Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Arrowood Vineyards Reserve Speciale Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon.

Introduced to the nose with seductive dark fruit and aromas of blackberry, fresh fig, and licorice, this wine is rich in complexities. Fresh notes of Bing cherry and violet also surface as the wine breathes. Framed by a firm structure and silky elegance, the persisting texture defines what makes this wine the Reserve Speciale. The power behind this wine ingratiates itself to the entire palate—dark chocolate and nutmeg outline baking spices and plum. And a lingering finish will carry on long afterwards. The long barrel aging and year in bottle before release guarantee its readiness to drink. However, those that hold onto it will be rewarded, with an aging potential of 20+ years.

Review:

The deep purple-black colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) sings of fresh blackcurrants, warm plums, mulberries and black raspberries with touches of cedar chest, pencil lead, underbrush and sautéed herbs. Full-bodied and laden with black fruits and earth layers, it has a firm, grainy structure and a long, earthy finish. 715 cases produced.

-Wine Advocate 96 Points

Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon Neyers Ranch is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

"We harvested the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon crop from our Conn Valley Ranch in the first week of October, a week later than we picked the same vineyard the prior year. The size of the crop was about 20% smaller in 2017 as well, mostly due to the cold, wet weather we experienced in spring during flowering. Grapevines are self-pollinating, and cold, windy or damp weather interferes with this process, a problem known the French call coulure. Ironically, the harsh spring weather of 2017 had a huge impact on the size of our crop. Still, this smaller crop ripened fully and evenly, and at harvest time we picked beautiful, dark-colored clusters under near-perfect conditions. The finished wine was immediately remarkable for its flavor and complexity, and the wine looks to be one that will improve for many years. During my career in the Napa Valley wine business, I’ve learned to expect the best wines from cold years like 2017. These are vintages that are viewed initially with lowered expectations, but my experience has been just the opposite. Going back to my first Napa Valley harvest in 1971, these ‘colder years’ invariably result in wines with brighter, more attractive flavors, and the wines age longer and more gracefully.

Following harvest, the wine was fermented using wild, native yeast in an temperature-controlled stainless steel tank. After 45 days or so, the tank was drained and the pomace pressed, and the wine transferred to 60-gallon French oak barrels, 25% of them new. During the first year, we racked the wine off of the yeast lees three times, and by May 2019 it had been sufficiently clarified to bottle without fining or filtration. I am especially impressed by its bright ruby hue, a color so commanding it reminded me of the 1995 red Bordeaux wines I tasted from barrel during my trip to France in the Spring of 1996. It’s loaded with flavors that range from wild cherry to chocolate, enhanced by the lovely hint of tobacco leaf and mint. Each aromatic component has its own individual fascination, but all of them together provide a remarkable experience. Here’s a complete Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that we expect it to improve for 20 years.  It's a from a very small crop that will provide decades of pleasure." - Bruce Neyers

Review:

Earthy, tannic and young, this wine brims in black fruit, cedar and tobacco that are accented by black olive and crushed rock. With substantial midpalate weight, it takes time to integrate, finding a cohesive conclusion on the long finish.

-Wine Enthusiast 92 Points

Silverado Vineyards Geo Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1988, Ron and Diane Miller, purchased the Mt George Vineyard, the site of the first vinifera plantings in the Coombsville AVA. Situated in a quiet corner of the Napa Valley a few miles east of the city of Napa, Mt George is a vineyard of undeniable strength. As the 20th anniversary of Silverado’s first Mt George harvest approached in 2012, the decision was made to make a wine for the occasion. It is called GEO – Greek for “Earth” and short for “George” – and it represents the highest expression of single-vineyard Cabernet from this extraordinary place.

Aromas of black cherry liquor, crushed hazelnut, tilled earth, and dried rose petal. Decadent and rich on the palate with flavors of sweet dark plum and cocoa powder. Well-integrated tannins lead to a seamless finish.

