2014 Spring Valley Cuvée Frederick
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Tasting notes
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec. Medium ruby, red and black cherry on the nose, some lift. Medium plus tannin, warm alcohol, dried black cherry, leather, high acid, bitter dark chocolate coffee finish. The fruit on this wine is still apparent but the tannin remains astringent and unmellowed. (SCJ)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec, the 2014 Frederick Red Wine also offers an herbal edge yet has more purity and freshness. Blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, leafy herbs, and damp earthy notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, balanced, thoroughly enjoyable red that will continue drinking nicely for a decade or more. While I wasn’t able to taste the 2015s from winemaker Serge Laville, his 2014s from bottle showed nicely. This is a solid estate that always makes a classic, balanced, thoroughly enjoyable wine.
(14.5% alcohol): Bright, dark red. Discreet scents of raspberry, cherry, rose petal and cedar. Plush and ripe but showing less obvious easygoing sweetness and a bit more structure than the Uriah or Katherine Corkrum bottlings. Juicy cherry, licorice and spice flavors reveal a complicating savory quality. Finishes with building dusty tannins and excellent spine and length.
One of my favorites in the lineup, the 2014 Frederick checks in as a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec. It has classic notes of cedary spice, lead pencil shaving and currants as well as medium to full-bodied, richness, solid overall balance and building tannin. I suspect it will benefit from short term cellaring and keep for a decade.