2011 Snowden 'Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Winemaker Notes:  Our 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has always been marked by balance, focus, and precision, rather than brawn. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, winemaker Diana Snowden Seysses chose to embrace, rather than fight, the unusually cool 2011 growing season. She did not chaptalize, reverse-osmose, add domestic yeast, tannins or extractive enzymes, nor overheat or overwork the must. She made a wine for cellar aging -- to build on its youthful vibrancy, purity, and patrician elegance. The 2011 Reserve honors our vineyards, our site, our tradition, and the vintage. When the '11 was first released, we spoke of "complex aromas of cedar wood, lavender, Christmas spice, raspberries, black cherries, a hint of menthol, slatey minerality, and long, fine-grained tannins." In 2013, critic Antonio Galloni, writing in Vinous, called the '11 a "gorgeous wine ... (s)weet red cherries, wild flowers and spices ring out on a refined, textured finish that leaves a lasting impression." It's all there, and much more. This is a rare opportunity to add a professionally aged, decade-old wine to your cellar to enjoy now or anytime over the next several years.