2012 Vine Hill Ranch VHR Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Another remarkably pure wine that's still youthful, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR reveals cassis, leather, savory flowers, incense, and tobacco. It's full-bodied, deep, and layered, yet shows incredible elegance with no sensation of weight, and it has silky tannins and a gorgeous finish. Drinking at its peak today, it has another 10-15 years of prime drinking and I suspect a gradual decline thereafter. I think the 2013 is going to be a longer-lived wine, but the incredible seductiveness of this 2012 is hard to beat. Drink 2025-2035.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very warm, easy year. No frost or heat spikes. High yields. Another wine with that high tone of something mineral. Really transparent. Lifted and somehow very fluid (which may seem a strange tasting note but seems a good indication of the wine's beautiful texture). The little bit of dry tannin on the end suggests this wine still has quite a bit of potential. (JR)
The 2012 Vine Hill Ranch VHR exhibits the exuberance and boisterous characteristics of this vintage, with plenty of Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, licorice, black currants galore, a stunningly full-bodied texture, purity, and opulence. Rich and dense, with soft tannins and relatively low acidity, this is a gorgeous wine to drink now and over the next 20+ years.
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon has filled out and put on considerable weight over the last year. Even with all of its overtness and intensity, the 2012 is far from accessible. This is one of the more primary 2012s readers will come across, so patience is going to be critical. Smoke, mocha, dark red cherry, menthol, licorice and savory notes flesh out on the racy, voluptuous finish. Drops of Petit Verdot make an appearance in the blend for the first time. Vine Hill Ranch's 2012 is one of the resounding successes of the vintage.