2019 Typesetter, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

92 PTS, James Suckling
"Notes of dark berries with dried rosemary and sage. Hints of spices and dry earth, too. Full body. Sleek and polished texture with fine, silky tannins and delicious dark fruit underneath. Lingering finish. Very polished. Drink or hold." 

2017
90 PTS, Wine Enthusiast
This fine Cabernet Sauvignon was produced out of a very high end, hillside estate winery in Calistoga. It was created as a blend from 4 different blocks on the estate and blended together to make a very complex, concentrated and dense wine that is everything you expect in a $100+ bottle from the Napa Valley, because this is what it is. From time to time producers fall behind in sales and need to raise cash and this is how TYPESETTER was created. The Napa Valley is a small community of growers and winemakers of which I am a member. One of my winemaker collegues offered this wine to me before showing it to the market and I jumped at the opportunity. To offer this wine at a cost 75% less than what it normally does is a great opportunity of an unprecedented value to a market full of high quality, but very expensive Napa Cabernets.
This wine is made from grapes grown from low yielding vines at 2.8 Tons/Acre on a hillside. The grapes were hand picked, sorted and fermented in small batches. The wine aged in 50% new French Oak barrels for 20 months and racked 5 times. Simply put, this wine received royal treatment; the evidence is in every bottle.

The wine is an inky dark plum/purple color with deep concentrated aromas of cassis and black cherry notes with a hint of tobacco and tanning leather. The palate is rich and silky with firm but approachable tannins laced with classic vanilla and mocha notes. The finish has a touch of astringency which is akin to high cacao chocolate. This wine is ready to drink now but will improve in the cellar through 2040.

This Cab is a natural with prime aged Rib Eye steak or Prime Rib with a baked potato and sautéed spinach. It will do well with any grilled meat dish and it finishes very nicely with fine chocolate desserts if there is still some wine left.