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2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Oakville750ml 14.7

The Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon was the third appellation wine to be introduced in our Cabernet series of very small bottlings dedicated to the benchland sub-appellations of Napa Valley. This bo...

The Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon was the third appellation wine to be introduced in our Cabernet series of very small bottlings dedicated to the benchland sub-appellations of Napa Valley. This bottling marks the eighth vintage of the Oakville Cabernet and celebrates Etude’s long-term relationship with one of the most highly regarded winegrowers in Napa Valley.

  • Alcohol 14%
$155.00
$155.00

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Specifications

  • Vintage: 2018
  • Region: Napa Valley
  • Appelation: Oakville
  • ABV: 14.7
  • Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes

Big, expressive, powerful, and robust, this Cabernet is classic Oakville, exhibiting remarkable depth and complexity, tributes of the cooler western bench location in the valley. A richness of dark berry fruit is present, with dark black cherry, marionberry, blueberry and black raspberry, supported by more savory, earthy notes of wild sage, hazelnut, graphite, crushed granite, and tar. Exceptional concentration, seamlessly crafted, with generous balance, and mouth-coating, velvety tannins that are well-integrated with the oak spice, leading to a long unctuous finish with incredible depth of flavor and intensity. Craving big, meaty dishes, this Cabernet is perfectly paired alongside steak, but also drinks beautifully on its own. Full-bodied with tremendous structure that will continue to open and evolve as it ages, over many years to come.

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Expert reviews

97 POINTS

“This is rich and plush (very Oakville), yet there are some mushroom, forest-floor and bark undertones. It’s full and very layered with velvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Lots of presence. So long and intense. Wonderfully put together. Try after 2024.” - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, December 6 2021

The Vineyard

GRACE BENOIST RANCH

Grapes were sourced exclusively from Block Three of the Vine Hill Ranch, planted to Clone 337, nestled along the hills of the Mayacamas Mountain Range at the south end of the Oakville AVA. The Phillips family has carefully managed this alluvial benchland vineyard with cobbly soils for three generations, home to some of the most expressive and concentrated Cabernet grapes in the Napa Valley. Michael Wolf, who has watched over Vine Hill for nearly two decades, makes certain the vineyard is healthy and offering its ultimate expression for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Process

The 2018 vintage

  • Napa & Carneros

    A near perfect season was welcomed in 2018 after several tense vintages, beginning with abundant February rains followed by drying sun and weather that allowed for even flowering and bud break. The slightly later start was followed by consistently ideal weather, with harvest for Pinot Noir occurring in late August and early September. Generally normal to heavier fruit-set with great flavor intensity and complexity will be the hallmark of the season.

  • Sonoma Coast

    Hallberg sits in one of the coolest areas of Sonoma County. Cooler temperatures and moderate weather allowed grapes to ripen perfectly, developing deep complexity, intensity, ripeness and balance with a beautiful freshness that came naturally. There was little to no frost during the spring fruit set and no heat spikes throughout the growing season – all of which helped the grapes reach full maturity, with harvest occurring in mid-September. Generally normal to heavier fruit-set with great flavor intensity and complexity will be the hallmark of the season.

  • Willamette Valley

    The Yamhill-Carlton District of Willamette Valley experienced an almost return to normal vintage in 2018. The spring and summer were some of the warmest and driest on record, but with no heat spikes recorded, the season increased in length due to the cool autumn weather. That allowed grapes to hang and develop complex flavors on the vine, while retaining freshness and acidity. The characteristic of the vintage is rich Pinot Noir fruit, with fully developed flavors, and a richness of tannins that gave structure to the wines.

  • Santa Barbara

    What may be considered a ‘classic’ vintage, the wines from 2018 show tremendous intensity and complexity. Santa Barbara County provided a mild to warm summer, with a cooler autumn, allowing the grapes to remain on the vine until they reached ideal maturity. While the quality of the grapes was phenomenal, our overall yields were down slightly due to smaller berry size and clusters. The fruit was harvested in late September, yielding wines with beautifully balanced acidity, exceptional weight and texture, and complex varietal flavors.

Crafted Excellence

Winemaking

The grapes were cold soaked for 3–5 days and fermented on their skins in open top fermenters. An extended maceration period followed fermentation, to help modify the depth and mouthfeel of the wine, and to fully extract color, flavor, and aromatics. The young wine was then racked into small French oak barrels—using a selection of coopers and forests to accentuate the vineyard distinctions—where it aged for 20 months in 100% French oak (75% new). Each lot was kept separate until final blending. The resulting wine was returned to barrel for an
additional nine months of aging.