Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is the top bottling of Thomas Fogarty’s ambitious Bordeaux-aimed brand, and it shows, with regionally distinctive aromas of crushed rocks, blueberry, tar and smoke. The intriguing palate is elegance defined, with sexy tannins and mineral-driven flavors of black dirt, wet slate and squeezed blueberry. It makes for enlightening drinking now, but offers measured components that will last until at least 2030.Cellar Selection
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
An amazing wine with an incredible upside that bottle age will deliver, the 2011 Lexington Apex delvers tremendous fruit that stays long on the palate; one of the very finest Cabernet blends (99% Cabernet Sauvignon) from the Santa Cruz Mountains, ever! Deep ruby color; intense, tart cherry and red currant aromas, deep and penetrating; medium to full bodied, muscular on the palate, sweet tannins abound; dry, very good acidity, well balanced; youthful red currant flavors, with a streak of mineral; medium to long finish, youthfully tannic aftertaste. Kind of drinking now, needs time. (Tasted: August 24, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine & Spirits
Grown in sandstone-based soils at 2,200 feet of elevation on the site of a former tree farm, this cabernet-based wine is tight-fisted, starting out on oak and tangy acidity. As it takes on air, it develops clean aromas of raspberry leaves and resinous bark, the fruit growing toward bright tones of raspberry and rose hips layered between expansive, satiny oak and fruit tannins.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A big step up and easily the most impressive 2011 from this estate is the 2011 Apex Gist Ranch Vineyard. While 2011 was a cooler vintage in general, it was a great vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon at this vineyard. A cellar selection of 99% Cabernet and 1% Merlot, aged 22 months in 33% new French oak, it offers fabulous notes of creme de cassis, vanilla bean and crushed flowers to go with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit, a great texture and fine tannin on the finish. Not harvested until the second week of October, this is a serious Bordeaux blend that will have 15-20 years of longevity.
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.
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.