Winemaker Notes
Deep and exhilarating to behold, the 2017 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine of formidable stature with finely textured, lengthy tannins. Warm spices, black tea, creme de cassis, and rose petal entice on the nose, while the palate reveals wild blackberry, fresh coffee beans, and a layer of clove and orange zest. While magnetic upon release, this dynamic wine will reward extended cellaring.
Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The first vintage made after the Fountaingrove District AVA was created was a warm one, giving this full-bodied wine a huge lavender and rose petal perfume followed by a broad, velvety texture chock full of dark plums, dark chocolate and blueberries.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
