De Novo Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
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Wilfred
Wong
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This Cab hails from Ron Siegemund’s “aCURE eSTATE” Vineyard, located in the hills at the western end of Alexander Valley, an area that enjoys long, sunny days and cool nights, ideal for properly ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. The soil is composed of sandy, gravelly loam, and the vines tend to be very small. De Novo’s four-acre block provides fully mature, densely concentrated fruit. The vineyard and winery are powered by large pivoting solar photovoltaic panels, making the vineyard operations approximately 50% carbon-neutral.
With a deep purple color and gem-like clarity, this wine is a concentrated, classic Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose offers up hints of oak, cloves, vanilla, and dried cranberries. The palate continues with multiple layers of dark forest berries and finishes off with lingering plum. This is a balanced wine with a strong backbone and moderately soft tannins, that can be enjoyed from 2018 to 2032.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon highlights the elegance found in the wines from the Alexander Valley. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright, lively, and well-balanced. Pair its aromas and flavors of red fruits with an oven-baked pork roast. (Tasted: April 25, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.