2018 Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon Padrone

The 2018 Padrone is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 6% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes galloping out of the glass with energetic scents of warm cassis, freshly crushed black cherries, boysenberries and wild sage, plus suggestions of fragrant earth, black truffles and unsmoked cigars with a waft of cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in elegance, delivering beautifully ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness to support the intense black fruit and savory layers, finishing long and perfumed.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Padrone is a deep, resonant wine. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, licorice and espresso all race out of the glass. The 2018 has all the power and richness the Padrone bottling has offered in the past, with fewer of the angular, hard tannins from the extraction style of the past. The purity of the fruit is just remarkable. This is another super-impressive wine from the new team at Signorello headed by winemaker Priyanka French.

A fine and well tuned red with blackcurrant, blackberry and hints of orange peel and light chocolate. Some cedar, too. Precise character. It’s full-bodied with well integrated tannins and a fresh finish. This will age nicely, but very attractive to drink now. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 6% malbec, 2% cabernet franc and 2% merlot. Try after 2023.