2013 Sloan Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend (OWC)

“The prodigious 2013 Proprietary Red is a perfect, magical wine that brings to mind a great vintage of Chateau Latour with its massive, backward style. Dense plum/purple-colored, with powerful notes of crushed rocks, unsmoked tobacco, lead pencil, and blackcurrants, it is a magically opulent, pure wine that has a stacked mid-palate as well as flawless balance, giving it a rare mix of both power and elegance. The finish lasts for nearly a minute, and despite being relatively approachable today, it’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and cruise in cool cellars for 25-30 years.” (01/2020)

“The 2013 Proprietary Red displays a deep garnet-purple color. Wow - it emits the most gorgeous perfume of rose hip tea, violets, sandalwood and fragrant earth over a cassis and blackberry pie core with touches of mocha, cigar box, menthol and garrigue plus a waft of star anise. The powerful, full-bodied palate delivers a wall of exotic spice-accented black fruit preserves with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing very long and layered. This needs time but is lookin’ glorious. (LPB)” (12/2018)

“Love the aromas of dried flowers, dried lemon rind, currants and cloves. Full to medium body, very tight and integrated tannins. Fantastic texture and tension. A great wine.” (12/2017)

“The 2013 Sloan is a wild, exotic wine that captures all the best this year had to offer. Soaring aromatics meld into a core of dark, inky fruit, as spice, chocolate, espresso, menthol and licorice all build in the glass. The tannins have softened, but the 2013 remains a deep, young Cabernet that still has plenty of life ahead of it. I loved the 2013 when it was first released, and it remains a compelling example of modern Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. (AG)” (05/2024)