93 points: Deep, rich and velvety, this has a ton of fine tannins to balance the ripe blackberry, cassis and plum aromas. Although this isn’t tart, beneath the plush exterior is nice freshness that keeps this straight and prevents it from feeling heavy. Lovely interplay between delicately sweet fruit and dry tannins at the long [...]
The 2015 Audax Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder smaller portions Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot. Aged for 27 months in 50% new French oak, the wine shows gorgeous kirsch tones that combine with creme de cassis, wild herbs and mocha tones that all mingle together in unison. The [...]
The 2016 Calla Lily ‘Ultimate Red’ is comprised of nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (84%) sourced from the 20 acre estate vineyard located in the Pope Valley and is a really good effort by winemaker Cary Gott. Aged for 22 months in 40% new French oak, the toasty oak tones neatly combine with layers of dark [...]
In The Tasting Panel Magazine, March 2019, p. 52: The grapes for this big red from winemaker Cary Gott come from a 95-acre vineyard planted in 1995 on the eastern side of Howell Mountain. A blend of 89.2% Cabernet Sauvignon with 5.2% Cabernet Franc and 5.6% Merlot, the wine spent 27 months in 50% new [...]
A little brother of sorts to the Audax bottlings. Close your eyes and think dark, luxe cabernet made expertly in a classic Napa style. That's this. April 2019, http://www.winethropology.com/2019/04/speed-dating-notes-from-trade-tasting.html
Lovely, statuesque, and well-made. A Napa Valley body wrapped in Burgundian structure. April 2019, http://www.winethropology.com/2019/04/speed-dating-notes-from-trade-tasting.html
Rich Cook reviews the 2013 Audax at WineReviewOnline on April 2, 2019: 95 points A pleasure to be able to recommend the second vintage of this bottling from winemaker Cary Gott. A heralded vintage in Napa Valley is put on brilliant display here, with layered varietally correct aromas and flavors presented in bold style without [...]
2013 Audax is reviewed in the February 6, 2019 Nittany Epicurean: AUDAX, meaning “bold” in Latin, is Calla Lily Estate’s barrel-selection reserve wine made as a tribute to the pioneers of Napa Valley, many of whom settled in Pope Valley, by its fourth generation winemaker, Cary Gott. This wine is mostly cabernet sauvignon (86.6%) blended [...]
2014 Audax is reviewed in the February 2019 issue of California Grapevine: Medium ruby; attractive, ripe, cassis and blackberry fruit aroma with spicy notes and hints of cedar, dried herbs, and vanilla; full body; forward, rich, ripe, fleshy, dark fruit flavors with undertones of toasty oak, and a full, plush mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. [...]
Winethropology tastes the two wines: What do oligarchs drink on the weekend? Probably this. If they're lucky, that is. Calla Lily is a relatively young, small production winery founded in 2010 in the Pope Valley, a quiet valley in the northeast corner of Napa county. And Audax is their top tier cabernet label. Packaged in [...]