Cabernet Sauvignon comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The folks over at Pina Napa Valley have been farming grapes in the valley for a long, long time. They manage lots of property and have access to many different lots of terrific fruit. The Pina Family uses some of that fruit to make some site specific wines, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. Because of their focus on vineyard designate wines, their portfolio really highlights quite a few areas throughout Napa. Here’s a look at one of their current releases.
The Pina 2009 Buckeye Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a single vineyard effort. All of the fruit for this wine came from the namesake vineyard which sits on Howell Mountain. At the time of harvest the vines had between 6 and 12 years of age on them. The Pina family purchased this property in 1996 and released their first wine from it in 2000. This offering is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. After fermentation it spent 20 months aging in entirely French oak. This wine has a suggested retail price of $85. Aromas of bramble, vanilla bean and crème fraiche emerge from the ready and willing nose of this Cabernet. The palate is studded with dark fruit flavors; black raspberry and black cherry are of particular note. Black pepper spice and a wisp of nutmeg is in play as well. The finish is lush and plush with velvety fruit, espresso and a bevy of earth and roasted espresso notes ringing out with conviction. All of these are joined by a copious amount of spice. The tannins are firm and gripping.
This is a fine example of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The rugged, gripping tannins and blast of pure fruit are just part of this Cabernet Sauvignon’s charm. If you’re going to drink this wine now, decanting it for 2 hours or so is recommended. However if you’re patient this will age effortlessly for the next decade and a half. In either case you will be enjoying a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.