Groth 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley

#4 on Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019

All of the Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine comes from the 28 acre Reserve Block on Groth's Oakville Estate. Clusters are night harvested, allowing the fruit to remain cool for sorting and cold soak. Grape bunches are hand sorted, then de-stemmed without crushing; the berries go through a second hand sort, making sure only the best berries go into each small fermentation lot. The fermentation was carried out over a ten day period in small, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at an average temperature of 80 ̊ F. After fermentation the wine is racked barrel to barrel and aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak, followed by over a year of bottle-aging.

Wine Spectator scored this 96 points saying "This delivers a very tightly focused, almost piercing beam of cassis, raspberry coulis and bitter cherry fruit, scored with singed alder and iron notes. Incense and tobacco details chime in on the finish. Long and refined, with the fruit leaving a sweet and mouthwatering echo. Best from 2022 through 2038."