2013 Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Both 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons are in bottle, and both are absolutely magnificent wines, probably the two finest Cabernets made by the Staglins to date. Even better than the Estate, or at least marginally so, is the astonishing 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Booth Bella Oaks. This is another Rutherford vineyard that was made famous by Joe Heitz when he used to produce wine from it, and the Staglins have produced, to my mind, the best wine I have ever tasted from this historic site. A wine of incredible depth, with an opaque purple color and an extraordinary nose of mulberry, crème de cassis, licorice, and loamy soil undertones, the wine has full-bodied impact on the palate, remarkable purity, density and overall balance. The finish goes on for a good 50+ seconds. It is a fabulous effort to drink now or cellar for another three-plus decades.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Staglin's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Booth-Bella Oaks Vineyard is silky, polished and totally radiant, all qualities that should allow it to drink well with minimal cellaring. Pomegranate, sweet red cherries, plums, spices and rose petals meld into the succulent, layered finish. This is a gorgeous, open-knit Cabernet Sauvignon from Staglin.
Violets, lavender, tar, graphite and blue/purplish fruit are some of the many notes that emerge from Staglin's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Booth-Bella Oaks Vineyard. This is another wine built on precise, chiseled fruit and vibrant flavors. The intensely saline finish suggests the 2013 will enjoy a very bright future.