Tasted by Jonathan Cristaldi (at Ulysses, Oakville, Napa Valley, 06 May 2024). Drinking Window: 2024–2045. Napa Valley’s 2016 growing season produced a superbly balanced vintage with wines built for longevity, and Ulysses 2016 is no exception. Full-bodied with both power and finesse, it shows youthful black cherry and blackberry fruit, spiced plums, tobacco, and cedarwood. The structure is striking — tannins like vertical beams, balanced by focused acidity and savory lift. Nuances of dried flowers, sagebrush, and crushed stones lend complexity, and the wine’s purity evokes a great Pauillac in its brightness and precision.