Accolades

The 2021 Mr. Evans Proprietary Red is a more Merlot-dominated blend, and it's terrific. Ripe red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and loamy earth are just some of its nuances, and it's layered, full-bodied, and mouth-filling, with serious character.

Jeb Dunnuck | JebDunnuck.com

February 2023

Powerful aromas of red and black fruits, are tempered by garrigue, and oak. Full and rich, with decadent black cherry and chocolate drizzled with raspberry coulis. Underneath the wealth of fruit weight, the wine builds with firm tannins and leads to a chalky mineral finish. The winemaker is Philippe Melka. Co-proprietors Stephan Cretier and Stephany Maillery assumed stewardship of Roy Estate in mid-2017 and have begun thoughtfully expanding the footprint of the historic vineyard. Combined with the construction of expansive new infrastructure across the estate, the future is looking bright. Collectors, this is one to watch.

Jonathan Cristaldi | Decanter

September 2022

The 2018 Mr. Evans Proprietary Red checks in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, all aged 19 months in French oak. It’s a big, rich, slightly monolithic wine offering cassis and blue fruits as well as some violet and earthy tobacco notes. The purity of fruit is impressive, it has a rich, mouth-filling texture, and fine tannins, it just needs 4-5 years of bottle age to gain complexity.

Jeb Dunnuck | JebDunnuck.com

January 2021

The 2017 Roy Estate Mr. Evans shows the more focused, linear style of the 2017 vintage. Blackcurrants, cassis, hot asphalt, licorice, and charred meat notes all emerge from the glass of this inky colored effort, and it's medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful on the palate. Drink it any time over the coming 15-20 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck | JebDunnuck.com

February 2020

The 2016 Mr. Evans Proprietary Red is very deep garnetpurple in color, with beautiful cassis, crushed blackberries and wild blueberries scents with touches of violets, tilled soil, fungi, menthol and smoked meats plus a hint of cedar chest. Medium-to full-bodied and tightly wound with loads of mineral accents coming through in the mouth, it’s framed by very ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and layered.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown | Wine Advocate

October 2018

Composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon (64%) with smaller parts of Merlot (21%) and Petit Verdot (15%), the Roy Estate 2015 Mr. Evans Proprietary Red gives a deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed blackberries and warm black cherries with touches of Provence herbs, charcuterie and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers up expressive red and black fruit preserves with appealing herbal and savory accents, framed by grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a minty note. 614 cases produced.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown | Wine Advocate

December 2017

The 2014 Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot aged 17 months in 85% new French oak. The wine has terrific fruit, including loads of blackcurrants, blackberry and licorice along with hints of truffle and camphor. The lushness of this vintage is brilliantly displayed in a vibrant, plum, succulent wine that has roundness, gentle tannins, and an appealing, sexy style. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.

In an up-and-coming and increasingly popular but isolated part of Napa Valley, the Roy Estate is located on a tract of property with 17 acres planted in what is known as Soda Canyon. This is not one of the better known sectors of Napa Valley, but there are some fascinating wines coming from these vineyards, which are generally planted on gentle hillsides consisting of volcanic ash (often referred to as “white tufa”) along with loamy, rocky soils. There were only two wines made by Roy Estate in each vintage, a Proprietary Red and a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

October 2016

The wine is a beauty, with loads of charcoal, scorched earth, blackcurrants and blackberry fruit present, along with underlying smoky notes. It is dense purple, full-bodied, and rich, with moderate tannin. This wine will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring and drink well for another 20-25 years.

