2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard
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Tasting Notes
The 2017 vintage is one that will forever be remembered for its wildfires in Napa, although fortunately Ad Vivum wasn’t impacted by them. After an early budbreak, the growing season was marked by three heatwaves – in mid-June, at the end of August and in mid-September. Having a cooler site, shaded from afternoon sun and with sufficient water reserves was key for Phelps. He harvested from 5th October, bringing in 55% Clone 191 and 45% Clone 7 Cabernet. It was fermented in 25% new French oak, spending 20 days on skins in total (Phelps noted how easily colour and tannin came in this hot vintage), before being aged 17 months in 70% new French oak. The nose here is bright and perfumed, combining sweet dark fruit – black cherries and blackcurrant – with floral lift and pencil lead. There’s a glorious purity to the fruit here, which follows through onto the dense yet fresh palate, displaying a juicy elegance. There’s a satisfying chew to the tannins, firm yet velvet-like, framing the waves of fruit that flow towards to the long, saline finish. Mouthwatering and moreish, this is hard to resist now.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Sleeping Lady is undeniably fresh, defying the heat of the vintage. It boasts alluring aromatics of crunchy red berry fruit, dusty minerals, and blood orange, with a fabulously exotic wild herb note reminiscent of sauvage, juniper, sage, and white mulberry. Medium- to full-bodied, with the same vibrant aromatics carrying through to the palate, it is exceptionally fine and balanced, with excellent tension. Winemaker Chris Phelps attributes this to the vineyard’s position in the shadow of the Mayacamas Mountains after 4 or 5 p.m. during the peak of summer, which helps preserve the grapes’ natural acidity. This wine is in a great place and has years ahead to age gracefully.
Deep garnet with a hint of purple, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon comes bounding out with notes of blackberry pie, fruitcake, chocolate mint, potpourri, and unsmoked cigars plus a touch of dusty earth. Full-bodied, rich, and seductive, the palate is plush, with a lively backbone and opulent finish.
Winemaker Chris Phelps made a stunning 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard. It’s all Cabernet Sauvignon that was harvested on October 5 (pre-fire) and spent 18 months in 70% new French oak. It has a beautiful blue fruit quality as well as hints of wild strawberries, violets, and Asian spices, with a slightly lifted, exotic edge. As with the 2016, it’s beautifully balanced, elegant, and nicely concerted. Give bottles 3-4 years and it should evolve for 15-20 years or more.
About the producer
Ad Vivum is a tiny Napa project from winemaker Chris Phelps, previously of Dominus and Caymus. Created in 2007, Phelps makes one wine, exclusively from two blocks in the Sleeping Lady vineyard, the southernmost site in Yountville.