2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate
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A powerful, explosive wine, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate possesses tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, scorched earth, leather, licorice and menthol all run through this potent, inky Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are present and quite potent, but also very nicely integrated. (AG)
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Robert Parker
Robert Parker
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This has attractive, smoky nuances, as well as a very ripe and plush, dark-berry core. The palate is assertively delivered with an impressively rich array of lithe, juicy tannins. Terrific drive and concentration. Drink or hold.
On the valley floor, with an almost Châteauneuf du Pape layer of small stones, is the Aida Estate, one of my favorite vineyards just north of St. Helena. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc aged 20 months in three-fourths new French oak. The good news is that there are 800 cases of this magnificent wine, with a somewhat Graves-like scorched-earth, charcoal, burning ember-scented nose, with notes of hot earth, blackberry and cassis fruit. Big, full-bodied, exuberant and rich, this thick, unctuously textured, purple wine should drink beautifully for 25-30 or more years.
A huge, bombastic wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate hits the palate with notable density and pure power. Bittersweet chocolate, espresso, torrefaction and dark stone fruits abound. Flashy and opulent, the 2013 is built on a core of massively extracted fruit. This warm site on the northern edge of St. Helena leans towards opulence, something the winemaking seeks to accentuate.