2014 Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard
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Tasting notes
From a vintage loved by the estate (they consider 2015 more California in style and 2014 more Bordeaux-like), the 2014 Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard is another beautiful wine from Kapcsandy. A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot brought up in 80% new French oak, it offers an elegant, seamless style as well as classic Cabernet note of blackcurrants, spice-box, dried earth-like minerality and background oak. With full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin, no hard edges and a beautiful sweetness to its fruit, enjoy this beauty anytime over the coming 20 years. Speaking about the recent vintages, this team loves their 2016s and calls them the purest expressions of their varieties they’ve seen. These are indeed beautiful wines that seem similar to the 2014s, yet with a touch more oomph and mid-palate depth. I loved the 2015s and these are classic wines from Napa Valley that lead with their fruit, yet like all the wines from Kapcsandy, remain beautifully balanced, if not restrained in this vintage. The 2014s are drinking beautifully today, with elegant, classic, even old-world styles, and they’re going to evolve nicely as well. These are all classy, regal wines.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Very fresh aromas of violets, stones and sweet tobacco follow through to a medium body, fine and integrated tannins and a beautiful finish. Undertones of walnuts. A super 2014. Elegant yet structured.
The 2014 Estate Cuvée is vibrant, intense and beautifully delineated. Super-expressive aromatics and finessed tannins give the 2014 its exceptional balance. Tasted next to the 2013, the 2014 feels like it has more freshness, brighter acidity and a bit more energy as well, which may be partly attributable to the slightly higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend and a touch less new oak as well. That is of course splitting hairs, as both wines are superb, but I find the energy, tension and vibrancy here absolutely compelling. (AG) 95+
The 2014s were also harvested early at Kapcsándy, largely finished before the end of September, much like 2015. The one difference is that 2015 was a tiny crop, with significantly less production than 2014, which was generous as well as early. The 2014 Estate Cuvée State Lane Vineyard is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot aged in 80% new French oak. It is soft, round, juicy, front-end loaded, sexy and lush. The wine’s gentle tannins and overall plush, forward style with chocolate and blackcurrants in abundance, as well as a touch of oak, make for a sensual wine to drink over the next 15 or more years. To give an example of how big 2014 was compared to 2015, there are 450 cases of this cuvée made in 2015 and 730 in 2014.