2008 Behrens Family Erna Schein Cabernet Sauvignon Crowley Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(15.3% alcohol): Dark, bright ruby. Cassis, blackberry and licorice aromas are accented by cooler notes of mint, herbs, graphite and violet. Suave, smooth and intensely flavored, with the pronounced licorice and herb notes nicely buffered by sweet dark berry and black cherry fruit. Fine-grained and concentrated but not at all heavy, as there's no shortage of acidity or tannic spine. Evolving nicely. Compared to the Cemetery Cabernet, this dances on the palate and rises on the aftertaste.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The dark ruby/purple-hued 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Crowley Vineyards (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Merlot) offers up notes of damp earth, black currants, blueberries and violets. It should drink well for 15+ years. Superb purity, texture and depth are classic hallmarks of Lisa and Les Behrens’ savory wines. Les and Lisa Behrens are two of my favorite people in Napa Valley for the simple reason that they love wine and make gorgeously delicious wines with a fun approach that is reflected in their creative labels. They had issues with some of the synthetic corks they used early on, but they are now back to true corks and are, hopefully, on the road to even greater success and good fortune. All their wines now appear under the label Erna Schein. Les and Lisa are like truffle dogs in terms of sniffing out somewhat underrated top sites for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Early on they discovered many vineyards that were later swiped away by people with more money. However, the Behrens still have a loaded deck of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. If you haven’t yet discovered these wines, it’s about time you do. If there is a future in the wine world for real people, Lisa and Les Behrens have to succeed. Tel. (707) 963-1774; www.ernaschein.com
(80% cabernet sauvignon plus 10% each petit verdot and merlot; a new wine from a neighbor close to the Behrens & Hitchcock/Erna Schein winery on Spring Mountain) Deep, bright ruby. Lively aromas of blackberry and violet. Sweet, lush and chocolatey in the mouth, but perked up by a note of fruity peppercorn. Broader and more pliant than the Moulds or Cemetery samples today. Finishes with rather suave, sweet tannins and noteworthy persistence.