Nuna Cabernet Sauvignon Organic 2018

Nuna Estate White Blend is made from  40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier

The wine captures the efforts to express the identiy of the soils and the people of the land. The field blend of international white varieties offers intense aromas of pineapple, honeysuckle, peach and apricot. The wine is medium-bodied with fleshy mouthfeel and excellent purity.

Manual harvest.The grapes are organically grown in Lujan de Cuyo, at 960 meters on the foothills of the Andes Mountains.

Nuna Syrah Organic is made from 100 percent Syrah.

Chakana winery was founded in 2002 with a mission to produce wines of fantastic quality and value-for-money. Today, this wine is the fruit of long labor and steadfast adherence to this mission. Through sustainable agriculture our aim is to showcase in the most authentic way the characteristics of the vineyard, situated at 950 m above sea level with rich, stony soils and its own climate specific to the Mendoza river region.  Nuna Syrah offers intense fruity aromas of blueberries and blackberries with coffee nuances. Well-balanced and persistent in the mouth, round with a soft texture.

The grapes are carefully chosen and fermented in small lots to preserve the vineyard identity. Alcoholic fermentation for 12 days with indigenous and selected yeasts, at temperatures of 26 and 30°C, combining, remontage, pigeage and delestage in order to obtain the best quality of tannins and structure.

Avennia Sestina Red Blend is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 5% 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:

A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sestina comes from the Red Willow, Dionysus, and Bacchus vineyards and spent 20 months in 48% new French oak barrels. A beautiful, Saint-Julien-like bouquet of blackcurrants, cassis, violets, tobacco, and cedar gives way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, structured wine that builds incrementally on the palate, with ripe, velvety tannins, a stunning mid-palate, and a blockbuster of a finish. It's beautifully done, and while it drinks well today given its balance, purity, and texture, it's going to develop additional complexity with 3-5 years of bottle age and will have 20-25 years of overall longevity.

Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points

Double Diamond by Schrader Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

A unique expression of the Napa Valley region from which it's born, Double Diamond Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Red Wine is a dazzling and harmonious integration of decadent fruit, refined structure, and exotic spices. Made with quality red grapes from acclaimed Oakville vineyards known for highly diverse, resilient soils and an ideal blend of sun, cooling wind, and rain, this Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon red wine keeps company with some of the most sought-after cabernet sauvignon in the world. Aged 16 months in French oak barrels, this red California wine opens with intriguing aromas of Mexican chocolate, nutmeg, brambly fruit, spearmint, and violets. Each sip of this dark red wine is voluptuous, sleek, and inviting, with a silky tannin profile that provides a complex framework. A delicious red wine with rich palate notes of black currant, blackberry reduction, leather, crushed rock, and allspice, this 750 mL bottled wine can be enjoyed promptly. With three to five years in the cellar, this bottle of red wine will develop into an even more beautiful expression of the vintage. Crafted by renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown in collaboration with Fred Schrader of Schrader Cellars, this aromatic red grape wine's rich taste brings out the best flavors of savory dishes like roast duck and lamb, grilled steaks with roasted mushrooms, and Tuscan meatballs. For best taste, store this cabernet sauvignon bottle of wine at room temperature then chill for 30 minutes before serving. Please enjoy our wines responsibly. 2020 Schrader Cellars, Oakville, CA

 Double Diamond is sourced exclusively from a complement of prime vineyard estates. Sourced from the same famed vineyards as its beloved inspiration Schrader Cellars in Napa Valley’s world-renowned Oakville AVA, including our To Kalon Vineyard.

Review:

Readers looking to get a taste of the impeccable quality and style from Schrader at a more affordable price point would do well to check out the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Double Diamond. Coming all from Oakville, it has a classic Cabernet nose of black and blue fruits, green tobacco, cedar pencil, damp earth, and chocolate. It's not over the top and has beautiful varietal character as well as medium to full body, ripe yet present tannins, good overall freshness, and a great finish. This is beautifully done and well worth a case purchase. I'd lean toward drinking bottles over the coming 10-12 years, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve longer. It's a candidate for the best Napa Cabernet under $100.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points

A Schrader-related wine made by Thomas Rivers Brown, this 100% varietal wine is a showcase of the appellation, wide in appeal and bold, ripe red fruit. Sage, tar, cedar and pencil provide varietal complexity and contrast to the fruit; the tannin's are integrated yet still grippy. Enjoy best from 2028–2038.

 -Wine Enthusiast 94 Points & Cellar Selection.  

Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 0.8% Cabernet Franc, 0.2% Petit Verdot.

Far Niente Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon  is made from 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.8% Petit Verdot, 2.3% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Merlot and 0.1% Malbec.

An elegant perfume of mixed berries, baking spice, dried lavender and thyme open onto a full palate layered with expansive mixed berry, black tea, toasted oak and spice flavors. Focused and fresh, fine grained tannins support the wine throughout, while the finish is silky, long and lifted.

The wine combines select vineyards in Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena that complement our home in Oakville and embody our long-established house style. Cabernet has been a hallmark of Far Niente’s winemaking program beginning with its very first vintage in 1982. The marriage of these diverse vineyard sites has allowed us to craft our finest expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine exemplifies our nearly four decades of mastery in growing and making Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Review:

This memorable Cabernet Sauvignon has small amounts of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec blended in. Aged 17 months in a majority of new French oak, it unfurls flavors of red fruit, dried herb and clove over a core of youthful tannin and spicy oak. Best from 2028–2038. Cellar Selection. 

-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points

Including small amounts of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon sports a deep purple color as well as classic Cabernet notes of blackcurrants, new leather, tobacco leaf, flowers, and lead pencil. Beautifully done on the palate and made in a seamless, elegant style, it has a kiss of Pauillac in its nicely integrated acidity, ripe, building tannins, a touch of earthiness, and a great finish. It's not a blockbuster, just seamless and elegant, with a thrilling character. It should keep for 20+ years.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points