2008 Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
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Tasting notes
Medium red-ruby. Currant, licorice, violet, spices and graphite on the nose, along with some cooler menthol and herb notes. Suave, fine-grained wine with a slightly tart herbal component but enticing inner-mouth floral/spicy lift and energy. Not fleshy or dense or particularly rich but harmonious and attractive, and approaching maturity now. Finishes with restrained sweetness, rather easygoing tannins and sneaky persistence. But this rather cool, elegantly styled wine does not have quite the dimension or depth for 90 points.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A dramatic upgrade, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve exhibits aromas of creme de cassis, burning embers, licorice and smoked herbs. It ratchets up the body, concentration and depth yet possesses silky smooth tannins and a forward style. This beauty should drink well for 15+ years. While Snowden’s 2008s do not approach their brilliant 2007s in quality, they are very strong efforts from this 22-acre vineyard (11 acres are in the process of being replanted). Moreover, the 2009s look to eclipse the 2008s. Tel. and Fax (707) 963-4292
Good medium ruby. Aromas of dark cherry, smoke, graphite and rocky minerality, lifted by a violet topnote. Juicy, spicy and sharply delineated, with lovely floral lift contributing to the impression of clarity and giving the wine a light touch. A nicely broad midweight with captivating floral perfume and fine-grained but firm tannins. Snowden told me that at first she thought the 2008s were a lot like the 2006s-i.e., wines from tiny berries that were tannic and tightly wound in the early going. "But now I think that '08 will be a nice early drinker, without quite the same structure or richness as 2007." I liked this wine's aromatic lift and refinement.