Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
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James
Suckling -
Wine
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Winemaker Notes
Embracing the concentration of the 2015 vintage from whence it comes, this Cabernet Sauvignon is dense, powerful, and compact. The long growing season engendered by our cool climate Sonoma vineyard means this Cab did not have to sacrifice acidity and freshness, however. Classic aromas of blackberries and black raspberry liquor are layered with sweet barrel oak and menthol. Mouth-filling, but more medium than full bodied, savory flavors of cacao nibs, dark fruits, and dried herbs are carried on the lush texture through an enduring finish.
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Petit Verdot 3% Malbec 2% Merlot 1% Cabernet
Certified Sustainable
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This blend of 89% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot, 3% malbec and 2% merlot delivers a rich, cedary nose with tobacco, dried red cherries and blackcurrants. The palate has a sleek and deliciously fleshy feel with very attractive, ripe berries.
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Wine Enthusiast
Robust in dried herb and graphite, this is a weighty, structured and tannic red blended with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Classic elements of currant and clove add to the overall mix of vintage-appropriate density and power.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley offers slightly more purity and freshness, albeit with a lot less density. Cassis, currants, leafy herbs, and tobacco notes all flow to a medium-bodied effort that has nicely integrated acidity, moderate depth, yet solid balance. It has plenty of tannins, so give this a few years in the cellar, and I suspect it's going to keep for 10-15+ years. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 45% new French oak.
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Jeb
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Robert
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Robert
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Gundlach Bundschu Winery is a family-owned, sixth-generation producer of distinctive wines of site-specific character. The winery's 320-acre Estate Vineyard, christened Rhinefarm in 1858, is located at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley AVAs, at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain Range.
Gundlach Bundschu approaches its vineyards, wines, business and the world with spirit, creativity and dedication to excellence. When you open a bottle of Gundlach Bundschu, you uncork not only the Estate's unique ability to produce profound wines, but also a rich, personal relationship between the Gundlach Bundschu family and the land on which the family lives.
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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.