1996 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
(13.9% alcohol): Good dark red. Mellow aromas of musky plum, redcurrant, mocha and herbs along with a porty suggestion of kirsch . Smooth in texture, offering noteworthy plummy fruit intensity, but still quite firm, even a bit ungenerous, showing a restrained sweetness. Finishes with substantial granular tannins that coat the front teeth, but there's plenty of remaining supporting fruit and a savory quality to keep the wine alive.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. This opaque purple-colored effort reveals aromas of black currants, creosote, smoke, minerals, and plums. It is full-bodied, with exquisite density and terrific fruit purity and intensity, particularly in the mid-palate and length (always good signs for wines that are meant to improve and last). There is plenty of tannin, but this is a generous, impressively endowed wine that should stand the test of several decades of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2025. The Seavey estate has 40 acres of vineyards, yet yields are so low that in 1998 they produced only 2,340 cases! Tel. (707) 963-8339; Fax (707) 963-0232