2016 Accendo Cabernet Sauvignon

The Araujo family and the Accendo winemaking moved into their Wheeler Farms location in Napa Valley in 2016. The wine was made by Nigel Kinsman and Françoise Peschon, who had previously worked together at Araujo. 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. The fruit comes from several sites along the Mayacamas bench with a little fruit from Diamond Mountain. The aromas here open more apparently focused on fruit compared with the 2013 vintage. This continues into the palate picking up notes of graphite, dark chocolate and integrated spice. This wine is still in its more primary phase in the sense of being still young in the bottle, but it offers detail and complexity that gives good promise for its long-term quality. The tannin is ample while almost powdery fine and offers just enough grip in the mouth, while being set alongside persistent, mouth-watering acidity. It will benefit with air upon opening and being served alongside a meal. There is a light touch of fresh pyrazine here that is pleasing and avoids any sense of excess greenness. Pleasing, silken mouthfeel. (ECB)

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. This was the first vintage with less than 90% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dense, velvety, dark crimson. Clean and fresh on the nose. Real lift. Crunchy fruit. Real raciness. Quite a bit of almost-hidden tannins and lovely and dry on the end. Excellent silkiness. (JR)

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon feels like it hasn't developed much over the last year, and I see that as a positive. Silky, nuanced and still very vibrant, the 2016 is just as inspiring as it was when I tasted it last year. Fresh, floral and medium in body, with terrific depth, the 2016 is positively stellar. Bright floral and spice notes add freshness to this super-expressive, sublime Cabernet Sauvignon from Accendo. (AG) 97+