2018 Trothe Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a balsamic and mentholated resonance as notes of red plum and brown spice mix with graphite and hints of sour citrus. It is beautifully refined, with silken textures and sleek black fruits underscored by crisp mineral tones, while a core of vibrant acidity maintains fantastic energy. Nuances of dark chocolate and a hint of blood orange mingle with fine-grained tannins, finishing long and classically dry.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a mix of blocks in the Andrews Family Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. It has a perfumed, exotic bouquet of bright blue fruits, minty herbs, tobacco, and lead pencil shavings. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with good overall balance, plenty of building, firmer tannins, and outstanding length. Its tannins will need to be watched, but this will benefit from a solid 2-4 years of bottle age and, I suspect, have 15-20 years of overall longevity.
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is open-knit with dark red and black fruit aromas that sway with juicy dark plum and spiced cherries. With delicate mineral tension, the Cabernet offers open and attractive fruit expressions while the condition slowly slips. Full-bodied, the wine is almost overripe with a slightly smudged note, leading to big, bold and juicy fruit expressions, and it ends with an instantly pleasing and succulent finish. Drink over the next decade. The wine rested for 22 months in 83% new French oak. Only 1,752 bottles produced.
Stewed plums, dark cherries, chocolate orange and sweet spices on the nose. Itâs full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Structured and spiced with a firm, tannic finish. Could do with a little more depth in the center-palate, but shows structure. Give it time to open. Try from 2022.