Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
I think the finest release here is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District and it’s up with the crème de la crème in the valley. Loaded with notions of blueberries, dark chocolate, lead pencil, violets and a gravely, earthy minerality, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, thrilling purity of fruit, and building tannin. It’s sensational juice that will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 2+ decades.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District is fragrantly perfumed of red roses, violets and dried leaves with a core of cassis, black plums, Ceylon tea and unsmoked cigars. The muscular, medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with tight-knit, youthful black fruit and savory layers, sporting a fine-grained backbone and finishing long and perfumed.
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James Suckling
Aromas of raspberries, currants and pine needles. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Chewy yet intense and beautiful. Give it three or four years to soften.
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Vinous
Amici's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain Vineyard is supremely elegant and refined, as wines from this site can be. Red-toned fruit, leather, mint and blood orange open first, framed by silky, polished tannins that carry the mid-palate and finish. Exquisite.
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Wine Enthusiast
This full-bodied red has earthy sage on the nose and palate, an herbal expression within a rich, concentrated grasp of cedar and black licorice. Along the way red currant and cassis come into the picture, adding succulence to the dusty cocoa and mineral.
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.