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Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley
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With Cabernet of this quality, Ed believes in taking a minimalist approach to winemaking. Vinifying the fruit from each vineyard separately, Ed and his long-time winemaking partner Laurie Hook used tailored pump-over techniques for optimal extraction, and then aged the wines in hand-selected, custom-toasted barrels of new French Nevers oak from coopers with whom they have long-established relationships. The winemakers put the wines through 100-percent malolactic fermentation for added complexity and softness, and aged them just over two years before Ed selected the blend that he felt layers the personalities of the vineyards into a harmonious whole. The final blend showcases aromas of black berries, toasty oak, mint, white pepper and cocoa. Black fruit, cassis, caramel, vanilla, brown spices and hints of rose petals coat the palate as ripe supple tannins extend throughout the long finish.
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"Rich, dense and chewy, with ripe plum, blackberry, fresh earth and mineral flavors, framed by smoky, cedary oak. Intense and persistent, ending with a mix of cherry and currant fruit. The tannins are firm but ripe. Needs time. Best from 2009 through 2018." -Rated 93, Wine Spectator
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"The final blend for the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve has turned out fabulously. The wine’s dense purple color is accompanied by a rich, sumptuous bouquet of creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, chocolate, toast, and spice box. It possesses fabulous fruit, low acidity, a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long, pure finish. This cuvee remains one of the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignons of Napa. In vintages such as this, it is capable of lasting 20-25 years." -Rated 95, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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"This is a big, rich, flashy Cab. It’s very ripe, brimming with jammy blackberry, currant, chocolate-covered raisin and spicy olive flavors. Drinks soft and opulent in instant appeal, but doesn’t seem like a longterm ager. Best now through 2010. — S.H. (2/1/2008)" -Rated 88, Wine Enthusiast
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"Medium ruby. Welcoming aromas of black raspberry, chocolate and sexy oak. Lush, layered and sweet, with superb energy and depth to the black raspberry and bitter chocolate flavors. The longest on the aftertaste of these 2004 cabernets, finishing with very suave tannins and lovely aromatic persistence." -Rated 94, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
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"Polish rather power is the forte of this refined look at Cabernet, and, from beginning to end, keen and carefully oaked curranty fruit is the wine's main motif. Unlike so many of its high-tannin, very ripe kin, this one manages to be solid without sprawling and speaks with both a clear voice and a certain restraint. Mind you, it stints on neither richness nor depth, and its fine sense of balance tags it as a wine that will develop nicely with age even while not needing lengthy cellaring." -Rated 90, Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines
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