The 2018 growing season in Napa Valley was marked by cool, mild weather. The cooler than normal spring delayed budbreak, bloom and veraison by two weeks compared to the previous several years. The mild weather pattern in August and September allowed for an extended hang time during harvest allowing exceptional and complex flavor development and overall fruit quality for the vintage.

Vineyard: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec from select Napa Valley vineyards in St. Helena, south Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District and the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley.

Appellation: Napa Valley

Vinification: The wine was aged for eighteen months in 40% new oak (49% French, 51% American) and 60% one- to two-year-old French and American barrels before bottling. The coopers included Ermitage, François Frères, Demptos (French & American), Canton (American), Dargaud Jaegle, Orion and Taransaud.

Tasting Notes: A wine of great energy, length, and finesse, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with floral notes, cedar and pencil shavings followed by ripe blackberry, cassis and red currant jam. A fresh and focused wine with pleasing acid and tannin structure building tension along the palate to a lingering finish.

Reviews: 

96 Points - James Suckling

94 points - Wine Enthusiast

93 Points - Decanter

93 Points - Wine Spectator

93 Points - Antonio Galloni's Vinous

92+ Points - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck