Vineyard 29 "29 Estate" Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
(St. Helena, Napa Valley, California) - [VM 94]

Tasting Notes:

The 2014 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon starts with beautiful notes of chocolate covered strawberries, then opens up into a luxurious balance of dark cherries and dark chocolate with marjoram and thyme. Intense black fruit on the palate with satin tannins and a lengthy finish of ripe fruits make this a cabernet that can be enjoyed now or aged for years to come. is offering pairs perfectly at our winery library
tasting with grilled beef tenderloin, a caramelized onion galette, charred broccolini topped with a compound butter of thyme, red wine and green garlic.

Vintage Notes:

The 2014 growing season marked the third consecutive year of drought in California. An exceptionally dry winter, with some of the coldest days on record, led to an early bud break and the start of the growing season. It was a decently early and smooth harvest, with one huge interruption – the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Napa Valley. Vineyard 29 was, fortunately, unharmed in the earthquake, but it left many vintners
working on repairs in the middle of harvest. Otherwise, ideal picking conditions led to a stunning vintage. Despite the low yields, the wines from 2014 are concentrated and have a serious richness.  

Technical Data:
Harvest Dates: September 8 – October 10, 2014
Barrel Age: 20 months, 85% new, 100% French Oak
Cooperage: Taransaud, Demptos, Ermitage, Baron
Bottling Date: June 7, 2016
Alcohol: 14.9%
Release Date: Fall 2017
Cases Produced: 740

Ratings and Reviews

94 Points - Vinous Media: 

"Bright full ruby. Complex, dark aromas of crushed cassis and black raspberry, licorice, cocoa powder, coffee and cedary cigar box. Seriously dense and stuffed with fruit; perhaps a bit less refined and harmonious today than the extraordinary 2013 but even sweeter in the early going and quite juicy for a wine from a drought year. This very rich, long wine finishes with sweet, horizontal tannins and subtle minerality. I should note that I tasted two other bottles of this wine of roughly equal quality, but both were tighter and more medicinal, perhaps in the process of shutting down. From a drawn-out harvest that started very early, on September 8, but did not finish until October 10." - Stephen Tanzer (April 2018)