Perfection is never the goal. Is the Mona Lisa perfect? Is Citizen Kane? Is James Joyce’s Ulysses? Awarding a wine 100 points only when it’s perfect, to our publication, seems like a futile exercise. And besides, who’s the arbiter of what’s perfect, anyway? The Pedregal Cab is a monumental expression of California winemaking. It’s one gorgeous, epic masterpiece. Epic doesn’t mean grandiose. Ansel Adams’ famous black & white photographs of Yosemite’s rugged peaks aren’t grandiose but they are epic and stately and glorious and monumental. The Pedregal is all of these things, but what is even more remarkable about this wine is its finesse. A delicate and silky-smooth yet robust texture on the palate that coaxes out the wine’s multifaceted complexities is how one comes to define great finesse. There’s one First Growth Bordeaux wine in particular known for its astounding finesse: Chateau Margaux. This is David Ramey’s Chateau Margaux—sensual and cerebral at the same time from brilliant start to intoxicatingly beautiful finish. David is adamant that his Pedregal holds up in comparison to stratospherically-priced California cult Cabs like Screaming Eagle. We have no reason whatsoever to doubt it, and so, we think this wine is a perfect way to spend $200.