Heimark Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 750 ML

95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): “The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon shows a more elegant, restrained side of this site. Bright red berry fruit, cedar, spice, licorice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco are all beautifully delineated. The 2017 is a bit lithe in build, in keeping with the style of the year. This supremely, polished Cabernet has so much to offer. The 2017 is an exquisite wine. I would give it a few years to soften. Drink: 2025-2042. (Jan 2021)”

HARVEST NOTES
The 2017 growing season tested the resilience of the vines, through constant heat in the mid-summer and harvest after a wet winter. The vines well-developed and deep root systems were able to take advantage of copious winter rains to help push through late season dry and hot conditions. Although the heat was worrisome, canopies were still turgid and provided shade for the developing clusters. The elevation of the vineyard and its nestled position in Dutch Canyon helped to keep the extreme temperatures more manageable, while summer irrigation played a part in maintaining the fruits development of rich flavors. As the weather normalized, we began harvest on September 13, when healthy grapes reached a flavor, sugar, and weight that excited us. Harvest was not without its challenges as we fought the moderate heat, harvesting the remaining tonnage in late September. After twenty-two days of fermentation, the wine was aged in French Oak barrels for twenty months before bottling.

TASTING NOTES
The 2017 Heimark Cabernet Sauvignon wine is redolent of wild herbs: thyme, bay laurel, fennel, chaparral, cloves, and star anise. Succulent fruit notes of black cherries, plums, together with uplifting floral aromas of lavender and fennel pollen are all supported by the wines classical structure resulting in an expressive, generous and inviting wine with depth and lift. The wine is both dense and powerful, racy and decidedly elegant. Persistent and lingering flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate, and a loamy minerality give way to a beautiful interplay of richness and energy.