Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

This cuvée comes from a selection of vineyards in the finest areas of the Napa Valley, in California. The grapes come notably from Rutherford, Yountville, Chiles Valley and Calistoga, bringing together different expressions of this iconic American appellation.

The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, lightly macerated and then given a long cold pre-fermentation maceration. Fermentation starts with native yeasts, followed by post-fermentation maceration on the skins. The wine is then aged for 24 months in French oak barrels, 5% of them new.

This wine reveals notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, ripe plum, black cherry, crushed raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla, cedar, liquorice, mint, cinnamon and cardamom. The palate is velvety and generous, carried by broad fruit, rich but well-integrated tannins and balanced acidity. The persistent finish extends the flavours of black fruits, sweet spices and fine oak.

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors into California that boosted the Californian wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa regions. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 800 wine estates. From 1919 to 1933, Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the Californian wine industry, so much so that by 1933 only 140 estates were still producing wine. It was not until 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition, and California was mainly known for producing fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were founded (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc.). In 1976 a landmark event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgement of Paris". It pitted the greatest French wines against the American newcomers. On 24 May, an unexpected result shook the wine world when, to everyone's surprise, the United States came out on top. Yet this competition remains little known to the general public. Today there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Although California largely monopolises the fame of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and Washington State offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.