Desparada "Sackcloth & Ashes" Central Coast Red Blend 2023

Jeb Dunnuck : 95 Points

(9/10/2026) Based on 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec, and 6% Cabernet Franc aged 19 months in 40% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, the 2023 Sackcloth and Ashes is ruby/plum-hued and has beautiful aromatics of blue fruits, leafy herbs, lavender, and tobacco on the nose, with some classic Bordeaux-like cedar pencil. It's ripe and medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, sweet tannins, and a great finish. There are 417 cases. Enjoy this big, pure, layered, incredibly impressive beauty over the coming 10-15 years or more. Drink 2026-2041.

Vinous - Eric Guido : 94 Points

(4/2026) The 2023 Sackcloth & Ashes entices with a classic bouquet of pencil shavings, white pepper, cassis and dusty black currants. Silken textures flood the palate with ripe red and black fruits as savory herbal tones and nuances of graphite add complexity toward the close. It leaves a pleasant herbaceous note, finishing with an array of fine tannins and a pleasantly tart blackberry tinge. The Sackcloth, Ashes blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window: 2027 - 2037.