Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, California

Tasting Notes

This Cabernet Sauvignon is brilliant ruby in color with hints of purple at the core. It is an approachable, any occasion wine, with concentrated notes of plum, blackberry, and anise. On the palate it is fruity and firm with classic flavors of cassis, huckleberry, plum, coffee bean and toasty oak. A wine that drinks beautifully upon release or could be cellared 5-10 years.

The beginning of the 2019 growing season was defined by copious rainfall. The long, warm summer saw very few extreme heat events, with foggy mornings setting the stage for vibrant and expressive wines. The long, relatively mild finish to the season, not without its moments of unpredictability, helped to preserve freshness and finesse in the fruit with abundant hang time teasing out great color, structure and soft tannins. Volume is average to a little less than average. All in all, exceptional fruit with bright acidity and ample texture promises an amazing vintage.

The grapes are exclusively hand-harvested. During fermentation the colors, flavors, textures and aromas are naturally extracted from the skins. At approximately 14 days, the fermentation is completed, and we drain the tanks, remove the skins and then gently press to capture the remaining juice. It is then transferred into small French oak barrels (66% new French oak) and aged for 18 months. Blending Notes
Thoughtfully sculpted, the 2019 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of three complementary varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon provides the depth and structure; Petite Sirah imparts exotic spices and violet floral attributes, and Petit Verdot ties the blend together with additional structure and vibrant aromas of primrose and subtle sandalwood

along the northeastern hillsides of Napa Valley, high above St. Helena. Farmed sustainably, certified Napa Valley Green and Fish Friendly, these vineyards exemplify a generational commitment to responsible farming.

Grape Varieties: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Petite Sirah
Total acidity: 5.8 g/l
pH: 3.75 pH
ABV: 14.8%
Production: 6,394 Cases

Tasting Notes

Just seeing the inky-purple hue of the wine as it is pouring into the glass awakens and excites the senses. The bouquet opens with aromas of black cherry, boysenberry, chocolate-covered espresso bean, and violets with just a touch of cinnamon, mint, and sage lying underneath. These flavors are found on the palate as well, which is rich and full-bodied with a velvety tannin and fresh acidity that lead to the long, lingering finish. Distinct flavors of dark cocoa can be found resonating on the back palate. A wine that drinks beautifully upon release could be cellared 5 to 10 years.

February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences and evenings—for which Napa Valley is known—virtually uninterrupted by any major heat spikes. This created a uniformity across vineyards allowing vintners to mark a slow, steady course in canopy management and other viticulture practices leading up to harvest. The relatively milder summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for winemakers to let their fruit accumulate flavor complexity along with a gradual increase in sugar levels. This day-by-day development of soft tannins & bright acids means that we have been able to slowly bring in the grapes at just the right moment, resulting in elegant, opulent, and perfectly ripe fruit.

The grapes are exclusively hand-harvested. During fermentation the colors, flavors, textures and aromas are naturally extracted from the skins. At approximately 14 days, the fermentation is completed, and we drain the tanks, remove the skins and then gently press to capture the remaining juice. It is then transferred into small French oak barrels (66% new French oak) and aged for 18 months. Blending Notes Thoughtfully sculpted, the 2018 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of three complementary varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon provides the depth and structure; Petite Sirah imparts exotic spices and violet floral attributes, and Petit Verdot ties the blend together with additional structure and a vibrant aroma of primrose and subtle sandalwood.

The genesis of Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is in the Michael Mondavi Family Vineyards, nestled along the northeastern hillsides of Napa Valley high above St. Helena. Farmed sustainably and organically, certified Napa Valley Green and Fish Friendly, the vineyards exemplify a generational commitment to responsible farming.

