Brandlin Estate owner Thomas Schmidheiny gets the short version of his name on this barrel selection of the best the property has to offer, and it’s a blockbuster, featuring only Cabernet Sauvignon in the mix. Extracted in what I’ll call a “fortissimo” style, it’s textbook full throttle Cabernet with blackberry, currant and violet aromas, bold black fruit flavors and easy oak spice that offsets the fruit nicely. I wouldn’t hold this too long – the youthful vitality is what this is all about.
Brandlin Estate, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
By Rich Cook