Winemaker Notes
A wine of tremendous clarity and energy, the 2018 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon leads with enticing blackberry, black currant, cardamom, and violets on the nose. Cassis-hued and anchored by sleek minerality and cohesive structure, its mountain provenance is evidenced by a full spectrum profile of fresh summer cherry, dried mint, river rock, and espresso on the palate. Brimming with vitality and gravitas, this supremely balanced wine promises decades of enjoyment.
Blend: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Tightly wound but sleek in texture, starting with new oak aromas of cinnamon, cedar and nutmeg followed by blackcurrants, black cherries and toast. Full-bodied but with great balance and tension for much longer aging potential. 98% cabernet sauvignon.
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Decanter
With this vintage, the sixth release, Françoise Peschon is now consultant winemaker. She first met Henry and Vanessa Cornell in 2011 and officially joined them as winemaker in 2013, bringing on board Elizabeth Tangney in 2018 as the director of viticulture and winemaking. The abundant growing season in this western-facing pocket of the Mayacamas range atop Spring Mountain, delivered a deeply concentrated and structured 2018. Voluptuous blackberry fruit is layered with cassis, dark plum and cocoa, along with dried wild fennel and thyme. Firm, fine-grained tannins provide support through the long crushed-stone finish.
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.
