92 Points - Wine Spectator
92 Points - Beverage Tasting Institute BTI
92 Points - Tastings.com
Enjoy with Grilled Rib Eye Steak · Lamb Sliders · Roast duck with a cherry reduction · Roasted Eggplant · Cheddar cheese · Flourless chocolate cake
Winemaker: Nils Venge, regarded as one of the foremost pioneers in the Napa Valley wine industry who became the first American winemaker to receive a perfect 100-point rating from Robert Parker on his 1985 Reserve Cabernet while at Groth.
Vintage: The culmination of factors from another drought year in California surprised everyone with a beautiful vintage. An unseasonably dry and mild winter, which led to an early spring, forced the vines into bud break during peak frost season. A relatively warm, but even summer, resulted in early harvest dates, with lower-than-average yields with good quality.
Vineyard: Hand-picked Cabernet Sauvignon on October 7-12th. The majority of the grapes came from the dry-farmed 9.5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon planted on the estate, located one-third mile north of Oakville Cross Road on Money Road. The estate soils are of Pleasanton and Bale loam series with spots of silt and gravel. Rootstock is Teleki 5C on 6 x 12 ft. spacing. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from their Oakville vineyard.
Winemaking: The fruit was sorted in the vineyard and on the crushpad then gently crushed into small fermenters and let to ferment on the skins 14 days after inoculation using ICVD254 yeast. The wine went through a combination of punch-downs and pump-overs twice daily during this period. After pressing, the wine was racked into 60% new French and 10% new American oak barrels and left to age for 24 months. During this time, native malolactic fermentation developed further complexity. This wine was bottled filtered.
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Oakville, Napa Valley
Harvest date: October 7-12th
Sugar: 24 Brix (average)
Fermentation: Malolactic conversion
Skin Contact: 14 days punch-downs and pump-overs twice daily.
Total acid: 6 g/L
pH: 3.74
Aging: 24 months
Cooperage: 60% new French oak barrels
Bottling date: April 2024
Release date: July 2024
Alcohol: 14.4% by volume
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.
97 Points
Lush and fleshy, with cassis, boysenberry, and blackberry notes guided by hints of alder and mesquite. Stays open but defined through the finish, with a buried hint of sweet tobacco. A rich, layered beast, this has a nose rife with currants, blackberries, vanilla, and light toast with flavors of mocha, plum, and Bing cherry that mingle harmoniously on the tongue.
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.
95 Points
This stellar Napa Valley Red Blend marries lush plum and cherry with Malbec's dark berry depth and Petit Verdot's structure and spice. Layered with notes of blackberry, violet, and cocoa, this silky wine finishes with smooth tannins and a whisper of toasted oak. Robust and mouth-filling, with spicy nuances, smooth tannins, firm structure, and a long lingering finish.
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