Trefethen 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley

Trefethen Estate winery is one of the few in Napa Valley that's never bought any grapes. All of their wines are produced with grapes sourced from their estate vineyards, mostly the 61 vineyard blocks that make up their Main Ranch. The establishment of the Oak Knoll District AVA in 2004 is in large part due to Trefethen's presence there. Just south of Yountville and Stag's Leap, Oak Knoll is one of the coolest regions in the Valley. The Cabernet ripens slowly over an extended season developing complex flavors.

This 2017 is a blend of  87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot aged 18 months, 51% new French oak barrels and it was awarded a "Best in Show" Platinum Medal and 97 points in the Decanter World Wine Awards. They said "One of the compelling reasons for the 'nesting' of Napa's AVAs is to prove just how different the Valley's sub-districts can be, something that this wine from Oak Knoll makes admirably clear. The wine is a dark opaque black, but its soft, respiring resins and calmly ordered fruits alert the drinker from the aromatic profile alone that the wine has nothing monstrous or disproportionate about it. It's ripe but supple and graceful, with as much juicy acidity as textured tannins: drinkable, accessible and fresh. The Napa hallmark of opulence is there in the succulent grain of the fruit, but in every other respect this is deft, finely judged midweight."