96 POINTS
  • A bottle of Etude Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley750ml 14.5

The Etude Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is handcrafted with grapes from unique benchland vineyards representing the major sub-appellations of Napa Valley. Sure to continue gaining complexity an...

The Etude Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is handcrafted with grapes from unique benchland vineyards representing the major sub-appellations of Napa Valley. Sure to continue gaining complexity and revealing additional character with age, the wine is suitable for immediate enjoyment or cellaring for another two decades.

$95.00
$95.00

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Specifications

  • Vintage: 2018
  • Region: Napa Valley
  • Appelation: Napa Valley
  • ABV: 14.5
  • Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes

Beautiful and expressive, this delicious Cabernet Sauvignon is loaded with perfumed ripe dark berries and bold, plush flavors, and texture. Layers of blackberry, cherry kirsch, dark plum, black currant, and cassis unfold alongside baking spice notes of vanilla, clove, and cinnamon, which complement delicate hints of cedar and oak spice (a nod to the well-integrated oak). With velvety-rich tannins, and a long, concentrated finish, exhibiting depth and balance, this is an attractive and inviting Cabernet. Perfect for sipping upon release and can age gracefully if cellared properly for many years to come.

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Expert reviews

96 POINTS

“Loads of blackberry, currant and dark-berry aromas follow through to a full body with chewy tannins and a long ,fine finish. This is very attractive, balanced and delicious now, but will gain from two or three years of cellaring. Try after 2024." - James Suckling, December 6 2021

93 POINTS

“Etude's blended 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley skews toward bench-land vineyards from Rutherford and further south (Oakville, Coombsville). The nose features a gently lifted quality, blackberries and cassis underscored by dark chocolate. Full-bodied and sturdy, framed by firm tannins, this is not a wimpy, generic blend but a rich wine with some aging potential, finishing velvety and long.” - Joe Czerwinski, June 2022

94 POINTS

“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is up-front and approachable, with lush blackberry and cassis fruit as well as tobacco and some graphite notes. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum on the palate, it has velvety yet certainly present tannins, plenty of baby fat, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. Displaying more floral and violet notes with time in the glass, I suspect this beautiful, elegant 2018 will have two decades of longevity.” - Jeb Dunnuck, Jeb Dunnuck, May 4, 2022

The Vineyard

Napa Valley Vineyards

The Etude Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is handcrafted with grapes from unique benchland vineyards representing the major sub-appellations of Napa Valley. The 2018 Cabernet was sourced with fruit from some of the most highly regarded winegrowers in Napa Valley—Vine Hill Ranch and Gamble Vineyards in Oakville, Bear Flats Vineyard in Calistoga, Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford, Bale Lane Vineyard in St. Helena, and Meteor Vineyard in Coombsville, while the Petit Verdot is from Perata Vineyard in Yountville. By deliberately sourcing fruit from this group of exemplary vineyards, this wine exhibits the full potential of what Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot can show in its flavors and textures, with vitality and finesse.

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

Etude’s philosophy remains steadfast and this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted with very minimal winemaking intervention. 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). To maintain the unique characteristics of each vineyard, each block and lot was kept separate until final blending.