2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyards
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Tasting notes
Deep garnet-purple, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard sings of crushed blackberries, cassis and black cherries with touches of Provence herbs, violets and chocolate box plus a hint of dusty earth. Medium-bodied with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and a racy acid line, it has youthful, taut, muscular black fruit and a long, refreshing finish. Should age beautifully!
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Extraordinary aromas of metal shavings, black currants and hazelnuts. Turns to roses and violets. Full-bodied, yet subtle and refined with a polished piercing tannin backbone. This makes you want to drink it. Sexy and elegant. A triumph. Try in 2019 but hard not to drink now. September release.
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Dana's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard possesses remarkable structure and density, especially within the context of the year. Firm yet well-integrated tannins give the wine much of its energy, tension and focus. Black cherry jam, graphite, smoke and tobacco add nuance as the wine opens up in the glass. Far from an easygoing 2012, the Helms is going to need time to fully come together. There is so much to look forward to here. This is the first vintage since 2008 that was vinified in wood uprights, as was originally intended. The intervening vintages have been much shorter, so they were done in barrel. The 2012 impresses for its balance of fruit, acidity and tannin.
About the producer
Located on the Rutherford bench, Dana Estates is a small Napa estate focused on producing fine, single-site Cabernet Sauvignon. The concentrated wines are some of the region’s most sought-after, regularly earning top ratings from critics – with 19 100-point scores to date.