Black Cordon Vineyards, Napa

Case 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

www.blackcordon.com

Black Cordon Vineyards is guided by the belief that winemaking is a matter of crafting balance. A well-made wine will seamlessly balance fruit, acidity, oak nuances, alcohol and tannins. A great wine, however, will take all of that and then raise the stakes by adding some additional components to the mix - character, complexity and layers of intriguing flavors. They approach winemaking with the intention of crafting wines that incorporate all of these qualities.

Black Cordon’s winemaking ethos would probably be described as minimalistic. They do spend a lot of time and energy on the handcrafted, small details, however, their approach to finding balance in their wines is simply a matter of finding balance in nature.

The 2013 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is delicious now, yet is built to age and improve for 10-15 years. The wine will take its time in revealing the extra depth of character that the vintage bestowed but it is still quite approachable in its youth.

This is an elegant, sophisticated wine, loaded with compressed, dense, plum, rich black currant and black cherry flavors. The black fruits have a classy restraint and balance, offered up in layers of anise-tinged sweet complexity, much like a fine Marconi truffle of dark chocolate and black cherry ganache.

The mouth feel invites you to allow the wine to linger and let the dominant tangy briar flavors surround the tongue, slowly releasing the stacked layers of black fruits. There is an undeniably rich and ripe plumpness that keeps you seduced.

This wine is like a classic beauty that through her elegance and refined character compels you to notice the nuances of the depth of flavor and layers of complexity. The balance between the elegance and the lushness is remarkable.

500 cases produced. Paul Hobbs is the Consulting Winemaker.