100pts Jeb Dunnuck
"Another riveting wine, the 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon has a Château Latour-like stature and regalness, with full-bodied richness and incredible concentration, as well as structure, on the palate. Cassis, blueberry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and graphite notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible power and opulence, yet stays pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won't quit. This is as brilliant as Cabernet gets, and Carpenter is clearly playing with the best in the business. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and it will cruise for 30-40 years."
99pts James Suckling
"Blackcurrant and graphite in a big way in the nose. Some asphalt and sweet tobacco, too. Full-bodied with a dense, velvety texture. Shows suppleness for such a big wine, with luxurious sensibility. Such fabulous length. Almost drinkable now, but four or five years of bottle age will bring this into its own. Try after 2026."
98pts Decanter
"Powerfully aromatic black fruits, dried herbs, dark-roast coffee beans, toasty oak and dried flowers. Full-throttle, structured and dense, with firm, elongated tannins and compact black-toned fruits, scorched earth, iron shavings and crushed cocoa nibs. A long finish of brandied spiced cherries. Since 1995, Lokoya has produced Cabernet from the Veeder Peak Estate at 548m on the western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains."
96pts Wine Spectator
"Large-scaled but sleek in profile, with boysenberry, açaí and loganberry pâte de fruit notes that are brightly defined and inlaid with a violet, anise and graphite spine, which lets the fruit just sail through. Shows serious grip, too, but it's well-buried in the fruit. Best from 2024 through 2040."
From the Winemaker:
Bathed in sunlight on the western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains at the northern end of the Mount Veeder appellation, the Veeder Peak estate vineyard sits at 1,800 feet in elevation. Since 1995, Lokoya has produced a Cabernet Sauvignon from a selection of blocks situated on the steep, mountainous terrain. Struggling in this volcanic soil forces the vines to seek out nutrients and in turn produce berries with intensely concentrated fruit. The wines display defining characteristics of violets and blue fruit with powerful tannins and exceptional aging potential.
