Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Pulido~Walker Melanson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is beauti- fully site driven. Akin to the 2013 vintage, there is plenty of tannin and crushed rock to mark this as a Pritchard Hill wine, although not excessively so, thanks to a buffering acidity similar to what we saw in the 2014 vintage. As with that vintage, the 2016 tastes unmistakably like the Melanson Vineyard: liquid minerals, white flowers, plenty of dark fruit.
The structural characteristics married to the deep black fruits, savory notes, and dried herb qualities we’ve come to expect from this site make this a rounded, complete wine. That completeness will surely be the trademark of this extraordi- nary 2016 Napa Valley vintage—the best of a superb run of five vintages from 2012 to 2016.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a site in the same area as Colgin and vines planted in 1998, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard offers a rocking bouquet of chocolaty black and blue fruits, truffle, charcoal embers, and earthy nuances. This full-bodied beauty has a ripe, layered, seamless texture and is perfectly balanced. It’s another gem from the genius of Thomas Rivers Brown. It’s also worth pointing out that the farm at this site, which has lagged in the past, is now being handled by Josh Clark, who handles the farming for Outpost and Mending Wall.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard offers a deep garnet-purple color and delicate, slightly subdued black cherries and wild sage notions to begin, soon unfurling to show its multilayered glory: cassis, kirsch, lilacs and warm plums over forest floor, truffles, grilled meats and marmite toast nuances plus a hint of cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, solidly built and beautifully taut, it is packed with layered nuances and textured by superbly ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing with great length with an invigorating lift. 210 cases were produced.
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.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.