Pair GEO with Chicken with Chunky Olive Tapenade

Review:

Black, inky earthiness defines the nose and palate, along with a round, silky mouthfeel. Cocoa and dried violets appear against a slightly dusty backdrop, while notes of leather, black olive, and slate are soul-stirring. This vintage is GEO's most elegant to date, but its robust, statuesque character remains intact.

-Tasting Panel 96 Points

-The Somm Journal 96 Points

Siegel Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.

Viña Siegel is a family operated winery with a well-established tradition and long history. For generations we have been dedicated to the art of crafting wines with strong identities.

Our Special Reserve wines represent the union of tradition and innovation in two generations. The grapes are sourced through careful selection of our best vineyards. Their ripe and round tannins clearly express the terroir of Colchagua. Siegel Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has been aged for 12 months in french oak barrels, lending it structure and complexity. The wine is deep ruby red and presents aromas of Cassis, red fruits, black pepper, black cherries, tabacco, cinnamon and chocolate. On the palate it is highly concentrated with juicy notes of red fruits and spices.

Serve with red meat, braised stews, grilles pork and flavorful cheeses.

Pre-fermentative cold maceration for 5 days, with alcoholic fermentation occurring at 27-29°C to better extract polyphenols from the wine. Post-fermentative maceration for 2 to 3 weeks. Then part of the wine is decanted into barrels for 10-12 months. The rest of the wine finishes its malolactic fermentation in stainless-steel tanks. Once the wine has been blended it is smoothly clarified.

Review:

"Medium dark red. The Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon offers good value in an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s fresh and roundly textured with good balancing acidity and medium flavor density. Herbal, forest floor notes tend to dominate somewhat more subtle fruit, but overall the wine is pleasant, easy drinking with a lingering freshness. Aged in French oak 10-12 months."

- I-winereview.com (March 2022), 90 pts

Silverado Vineyards Solo Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

This bold Cabernet starts off with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose. Intense fruit, toasty oak, and spice lead to a velvety, long finish with mild tannins.

In 1968, Silverado’s estate vineyard became the fourth planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in the Stags Leap District, now world renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon.

Over the next two decades, through meticulous field selection, an entirely new clone of Cabernet Sauvignon emerged here. The vines had adapted to Silverado Vineyard’s steep, shale soils to produce fruit with the character and structure for which the Stags Leap District came to be known.

The University of California, Davis acknowledged this unique vine with a ‘Heritage’ designation. It is one of only three Cabernet Sauvignon clones to attain this status––and the only one from Stags Leap District.

Each year, we honor this extraordinary clone distinction with SOLO.

Review:

Dramatic bouquet of plum, cassis, dark chocolate and woodsmoke introduces a juicy, vibrant palate framed by elegant tannins and bright acidity. With good concentration and depth, this is a very refined Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon.

-Decanter 93 Points

Avennia Sestina Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Blend) is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc

The Sestina is a poetic form from Medieval France. Just as a contemporary poet can use an old form like the Sestina to express modern ideas, we use the traditional Bordeaux blend to make modern wines that express Washington fruit. Sestina is our vision for an old vine blend where the focus is on structure, balance, and complexity. This wine is designed for the cellar, but is enjoyable now.

Sestina: This wine is a blockbuster, with black currant, black raspberry, saddle leather, freshly tilled earth, vanilla, and violet on the nose. Exceedingly rich and balanced on the palate, with great poise and structure for long aging. The finish echoes with fresh black fruits, minerally touches, and floral notes.

Review:

"The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated release from Peterson, the 2017 Sestina comes from the Red Willow, Bacchus, and Dionysus vineyards. Rocking levels of crème de cassis, sappy herbs, violets, and cedar pencil all flow to a full-bodied, incredibly pure, polished 2017 that offers flawless balance, ripe tannins, and a great, great finish. It's more approachable than normal yet is still going to evolve for 15 to 20 years. The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, all raised 20 months in 50% new French oak."

- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2020), 95 pts, #84 TOP 100