99 Point Vintage - Wine Spectator
This is a bottle every Cabernet lover must have in their cellar for the next decade... or at least on their dinner table in the short term! Pairs perfectly with roasted duck breast with berry sauce or for a vegetarian option, try herbed goat cheese stuffed mushrooms.
Vintage: In a spectacular 2018 vintage that Wine Spectator awarded 99 points, Judd's Hill put out a stunner. Lush, structured, and complex, it's everything you want Napa Cabernet to be. A bountiful vintage marked by cool, consistent temperatures and a timely rainfall for bud break in March and April. Harvest began on September tenth, and the grapes were of the highest quality.
Winemaking: Crafted through thoughtful winemaking and artful blending. Each vintage of Founder’s Art begins with a tasting and assessment of the individual Bordeaux varietal barrels at Judd’s Hill. There are barrels that, when tasted, rise to the top of the list. Every year, the blend is slightly different, allowing the vintage to really shine. Vineyard sources for the 2018 vintage include: Weir, and Wolf.
The Label: The Founder’s Art embodies the physical media of art through the beautiful renderings of the founder, Art Finkelstein's paintings found on each vintage's label, as well as the ephemeral art inside the bottle.
Alcohol: 14.7% by volume
Varietals: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cab Franc, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Napa Valley Estate
Total acid: 6.0 g/L
pH: 3.70
Aging: 30% New French oak barrels
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.
94 Points
Blueberry, currant and sweet spice on the nose, with satiny layers of marionberry, and fresh macerated blackberries, surrounding a core of leather, tobacco leaf, sandalwood, and tobacco. Medium to full bodied, it's polished and creamy with nice weight on the mid palate.
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.
Inky, plush, and cellar-worthy
The nose is an aromatic riot—a decadent mashup of blackberry, black cherry, and plum swirled with whimsical notes of red licorice, vanilla, and cocoa. A savory dust of spice, cedar, and a gentle kiss of oak adds a sophisticated edge to this fruit-forward powerhouse.
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.
94 Points
Aromas of cocoa mingle with notes of cassis, black cherry, blackberry coulis, graphite, toasted vanilla, and a hint of cedar. The palate is harmonious as the richness of barrel spice melds seamlessly with juicy plum, blackberry and licorice flavors. An incredibly polished texture, even at a young age. Long and expressive with loads of flavor.
97 Points
Rich dark fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of baking spices, licorice, coffee, and chocolate that interlace seamlessly with complexity, creating a wine that is both structured and delightfully supple, achieving an ideal balance of tension and grace. Artfully composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 17% Cabernet Franc, resulting in harmonious depth and freshness.
96 Point Vintage
Entices with aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry, and cedar spice. Indicative of the cool vintage, the wine carries a freshness throughout. The palate offers a harmonious balance between bright red fruit, spice, and nicely woven tannins.
PDF