2011 The Vineyardist Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with exotic dark fruit, expressive aromatics and tons of balance. Pomegranate, white flowers, orange peel and ash all take shape in a super-ripe, voluptuous Cabernet endowed with tons of personality and class. Sweet floral and savory notes add lift on the finish. Once again, Mark Herold has crafted a striking Cabernet at Vineyardist. The 2011 is relatively forward and should drink well pretty much right out of the gate. Yields were just 1.5 tons per acre.

As one might expect, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is lighter, but is one of the more impressive wines of this vintage because of the high elevation vineyard and the fact that it would appear they had less problems with fog-induced botrytis than the valley floor sites. The 2011 possesses 14.7% alcohol, and the tannins are sweeter and softer than what is found in 2009 and 2010. The fruit is forward, evolved, rich and intense. This 412-case 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon displays a dense purple color along with a big, rich nose of creosote, smoky barbecue, black currants, bouquet garni, and loamy soil/underbrush scents. With velvety tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and an endearing rich suppleness, this 2011 can be drunk now or cellared for 10-12 years. The Vineyardist looks to be an impressive newcomer to the Cabernet Sauvignon scene in Napa. Readers take note. This was my first look at this interesting project on Diamond Mountain. This estate was originally founded by a Dutch-born ship builder in the late 1800s. The grapes that were first planted included Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouche, and Malvasia. Not surprisingly, the estate’s name comes from the fact that this proprietor was also a vineyardist. Prohibition did them in, and in 2000, after the estate was acquired by the current proprietor, Cabernet Sauvignon was planted at elevations ranging from 800 to 1,300 feet. Some of the top-notch names behind this property include Jim Barbour, who was responsible for the planting of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, and Mark Herold, who is responsible for the making of the wines. Herold first became well-known in this publication with his wines called Merus. Sadly, only 200-400 cases of these Cabernets are produced each year. The vintages between 2004 and 2008 were completely declassified until they were satisfied with the quality. The people ultimately responsible for what The Vineyardist has achieved are Dirk Fulton and his wife Becky Kukkola who took a decade to find this small vineyard on Diamond Mountain. www.vineyardist.com

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is shaping up to be a gorgeous wine, especially within the context of the year. An exotic melange of dark blue/black fruits, vanillin and flowers all take shape in the glass. There are no hard edges whatsoever in this beautifully balanced, harmonious Cabernet Sauvignon. Floral notes reappear on the finish. I am totally intrigued to see where the 2011 goes over the coming year. This is an impressive showing.