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  • A bottle of Etude Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

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.

Oakville750ml 14.7
$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

Winemaker Jon Priest walking between rows of grapevines in a vineyard.

Vine Hill 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.

Winemaker Jon Priest holding up harvested grapes near stainless steel fermentation tanks.

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.