2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Patzimaro Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Good bright red-ruby. Dark raspberry, graphite and oaky torrefaction notes of chocolate and coffee on the nose and palate. A step up in fruit intensity and verve from the Monitor Ledge Vineyard sample that preceded it. Finishes with dusty, building but essentially fine-grained tannins and good length.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The finest wine of this group appears to be the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Patzimaro Vineyard. It reveals a dense ruby/purple color, attractive aromas of lead pencil shavings, black currants, and loamy soil, good fruit, and an elegant, medium-bodied personality. There are some noticeable tannins, but they are sufficiently balanced. Give this 2006 5-6 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following two decades. I have higher hopes for Duckhorn's 2007s than the bevy of 2006s I tasted. While they are good, most had issues with hard, aggressive tannins as well as high acid levels that give the wines clipped personalities. In short, if a wine tastes too tannic, it is too tannic, and that may be the problem with Duckhorn's 2006s. Readers should note that any wine that received a score with a question mark will undoubtedly dry out and become hollow before it ever blossoms. Tel. (888) 354-8885; Fax (707) 963-7595