2017 Kapcsàndy Merlot State Lane Vineyard Roberta's Reserve
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The 2017 Roberta's Reserve State Lane Vineyard is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, and it was aged in 75% new French oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays out of the glass with beautiful wafts of crushed black plums, fresh blackberries and boysenberries plus hints of licorice, spice cake and red roses. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with black fruits and spicy layers, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. 200 cases were made
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc brought up in plenty of new barrels, the 2017 Roberta's Reserve has classic notes of black cherries, spring flowers, spicy incense, and dried earth. Seamless, elegant, with incredible finesse and purity, it has plenty of ripe tannins, notable structure, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's another wine that builds with time in the glass and is going to evolve beautifully.
The 2017 Roberta's Reserve is a deeply intriguing wine, as it is quite marked by the 5% Cabernet Franc that is in the blend, and that adds savory aromatic intensity. The 2017 is persistent and also quite powerful today. It is also likely to require at least a few years in bottle to be at its most expressive and rewarding. Time in the glass brings out the Merlot on the mid-palate as well as the wine's inner sweetness.
The 2017 Roberta's Reserve is almost shockingly raw and not fully formed. Even so, the wine's depth and overall intensity are impossible to miss. Sumptuous and layered in the glass, with tremendous depth, the 2017 has a ton of potential. I can't wait to taste it next year. The addition of 5% Cabernet Franc adds an exotic spice, citrus and saline character.