Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Amici Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon opens with captivating aromas of blueberry compote, Madagascar vanilla, and hints of cocoa powder. On the palate, flavors of plum and dark cherry are complemented with notes of baker's chocolate. This wine has great acidity, polished tannins, and promises great age-worthiness.
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 2% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A classic, sophisticated and detailed wine that's fragrant in mint and and spices, rich and layered in flavors. So deep and lush, with black cherries, blueberries, spearmint, cocoa and coffee crema. Aged in all-new French oak.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A big step up, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve brings another level of density and concentration. Cassis, leafy tobacco, chocolate, and beautifully integrated oak all shine here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a broad, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended from barrels that didn't make it into their respective single-vineyard bottlings, plus a healthy proportion of Hudson-sourced fruit, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve saw 100% new French oak, but it doesn't come across as particularly oaky, instead showcasing ripe red and black cherries in complex swirls of fruit. Full-bodied and supple, with a long, mouthwatering finish, it may not be the longest-lived "Reserve" bottling, but it's a ripe, plush effort that should drink well for a decade.
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Vinous
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is dark and explosive. Inky dark red fruit, leather, spice and mocha are dialed up. Creamy and forward, the 2022 possesses fine balance in a style that offers notable juiciness and mid-weight structure.
Over thirty years in the making, Amici Cellars is a blend of the old and the new. Preserving its legacy and producing wines of exceptional character is the unwavering commitment of proprietors John Harris and Bob Shepard, who attribute success in large part to the age-old adage “nothing replaces hard work,” but also their intuition and ability to capture the most significant opportunity in a decisive moment.
The turning point was 2009, when after more than 15 years of making wine as a passion project with modest distribution, the two friends fully committed to taking their adventure and turning it into a prestigious Napa Valley winemaking estate. The United States was facing the biggest economic downturn since the 1930s, costly Cabernets no longer flying off shelves, but John and Bob have always trusted in their intuition and a core belief - bottle beautiful, high quality wines that are accessible to enjoy every day and for age-worthy collections.
They have decidedly chosen a talented team, seasoned winemaker Tony Biagi, a Napa Valley veteran with more than 25-years-experience, and associate winemaker Dante West, a rising star whose energy matches his true-to-varietal wines. Together they bring decades of relationships with outstanding growers in the field that, combined with their craftsmanship, creates the best possible capsule of each vineyard site, a combination of the soil, climate and people who farm it.
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.