Beau Vigne, The Beau Vigne Collection HERO Proprietary Red Wine, 2023

I'll be transparent: I've sent this as an apology once myself. I'd rather not get into the specifics, but I will tell you that it worked. Spectacularly. There is something about BEAU VIGNE THE HERO 2023 that makes it...well, a hero — arriving precisely when it's needed most, doing the heavy lifting without being asked, and making everything feel alright again. ​ The Tasting Panel agreed, awarding 94 POINTS and calling it a wine of "fervour and power" with "energy and tension" — which, when you think about it, is exactly what a proper apology needs. ​ Winemaker Julien Fayard — who honed his craft at Château Lafite Rothschild before becoming one of Napa's most in-demand talents — has built the HERO around Cabernet Sauvignon sites with chalky soils across Atlas Peak and Sonoma, vineyards sitting anywhere from 150 to 2,000 feet above sea level. ​ Robert Parker himself called Beau Vigne "one of my favourite wineries," and with Fayard now at the helm, the estate is flying higher than ever. The 2023 vintage, being spoken of as a generational year in Napa, gives this bottle serious legs. ​ White pepper, plum skin, graphite, sweet black cherry and black tea on the nose, deepening into blackberry compote, mocha, slate and toasted vanilla on the palate, with a finish that simply refuses to leave.