2016 Brand Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
A bigger, richer wine and my favorite of the trio, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is all varietal and spent 22 months in 70% new French oak. It’s fabulous wine that has both power and elegance as well as complex blue fruits, crushed flowers, lavender, and forest floor aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with sweet fruit galore, perfect balance, and plenty of underlying structure, I suspect it’s best forgotten for 4-5 years, but it should cruise for 2-3 decades. These Brand releases come from a vineyard on Pritchard Hill that’s owned by Ed Fitts. (It was originally planted by Josh Clark starting in 2005.) The wines are made by Philippe Melka.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Brand's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. Bright and focused for such a big wine, the 2016 offers tremendous aromatic nuance to play off its intense, inky dark fruit. Lavender, spice, menthol, crème de cassis and a dollop of new French oak develop in this powerful, unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with tons of personality. The Cabernet is mostly a blend of the higher elevation parcels on the property.
Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Pritchard Hill aged for 22 months in 70% new French oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is very deep garnet-black in color and opens with a compelling nose of blackcurrant cordial, warm black berries, black raspberries and Black Forest cake with touches of spice cake, Sichuan pepper, hoisin and cedar chest plus a hint of camphor. The palate is full-bodied with a firm level of very ripe, fine-grained tannins and beautiful freshness supporting the perfumed black fruit layers, finishing very long. 500 cases produced.
Brand's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. Bright and focused for such a big wine, the 2016 offers tremendous aromatic nuance to play off its intense, inky dark fruit. Lavender, spice, menthol, crème de cassis and a dollop of new French oak develop in this powerful, unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with tons of personality. The Cabernet is mostly a blend of the higher elevation parcels on the property.
About the producer
BRAND is a boutique Napa Valley winery based on Pritchard Hill, known for producing limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon and proprietary red blends from estate mountain vineyards.