2022 Bella Oaks Proprietary Blend
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Despite GM Shae Kinsman's assertion that "it's not a black-fruit expression that comes out of this vineyard," the Bella Oaks 2022 Proprietary Red Wine offers up what I find to be generous amounts of black cherries and cassis, alongside a faint herbal note. A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot—the blenders come from Ecotone for now, while waiting for recent plantings at Bella Oaks to come online—it's a full-bodied wine, rich and somewhere between velvety and silky, with a long, elegant finish. It shows great intensity and length, with no trace of raisining, although I would call it more dark-fruited than red.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Certified organic. Deep purple. Whiff of leafy-green freshness with heavy, dense cassis. Floral but also very ripe. Meant for earlyish drinking. Broadens and fans out on the finish. Super-fine tannin with high but well-integrated acid. Cedary finish. (SCJ)
From this 22-acre site just in front of Staglin, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the stars of the vintage. Concentrated blackcurrants, black olives, tobacco, hints of chocolate, and loamy earth define the bouquet. Full-bodied and incredibly concentrated, it shows beautiful mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and an opulent texture. A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, this gorgeous wine will evolve for 15-20 years.
The 2022 Proprietary Red Wine is dense, plush and nearly seamless in the glass. Silky tannins wrap around a core of black cherry/plum fruit, espresso, leather and tobacco. Soft contours give the 2022 tons of immediacy. A wine of texture, depth and impeccable balance, the Bella Oaks is striking in 2022.