Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship from this reference point estate, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Absurd is a tiny selection from the top lots in the cellar. While 2017 was a challenging vintage for Napa, don't make the mistake thinking that no great wines were made, and this 2017 is a great example of the best out there. It boasts a deep purple/plum color as well as a complex, almost Bordeaux-like bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil, chocolate, tobacco, and gravelly earth. Haut-Brion-like aromatically, this full-bodied beauty is concentrated, has a great mid-palate, building yet silky tannins, and a great finish. As with most great 2017s, it plays in the more backward, elegant end of the spectrum, yet this is flawlessly balanced and an extraordinary wine. Give bottles 4-6 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30 years or more.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.