Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
96
/100
Reviews
5
professional
Vintages
1
2002
Other
94/100
Cabernet Sauvignon
NV
Community Reviews
3333
Reviews
94.1
Avg Score
100
Highest
Taster #8852
· Nov 16, 2025
95/100
Opened up after about 1 hour in a small surface area decanter - extremely balanced and fully integrated with plenty of fruit left on the palate. This has still yet some time left, but likely has peaked and may be on a gradual slope heading in the other direction.
2002 vintage
Taster #0245
· Oct 30, 2024
98/100
Massive wine, complex, very young. Deep dark color, intense nose. Although decanted it opened up after an hour only. Blueberry, blackberry, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon. Long and velvet finish. Will hold for many more years. (Not as hedonistic and offensive as the 2001 - more on the shy side. The 2002s generally require more patience).
2002 vintage
Taster #4441
· Oct 18, 2024
94/100
The 2002 is really starting to shine. The nose is redolent of Cassis, Blackberry, graphite, sandalwood and a faint cedar box note. The palate is well structured with round but mouth coating tanning. The finish is long and complex and the grpahite / minerality persists throughout. This is quite a powerful wine, and it can continue to be aged if sought after. A classic veeder expression. Enjoyed with Tri Tip Santa Maria style. Highly recommend a decant.
2002 vintage
Taster #1409
· Jul 19, 2024
94/100
Cork crumbled upon opening, decanted for 1 hour. At first nose was muted but after decant it opened with noted of cherries, blackberries, pomegranate, licorice, mocha, cedar and baking spices. Palate was suave, polished with lots of black fruit, chocolate, anise and spices finishing quite long. Tannins were well integrated into the wine but still well preserved suggesting it should drink well for at least another 10 years if corks hold up.
2002 vintage
Taster #0096
· May 17, 2024
100/100
Wow! Parker rated it 100 points and it is 22 years later. Simply amazing. Perfection!!
2002 vintage
Taster #7780
· Feb 8, 2023
92/100
Fruity, juicy, cranberry sauce for your turkey; a bit chunky tannins, clay minerality, slight reduction note. DD Napa Cabs blind at Michaels. 6th fav by the group.
2002 vintage
Taster #6954
· Aug 20, 2021
Corked
2002 vintage
Taster #0905
· May 4, 2020
91/100
Solid wine, but in view of the reputation and price, I was slightly disappointed. In the battle of tannins vs fruit, the tannins are winning and the fruit is losing. What's left is not a compelling whole but rather something that may never come together, or if it does, only briefly. I certainly wouldn't buy again.
2002 vintage
Taster #9551
· Mar 13, 2020
95/100
An hour of air, lots of sediment. Pretty. Big beautiful expressive bouquet. Lighter to med bodied. At 18 years this is rocking. Red fruits, kirsch liquor, red licorice, cinnamon, potpourri, lead pencil, nice tertiary development with smooth melted tannin. No hints of the 15% alc. The only blemish, shorter finish. But can't complain. Complete opposite of the more modern '12 Realm I'm drinking next to it. A fabulous Lokoya!
2002 vintage
Taster #9917
· Sep 19, 2019
95/100
Has gotten better every year...this is now a stunning cab. Full fruit, smooth tannins.
2002 vintage
Taster #5229
· Jan 22, 2017
95/100
Banana, Chocolate, beef broth, ripe black cherries, very warm, dense, nice length, acidity amd alcohol are very well integrated and balanced
2002 vintage
Taster #9438
· Nov 15, 2016
Steak & Napa Cabs with 10+ Years (Joan's in the Park, St. Paul, MN) : Very dark purple color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Big nose with black fruits, blackberry liqueur, kir, black cherry liqueur, oak, vanilla. The palate was chewy, very big, full bodied, massive black liqueur fruits, heat, vanilla, oak, firm tannins. This just wasn't ready to drink and would need a ton of air at this point. Better to let it slumber. Score reserved.
2002 vintage
Taster #4460
· Dec 6, 2015
96/100
Spectacular!! Bold yet silky smooth. Very nice.
2002 vintage
Taster #5026
· Dec 3, 2015
Drank next to an '02 Cardinale and this was my preferred wine. Opened the bottle about an hour before drinking and decanted right before. The cork crumbled a bit on us, but wine was better than fine. Similar dark fruits with the Cardinale, but there was an added flavor profile here that took it up a notch. In a really good place and at least for our bottle I think it was time to drink up (although with a stronger …
2002 vintage
Taster #2091
· Sep 27, 2014
96/100
Not sure what provoked me to open this on a routine Saturday night, but glad I did. Fantastic stuff. Amazing flavors, very grapey, round and full with low acid but enough tannin to stand up. Wish I had more. Great.
2002 vintage
Taster #9917
· Mar 24, 2014
93/100
Better than the last bottle tried in '11...coming around to maybe support the hype before it's all said and done.
