Region: Napa Valley, California
Vintage: 2013
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
History: Thomas Brown is known for his ABC style of winemaking. He believes that he must first find the special terrain that can provide the quality of fruit that will allow the winemaker to make a great product. The next step is to ensure that the cultivation methods used are creative, smart, up-to-date, and sustainable for the vineyard and its neighbors. Lastly, he employs a minimalist approach to handling the juice even as he’s applying his fine artistic touch. This allows the DNA of the terroir to express itself. His unique philosophy embodies Old World indulgence with dirt with a blend of New World efficiency and execution in winemaking. He seems to have achieved the same perfect balance in his performance that exists in the wines he creates.
Tasting Notes:
“In the glass, the hue can best be described as a saturated purple with a dark violet rim. Aromas swell from the glass, inviting you in closer with notes of kirsch, purple lilac, baking spices, cloves, and spearmint. The palate experience is dense with surges of flavors suggesting black cherry, plum reduction, vanilla zest, currant and finely ground baker’s chocolate. While the center of the palate is defined by opulence, the periphery has a defined acidity that maintains a level of freshness throughout the wine’s trajectory and finishes clean with tart notes of red berries and florals. This wine shows up very well now after being decanted and will age gracefully in the cellar.” – Thomas Brown, Winemaker