93 Points — James Suckling | 93 Points — Wine-Searcher Aggregated | USA TODAY #2 Best Winery Tour in the U.S. (2025)
WHY WE CHOSE THIS WINE
Baldacci Family Vineyards occupies one of the most coveted addresses in all of American wine — the Silverado Trail within the Stags Leap District, a corridor whose volcanic benchland and afternoon wind pattern produce Cabernet and red blends of uncommon elegance and structure. The Fraternity blend is the family's most expressive multi-varietal offering: a Bordeaux-anchored assemblage that reflects the full depth of what this estate is capable of producing outside of their flagship single-varietal bottlings. The 2023 vintage arrives with exceptional critical validation — 93 points from James Suckling — and sits at the intersection of immediate pleasure and genuine cellar worthiness. Baldacci's Cave Tour & Estate Tasting was named the No. 2 Best Winery Tour in the United States by USA TODAY in 2025, a recognition that speaks to the quality of the guest experience as much as the wine. The Fraternity has earned a following for good reason: it is, as one writer described it, a wine that showcases the full range of Napa Valley in a single bottle.
TASTING NOTES
Aromas of black currants, dark plums, and black cherries with underlying tones of graphite, cedar, dried sage, tobacco, and warm spice. The full-bodied palate is firmly framed by structured tannins and bright acidity, giving the wine a composed, linear feel before giving way to a luscious, savory finish. Plummy depth balanced by a floral thread and notes of mocha and grilled vanilla bean. Drink now or hold through 2030.