En Primeur In Bond per 12x75cl
"Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 94/100
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is an outrageously beautiful wine. Readers who aren't able to find the vineyard designates won't be giving up in indulging in this hedonistic, voluptuous Cabernet from proprietors Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh. Layers of blackberry jam, chocolate, cloves and licorice build as this sumptuous Cabernet shows off its curves. The 2018 is not exactly subtle, but it sure is gorgeous. I loved it. Drink 2022 to 2033, Reviewed January 2021"
Thomas Rivers Brown is one of California’s most sought-after winemakers. He began his winemaking journey when he was hired at Turley Wine Cellars by Ehran Jordan in 1997. Since then, Thomas has become a renowned consultant winemaker for impressive Napa properties such as Schrader Cellars, Maybach, Double Diamond and Outpost to name a few. His own project is called Rivers-Marie, named after Thomas and his wife, Genevieve Marie.
A Napa blend from lots in Herb Lamb, Lore and Panek vineyards de-classified from the single vineyard bottlings. The 2018 Napa bottling feels very complete at this young age and breaking down this attribute is very simple when looking across the components: Panek provides the fruit, Lore provides the structure and Herb Lamb contributes some varietal savoryness. It’s hard to say if any particular vineyard component dominates the blend because you can sense shared characteristics from all the sites across the entire spectrum of the wine.
Black fruits dominate the aromatic and the palate. There’s a blue fruited acidity that punches in late showcasing the coolness of the vintage. Savory elements weave through the whole experience creating a classic Napa mouthfeel, something more akin to the wines from the early 90s than the early 00s. Tannins here are medium to medium plus which makes this very drinkable upon release. As with all appellation wines, we hope this gives you good insight into the quality and character of the vintage.
