2011 Arnot-Roberts Cabernet Sauvignon Bugay Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Bright ruby. High-pitched aromas of cassis, minerals, lavender and bitter chocolate. Juicy and precise on the palate, with intense, mineral-tinged dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors that put on weight with air. Unwinds with aeration and picks up a sweet floral pastille quality that carries through a smoky, youthfully tannic finish. What this cab lacks in weight it makes up for in flavor intensity and energy, but I suspect that those whose benchmark for the variety are warm-year Napa versions will be less impressed than I was.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Bugay Vineyard is silky and approachable, but it lacks a measure of mid-palate depth and pliancy. Dark red and black cherry notes emerge from the glass in a soft, mid-weight Cabernet that appears best suited to near-term drinking. The elements never seem to fully come together here.