Honig Bartolucci Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
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Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant vintage for Napa Valley, and coming from a single vineyard in St. Helena, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci Vineyard sports a deep ruby/purple (almost completely opaque) hue to go with a gorgeous perfume of crème de cassis, smoked earth, tobacco, camphor, and subtle cedar pencil nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it’s flawlessly balanced and has a great mid-palate as well as bright, polished tannins that carry through to the finish. This gorgeously complex, complete, satisfying Napa Valley Cabernet shines for its purity, elegance, and balance. You can safely drink this beauty any time over the coming 15-20 years.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries and blueberries with hints of violets and roses that follow through to a full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Honig Bartolucci Vineyard Cabernet is focused, fulfilling, and well-balanced. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings dense black fruit and hints of licorice to the fore. Pair it with grilled duck breast. (Tasted: May 26, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Reserved yet serious, with a nicely melded core of smoldering spice, sweet tobacco and steeped blackberry and plum fruit, backed by a light anise thread on the focused finish. Shows range and character. Best from 2021 through 2031.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci Vineyard is deep garnet-purple colored with bright red and black currants, black cherries and menthol with hints of chocolate and wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is soft and fruity with some spiciness on the finish.
Other Vintages
2019-
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James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
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Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Spectator -
Robert
Parker
The Honig Family purchased their 68-acre vineyard in Rutherford in 1964, and sold the grapes they grew to neighboring wineries. In 1980, the family tried their hand at producing their own Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, to great acclaim. Michael Honig took over management of the winery in 1984, at the age of 22. In 1987, the Honigs made their first Cabernet Sauvignon. Under Michael, Honig's direction, the winery has grown from a small "garage winery" to a 25 person operation. Using solar power and sustainable farming methods, winemaker, Kristin Belair focuses on two varietals: Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This focus allows her to produce handcrafted wines that are a true expression of the vineyard.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.