2014 Cerro Sur

Tasted both as the September Releases and again for a presentation on Napa wines at the CAPC modern art museum in September. Released at 10 years old because Andy and Annie Erickson chose to make no Cerro Sur in 2020 after the fires. It gives us a chance to enjoy this superb wine at a wonderful time to drink. Softened by waves of tobacco, cocoa bean and truffle, melted into plump blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit, still showcasing energy and clarity of intent. Love the nuance and drawn out concentration. Great stuff, shining a light on one of the most interesting corners of Napa with the precison of their winemaking, from a vintage that was dry but not overly hot, harvesting the 40 year old Cabernet Franc vines well into October. 50% new French oak barrels, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Cerro Sur was not made in 2020 so this library release will be offered. 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 22 months in French oak, bottled without fining or filtration. Graphite, iron and soft, sweet plums on the nose here. There is a savoury edge just coming through thanks to the bottle age, as this relaxes into its drinking window. Earthy and deep, this is in a fine spot, with preserved ripe fruit still at the core. My one qualm is with a dry bite of tannin on the finish. If this resolves in bottle, this will be a very fine mature wine. (TP)

The 2014 Cerro Sur is 83% Cabernet Franc and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon. It exhibits good structure, lots of oak, plenty of tannin, and is a bigger, beefier version of a Cabernet Franc-dominated wine than its sibling, La Magdalena. This wine begs for another 2-3 years of bottle age, when it should open up and display more nuances. The color is a dense ruby/purple, the fruit pure and rich, with blueberry and black raspberry infused with flowery notes and forest floor. This medium to full-bodied wine should be at its best in 3-4 years and keep for 20 or more.