| Score: |
94 RP.
"The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Oliver’s Blend, which has 12% Merlot, is gorgeous stuff and showcases just how brilliant the Bordeaux varietals can be from the hillsides of Alexander Valley. The wine has an opaque purple color and a gorgeous nose of dusty, loamy soil scents interwoven with floral nuances, blackberry, licorice and dark, dark cherry. Very spicy and earthy, with a hint of new saddle leather, this wine spent 18 months in French oak, of which 72% was new. This is a terrific, full-throttle, beautifully balanced and pure wine that should drink well . . . . These wines come from a hillside 28-acre vineyard that, according to Philippe Melka, forms an almost natural amphitheater in Alexander Valley. The wines I tasted are the top cuvée, Oliver’s Blend, which in essence is largely Cabernet Sauvignon sometimes blended with some Merlot." Wine Advocate #221, Oct 2015 |