The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2016

Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/661678

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 63 of 132

april 2016  /  the tasting panel  /  63 Sequoia Grove 2013 Chardonnay, Napa Valley ($27.99) The 2013 Chardonnay has a beautiful acidic drive to it. A streak of lemon blossom needles through a core of fresh Golden Delicious apples, coupled with a wet stone minerality. The wine also emits a savory, lees-y quality, thanks to twice monthly bâtonnage. Sequoia Grove 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($41.99) The 2013 leans more hedonistic than the prior vintage. The wine seduces with dark, earthly fla- vors such as black currants, coffee grounds, graphite and tar. It's also very gratifying texturally, a wash of plush tannins coating the palate. Sequoia Grove 2011 Cambium, Napa Valley ($109.99) Cambium is stunning in 2011, the cooler vintage only accentuating the elegance of this wine. It exudes an entic- ing herbaceous- ness—aromas of violet, cassis, spearmint and crème de menthe escape from the glass. On the palate, the wine sits broad with a lush black plum core of fruit and ample, but soft tannin structure. The wine shows an inviting trajec- tory, fattening on the mid-palate and waning to a long, rewarding finish. Sequoia Grove 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($41.99) The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon rests in tranquil harmony. There's a pleasant, cooling blue fruit quality to this wine—a mélange of blueberry and blackberry compote—along- side a red plum juiciness and softened by a violet pastille character. Never overripe or heavy, the 2012 sings stunningly today. TASTING NOTES All prices are suggested retail. great wine doesn't have to be big and chewy to be fabulous and long- aging. Balance can get you further than big tannin. We're not bound by the 75% Cabernet minimum," referring to the minimum blend of Cabernet Sauvignon required to label a wine as a Napa Cabernet. He continues, "we're going to nurture Cambium slowly to become our icon wine. We look forward to growing that label." This flexibility allows winemaker Molly Hill to fully utilize her creative prowess when blending each vintage of Cambium, crafting a wine that highlights what is inside the bottle instead of just what is printed on its exterior. Both Hill and Trujillo have spent most of their careers with the winery, not uncommon for Sequoia Grove. Hill explains, "Sequoia Grove has been around since 1980. We keep our employees happy and we've had the same employees for 20 to 25 years, including our Cellar Master and some folks in our tasting room staff. I've been here almost 15 years. All these people live and breathe for Sequoia Grove." This commitment to those who work there help keep Sequoia Grove "old school." As a final note, Trujillo adds, "I think Sequoia Grove still embodies what Napa Valley used to be back then: small and focused on the region." Victor Dedushaj, General Manager at New York's Benjamin Steakhouse and The Sea Fire Grill, enjoys pairing Sequoia Grove's Cabernet with a rib eye. PHOTO: TIMOTHY MURRAY PHOTO COURTESY OF SEQUOIA GROVE

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Tasting Panel magazine - April 2016