This is still a somewhat under-the-radar, small estate dedicated to world-class wines made in a fairly hidden area on the eastern side of Napa Valley known as Soda Canyon, which is essentially in the foothills of the eastern Vaca Mountains.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

October 2016

I only tasted one wine, the 2012 Proprietary Red, a brilliant blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 80% new Taransaud barrels. This 640-case cuvée exhibits an opaque purple color, full body, supple tannins, and sweet blueberry and blackberry liqueur notes intermixed with hints of chocolate as well as dusty, earthy, forest floor notes. Drink it over the next 15-20 years. It is one of the finest efforts produced by the Roy Estate to date.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

October 2014

Roy's 2011 Proprietary Red wraps around the palate with sweet dark raspberries, mocha, espresso, plums, spices and menthol. This is a surprisingly round, inviting wine for the year, with no hard edges and open, inviting personality that is hard to resist. Sweet, silky tannins support the generous finish. This is a terrific showing for the year.

Antonio Galloni | Vinous

November 2013

Roy’s 2010 Proprietary Red has a little more delineation and nuance than the 2009. Freshly cut flowers, violets, super ripe dark fruit, mocha, espresso, chocolate, plums, cassis and black currants all jump from the glass in this opulent full-bodied huge wine. Layers of fruit continue to build to the creamy, expressive finish.

Proprietor Shirley Roy and her consulting winemaker Philippe Melka have a done a great job with these current and upcoming releases. The 2009s have turned out just as well as I had hoped, while the 2010s – the product of tiny yields – are a touch more complex.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

December 2012

The 2009 Proprietary Red bursts from the glass with juicy dark cherries, flowers, mint violets and tar. A super-ripe wine, the 2009 caresses the palate with gorgeous depth. This voluptuous, opulent wine has plenty of energy, not to mention considerable appeal. The 2009 is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot.

The 2009s have turned out just as well as I had hoped.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

December 2012

The 2008 Proprietary Red (71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in French casks) is performing exceptionally well. Its dense plum/purple color is followed by a big, sweet kiss of camphor, white chocolate, blackberries, cassis and earthy/foresty notes. Full-bodied with beautiful texture, purity and length, it should drink well for 15-20 years.

If readers have not yet checked out the Roy offerings from this rocky, cool climate site at the base of Atlas Peak, I highly suggest they do so.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

December 2010

The dense ruby/purple 2007 Proprietary Red, a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot, exhibits an impressive chocolatey nose with lots of berry fruit, coffee bean, mocha, and earthy/forest floor notes. Complex and dense with silky tannins, and superb elegance combined with richness, it can be approached now, but it will be even better in 4-5 years. It should last for 20+ years.

Soda Canyon, in the southern most part of Napa Valley, has its own specific micro-climate. This 17-acre vineyard owned by Shirley and Charles Roy was originally planted by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer, but the wine is now being made by Philippe Melka, who is fashioning very impressive reds meant for long-term aging.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

December 2009

Roy’s biggest production wine is their proprietary blend. The 2006 Proprietary Red is composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. It possesses elegant, roasted herb, chocolate, espresso, and black currant aromas, delicious fruit, and a long, muscular, concentrated personality. Obviously built for the long haul, it is approachable, but should hit its peak in 7-8 years, and last for 20-25 years. This 17-acre Soda Canyon site originally planted by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer has tight 3 x 6 spacing, and produces two wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and an estate proprietary blend. Proprietors Shirley and Charles Roy have demonstrated courage as well as passion in attempting to craft some of the finest wines to emerge from this area of Napa. Winemaker Philippe Melka brings a French savoir-faire to Napa Valley’s gorgeous fruit.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

December 2008

This 17-acre vineyard on the eastern side of Napa is owned by Charles and Shirley Roy. Located in what is known as the Soda Canyon area, the vineyard was planted under the direction of Helen Turley, but today’s winemaker is Philippe Melka. They have two wines in their cuvee, a Bordeaux blend and, of course, their Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite of the quartet of wines I tasted is the 2005 Proprietary Red, a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot (1,200 cases produced). Of course, Soda Canyon is a southern Napa region and cool, much like its neighbor Stags Leap. This wine exhibits very Bordeaux-like notes of black currants, chocolate, underbrush, and some background oak. With beautiful sweet fruit, striking elegance, well-integrated acidity, and a dense ruby/purple color and medium to full body, this will be a long-lived wine.

Robert Parker Jr | Wine Advocate

December 2007