Country: | United States |
Regions: | California California (Napa) |
Winery: | Paradigm Winery |
Grape Type: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Vintage: | 2011 |
Bottle Size: | 1500 ml |
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release
Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.
Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.
Dark Cabernet color with beautiful aromas of black cherry, cassis, plus 5-spice, vanilla. Big, ripe and mouthcoating across the palate. The flavors are similar to the aromas with ripe fruit, berry/cherry pie, moderate tannins, and nice length. This wine shows enough structure to be age-worth, yet soft and balanced enough to enjoy upon release. Flavors linger in this tasty, dense wine. Tastes like Oakville. -Heidi Barrett
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release
Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.
Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release
Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.
Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.
Dark Cabernet color with beautiful aromas of black cherry, cassis, plus 5-spice, vanilla. Big, ripe and mouthcoating across the palate. The flavors are similar to the aromas with ripe fruit, berry/cherry pie, moderate tannins, and nice length. This wine shows enough structure to be age-worth, yet soft and balanced enough to enjoy upon release. Flavors linger in this tasty, dense wine. Tastes like Oakville. -Heidi Barrett
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release
Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.
Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.
This wine is deeply pigmented with ruby/garnet color. First sniff is Oakville Cabernet all the way. Nice layers of ripe berry and cherrylike fruit with a matching complement of toasty French Oak from an assortment of Coopers and different barrel ages. Gorgeous across the palate with a silky yet dense mouthcoating impression. Ripeness is key and the result is a wine with perfect balance and flow - just plain delicious. It’s a big, beautiful wine now but has tremendous aging potential. — Heidi Barrett
My First comment tasting this wine is "wow!" It's delicious; our flagship wine at Paradigm and it delivers. Dense, deep, ripe aromas of black berry and black cherry-like fruit layered with caramel and toastiness from a nice mix of French Oak barrels. Flavors coat the palate with matching notes in a classic Cabernet Sauvignon presentation. One of our best Cabs to date!
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot , 1% Petit Verdot
Review:
"Owned and managed by the Harris family, Paradigm winery produced its first vintage in 1991 in Oakville with winemaker Heidi Barrett. A self-contained winery estate with 50 acres of vineyards, Paradigm maintains a hands-on approach to all winemaking and vineyard operations. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon consists of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and is aged in both new and used French oak for 20 months, then aged a further 20 months in bottle before release. The total production for this vintage was 5,544 bottles." Blind tasted by Dave Allen, Stephen Brook, Terry Kandylis (at Decanter Magazine's December 2019 Californian Cabernet 2015 Panel Tasting, London, 17 Sep 2019)
- Decanter 95 Points
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release
Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.
Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.
Dark Cabernet color with beautiful aromas of black cherry, cassis, plus 5-spice, vanilla. Big, ripe and mouthcoating across the palate. The flavors are similar to the aromas with ripe fruit, berry/cherry pie, moderate tannins, and nice length. This wine shows enough structure to be age-worth, yet soft and balanced enough to enjoy upon release. Flavors linger in this tasty, dense wine. Tastes like Oakville. -Heidi Barrett
Review:
"Pretty cassis and blackberry fruits as well as notes of cedar pencil, spicy oak, and tobacco emerge from the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville. Medium-bodied, it has a balanced, elegant texture, moderate tannins, and a good finish. It's a complex, classy wine to enjoy over the coming decade or more. This is a classic, workhorse styled Cabernet from winemaker Heidi Barrett with lots to love. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all aged 20 months in French oak."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2021), 90 pts
"Our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Cab Franc from our Oakville estate. Deep ruby red color with aromas of plum and black cherry, some spiciness, and hints of cedar and a light touch of French oak. Across the palate this wine is smooth as silk and ready to drink at this early age. Medium body and weight make for an easy to approach Cabernet. Flavors match the aromas, balance is refined, and the finish is soft and lush. Tasty now and over the next 10-12 years, but no need to wait."
The Paradigm Winery Estate
Paradigm Winery is located in the Oakville District of Napa Valley just west of Highway 29 and south of the Oakville Grade. The winery is owned and managed by Ren and Marilyn Harris, winegrowers with extraordinarily deep roots in Napa Valley. Marilyn is a third generation grower in Napa Valley and Ren has been farming here since the 1960’s.
