Sabotage 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Here's a new Napa Cab worth taking notice of. It's 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec sourced from St. Helena, Atlas Peak and Diamond Mountain. The Mountain fruit specifically came in at an even pace and with well developed fruit character and bright acidity. The wine was aged for 20 months in 100% French oak, 40% new. The Wine Advocate scored this 92 points and said "This is the very first vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend, sourced from St. Helena, Atlas Peak and Rutherford. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon features notions of baked blackberries, plums and warm cherries with hints of spice box, licorice, cedar and menthol. The medium to full-bodied palate has a soft-spoken, understated character with approachable tannins and a chocolate mint-laced finish." and Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 92 points and said "This wine delivers handsomely for the price, made in a style that embraces balanced herbaceousness and moderate ripeness. Sage, cedar and graphite accent a sizable underlying grip of tannin that should mellow with age and a vibrant layer of black fruit adding context." And finally, this Cab was a Platinum Award winner with 95 points in the 2017 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition. They said "An enticing nose of bright red fruit and dill gets you into the glass, and while the palate is quite oak driven at present, the wood should integrate in time and leave an elegant wine. Unusual for Cabernet from this area, but quite interesting."