Winemaker Notes
2015 marks the 39th vintage for the Robert Keenan Winery and the 15th consecutive vintage of Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This year’s blend consists of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 7 from our “Big K” vineyard, and 5% Cabernet Franc from our “Upper Bowl” vineyard. Deep aromatics, piercing and precise, a full rich saturated mouth feel, and a long lasting multi-layered finish define this exemplary blend.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
If you’re looking for a cabernet with an exceptional track record, consider that Michael Keenan’s Reserve has earned 94 points or more in every vintage since 2011. This 2015 is close to that level, a tarry, concentrated cabernet from 17-year-old vines at Keenan’s Big K vineyard, high up Spring Mountain, with a small contribution of cabernet franc. It’s intensely spicy, with coriander, anise and red pepper pricking the wine’s dark earthiness. The fruit emerges over the course of several days, adding a taste of fresh-picked cherries in the midst of the black extract. It’s zesty and racy, with the energy to age, and the flavor concentration to repay patient cellaring.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2015 Keenan Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent example of what we can see from the Spring Mountain AVA. TASTING NOTES: This wine is persistent and long. Its finely-honed aromas and flavors of black fruit and oak accents should pair superbly with braised short ribs. (Tasted: August 19, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
While the beauty and history of the land are appealing, it is the richness of the soils that makes the hillside perfect for an estate winery. These soils are, in great measure, responsible for the dramatic intensity of the fruit associated with the ultra-premium wines produced at Robert Keenan Winery.
Keenan completed a solar power system on their property that went on-line in 2007. The system supplies all of the estate’s energy needs, including the winery, administrative offices, visitor hospitality area, and the homes located on the property. The Napa Valley Vintners have recognized Keenan as a “green” winery, which they proudly announce on the back labels: Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed.
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.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.