| Score: |
100 RP.
"Absolutely sublime is the blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon (from the Richard Grace clone of Cabernet) and 2% Merlot from the hillside vineyards, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate. There are 750 cases of this profound wine, which was aged in 85% new French oak for 20 months prior to being bottled and filtered. This was planted in 1989, so the vineyards are a quarter-century old. Opaque purple, with notes of creosote, incense, spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, the wine has knockout ripeness, a multilayered, textured, full-bodied mouthfeel, but no hard edges, velvety tannin and a finish that goes on for a good 50+ seconds. This is the finest Cabernet Sauvignon ever to emerge from the 29 Estate and a credit to the proprietors Anne and Chuck McMinn. It should drink well for 30-35 years. Talking to proprietor Chuck McMinn on the eve of the 2015 harvest, he said this year’s harvest was even earlier than 2014, and that was the earliest ever! This magnificent estate just north of St. Helena on Highway 29 continues to turn out an array of enticing wines, including a limited-production, super-expensive, but brilliant Sauvignon Blanc." Wine Advocate #221, Oct 2015 |