Vinous 91+
(14.5% alcohol; includes 11% Petit Verdot): Bright, full ruby. Very youthful, stubbornly unyielding scents of dark fruits, violet, tamarind and mocha. Then round, fine-grained and thick on the palate but with its dark fruit flavors a bit muted behind a scrum of wild meatiness. This very dry and uncompromising wine is best today on the ripely tannic, slowly mounting finish, which leaves behind a sweet impression and a note of wildflowers. Still needs time to absorb more of its tannins. [Stephen Tanzer, 04/01/2017]
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035
Robert Parker 93
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals the vintage’s burly, masculine, and muscular side. The wine is stacked and packed with fruit, extract, tannin, and muscle, but possesses much less suppleness and complexity than the 2005 or the sweetness of the 2007. The 2006, with chocolate, scorched earth, blackberry, and espresso roast notes, is shut down and dense at present, but is impressive, although in a backward style. This wine needs to be forgotten for at least 5-6 years. It is a powerful wine, but don’t touch it before 2013, and drink it over the following three decades. (Release date 10/09) As I said last year, there is a strong argument to be made that this is the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Napa Valley. Sadly, Mary Seavey, long-time wife of Bill Seavey, passed away just before my visit, and my heartfelt condolences go out to her husband who, along with his wife, were visionaries with regard to what could be achieved on these dry-farmed hillside vineyards tucked away in Conn Valley, east of Meadowood Resort. Their winemaker is the brilliant Philippe Melka, who has always said that the challenge is not with the complexity or quality of the fruit, but rather taming what can be the savage tannins that can emerge from these hillsides. He has done just that, and along with Bill Seavey, introduced perhaps the best second wine in all of Napa Valley, the Caravina. Keep in mind that I have Seaveys going back to 1990 in my cellar, and they are still young wines, so this is a wine that can easily hold up for 25+ years when well-stored. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon (the production varies between about 725 to just over 1,000 cases depending on vintage conditions) tends to be anywhere from a minimum of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon to as much as 92-93%, with the balance always Petit Verdot, and over recent years, no Merlot whatsoever. Tel. (707) 963-8339; Fax (707) 963-0232 [Robert M. Parker, Jr., 22/12/2008]
Anticipated maturity: 2013-2043
