99 Pts, Top 100 Wines of 2024. “Massive concentration and dense tannins make this wine imposing to taste now, but it has so much potential for improvement with age. Made from 100% Mondavi Heritage Clone 31 that gives tiny yields from small grape bunches. Intense blueberry, dark chocolate, graphite and tobacco leaf flavors are tightly wrapped in fine-grained tannins. A memorable wine that will drink best from 2030."
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
97 Pts. “The 2021 HWC is a beautifully high-toned and focused wine showcasing gorgeous black currant fruit, liquorice spice, and scorched herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, it delivers rich black fruit depth intertwined with wild herb nuances. The robust, powerful tannins are impeccably structured, producing a long, iron-rich mineral finish—a wine of purity, freshness, and precision, with remarkable energy and depth."
— Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter
96 Pts. “A loaded red, with a mix of iris, violet and cassis aromas leading the way for dark currant, blackberry and black cherry reduction flavors. Hints of warm loam, licorice root, tobacco and singed alder check in. Everything builds through the long, muscular finish, showing terrific latent energy. Big but not a blockbuster style; this shows poise. Best from 2025 through 2045. 490 cases made."
— James Molseworth, Wine Spectator