2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
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Tasting notes
The fabulous 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is virtually all 100% new oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon. A dense purple color is accompanied by smoky barbecue, charcoal, crème de cassis, coffee, chocolate and graphite notes. Full-bodied, opulent, fleshy and sensual, it can be consumed over the next 10-15 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright red-ruby. Reserved blackberry and menthol aromas suggest a powerful wine. Dense and tactile on the palate; fatter, deeper and chewier than the 2011 but the dark berry and truffle flavors are still brooding and youthfully monolithic. The tannins are riper than those of the 2011 but still dusty and substantial. The original acre of cabernet sauvignon was planted here in 1996; this is the first vintage to include a bit of juice from a 2007 planting.
One of the richest and densest wines of the year, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine of pure impact and body. The 2012 is going to need quite a bit of time to develop its aromatic complexity and nuance. Today it is the wine's texture and heft that dominate, but my sense is that this will look quite different once the 2012 has had another few months in barrel.