with black berry jam, mocha vanilla flavours. Needs time to fully integrate." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
93 POINTS – Rich, ripe, concentrated and round with supple but grainy tannins. Big dark chocolate, peppery, cassis jam, blackberry, mocha vanilla flavors with some tobacco with a dusting of cherry cola on the finish. Long and concentrated in the finish; should continue to improve for at least 10 more years. (ST) “ Wine Access: Canada's Wine & Food Magazine – Dec/Jan 2005/06 ”
2000 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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90 POINTS - "It's not a monster red, but it has reasonable depth given the vintage. Look for black fruit and coffee, mocha flavours, with fine-grained tannins and smoky oak in the aftertaste." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
90 POINTS - 15% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Franc. Never a winery to skimp on extract and rich oak, Signorello has produced a nicely balanced wine in this vintage, and while it is not a heavyweight, it is filled with deep, focused aromas and flavors of exquisite composition. Supple at entry, and firming up appropriately across the plate, the wine builds on a base of convincing black cherry fruitiness that is seasoned by notes of cassis, crème brulee and mocha. It tempts early drinking, but it has all the parts in place for an easy half dozen years of improvement. - "Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine - April 2003"
**** (FOUR STARS) - Excellent wine, especially for the vintage. Round, full fairly rich, with very good flavor (ripe fruit, toast, oak), and a medium long finish. 10% CF. 3,150 cases. - "Restaurant Wine Issue #93"
Regional Winemakers: 92.8
National Critics: 88.3
GV500 Score: 92.2
- "Global Vintage Quarterly - Volume 6 No. 1"
90/100 POINTS - Signorello cabernet has always been one of Napa 's best and with a drop in price in may now be Napa 's best value. Look for the usual big concentrated cabernet/cassis nose with subtle streaks of cedar. There's 15 percent merlot and ten percent cabernet franc in the blend. It's not a monster red but it has a reasonable amount of depth given the vintage. Look for black fruit and coffee mocha flavours with fine-grained tannins and smoky oak in the aftertaste. Solid. - Gismondi on Wine
1999 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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88 POINTS - "Perhaps the most Euro of all the vintages. Lean textures mix with ripe-ish fruit and a dry finish. Better with food now." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
88 Points - "The firmly structured red wine offerings all need time in the bottle to unwind. The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (2,500 cases) spent 22 months in French oak, of which 50% was new. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, it exhibits straightforward cassis fruit, firm tannin, medium body, excellent color saturation, and sweet tannin in the long finish. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2015.- "ROBERT PARKER- THE WINE ADVOCATE -8-31-02 Issue 142 "
91 Points -"Pretty fancy stuff here. The blackberry and cassis aromas are given complexity by oak, lots of it, new and well charred. It drinks fruity, but with a more austere note suggesting olives and green peppers. This dry, herbaceous note makes it food-friendly. It may be an ager, but it will be at its best in a year or two." - "WINE ENTHUSIAST - June 2002"
90 POINTS - 15% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Franc. Never a winery to skimp on extract and rich oak, Signorello has produced a nicely balanced wine in this vintage, and while it is not a heavyweight, it is filled with deep, focused aromas and flavors of exquisite composition. Supple at entry, and firming up appropriately across the plate, the wine builds on a base of convincing black cherry fruitiness that is seasoned by notes of cassis, crème brulee and mocha. It tempts early drinking, but it has all the parts in place for an easy half dozen years of improvement. - "Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine - April 2003"
ONE PUFF - "Lavish and unrelenting oak is the story here, and, while long on sweet spice, toast and cream, the wine makes fewer claims to fruitiness than it does to oaky richness. Fairly ripe and fairly big on the palate, it toughens up in the finish as its oak goes racing past a quiet note of currants. Allow a half-dozen years of age, and then tag it for service with savory spit-roasted meats." - "CONNOISSEURS' GUIDE -April 2002"
