94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
92 Points - Wine Spectator
We recommend decanting for a few hours before enjoying.
Will age gracefully in the cellar for 15-20 years.
WINEMAKING
The 2015 Mancino Lanciatore is a stunning wine of power and concentration. Its name translated from Italian means "left-handed thrower" and is an ode to our proprietor, Thomas Leonardini, Sr. and several other left-handed Leonardinis. Upon hand harvesting in the early morning hours, grapes were carefully destemmed and sent to tank for a whole-berry fermentation. The grapes were cold-soaked in tank at 45 degrees for 4-7 days, allowing for increased color, aroma, and flavor extraction. After inoculation, the grape must (juice, skins, and seeds) fermented at 82 degrees, which allowed for a hot extraction on the skins. For fermentation cap management, the juice was pumped over the skins two times per day, wetting the cap evenly for a nice healthy fermentation. After fermentation and pressing, the wine was sent to 65% new French oak, 35% neutral oak barrels, aging for 26 months. The final blend for the 2015 Mancino Lanciatore is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. At bottling, this wine was unfined and unfiltered.
VINTAGE
The 2015 vintage started with very little rainfall prior to bud break, enabling the vintage to be considered a drought year. Drought years often lead to less vegetative growth and more focused fruit development, which is always a great thing for winemakers. Spring was cooler than expected and in turn affected the fruit set and potential yields. Even though yields in the vineyards were down, this provided the winemaking team with increased concentration of tannins and flavors from the grapes. Summer was relatively warm and allowed the fruit to ripen at a steady pace and by September and October, the grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot in this wine were harvested from their Oak Glen, Leonardini, Millennium MM, Whitehall Lane, and Fawn Park Estate vineyards.
Winemaker: Jason Moulton
Vintage: 2015
Appellation: 100% Napa Valley
Varietal Composition: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 15.1%
93 Points
Deep red hue and hints of violet teasing the senses with seductive aromas of dark fruits, wild berries, cocoa, baking spices, leather, and cigar box. Filled with saturated flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry, cassis, cherry cola, ripe plum, chopped mint leaves, while the palate unfolds with rich tannin, juicy acidity, and flavors of cherry gastrique, berry coulis, herb mélange, and licorice.
98 Points
Deep purple hue and an alluring aromatic profile of fresh blue fruits and delicate violets. On the palate, it delivers a seamless and layered texture, framed by supple, polished tannins and a refined sense of balance. Elegantly structured, it offers remarkable purity and finesse, finishing with graceful length and poise.
96 Points
Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, floral violet and savory spice. The palate is full and layered, with robust, age-worthy tannins and gorgeous flavors of dark berries, mocha and chocolate-covered cherries mingling with hints of graphite, fig and fine leather. Smooth tannins, firm structure and silky texture coat the palate on route to a long, generous finish.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
90 Points
Rich and voluptuous with ripe raspberry, cherry, and plum, layered with hints of lavender, fig compote, and exotic spice. Concentrated and complex, the palate is a balanced interplay cocoa, and a hint of espresso, creating both richness and intrigue. Vibrant acidity and silky tannins that contribute heft and length that coat the palate with luscious ripeness that keeps on giving.
91 Points
Shimmering ruby-purple hue. The nose is a walk through a damp Sonoma forest—mossy bark and wild earth—brightened by high-toned notes of cranberry sauce and blood orange. On the palate, it's generously long in the mouth, with good concentration. It's a masterclass in tension: intense, cherry and red current fruit meets dark spice and fine, sandy tannins.
95 Points
Lofty aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, and plum mingle with hints of baking spices and a touch of violet. The palate reveals luscious flavors of ripe berries, complemented by notes of black pepper and a subtle earthiness. With well-integrated tannins and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Deep red-purple with aromas of black currents, blackberry, plum, chocolate, earthy forest floor, licorice, graphite, and subtle floral notes of violet, spice and cracked pepper. The palate is full, structured and balanced with blackberry, currant, black cherry fruit with notes of earth, firm acid and silky tannins. Finishes big with blackberry fruit and peppery spice.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
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