2015 SongBook Cabernet Sauvignon
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The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Songbook is another terrific wine from Cliff Lede. It, too, has aged well. The integration of oak is also far better than in the To Kalon, even with the considerable presence of heavily toasted barrels. Inky red fruit, bay leaf, blood orange, white truffle and star anise give the 2015 its wild, exotic personality. The Songbook has aged well and will drink well for another decade plus. The combination of rich, layered fruit and strong savory markers of the Martha's clone makes for a gorgeous, totally beguiling Cabernet.
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Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
Jeb Dunnuck
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Lede's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Songbook, a blend of fruit from David Abreu's Madrona Ranch and Thorevilos, appears to have a bright future. Like all of these wines, though, it is going to need time to settle down. There is no shortage of intensity or power in this virile, structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Time in the glass only seems to bring out the wine's inherent power even more. A blast of ripe red stone fruit, iron, smoke and tobacco leaves a lasting impression.
Another tour de force is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Songbook, which checks in as 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. It's the most open and approachable of the wines in the lineup, yet still needs to be forgotten for 5-6 years. Blackberries, spice-box, chocolate, currants and graphite notes all develop in the glass and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish. While a big, rich wine, it shows the purity and finesse that's the hallmark of this vintage. These wines are made by Christopher Tynan, who might just be the hottest winemaker on the planet today. As with Tynan’s own wines, these releases from Cliff Lede are mind-blowing wines that I wish every reader could taste.
Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the inky black colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Songbook offers subdued cassis, plum preserves and mulberries with a cigar box, underbrush and dried herbs undercurrent plus hints of cloves and espresso. Concentrated, full, rich and taut, it's very firmly structured with grainy tannins and lots of oak that should marry, finishing long. Give it 3-4 years in bottle.