****-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED- "Open, ripe almost plum and prune nose with fragranced farmyard elements. A dry wine with a good concentration of fruit, which is nicely integrated. Rich and quite stylish finish." - "DECANTER MAG4AZINE - April 2002 "
18/20 -"The Signorello 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon tells a different story. This 75/17/8 blend of cabernet sauvignon /merlot/cabernet franc is picked off Napa Hillsides and fermented on native yeasts before spending 22 months in french oak. It is a powerful red although one can argue it is more bordeaux-like in structure than California. Classic cassis, cedar and hints of tobacco are the precursor aromas and flavors to what should be a great wine in ten years.- "Anthony Gismondi-Vancouver Sun Newspaper"
1998 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
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89 POINTS - "Winemaker Pierre Birebent's first vintage was de-juiced to beef up the flavours after a severe thinning in the vineyard. A subtle shift in tannin management can be detected in its fine-grained textures and earthy, plum, herbal flavours. One of the best from a difficult year." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
92 Points - "Signorello responded to the spring rains of '98 by dropping a lot of poorly set fruit, and the cabernet grapes remaining achieved a beautiful balanced ripeness through the long, cool harvest. The wine show off lively flavors of plum, black cherry and sweet berries without a touch of jamminess. It's firm and gripping, a heavyweight of a cabernet lifted from blackness to brightness by its fresh acidity. Touches of earthiness and a green edge are taken up into all the fruit, funneled through a crisply lined finish. This should age well. "WINE & SPIRITS -August 2001
90 Points - Outstanding" has a concentrated bouquet of black cherry, blackberry, currants, green olive, cigar box, violets and vanilla. The flavors of cherry, berry, herb, licorice, clove and toasty oak are complex with good depth followed by a fruity, spicy finish with moderate tannins."- THE INSIDERS' WINE LINE; 2001 Tasting Notes-Volume 4, Number 3
**** 1/2- " This Cab is signature Signorello. It's powerful and full, opulent and rich, yet manages to pull it off with style. Blackberry jam flavors pair up with touches of mocha and coffee offering a little intrigue. The tannins and fruit are concentrated and strong, so tuck it away for a few years and allow it to reach its potential. " - THE NEW YORK TIMES ON THE WEB -September 19, 2001.
1997 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
92 POINTS - "The flavours are of chunky cassis, almost blueberry, fruit. This is the winery's signature wine and, in this generous year, its dense, powerful, fruity style soars. Well-structured and balanced, it will keep for years yet." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1996 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
91 POINTS - "Impressive effort, with more sheen and gloss than any previous year. Ripe, but with fine acidity and balance, and just a hint of that Napa ripe fruit and vanilla. Drink now." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1994 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
92 POINTS - "The first "estate" offering gets more French oak, and it was good timing given the big vintage. Delicious styling here, with finesse and fruit triumphing over alcohol and weight." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1993 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
89 POINTS - "Another look into the Signorello mantra of finesse of brute fruit. Bright acidity, ripe fruit and medium-weight dry-ish tannins. Solid, ready-to-drink Napa Valley Cabernet." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1992 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
86 POINTS - "Much tighter, acidic style here. Awkward entry and mid-palate. A bit out of synch with the rest of the vertical." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1991 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
91 POINTS - "More aromatic and lively, with delicious black fruit and cassis flavours. Delicious, full-bodied California cabernet of terrific quality." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1990 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
88 POINTS - "The first year of bigger, richer, tannins, but without the alcohol and weight of some of its contemporaries. The finish reveals more spice and licorice and that Euro/Signorello dryness." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1989 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
88 POINTS - "Much darker colour and more intense version of the '88, but still shows the early footprints of attention to detail and the push toward a European sensibility." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008
1988 CABERNET SAUVIGNON - ESTATE
87 POINTS - "The first unrefined and unfiltered Signorello cab was labelled Founder's Reserve, a label used through 1996. Now lean, with ripe black fruit flavours. Still in amazing shape. Ripe Napa fruit gracefully near its end." - Wine Access, Anthony Gismondi, April/May 2008