2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
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Tasting notes
(14.2% alcohol; mostly from Phinny Hill but with some fruit from Two Blondes and Dionysos and 8% Merlot from Leonetti's estate vineyard called Loess; aged in 38% new oak, all French): Bright red-ruby. Black cherry, dark berry, baking spice and licorice aromas and flavors are lifted by a floral quality. Firmly built and classically dry but also supple and smooth and not at all hard. Finishes with serious dusty but even tannins and very good length. This will need a couple years in bottle to gain in nuance and expand. Assistant winemaker Brandon Moss noted that "2007 and 2012 were really our last typical vintages."
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Black cherry jam, a lovely herbal character giving contrast and complexity. Firm tannin on the palate, but good bright acidity. (RH)
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is most likely the greatest vintage of this cuvee to date. Full-bodied, ripe, layered and yet still elegant and beautifully balanced, it offers classic currants, black raspberry, graphite, lead pencil and cedar aromas and flavors. A blend of 92% Cabernet and 8% Merlot that saw 23 months in 40% new French oak, it has high-quality tannin, ample texture and a rock-star finish. This beauty will have two decades of longevity.