2014 Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon
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The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is ripe, flamboyant and delicious, all qualities that make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, sweet spices and vanillin are all pushed forward in this succulent, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2014 has turned out very nicely.
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Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa has 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot added to it. This is a slightly larger cuvée of 1,000 cases vs. the 600 of the 2013. The 2014 is elegant, with serious concentration and a lovely nose of forest floor, underbrush and loamy soil nuances along with black and red currants and some subtle oak. Round, juicy and fruit-forward, this precociously styled wine should drink well for 10-15 years.
An addition to the lineup, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Name TBD) emerges from a well-known site on Howell Mountain. It is also the ripest and most concentrated of these wines. Graphite, smoke, lavender and layers of inky purplish fruit hit the palate as this relentless, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its Howell Mountain DNA. Today, the tannins are imposing. I imagine this dark, brooding Cabernet will require considerable patience. Today, it is pretty impressive, especially considering it is Dakota Shy's first wine off this vineyard.
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is showing well today. It retains very good freshness, albeit in a lighter style that suggests near- to medium-term drinking is optimal. Black cherry, espresso, spice and leather build nicely.