They purchased Paradigm in 1976 and began producing wine with the 1991 vintage.
They farm sustainably.
Immediate neighbors of Paradigm Winery are Harlan, Martha’s Vineyard, Dominus, an Opus Vineyard, and a Quintessa Vineyard.
They take 1/3 of their grapes and the rest are sold to Nickel & Nickel, Duckhorn, and Groth.
The annual production is limited to 5,000 cases.
Heidi Peterson Barrett has been making our wine since the first vintage in 1991. Heidi's philosophy in making wines for Paradigm is simple: she feels that she is working with an extraordinary vineyard site that has been farmed impeccably for years. She lets the fruit from this vineyard express its quality and unique terroir with minimal intervention.
The wines are made in a classic style to go with food. The Cabernet Sauvignon barrel aged for 20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release. The Merlot ages for 20 months in French Oak (third new) and 14 more months in bottle before release.
Respectable Cab, but lately the Merlot, Zin and Cab Fran have been shining even brighter – they all get the same 20-month French oak treatment; excellent values all around.”
- Anthony Dias' blue pocket guide to wine 2006
The Paradigm Winery Vineyard
In 1976, it was planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc and White Reisling, all commonly grown in Napa Valley. But the Harrises quickly confirmed that the vineyard's soil and microclimate were perfectly tuned for growing the red Bordeaux varietals that inspired their passion for wine. The vineyard is now planted to four blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon totaling 32 acres, three blocks of Merlot totaling 18 acres, 2 acres of Cabernet Franc and one acre of Zinfandel.
Benjamin Romeo La Cueva del Contador is made from 91% Tempranillo, 9% Garnacha.
Named after the centuries-old caves or “cuevas” carved out of the hillside below the castle of San Vicente in Sonsierra north of the Ebro, this wine is composed of 91 percent Tempranillo and 9 percent Garnacha. The fruit is sourced from eight different plots that yield about 1.2 kg per vine. Fermentation begins after a three-day cold maceration and the wine is aged for nineteen months in 100 percent new French oak and bottled without fining or filtration.
The palate offers flavors of blackberry coulis, Damson plums, Rosemary and well-integrated tannins; this wine is well balanced and youthful with a long powerful finish. Both red and black fruit are pronounced in the nose, but there are also mineral and herbal notes of gravel and lavender.
Review:
Appearance Intense garnet red dress of great luminosity and elegance. Aroma Slightly candied fruit tones, toasted from a good barrel, intense. Palate Powerful and marked on the palate, velvety, round, tasty and balanced.
Guia Repsol 95 Points
Youthful purple. A complex, oak-spiced bouquet displays ripe boysenberry and cherry, candied violet, cola and mocha scents lifted by a vibrant mineral flourish. Deeply concentrated yet lively as well, offering intense dark fruit preserve, cola and spicecake flavors that show excellent delineation and floral lift. Manages to be rich as well as lively and finishes very long and alluringly sweet, leaving allspice and vanilla notes behind.
-Vinous 93 Points
Faustino Gran Faustino I Rioja Gran Reserva is made from 86% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo.
Gran Faustino I 2004 is a wine that has a very positive evolution as far as tasting aspects are concerned. We have a garnet-colored, medium-bodied, bright wine with a long life ahead of it. It is clean and intense on the nose. Tertiary aromas predominate, with a marked presence of prunes and ripe fruit, perfectly blending with spicy and balsamic aromas from the barrel ageing. Black pepper is also present, reminding us that the Graciano is part of this very particular blend. It is on the palate where this great wine shows its elegance. Its entrance is subtle, but it gradually unleashes a flood of sensations. Notes of licorice, candied fruit, cocoa, and again, the balsamic notes we found on the nose also appear. A well-balanced acidity and polished tannins highlight its silkiness and roundness. It’s a wine brimming with nuances and complexity, very plush, with a sweet and delicate finish.
Classy wine with engaging tobacco, smoke and earthy aromatics. Complex and energetic with spice and red fruit flavours whooshing through the palate in a seductive style. A satisfying aged wine with thrillingly well-integrated new oak and a long, savoury finish.
-Decanter 97 Points