2017 Long Shadows Feather Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Bright ruby-red. Musky scents of cassis, black raspberry, dark chocolate, menthol and sexy oak, plus hints of graphite and soil. Plush, fine-grained and sweet on entry, then energized in the mid-palate by a floral quality. This suave but youthfully backward wine is savory as much as sweet, with substantial dusty tannins arriving early and cutting off the fruit today. But this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon has the energy and intensity for a graceful evolution in bottle. It may be a bit less dense than the '16, a wine whose likely aging curve I may have underestimated, but it offers lovely pliancy and floral lift. My sample developed beautifully with 24 hours in the recorked bottle, with the tannins showing more suavity and a finishing note of bitter chocolate contributing sweetness. Lay this one down.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Currently still tight, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather has classic Cabernet aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, currant and cassis, plus notes of graphite, pencil shavings and seductive oak tones. Full-bodied, the wine is both juicy and rigid and will need time to settle. The palate is focused and precise, showing an aesthetic frame of fruits before moving toward a compact mid-palate with spices and gripping tannins, ending with a long and thoughtful finish. I recommend cellaring this for a few years. The wine will age for a couple of decades, so be patient. Randy Dunn, ladies and gentlemen! Wow!
I always love this wine, and the 2017 Feather is no exception. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and brought up in 88% new French oak, it has loads of black fruits, dark chocolate, graphite, and charcoal aromatics as well as a full-bodied, concentrated, backward style on the palate. It's terrific, but don't open bottles for at least another 3-4 years.