Etude 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Featured #68 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2022
Each year, Wine Spectator editors survey the wines reviewed over the previous 12 months and select their Top 100, based on quality, value, availability and excitement. This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world.“Dark but fresh, with mulberry and black currant fruit laced with apple wood, anise and tobacco. Shows nice energy from start to finish, with a late cast iron accent giving this a solid feel through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2036.”
—James Molesworth
VINEYARDS
Etude Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is handcrafted with grapes from unique benchland vineyards representing the major sub-appellations of Napa Valley. The 2019 Cabernet was sourced from some of Napa’s most highly regarded winegrowers: Vine Hill Ranch and Gamble Vineyard in Oakville, Bear Flats Vineyard in Calistoga, Morisoli Vineyards in Rutherford, Bale Lane Vineyard in St. Helena, and Meteor Vineyard in Coombsville. The fruit from these exemplary vineyards allows us to create a Cabernet Sauvignon that exhibits the full potential of the AVA for texture, vitality, and finesse.
VINTAGE
Mostly due to February rains, the 2019 harvest started one to two weeks later than in previous years, but it did not affect the crop. Spring continued wet with some rain during flowering, followed by cool temperatures, allowing the grapes to mature gradually. Most grapes ripened at lower sugars, thanks to the extended, cool growing season that created full flavors, fresh acidity, and superb balance in the fruit. The crop showed a modest yield with a slightly more compact structure and extract than in previous years.
WINEMAKING
Etude’s philosophy of crafting wine with very minimal intervention remains steadfast, and this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception. The grapes were cold-soaked for three to five days and fermented on their skins in open-top fermenters. An extended maceration period followed, increasing the depth and mouthfeel of the wine and fully extracting color, flavor, and aromatics. The young wine was then racked into small French oak barrels, from a selection of coopers and forests, to accentuate the vineyard distinctions. They were aged for 20 months in 100% French oak barrels (75% new), with each lot kept separate until final blending.
TASTING NOTES
This delicious Cabernet Sauvignon is full of perfumed, ripe, dark berry fruit with layers of macerated blackberry, black cherry, dark plum, and black currant. Notes of Madagascar vanilla, cardamom, and allspice pay tribute to the well-integrated, subtle oak. Plush and rich with velvety, mouth-coating tannins, the finish is long and multi-layered, showcasing the exquisite balance and complexity of this intriguing Cabernet. Beautiful upon release and able to cellar for many years to come.
VARIETAL COMPOSITION:
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
SUSTAINABLE CERTIFICATIONS:
California Sustainable Winegrowing
Alliance and Napa Green Winery