2011 Gemstone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
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Tasting notes
(blended with 9% petit verdot): Bright medium ruby. Slightly roasted aromas of kirsch, rare steak, mocha and nutty oak. Surprisingly fat and plush for the vintage, but also more precise than the Proprietary Blend, with dark fruit flavors showing a slightly aggressive warmth. Tannins spread out nicely to saturate the palate on the fat, sweet finish. This says 14.9% alcohol on the label but is actually more like 15.3%, according to winemaker Philippe Melka.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Like the 2011 Red Wine, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit tense, but it possesses a little more depth and textural volume. Grilled herbs, mocha, menthol, licorice and asphalt are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. A firm, structured finish rounds things out in style. This is a terrific showing for the year. In this vintage, consulting winemaker Philippe Melka added 9% Petit Verdot to the Cabernet.
A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot, the dark ruby-hued, round 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate displays hints of loamy soil, herbs, black cherries and red and black currants. Consume this medium-bodied 2011 over the next 7-8 years. Tel. (707) 944-0944
Good medium ruby. Very reticent nose hints at black fruits. Densely packed and fine-grained but tightly wound and quite unforthcoming today, showing a youthfully medicinal quality to its dark berry and licorice flavors. Dominated at present by its firm tannic spine so it's difficult to assess.