2013 The Farm Cabernet Sauvignon Cardinal
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Tasting notes
Youthful purple. Smoke- and spice-tinged black and blue fruit, pipe tobacco and woodsmoke scents, along with an exotic overtone of Indian spices. Palate-staining flavors of ripe cherry, black currant and spicecake are given structure by a spine of juicy acidity. Gains weight with air while retaining vivacity and finishes sweet and impressively long, displaying repeating spiciness and smooth, slow-building tannins.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2013 Cardinal offers up perfumed, youthful black currants and blackberry notes with touches of violets, dried herbs, incense, cigar box and cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied and beautifully poised on the palate, it delivers intense black berry and spicy layers with a lovely line of ripe, finely grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing with excellent persistence.
Made in a fresh, elegant style, the 2013 Cardinal is 100% old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon, from 50-year-old vines, that spent 27 months in new French oak. It offers notes of black raspberries, toasted bread, cedar spice-box and dried flowers. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with fine tannin, it's already approachable, yet I suspect will evolve nicely on its balance and harmony. This estate was created in 2009 by Santiago Achaval of Argentina’s Achaval-Ferrer. These are first rate wines possessing classic, elegant characters as well as ample fruit.