Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Ulysses 2014, with its breadth of dimension and creamy texture, offers rich tobacco, ripe plum and fig aromas balanced beautifully by a long, supple finish.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The evolution of this wine has been phenomenal since I tasted it in barrel a year ago with the same black cherry, plum and citrus character but with a turn to orange leaf, dark Chinese tea, and mushroom. Full body, fine and velvety tannins with a touch of dust to the texture. So much chocolate and fruit undertones with forest floor and hints of tobacco, too. The mouthfeel and complexity are seductive. Better from 2022 but a joy to taste. Spring 2018 release.
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Decanter
Another lovely wine from Ulysses, a property which is rapidly establishing itself as one of Napa's top addresses. The 2014 reveals a complex bouquet of briary fruit tones, wild plum and rich soil. On the palate the tannins are beautifully fine-grained, powdery and ample - a powerful but elegant frame for the wine's vivid fruit. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was aged for 17 months in 45% new French oak, is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine is dense purple, with sweet cedar wood, unsmoked cigar tobacco, crème de cassis, and black raspberries in a classic, almost St.-Julien/Pauillac style. This emerged from a valley floor vineyard on the west side of Napa, where Christian Moueix told me that 2014 was characterized by generally slightly higher than average temperatures for the summer with only minor heat spikes in June and July. August and September went off without a hitch, and the harvest took place during the month of September. This full-bodied wine will hit its peak in 3-5 years and last for 25-30.
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Ulysses vineyard is situated along Napa Valley's Oakville bench at the foot of the Mayacamas range. This historic vineyard was part of the original Charles Hopper Ranch in the 1800's and was purchased by Christian Moueix in 2008. Since then, we have undertaken meticulous vineyard restoration, carefully studying the gravelly, clay loam soils and the property's microclimates. As part of our efforts toward sustainability and envirnonmental stewardship, we dry farm to enhance root depth and resistance to drought as well as to further develop in our wine the character of an exceptional terroir.
About the name
Homer's Odyssey is the epic tale of Ulysses who, after the Trojan War, travails to return to his homeland and family, a voyage of ten years. Christian Moueix, inspired by Ulysses' unending devotion to his quest, embarks on a new journey to produce a distinctive wine from the Ulysses vineyard in Oakville.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.