2011 Cimarossa Cabernet Sauvignon Riva di Levante Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(from an east-facing slope at 2,100 feet): Red-ruby. Spicy redcurrant and licorice on the nose. Dry and backward on the palate; less expressive and sweet at present than the Riva di Ponente bottling. Tightly wound flavors of cassis, blackberry and licorice are currently dominated by solid tannins. This will require at least four or five years of cellaring to harmonize in bottle.
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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Dark plums, black cherries, graphite, menthol, tobacco and smoke burst from the glass in Cimarossa's 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Riva di Levante. Unusually juicy for a Howell Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon the 2011 Riva di Levante stands out for its balance and sense of proportion. Menthol, violets and sweet spices flow through to the layered, expressive finish. The tannins need a few years to soften, but once they do the 2011 will provide fine drinking for another decade, if not more.
The 2011 Rive di Cimarossa reveals more graphite than its siblings, and the 2011 Riva di Levante is slightly fuller and more structured. These outstanding wines, all Cabernet Sauvignon-based proprietary blends from Howell Mountain, are made by well-known wine consultant Mia Klein for proprietor Dino Dina. More similar than dissimilar, one could ask why four different cuvees in 2011? Tel. (707) 307-3130