Sbragia Godspeed Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling -
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Enthusiast
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Winemaker Notes
This wine defines Sbragia's passion for mountain grown Cabernet Sauvignon. At 1,500 feet elevation, at the end of a long and winding road, Larry Stricker’s picturesque vineyard comprises a series of steep hillsides and mixed sedimentary and volcanic soils. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines that cling to its slopes produce small clusters of deeply concentrated grapes that lead to statuesque wines with immense aging potential.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Lastly, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Godspeed reflects this vintage in Napa. Front-end loaded, soft, round and juicy with about a half degree lower in alcohol, as well as lower pH, the wine is pretty and elegant with blueberry and black cherry fruit, spice and a medium to full-bodied. It will be drinkable and evolve more quickly than either the 2012 or 2013. Drink it over the next 12 to 15 years.
Rating: 91-93
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberry, mint and spice. Hints of flowers. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh finish. Fine tannin tension. Linear and tight. I like the chocolate undertone at the close.
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Wine Enthusiast
This substantial wine of considerable weight and tension has a thick entry from a grippy savory personality. Earthy dried herb, sage and currant define it, a nod to its mountain provenance. There is 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot in the wine.
Other Vintages
2013-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
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.
Centered at the peak for which it is named, Mount Veeder is Napa’s largest sub-AVA. But even though the entire appellation spreads over 16,000 acres, vineyards cover a mere 1,000. Scattered among Douglas firs and bristlecone pines, Mount Veeder vineyards extend south from the upper elevations of the Mayacamas Mountains—the highest point at 2,400 feet—to the border of the Carneros region. Less than 25 wineries produce wine from Mount Veeder fruit.
Winemaking began early in this appellation. In 1864, Captain Stelham Wing presented the first Mount Veeder wine to the Napa County Fair; it came from today’s Wing Canyon Vineyard. Prohibition, of course, halted winemaking and viticulture wasn’t revitalized until the founding of Mayacamas Vineyards in 1951 and Bernstein Vineyards in 1964.
The Bernstein Vineyards was actually home to the first Petit Verdot in California, planted in 1975. Today most of the Petit Verdot in Napa Valley originates from this vineyard.
Rocky volcanic clay and ancient seabed matter dominate Mount Veeder soils—perfect for Bordeaux varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot enjoy spectacular success. These varieties produce wines rich in brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit with herbal and floral aromatics. Structures are moderate to assertive and wines have great staying power.
Chardonnay from Mount Veeder is lush, full and balanced mineral and fresh citrus flavors.