2018 Tor Kenward "Melanson Vineyard" Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard is a total stunner. Silky yet potent, with tremendous depth, the Melanson captures all the best this site had to give in 2018. Savory herb, leather, spice, rose petal, tobacco and incense all saturate the palate. This vibrant, structured hillside Cabernet needs a few years in bottle, but it is vivid and exceptionally beautiful, even in the early going. (AG)” (01/2022)

“The dark fruit and conifer are impressive and include blackcurrant and black cherry. Wet earth and black mushroom, too. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins and intense fruit. Yet, the tannins are chewy and powerful. Very mountain-fruit character. Needs four or five years to soften.” (12/2020)

“From a rock site on Pritchard Hill, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard has a killer bouquet of crushed stone, new leather, flowery incense, blackberries, and blackcurrants. Already complex and nuanced aromatically, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, expansive texture, plenty of ripe tannins, and a great finish. Give bottles 2-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following two decades. 95+” (01/2021)

“Greg Melanson’s vineyard on Pritchard Hill is very steep, with rows running up and down the hill directly across from Colgin Winery. Beyond Colgin, its rocky face looks down at Napa Valley’s floor. The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard is a little broody to begin, needing a good amount of swirling to reveal notes of chocolate-covered cherries, crème de cassis, molten licorice and preserved plums with hints of espresso, sautéed herbs and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with taut, muscular black fruit and supported by a firm foundation of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. (LPB)” (11/2020)