Cabernet Sauvignon, Clos Du Val, Napa Valley, CA, 2022

Key professional scores

• 96 points – Tasting Panel
  Elegant and structured Napa Cabernet with slate, purple plum, black olive, fig, cedar, and black tea notes. Highly balanced and polished.
• 92 points – James Suckling
  Medium-bodied, fresh red currant and sweet tobacco aromas, open-grained tannins, and a creamy, fruit-driven finish. Described as “very drinkable now.”
• 92 points – Wine Enthusiast
  Juicy black fruit (blackberry, plum) with spice, fine tannins, lively acidity, and a long, mouthwatering finish.
• 90 points – Decanter
  A “straightforward, unfussy” Napa Cabernet with juicy red/black fruit, cedar, and graphite. Accessible, balanced, and ready to drink.
• 90 points – Wine Advocate (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
  Noted as a fairly priced Napa Cabernet with solid structure and classic varietal character.
• 96 points – additional Tasting Panel review (same vintage line)
  Highlights elegant tannins and layered flavors of sweet earth, plum, blackberry, cedar, and black tea.

Overall critical consensus

Across major reviewers, the 2022 Clos du Val Cabernet is consistently described as:

• High-quality Napa Cabernet in the “excellent-to-superb” range (90–96 pts)
• Classic Napa profile: blackberry, cassis, plum, cedar, tobacco
• Balanced style: ripe fruit + structured tannins + fresh acidity
• Approachable early but still capable of short-term aging (roughly 5–7+ years depending on storage)

Bottom line

This is widely regarded as a well-made, value-leaning Napa Cabernet that doesn’t chase extreme power or heaviness. Critics tend to agree it’s:

• polished but not overdone
• structured but drinkable now
• one of the more “classic style” Napa Cabs in its price tier

TASTING PANEL

"Sleek tannins, guided by sweet earth, slate, purple plum and black olive. Savory notes of fig, toasted cedar, and black tea meld with blackberries. Well structured and impeccably balanced."

JAMES SUCKLING