NADIA Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
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2012-
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Enthusiast -
Wilfred
Wong
-
Robert
Parker
It was on this stretch of remote earth that, several years ago, the Laetitia Vineyard & Winery team decided to take a chance. Owner Selim Zilkha asked himself and several others Could this be the place? And after tireless examination, the answer came back an unqualified yes. The soil, the sun, the altitude; every scrap of evidence announced definitively that Rhône and Bordeaux varietals would find their truest expression in such a place as this – and even rival the finest in the world.
With Lino Bozzano and Eric Hickey rising to the challenge in the vineyard and the cellar, respectively, thus was the concept of NADIA born: a limited collection of Rhône and Bordeaux-varietal wines whose sole purpose is to champion the secluded beauty and inexhaustible potential of the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard.
Armed with a top-shelf estate vineyard, a purpose, and one of the most collaborative vineyard and winemaking teams in the wine business, Lino and Eric went about the work of creating these special wines from the ground up – ground whose uncannily amenable growing conditions are fundamental to the depth, sophistication, intrigue and value of NADIA wines.
Such an ambitious undertaking cannot be named on a whim, without respect for and reflection on its character. A wine’s label must reveal the passionate hope and affection that its authors have poured into it. Selim knew this when setting out to designate this sister label to his beloved winery, Laetitia, and could think of only one name to capture the essence of such a treasured place: the name of his only daughter, NADIA, which translates to mean “hope” in Russian and “delicate” in Arabic.
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.
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.