Winemaker Notes
The 2023 Amici Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon opens with layered aromas of dark red fruit, cassis, lavender, cocoa powder, and Madagascar vanilla. On the palate, ripe blueberry and baker’s chocolate unfold against a backdrop of full body and great acidity. The wine is defined by lush, expansive tannins that provide structure and length, promising exceptional aging potential.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Blackberries and black currants with dark chocolate and aromatic hits of violets follow through to a medium body with ultrafine tannins. A racy wine with a refined, extremely long finish. So beautiful now. Drink or hold.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc aged 19 months in 100% new French oak, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve boasts a deeper purple hue with a Rutherford-like vibe in its beautiful black fruits, smoky tobacco, dusty earth, and chocolate-driven aromatics. It's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. An awesome value, this brilliant bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will drink beautifully.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Amici's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve consists of some lots from Hudson, young-vine fruit from Morisoli and a few other barrels that didn't make it into their respective single-vineyard wines. Strongly marked by black cherries on the nose, it's medium- to full-bodied, with a sexy, suede-like mouthfeel and ample richness, finishing long and softly dusty.
Range: 93-95 -
Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is packed with inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice and licorice. Soft, plush contours wrap it all together in style, while chocolatey tannins frame the long finish. Once again, the Reserve delivers the goods.
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.