Winemaker Notes
A. Price is a quintessential St. Helena vineyard, producing intense black and blue fruit notes coupled with grace and polish. As the vineyard is small and shy-yielding, quantities will always be tiny.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a site just beside Spottswoode in St. Helena and based on 32-year-old clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon vines, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price Vineyard was aged 22 months in 75% new French oak. Ripe red and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and leafy tobacco all define the aromatics, and it's ultra-classic, medium to full-bodied, has building tannins, and a great finish. Beautifully balanced, rich, and layered, it will keep for 15 years. Drink 2025-2040.
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Vinous
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Allen Price Vineyard screams with St. Helena character. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, white pepper and pomegranate race across the palate. The tannins have firmed up a bit since I tasted this from barrel, but that should not be an issue down the road.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Patria's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon A. Price Vineyard—from a site just south of Spottswoode—is all head-trained Clone 7 planted in 1991, matured in 75% new French oak. Black cherries join loamy notes and hints of black olive and camphor on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is silky but firm, with promising energy and length.
Barrel Sample: 93-95
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.