Pulido-Walker Melanson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

99 points - limited                             Rare new Cabernet from one of Napa's newest cult wineries. 99 Points Antonio Galloni (VINOUS): "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Melanson Vineyard emerges mostly from upper blocks on this site, a striking hillside that faces Colgin, where the steep exposure can yield wines of tremendous pedigree. That is exactly what comes through here. Inky red/purplish fruit, spice, rose petal, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco meld together effortlessly, with silky tannins that wrap it all up. Bold and luscious, but with tremendous nuance, the Melanson Cabernet is a total stunner in 2018. As I have written in the past, farming here has improved tremendously in recent years. This is another superb example of the quality that this site is capable of. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown gave the 2018 a relatively short 10 days on the skins. I imagine he thought the site would take care of the rest. It's hard to argue with that. The 2018 is off the charts great. Don't miss it." ...Proprietors Mark Pulido & Donna Walker started Pulido-Walker in 2010 with single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from the Panek Vineyard in St. Helena and the Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill. Sadly, their home on Mt. Veeder was one of the first to be destroyed during the recent wildfires in Napa Valley. Their young estate vineyard on Mt. Veeder, not yet in production, sustained minor damage according to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. The Panek and Melanson vineyards were undamaged and the Mending Wall Winery they use in St. Helena to make and store their wines escaped unscathed, so fans of these wines can expect business as usual here, even as the Pulido-Walker home is being rebuilt."

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