Grape Varieties:  90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Petite Sirah Total acidity: 5.9 g/l pH: 3.78 pH ABV: 14.5% SRP: $40.00 Production: 6, 151 Cases

Tasting Notes

Reminiscent of classic Napa Valley elegance, the Emblem Cabernet Sauvignon also embraces a modern ripe style by weaving in a small percentage of Petite Sirah to lift the aromatics and add plushness to the palate. Black currant, broken cacao and a wisp of eastern spices from the French oak provide structure and a graceful finish. Hints of floral from both the Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot are exotically layered over the plum and bramble based fruit notes.

The winter of 2017 provided ample rainfall to invigorate the vines, providing them with the nutrients and water stores to carry a balanced crop through harvest. A tepid spring led to bud break a few days behind previous vintages, yet a consistently warm Spring and Summer afforded wonderful ripening and sunlight across the grape clusters. The early Fall was dry, warm and breezy pushing the grapes to maturity, leading to a lovely harvest with small berries that added to the intensity of the vintage.

The grapes are exclusively hand-harvested. During fermentation the colors, flavors, textures and aromas are naturally extracted from the skins.At approximately 14 days, the primary fermentation is completed. The tanks are then drained, then the skins are removed and gently pressed to capture the remaining complex juice.Finally the young wine is transferred into small French oak barrels (66% new French oak) and aged for 18 months. Blending Notes: Thoughtfully sculpted, the 2017 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of three complementary varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon provides the depth and structure; Petite Sirah imparts exotic spices and violet floral attributes, and Petit Verdot ties the blend together with additional structure and a vibrant aroma of primrose and subtle sandalwood.

The genesis of Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is in the Michael Mondavi Family Vineyards, nestled along the northeastern hillsides of Napa Valley high above St. Helena. Farmed sustainably and organically, certified Napa Valley Green and Fish Friendly, the vineyards exemplify a generational commitment to responsible farming.

Grape Varieties:  90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Petite Sirah Total acidity: 5.9 g/l pH: 3.78 pH ABV: 14.5% SRP: $40.00 Production: 6, 151 Cases

Tasting Notes

The 2016 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a ripe and plummy wine with chocolate and hazelnut undertones. Medium to full body, round tannins and a flavorful finish. Well balanced, with a soft and layered mouth feel make this wine a simply delicious expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Able to age or ready to enjoy now.

2016 was another early year in Napa Valley with ideal weather conditions! No rains during flowering and crop was more plentiful than previous year. First rainstorm arrived October 14, 2016 so vineyards were able to progress to perfect ripeness.

The grapes are exclusively hand-harvested. During fermentation the colors, flavors, textures and aromas are naturally extracted from the skins.At approximately 14 days, the fermentation is completed, and we drain the tanks, remove the skins and then gently press to capture the remaining juice.It is then transferred into small French oak barrels (66% new French oak) and aged for 18 months. Blending Notes: Thoughtfully sculpted, the 2016 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of three complimentary varietals -Cabernet Sauvignon provides the depth and structure , Petite Sirah imparts exotic spices and violet floral attributes, while the Petit Verdot ties the blend together with additional structure and a vibrant aroma of primrose and subtle sandalwood.

The genesis of Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is in the Michael Mondavi Family Vineyards, nestled along the North-eastern hillsides of Napa Valley high above St Helena. Farmed sustainably and organically, certified Napa Valley Green and Fish Friendly, the vineyards exemplify a generational commitment to responsible farming.

Grape Varieties:  90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Petite Sirah Total acidity: 5.9 g/l pH: 3.78 pH ABV: 14.5% SRP: $40.00 Production: 6, 151 Cases

  • 2023-02-06

    90

    points

    James Suckling, February 2023

    "A balanced and fresh Cabernet with pine needles, fresh plums, blackberries, currants and herbs on the nose. It’s full-bodied, with firm and fine tannins. Fresh and mineral at the end. Drink now or hold."

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TRADE & MEDIA ASSETS /////////////////

2019 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – 90 points, James Suckling – Sell Sheet

2019 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintage Notes

Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle – 2019 & After

2018 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintage Notes

2017 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintage Notes

2016 Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintage Notes

Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Non Vintage – Label

Emblem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle – 2018 & Prior