Duckhorn Vineyards has produced Cabernet Sauvignon since 1978. This particular wine, which combines fruit from Duckhorn’s estate vineyards and top independent growers, embodies the complexity of Napa Valley.
A classic expression of Napa Valley Cabernet, this wine combines beautiful complexity with rich intensity. Layers of blackberry, huckleberry and black currants are supported by firm, dusty tannins that frame the fruit. On the palate, it is juicy and bright, with luxurious cassis and dark berry flavours supported by notes of fig, cardamom, clove and cracked black pepper that linger on the long, well-structured finish. You’ll be pleased to know that this wine is both approachable in its youth and worthy of cellaring.
“This is a Napa Valley cabernet that does everything right. Renee Ary blends fruit from Duckhorn’s estate with grapes from growers, including 12 percent merlot to point up the luscious texture, aging it for 16 months in French oak barrels (half of them new), without the wine becoming overtly oaky. It’s a wine of elegance and restraint, delicious in its sweet purple-plum intensity, succulent in its earthy tannins. Those mineral tannins retreat into the finish, allowing the savory fruit to move in. Accessible now, this will only improve with a few years in bottle.”
94 points, Wine & Spirits, Oct 2020