Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard
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The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard, from a site on Howell Mountain aged 20 months in 50% new French oak, is a brilliant example of this terroir, as well as the vintage. A full-bodied, ripe, powerful wine, with awesome notes of smoked meats, currants, licorice, and graphite, it has lots of tannins, a layered mid-palate, and beautiful balance. Winemaker Tony Arcudi commented that if you couldn’t make a good wine in 2013 you should find something else to do. He’s certainly made a sensational wine. These 100% Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees are made by Tony Arcudi, who was formerly in the Navy before working for Michel Chapoutier in the Rhône and later for Heidi Barrett in Napa. Tony launched his own brand in 2012 and is also the consulting winemaker at Kapcsandy. His Cabernets are gorgeous.
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Coming from the famed Black Sears Vineyard, better known for its black bear as well as old vine Zinfandel, this is an interesting Cabernet Sauvignon from Tony Arcudi, who worked for Michel Chapoutier and Heidi Barrett before starting his own brand. His 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard spent 18 months in 50% new French oak. It is a gorgeous, flowery wine with loads of graphite, mulberry and blackberry followed by some spicy oak, a deep, rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, some supple tannins and a heady, lush finish. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.
Arcudi's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard has really come along nicely. Over the last few years the wine has acquired greater finesse and silkiness while retaining all of the signatures that make this well-known Howell Mountain site so unique. It will be a few years before the aromatics are fully expressive. Today, what comes through is the pure primary intensity of the fruit as expressed in this historic vintage. With time in the glass, attractive scents of rose petal, lavender, sage and menthol gradually make an appearance.
Deep, inky and powerful, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sears Vineyard oozes with class and intensity. This is one of the more voluptuous, forward 2013 Cabernets readers will come across. The flavors are bold and intense, but all the elements are in the right place. In this vintage, winemaker Tony Arcudi pressed early to avoid overextracting. Full throttle and opulent to the core, the 2013 needs a few years in bottle to drop some baby fat. Chocolate, mocha, black cherries, new leather and smoke add the closing shades of complexity as this powerful Cabernet shows off its distinctive personality.