2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill
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Tasting notes
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon comes entirely from the estate on Pritchard Hill. It boasts intense aromas of ripe cherries, vanilla and mocha, with just enough mint, sage and bay leaf notes for balance. While it's concentrated and full-bodied, it's also not at all over the top, with a lush, silky mouthfeel, moderate tannins and savory counterpoints to the ripe fruit on the long, elegant finish. It's a terrific wine, one that sidesteps dated stereotypes of California's mountain Cabernets, reflecting the modern aesthetic of the current proprietor and winemaker.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is plush, silky and wonderfully inviting. Soft contours wrap around a core of dark red/purplish fruit as spice and leather gradually open in the glass. There's terrific fruit purity, and the aromatics are nicely lifted, yet my impression is that the 2019 is going through a rather closed stage. I would give it a good bit of air, or, even better, a few years in the cellar. 96+ (AG)
Subtle and complex aromas of blackcurrants, mushrooms, bark, flowers and fresh herbs. A full-to medium-bodied wine with persistent, powdery and polished tannins that give a dense, silky texture. Succulent and juicy at the end with almost blood-orange character. Purity and energy. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2026.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a potent, tightly wound wine that will need at least a handful of years to soften. The aromatics alone are captivating. With time, the 2019 offers up generous red berry fruit, blood orange, rose petal, dried herbs and crushed rocks, all framed by bright, saline undertones that give the wine its shape. Just bottled, the 2019 shows better with each successive tasting. It's an absolutely brilliant wine by any measure.