2021 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
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Tasting notes
Aged for 18 months in French oak (54% new). Super-keen fruit, especially on the palate – generous, succulent, ripe and candied. All black fruits, as well as sweet oak spices. There's an asphalt savouriness beneath as well, hinting at more complexity as that primary fruit matures in bottle. Grainy but accessible tannins. A classic of its type. (RH)
Critic scores
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Dusky, toasty, spicy oak and dark fruit aromas lead to a broad, dense palate with super velvety tannins. Loam, tobacco leaf, graphite and cocoa notes expand and linger, along with blackcurrants and dried cherries. Best from 2028.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Double Diamond is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly sourced from Mondavi's portion of the To Kalon Vineyard. Despite using less new oak (54%) than any other Schrader bottling, cedar and celery seed notes join ripe cherries on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, a bit firmer, richer and more tannic than the similarly priced Proprietary Red.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is cut from the same cloth, with plenty of richness and depth, yet it stays slightly more focused and tight on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness as well as beautiful darker currant, cassis, darker chocolate, graphite, and hints of flowers. It's concentrated and has beautiful mid-palate density, ripe yet building tannins, and a great finish. It's another undeniably delicious, hard-to-resist Cabernet Sauvignon from the talents of winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. Give bottles a decant if drinking any time soon and enjoy over the coming 10-12+ years.
About the producer
Schrader Cellars is one of Napa’s cult names. It focuses on pairing specific clones with the perfect site to produce the ultimate expression of Napa Cabernet. The results regularly receive the very highest scores from critics, with 19 100-point scores from the Wine Advocate to date.