2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Cornelius Grove
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Tasting notes
This is very aromatic, with pine forest, blackcurrant, burnt orange peel, graphite and hints of iron. Complex and unique. Medium-bodied with medium-fine tannins. Thereâs a roundness that caresses your palate. Juicy finish. This is the first commercial release of an old vineyard in the western hillsides near Saint Helena. Mostly old vines from the 1990s. An excellent first release. Made by Helen Keplinger. Pure cabernet sauvignon. Best in three or four years, but already a joy to taste.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Lastly, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Cornelius Grove (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) comes from a site west of St. Helena and part of the Heath Canyon Ranch. A mix of terroirs (it s a large ranch), it was brought up 21 months 70% new French oak. Blackcurrants, tobacco, iron, and lead pencil define the aromatics, yet it takes on more bay, laurel, and subtle floral and olive notes with air. Full-bodied, rich, and layered, it has a beautiful mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, and outstanding length. Drink bottles anytime over the coming two decades.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Cornelius Grove is a potent mountain wine. Bright acids and firm tannins enshroud a core of dark red/purplish fruit. The aromatics, with their strong savory inflections, are quite striking, but this is a decidedly nervous wine that very much reflects the rugged nature of this hillside site. The 2019 is a strong debut, but it also very clearly points to a work in progress. Today, the 2019 is a bit compact.
Opaque ruby in colour. Rich and ripe and warm, much like the Grace Family estate wine, but with an aroma like a dry creek bed just as rain starts to fall. There's a spicy woodsiness, and a sharp note of blood-orange zest. This wine is intense and beautiful with wild, rich black fruits and stunning freshness. On the palate the wine is impactful and long, with powder-fine tannins that coat the mouth and vibrant, dancing acidity. Note of eucalypt rather than mint. Stunning. Almost too intensely perfumed. I do hope I get to try this wine again in 20 years' time. (SCJ)