Trefethen 2018 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 2018 is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot, 2% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc all sourced from their Main Ranch Estate vineyard. The wine aged 18 months i 52% new French oak barrels.

For the second year in a row the Decanter World Wide Wine Awards selected this Cab as Best in Show with a Platinum Medal and a 97 point score. They said "For the second year running, it’s an Oak Knoll Cabernet which has carried the Best In Show torch for Napa, underlining the fact that this spot in the Valley seems to be ideal for mingling Napa’s diagnostic generosity and depth with an expressive finesse and an approachability which both appeals to our judges and chimes with the wine world’s zeitgeist. The wine is still dark black-purple, and the aromatic currant and berry fruits are blue, tender and enticing, with skilled and seamless oak integration. On the palate, the wine has weight and depth -- but what you really notice in this 2018 vintage is its purity and inner energy; the weight and depth follow on after, but don’t overwhelm from the start. The seamless integration of acidity and brisk tannin, too, is another mouthwatering hallmark -- of skilled winemaking, or the place? Who’s to say?