2008 Vintner Select Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
(15% alcohol): Full medium ruby. Ripe, briary dark berries and dark chocolate on the nose, plus hints of menthol and cedar. Plush, chocolatey-sweet and alive, with intense, slightly high-toned mountain berry, herb and menthol flavors carrying through a long finish, with substantial but harmonious tannins arriving late. Fine-grained and nicely balanced, with the ripeness to give pleasure now but the backbone to evolve gracefully. Not the last word in complexity but very well done. And this isn't even the estate's top Cabernet bottling!
Critic scores
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner’s Select is deeper and fleshier than the straight Cabernet. Here the flavor profile tends towards blacker fruits. Tobacco, scorched earth, spices, mint, leather and licorice add complexity and gravitas on the rich, textured finish. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028. Tel. (707) 963-4949
(100% cabernet sauvignon; 15% alcohol): Very deep, bright ruby-red. Slightly high-toned, expressive aromas of black cherry, redcurrant, cedar and tobacco. Dense, thick and sweet; rounder and more open-knit today than the Vintner Select Merlot, with noteworthy breadth to the flavors of redcurrant, dark chocolate, cedar and sexy herbs. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins that are supported by the wine's mid-palate sweetness.