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Buoncristiani Family Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon

California, United States 2013 (750mL)
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Buoncristiani Family Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon


The four Buoncristiani brothers, Matt, Jay, Aaron, and Nate, began crafting their first wines in their father’s garage in Napa’s Browns Valley. After years of mentoring under their vigneron father as well as numerous wineries across the valley, the brothers channeled their hands-on experience into the Buoncristiani Family Winery in the late 1990’s. The family is passionate about sustainable agriculture and strict viticultural practices that nurture the lifeforce of the vine, whether it is in their vineyards or with carefully selected growers. This incredible Cabernet was sourced from small lots of hillside fruit on Howell Mountain and Coombsville and includes well-known vineyards such as Ink Grade, Stagecoach, Hossfeld and Richard Bennett. The resulting fruit is pristine, perfectly ripe and poised for greatness.
 
Each parcel is separately fermented, pressed and aged for one year in French oak. Following aging, the wine is blended through several phases to achieve the greatest complexity, balance, varietal character and structure. This 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon includes a small fraction of Malbec, which contributes to the magnificent final result. The blend is then aged a total of twenty months in 85% new French oak and is bottled without fining or filtration. The finished wine is a near perfect example of that modern style of Napa Cabernet that flaunts richness of fruit and opulence with just the right amount of lift on the pallet. Once you experience this wine, it will immediately become apparent why it has garnered such a following in the press and on the market.
 
The 2013 Buoncristiani Napa Valley Cabernet displays a dark, opaque ruby red and purple core with magenta and garnet reflections on the rim. On the nose, ripe blueberry compote, blackberry, cassis, slightly dried black plum and wet violets intertwine with notes of cacao nibs, leather, tobacco, pencil lead and baking spices from the high-quality new oak. On the palate, the rich and dense sensory experience delivers a full-bodied, mouth-coating wine of beautifully ripe with preserved blackberry, boysenberry and black cherry that slowly delineates into flavors of chocolate, leather, tobacco, turned earth and exotic spices that drive the long, incredibly concentrated finish. This wine is a pure joy to drink this very minute and will be at its best between its 5th and 10th birthday while the luscious fruit it still intact. Service temperature is key. Ideally, pour this wine in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees to enjoy its perfect composure. This unctuous red is a perfect fit for a slow-roasted leg of lamb on a cool summer night.
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesNapa Valley
Soil
Various
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (small addition of Malbec)
Alcohol
14.5
OAK
85% New French

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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