| Score: |
93 WA.
"The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon contains 7% Merlot and was aged 18 months in 50% new oak. Medium to deep ruby-purple, it has a mineral-driven nose of gravel dust, cassis, crushed black plum, bay leaf, soil and cocoa with notes of grilled beef, a classy framing of new oak spice and loads of red fruit accents. The palate is medium to full-bodied, rich and plush with mineral and spice seamlessly woven into the fruit layers. It's framed by über ripe, pixelated tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing long and seamless. 2,300 cases produced. Aperture completed a new winery in Healdsburg just in time for the 2019 vintage. The 20,000 square foot facility has all the bells and whistles a winemaker could want, including automated pump-over tanks and an optical sorter. “In 2017, you had to be meticulous with your sorting,” says winemaker Jesse Katz. “We had those incredible heat spikes. Even some of the rachises fried. And then, of course, there were the fires.” He notes that yields in 2017 were down and that fruit affected by fires or heat was bulked out. “You can make beautiful wines in a season like 2017,” Katz continues, “but only if you have the flexibility to heavily sort. The powerful, rich character of the 2017s also dictated that we leave them in barrel a little longer. So we used a lot of oxygen to begin and then moved to reductive methods, a classic technique I learned in Bordeaux—it’s what they do in challenging vintages. This is also the first time I did some light egg white fining.” Katz says that for him, aromas and textures are “the lifeline of wine,” and it’s certainly apparent in the glass. Across the board, the wines are intensely scented, layered and texturally stunning and represent some of the best Cabernets coming out of Sonoma County today." Wine Advocate Interim, Dec 2019 |