2011 Caravina Cabernet

“Savory herbs, tar, licorice, ash, dark raspberries and wild flowers all emerge from Seavey’s 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate …An intense, powerful wine, the 2011 needs another few years in bottle for the tannins to soften. There is no shortage of personality here.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Nov. 2013) 91 points

Tasting Notes

Warm aromas from a dark fruit galette of plum and blackberry, gently wrapped in a waft of rose petals, resonate in the mouth. Neither opulent nor heavy, but revealing lively concentration and intensity, this wine exemplifies the savoriness of this unique growing season — a special profile that is unlikely to be repeated. The texture of this wine is soft, with an intriguing long-lived finish that reveals this wine’s subtle complexity and harmony.

Ratings

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Nov. 2013) 91 points
“Savory herbs, tar, licorice, ash, dark raspberries and wild flowers all emerge from Seavey’s 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Caravina. The 2011 is just a touch compact, but it nevertheless has plenty of energy. An intense, powerful wine, the 2011 needs another few years in bottle for the tannins to soften. There is no shortage of personality here.”

Vineyard Notes

Seavey’s 13th vintage of estate-produced Caravina Cabernet, the 2011, was made from grapes sourced from a unique tapestry of steep hillside blocks from the vineyard. The selected blocks were notable for their intense and youthful fruit with supple tannins. The 2011 vintage was challenging as it was marked by wet and cool weather that began in the winter and continued through mid-June, and then picked up again in mid-October. Our steep hillsides allowed us extended hang time and we harvested into early November, carefully handpicking our hillside blocks in sequential rolling harvests starting at the top and working down. Multiple small lots resulted that were then separately vinified and aged.

Production Notes

Seavey’s 13th vintage of estate-produced Caravina Cabernet, the 2011, was made from grapes sourced from a unique tapestry of steep hillside blocks from the vineyard. The selected blocks were notable for their intense and youthful fruit with supple tannins. The 2011 vintage was challenging as it was marked by wet and cool weather that began in the winter and continued through mid-June, and then picked up again in mid-October. Our steep hillsides allowed us extended hang time and we harvested into early November, carefully handpicking our hillside blocks in sequential rolling harvests starting at the top and working down. Multiple small lots resulted that were then separately vinified and aged.

100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED & BOTTLED, NAPA VALLEY AVA