2002 vintage
Taster #5229
· Jan 5, 2014
94/100
Amazing wine, very multi-faceted, structured and deep with a very long finish. Surprisingly approachable now with cassis, licorice, coke and hard candy notes. Great!
2002 vintage
Taster #5733
· Sep 21, 2012
94/100
Delicious, cranberry, leather, boysenberry, big, but balanced
2002 vintage
Taster #5229
· Sep 6, 2012
94/100
Reasonable California Cabernet (Charlie Palmer, Washington, DC) : Great stuff, this has loads of sweet notes, coke-hard-candy, and sweetness that is so well integrated into the whole wine. The finish goes away for a second and then kicks back in and lingers. Really great but I realized that I went for the Vine Hill Ranch more often for seconds then for the Lokoya, that doesn't mean it's not a fantastic wine, but it means that right now, it's more fun …
2002 vintage
Taster #1381
· Sep 6, 2012
95/100
DC Dinner #2 with PinkMoon! (Chalie Palmer (DC)) : Excellent. From the first sip I had of this, the finish is what really stood out and surprised me...After being somewhat restrained in the mouth, the finish just exploded all of a sudden, and then kept evolving and changing throughout. Silky smooth. Not a fruit bomb at all, but refined and elegant with a sweetness to the nose that again reminds me of a very subtle perfume. I think maybe there's …
2002 vintage
Taster #5229
· Jun 29, 2012
94/100
Wow, I can really only reflect, what others have said, very very dense in the palate, having this in the mouth makes you feel the whiole room is made out of velvet, this purple velvvet used in ssome bars, amazing stuff, notes of blueberry and blackberry but mostly blueberries. Incredible how long these blueberries last in the palate... Sill counting... I think its about 40 seconds or so.... Wow, what a wine, I'm surprised, at 10 years just perfect in …
2002 vintage
Taster #0905
· May 13, 2012
92/100
I will echo the sentiments of A&C on this wine. It is the richness and fullness of this wine that stands out, quite different than other highly rated cabs of the same age that are still beastly and characterized more by their tannins and bite than by their smoothness and richness. A very nice experience and one that could be appreciated by expert and novice alike, though I'm not sure about the dog.
2002 vintage
Taster #7747
· Aug 21, 2011
92/100
Dark cherry fruit, pomegranate, currant, anise/licorice, mocha/chocolate chip. Decanted.. nice big dark fruit, lots of structure and acid. Lead, plum, cherry, blackberry, elderflower, oak spice... grippp! Will last 4-7 more years.
2002 vintage
Taster #9917
· May 27, 2011
92/100
Very closed and needs a lot of decanting time...I think it would show better after a lot more time in the air.
2002 vintage
Taster #5533
· Dec 20, 2010
94/100
RICH BERRY FRUIT AND LICORICE IN THE NOSE WITH CURRANTS AND BLACKBERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
2002 vintage
Taster #5395
· Jun 12, 2010
94/100
Lovely
2002 vintage
Taster #3139
· Nov 29, 2009
93/100
11/09 Cherry fruit - soft tannin finish -approachable now with time. 93 pts.
2002 vintage
Taster #4677
· Aug 19, 2007
92/100
Popped and poured for a dinner party. Dark purple. Very typical licorice and dark fruits on the nose. Good weight and dark fruits on the palate. Very nice long finish with a touch of velvet softness. Will benefit from more time in the bottle.
2002 vintage
Taster #8088
· Aug 3, 2007
92/100
Deep, rich plum color. Wonderful, cassis, chalk and earth nose. Very nice mouth feel. Smooth. Velvet. On the palate, cigar smoke, leather, coffee, espresso, and a lingering strawberry or rich cherry finish. There is no bitterness. There is no heavy alcohol. There is no heavy heat or tannins. The richness is there, but with a craftsmanship built to last. The best way to describe this is rich, smooth; on your tongue it has the texture of visual velvet. Incredibly satisfying. …
2002 vintage
Taster #2230
· Apr 9, 2007
96/100
A little tannic, would benefit from more ageing, and opening 1 hr. prior to consuming. Dark color.
2002 vintage
Taster #9433
· Nov 17, 2006
95/100
A wonderful cabernet that is still quite young. It had great depth and richness, but none of the sappiness of the vintage. We drank out of the bottle in a restaurant and by the end it was mellowing out (although very enjoyable throughout), so if you drink at home in the next few years, decant for a couple of hours. definetely buy some more.
2002 vintage
Taster #9433
· Jul 25, 2006
94/100
Drinking well now with a little tannin. Excellent richness and balance (particularily for an �02). So, very nice overall, but not great, so no reason to buy more. I had a second bottle and it was excellent. It took a day to smooth out the tannins, but it had a great core and was really good.
2002 vintage
Taster #9433
· Jul 25, 2006
92/100
Drinking well now with a little tannin. Excellent richness and balance (particularily for an �02). So, very nice overall, but not great, so no reason to buy more.
2002 vintage