2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes

Blackberry, tart cherry, and warm cassis waft from the glass, with notes of nutmeg and black pepper. This dense yet subtle wine has a well-rounded palate of huckleberry, red rope licorice candy, and cherry cola, with bitter chocolate, cinnamon, and a sweet tobacco finish. Time in French oak barrels served to balance this structured and energetic yet surprisingly soft wine. Atypically polished tannins and balanced acidity lead to a weighty, extended finish sure to stand the test of time.

Ratings

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Dec. 2020) 96 points
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Seavey Vineyard is incredibly polished and sophisticated in 2018. The Seavey Cabernet usually needs time in bottle, and yet the 2018 is so incredibly appealing today. Although not quite as hefty as it can be, the Cabernet is beautifully persistent, suave and elegant right out of the bottle. Hints of cinnamon, dried flowers, tobacco and leather grace the mid-weight finish.”

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Spring 2024) 96 points
“This is reserved in feel, with a deep well of dark currant, fig and blackberry paste flavors that show lushness and length but are being held in check for now by a cold cast iron curtain. There’s also range, with alluring echoes of violet, ink and alder that are coiled in the background. Offers plenty of density and structure, though, to let everything meld in the cellar. Just patie11ce required. Best from 2026 through 2044.”

Vineyard Notes

Seavey’s 28th vintage of single-vineyard estate Cabernet Sauvignon comes from grapes grown on steep hillside blocks, which we have now been farming for over forty years. The 2018 year began with steady February rainfall, followed by a mild spring and early summer. The growing conditions were near-ideal, with steady sun during the day and cooler marine influences at night. The result was an impressively generous crop. Our Cabernet grapes were harvested in late September and early October.

Production Notes

Seavey separately harvests, vinifies, and ages each vineyard block of our grapes. Our winemaking follows classic Bordeaux methods with whole-berry fermentation. In the cool of the early morning harvest, grapes from our 2018 harvest were promptly de-stemmed. In order to carefully manage the tannins and resulting wine texture, the uncrushed berries were gently transferred into fermentation tanks. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels (60% new) for 20 months before bottling in June 2020.

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