Accendo Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Exclusive new Cabernet from the former owners of Napa's Araujo WInery.  One of Napa's best new cabs. 100 Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is extraordinary. Inky, rich and explosive, with stunning depth, the 2018 is insanely beautiful right out of the bottle. Blackberry, mocha, licorice, red plum, spice, leather and cedar all build as this rich, explosive Cabernet shows off its pedigree. The 2018 is quite simply the finest wine I have tasted yet at Accendo. Far from an easygoing 2018, the Accendo Cabernet is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. A remarkable, mind-blowing wine, it is quite clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Vineyard sources are Vine Hill Ranch, Sleeping Lady, DMVH and Ecotone, which is pretty much as good, or great, as it gets." 98+ Points Robert Parker: "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Vine Hill Ranch and Sleeping Lady vineyards, the Cabernet Franc came from Diamond Mountain and the Petit Verdot is from the old Abreu Thorevilos vineyard (now called Ecotone). Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps from the glass with classic cassis, warm plums and boysenberries scents plus nuances of violets, lavender, pencil lead and menthol with hints of crushed rock and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness with super intense black fruit and earthy layers, finishing long and mineral laced. 995 cases were made. "I really love the 2018s," Accendo's winemaker, Nigel Kinsman, said of these recently bottled, upcoming releases. "It was a long, slow, cool vintage, and you had to have patience, but the wines have come together beautifully." ...As a reminder to readers, Accendo Cellars is Bart and Daphne Araujo’s new project, following the incredible success and eventual sale of Araujo Estate, now known as Eisele Vineyard, in 2013. They decided to take inspiration from another era in Napa’s rich history—that of the mid-twentieth century, when blending wines from vineyards throughout the valley was the norm. The Araujos explained that Accendo Cellars is about getting back to “old style Napa.” They are aiming to achieve wines of restraint and elegance and have this year selected to work with several vineyards, including Sleeping Lady, Vine Hill Ranch and Ecotone (formerly known as Abreu's Thorevilos vineyard). The 2018 vintage is beautifully captured in this lineup, revealing the freshness, subtle nuances and natural poise this vintage wants to give."

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