Rivers-Marie Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Thomas Rivers Brown and Genevieve Marie Welsh started Rivers Marie in 2002 making single variety wines made to reflect the vineyard & vintage from which they came. Focusing on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet, the wines are usually sold through the mailing list only - limited. This drinks way above its price point and may end up being the best QPR Cabernet they have ever released. previous vintage 95 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Starting with the least expensive release, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley makes you wonder why you would spend more on the top cuvées. This full-bodied, fruit-forward, yet deep, layered beauty gives up complex notes of crème de cassis, graphite, incense, and candied violets. It’s as seamless and balanced as they come and is a beautiful wine to drink over the coming 15-20 years." Winemaker Thomas Brown: "I can't think of a better way to create our Napa blend than by combining lots from Herb Lamb, Lore and Panek.  This is the first time we have had enough of certain sites to declassify significant portions into our appellation bottling.  Not only does this help this bottling but it has made Herb Lamb and Panek much stronger wines when compared to their 2016 editions.  The 2018 Napa bottling feels very complete at this young age and breaking down this attribute is very simple when looking across the components:  Panek provides the fruit, Lore provides the structure and Herb Lamb contributes some varietal savory-ness.  It’s hard to say if any particular vineyard component dominates the blend because you can sense shared characteristics from all the sites across the entire spectrum of the wine.  Black fruits dominate the aromatic and the palate.  There’s a blue fruited acidity that punches in late showcasing the coolness of the vintage.  Savory elements weave through the whole experience creating a classic Napa mouthfeel, something more akin to the wines from the early 90s than the early 00s.  Tannins here are medium/medium plus which makes this very drinkable upon release.  As with all appellation wines, we hope this gives you good insight into the quality and character of the vintage.  We think you will be very pleased with what you see."

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