If you visit Napa Valley, you’ll likely be tasting a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon during your visit. The region is perfectly suited for growing Cabernet, which has led to the region producing 40% of the United State’s total production. Cabernet is considered the king of red grapes in Napa, and the region has undoubtedly found its sweet spot with this loved Bordeaux grape.
Cabernet sourced from Napa has led to the creation of powerful, deeply layered, and age-worthy wines showcasing notes of violets, tobacco, black fruit, and cedar. A vast number of people visit Napa just to get a taste of the Cabernet Sauvignons and other wines from veteran producers as well as relative newcomers. A vast majority of Napa’s wineries will offer some of these wines, and some will offer the best of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This article will focus on revealing providing notes on some of the new releases of Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, including some wines from some veteran producers and relative newcomers.
Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Napa Valley)
The Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon is a plush delicious textbook example of a Napa Valley Cabernet. The bright purple Cabernet is a true crowd-pleaser and produces aromas of black currant, mocha, and black plum. Medium-full, the Pine Ridge has ideal ripeness, medium-weight, good acidity, sweet tannins, silky, notable complexity, as well as nicely managed wood notes. The Cabernet is very enjoyable for dinner with a T-bone or rib-eye steak with its peak drinking in 7-10 years.
Miner Family Winery Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
The Miner Family Winery Oakville Cabernet is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc. The mixture gives the Cabernet aromas of blackcurrant along with hints of tobacco, oregano, and mocha. Medium-full, this Cabernet has impressive ripeness, balanced acidity, well-managed wood notes, as well as rich tannins. Additionally, the Miner Family Winery Oakville Cabernet offers notes of black and brown spice notes, and there is good persistence. Peak in 7-10 years, perhaps longer.
Somerston Estate
The Somerston Estate is a new winery situated in the eastern Napa Valley in the Vaca Hills area. The winery is run by winemaker Craig Becker, who previously worked at Robert Mondavi and then as a winemaker at Spring Mountain Vineyards.
At the Somerston Estate in the Vaca Hills, a different kind of Cabernet Sauvignon is made. The Vaca Hills is quite a big mountain range, and it houses different AVAs such as Atlas Peak, Howell Mountains, and Stags Leap. Wine designated under most of these AVAs like the Howell Mountain AVA has to meet certain elevation requirements. But at the Somerstson, things are different as the Ava has every possible exposure and a range of elevations spanning 800 to 1650 feet on the property. The Somerston Estate Ava has recently produced two new Cabernets, each named for a specific vineyard block.
Somerston Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley “LX” 2016
The bright purple Somerston Cabernet Sauvignon “LX” gives out aromas of black raspberry, black mint, also black plum. The Cabernet has a rich mid-palate with gobs of ripe black fruit backed by rich, round tannins. It also has very good acidity, excellent persistence, and nicely managed wood notes. Medium-full, the Carbernet has an excellent concentration and a bit of a hedonistic quality to it, but it is never over the top. Peak in 12-15 years, perhaps longer.
Somerston Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley “XCVI” 2015
The Somerston Cabernet Sauvignon “XCVI,” also a bright purple color, gives out aromas of black currant. China bark and medicinal herbs. Medium-full, the Cabernet has excellent concentration and displays balanced acidity, ample oak notes, full-throttle tannins, and notable persistence. Peak in 10-12 years.
Acumen Mountainside Red Wine 2018
Because this wine is not at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, it cannot be labeled as such. The wine is only 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder being a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, and Petit Verdot. Acumen Mountainside has a bright ruby red/light purple color and gives out blackberry, lavender, and blueberry aromas. Medium-full, the wine has excellent ripeness, good acidity, berry fruit, subdued wood notes, and medium-weight tannins. People can enjoy the wine with a range of foods from duck breast to porterhouse steak. Peak in 5-7 years.
Acumen Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside” 2018
The Acumen Cabernet Sauvignon hillside holds a bright ruby red color with black plum, thistle, also black currant aroma. Medium-full, the Cabernet has excellent depth of fruit, notable persistence but, good acidity, and medium-full tannins. Because the Cabernet is neither overly ripe nor aggressive in its approach, it is approachable with most red meats like a t-bone steak. Peak drinking in 7-10 years.
Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Leopoldina Vineyard 2016 (Oakville)
The Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon Leopoldina vineyard sits atop the Oakville Bench in one of Napa Valley’s high rent districts. The vineyard recently came up with a new bright, deep purple Cabernet comprising of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and just 2% Petit Verdot. The Cabernet has an alluring aroma of ripe black plum, violets, as well as black raspberry. Medium-full, the Cabernet has excellent concentration, very good acidity, a rich, layered mid-palate, velvety tannins, outstanding persistence, and distinct but well-managed oak notes.
The Turnbull is a formidable Napa Valley Cabernet and offers notable harmony, unlike other Cabernets. It has the proper acidity to balance the ripeness as well as impressive depth of fruit that can stand up to small oak aging. Peak drinking in 15-20 years.
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