2016 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Lastly, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Au Sommet comes from the top of Atlas Peak and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as a classic mountain style bouquet of red and black currants, resinous herbs, flowers, cedar wood, and candied orange peel. With full-bodied richness, it demonstrates the quality of this great vintage, offering terrific concentration, building yet ultra-fine tannins, and a terrific sense of freshness paired with plenty of power. While it’s drinking well today, I suspect it will continue to develop additional complexity with 2-4 years of bottle age and should have two decades of overall longevity.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Au Sommet is gorgeous. Rich and unctuous in the glass, yet medium-bodied in structure, the 2016 is a wonderfully complete wine. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and spice infuse a Cabernet Sauvignon that is fleshy and yet delicate. Heidi Barrett has softened the tannins nicely, rendering an unusually approachable mountain Cabernet that will drink well with minimal cellaring.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon gives up exuberant crushed blackcurrants, warm plums, wild blueberries and cloves with suggestions of violets, tilled black soil, tar, chargrill and cedar chest with a waft of unsmoked cigars. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy and refreshing with incredible intensity, finishing very long and earthy.