ZD Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
-
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2014 ZD Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding example of an exceptional vintage. Early bud break, followed by a warm, dry summer - that also included a 6.0 earthquake in Napa on August 24 - led to an early harvest that quickly revealed the supreme quality of the vintage.
All of the fruit for this wine came from several small, intensely farmed, organically certified vineyards in the Napa Valley, including ZD’s Rutherford Estate. Each vineyard lot was fermented and barrel aged separately for one year before blending. After several blind tastings in the spring of 2015, the Reserve lots were blended together and aged for an additional two years in American Oak barrels.
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic cassis, red plum, and black cherry make up the core of dense ripe fruit. Subtle notes of clove, tobacco, cedar, and vanilla add to the complexity. On the palate, silky soft tannins envelop the fruit and the wine finishes incredibly long and lush. Only 32 barrels of this wine were produced. Enjoy!
Professional Ratings
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: ZD Wines has made some of the Napa Valley's most legendary wines over the decades. The 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon fits nicely among some of their top wines. TASTING NOTES: This wine is built and long-lasting on the palate. Its aromas and flavors of black fruit, toast, and lavish oak make it a beautiful match with a juicy Porterhouse steak. (Tasted: August 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Enthusiast
This reserve-tier wine was given three years of oak aging and it offers soft supple tannin and moderate structure as the reward. Bright cassis flavor takes on a confectionery richness alongside the toasted-vanilla notes from the wood.
Other Vintages
2018-
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wilfred
Wong
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Spectator
Founded in 1969, ZD Wines is owned and operated by the deLeuze Family. The winery is located in Rutherford, a premium Cabernet Sauvignon growing region in the heart of the Napa Valley. ZD Wines is a family business that is committed to producing world-class wines, farming organically and providing first-class hospitality to guests, all while supporting many charitable efforts locally and throughout the country. They celebrate more than 50 years of winemaking, with the second and third generations of the deLeuze family carrying on the family legacy.
ZD Wines primarily produces three core varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. The current ZD winemaking and vineyard management team have amassed a fantastic base of winemaking and vineyard management knowledge with more than 100 years of combined experience. The winemaking team is comprised of Robert deLeuze (CEO/Director of Winemaking), Chris Pisani (Senior Winemaker), Brandon deLeuze (Winemaker), and Chad McComber (Cellar Master). They combine their winemaking knowledge and use blending as their ultimate winemaking tool to craft wines of quality, consistency and style. Rafael Llamas Sr. (Estate Vineyard Manager) and his son Rafael Llamas Jr. (Hospitality, Garden Curator and Vineyard Assistant), manage ZD’s certified organic estate vineyards at the Rutherford winery, as well as the ZD Carneros Estate in Napa. The winery also maintains long-term grower relationships with vineyards in Napa, Sonoma Carneros, Monterey and Santa Barbara.
Founder Norman deLeuze believed that great wines are made from healthy vines grown in rich, living soils. ZD Wines has an in-depth history of embracing an ecologically sensitive approach to all aspects of their operation. With a focus on producing world-class wines, their certified organic vineyards promote biodiversity using the best technologies of the day, as well as time honored farming methods. The winery and vineyards use solar energy, bio fuels, composting, cover cropping, recycling, water conservation, electric vehicles, and more, to conserve and enhance our planet. ZD’s Rutherford and Carneros Estates have been certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and are certified by Fish Friendly Farming, Napa Green Winery and California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing. The winery offers an Eco Vineyard Tour at their Rutherford property where guests walk through the organic certified vineyards and learn firsthand about the winery’s eco practices.
To date, ZD Wines and The deLeuze Family Charitable Foundation have raised more than $1,000,000 to support research lead by Dr. Joseph Tuscano at the UC Davis Cancer Center. In addition to fundraising events, each week the deLeuze family and ZD team deliver healthy snacks to the Napa Valley Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. The deLeuze family also provides an annual $500 grant to each employee to gift to local charities of their choosing.
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.