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Le Pich, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

California, United States 2015 (750mL)
$55.00
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SommSelect

Le Pich, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Like the Golden Eagles that soar above their vines, Le Pich’s Cabernet possesses the perfect interplay of power and grace. And, just like spotting this breathtaking creature in its natural state, experiencing a bottle of Le Pich leaves a lasting impression. Being a sister label of Purlieu, whose wines start at $100, many may assume Le Pich is a lesser wine simply because of its lower price, but that couldn’t be further from the truth: Le Pich accomplishes everything one could hope for in Napa Cabernet—luxury and lift that belies its humble price point.
This will undoubtedly please any full-bodied red wine drinker, and I can make such a blanket statement because of the man behind it all: Julien Fayard. This is a young, yet already legendary winemaker well-practiced in elite luxury labels. He honed his craft at none other than Lafite-Rothschild and Smith-Haut-Lafitte in Bordeaux, then took his talents to Napa, where he worked with Quintessa, Dana, Dalla Valle, Lail, and many others. In an interview with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Julien stated that he took “...a Burgundian approach to Cabernet Sauvignon,” which shows across all of his seamlessly textured wines. Introduce this luxurious gem at an upscale party; gift it to the most hard-to-please aficionados; or pull the cork during an intimate dinner. Thankfully, with up to six bottles available for purchase today, your options don’t have to be limited!
Before Julien Fayard became one of the industry’s hottest names, he worked (and briefly lived) at First Growth Château Lafite-Rothschild, and after a stint with another prestigious château, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Julien left Bordeaux for Napa in 2006. He began working alongside acclaimed winemaker Philippe Melka at his wine consulting firm. Since then, Julien has branched out to leave his own, unique footprint, having started some of his own projects—Purlieu (and its sister label, Le Pich) being one of them. In today’s bottle, you’ll find Cabernet from some of the top vineyard sites in the sub-appellations of Coombsville, Rutherford, and St. Helena. 

As is true in Burgundy, Napa holds incredible diversity within its vineyards—this stretching valley is filled with various microclimates, which is why Julien tailors his farming to each plot. In the same Robert Parker interview, Julien goes on to say: “No two rows are farmed the same way. In Burgundy you can have 25 producers making wine from one vineyard. I try to understand exactly what I’m doing when I make a decision, from pump-overs to the types of tanks used for aging, the diversity of the tanks, the temperatures of the fermentations, all those little things have an effect on the wine.” For his 2015 Le Pich, each Cabernet parcel underwent different processes in the vineyard and winery, all of which culminated in a final blend of 100% Cabernet that aged for 20 months in 80% new French barrels.

Le Pich’s 2015 Cabernet display a deep, dark-purple core that shows complete opacity all the way out to a magenta and crimson-hued rim. As with his ‘Burgundian approach’ there is great elegance and aromatic lift on the nose, but this is unmistakably richly layered Cabernet. It’s a conundrum how Cabernet sourced from some of Napa’s most coveted sites can drink this well so early, but with a 60 minute decant (or longer, if preferred) the explosive nose reveals basketfuls of ripe black and red plums, black cherry liqueur, star anise, currants, bay leaf, boysenberry, purple flowers, rose petal, graphite, turned earth, cigar box, and exotic baking spices. The palate is full and silky, showcasing ultra-ripe black and red fruits alongside wonderful freshness, edible flowers, and intoxicating hints of spice and crème de cacao. Le Pich has nailed the harmony of finesse, power, and luxuriousness in a single bottle and despite its uncanny ability to drink well in its youth, it will push into 2030 with ease, with its peak coming around its seventh or eighth birthday. Give this proper air if consuming in its youth and make sure to drink slowly over several hours in large Bordeaux stems. Enjoy next to pan-seared bison steaks and for those who aren’t faint of heart, prepare a quick herb butter sauce for that extra level of sumptuosity. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesNapa Valley
Soil
Various
Farming
Sustainable Practices
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon 100%
Alcohol
15.3
OAK
80% New French
TEMP.
65
Glassware
Large Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
1-2 Hours
Pairing
Pan-Seared Bison Steaks

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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