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Cliff Lede Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Napa Valley 2021

ID No: 451007
Our Price: $169.00 $115.00
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 Wine Enthusiast: 97
Organic:Yes
Vintage:2021
Bottle Size:750 ml
Product Description

Cliff Lede Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Napa Valley  is made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc


The inaugural vintage of Rhythm couldn’t have come in a better vintage to flaunt the greatness of the Stags Leap District. Dark purple with vermillion-tinged edges, the plush and refreshing lures the taster with a multidimensional perfume that fills the glass with notes of jasmine, lavender, and spring flowers. Interwoven into the floral notes are unctuous layers of plum, blackberry, and black currants. Loads of smoked cardamom, cinnamon, and black licorice melt on the palate where vibrant acidity carries the long finish to a state of balance and equilibrium. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking.

 
Vineyard Notes
The Rhythm Vineyard is located on the subtle slopes of our Stags Leap District estate. Defined by two large hills at its southern border, this vineyard surrounds our winery and reaches west toward the Napa River. The Rhythm Vineyard’s soil is composed of gravelly loam of varying depths and rock content. The incredibly diverse soil profile enables us to farm several small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and additional Bordeaux varieties with unique combinations of clonal selections and rootstocks.


Production Notes
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process which includes our cutting-edge optical sorter, and a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity-delivered to small tanks by our unique crane system which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 69% of which were new.


Winemaker Notes
The inaugural vintage of Rhythm couldn’t have come in a better vintage to flaunt the greatness of the Stags Leap District. Dark purple with vermillion-tinged edges, the plush and refreshing lures the taster with a multidimensional perfume that fills the glass with notes of jasmine, lavender, and spring flowers. Interwoven into the floral notes are unctuous layers of plum, blackberry, and black currants. Loads of smoked cardamom, cinnamon, and black licorice melt on the palate where vibrant acidity carries the long finish to a state of balance and equilibrium. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking



Review:

Powerful, seamless and saturated with flavor, this giant of a wine goes deep in black currants, black cherries and mint aromas. The dense, rather firm texture holds a tasty mélange of black cherries and black figs shaded by cedar, cocoa, tobacco and espresso. It needs several years to open up. Best from 2028–2040.

-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points


Winery: Cliff Lede Vineyards

Cliff Lede Vineyards was founded in 2002 by Cliff Lede following the acquisition of 60 acres in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. With a focus on producing wines from estate vineyards, Cliff engaged industry experts to redesign and replant the majority of the estate. The plantings were so specific and precise to each soil type and exposure that, to keep track without having to refer to a clipboard, Cliff decided to name each block after some of his favorite rock songs and albums. From “My Generation” to “Dark Side of the Moon,” he created what is known today as the Cliff Lede Vineyards “Rock Blocks.” The winemaking team gets creative with this innovation, annually crafting a small-lot Rock Block Series “mash up” of two or more blocks, featured in the tasting room and wine club.

Farmed by Director of Vineyard Operations Allison Wilson and her team, the estate is split into two distinct vineyards in the northern corner of the Stags Leap District appellation. The steep, southwest-facing hillside vineyard that surrounds Poetry Inn is the Poetry Vineyard. It reaches from the valley floor up to the highest elevations of the appellation. This site is composed of a combination of shallow volcanic soils on top of fractured shale, which produces extremely concentrated berries. This iconic vineyard is the sole source for the winery’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Poetry. Next to the hillside, The Rhythm Vineyard sits on the valley floor surrounding the tasting room and winery. The soil is predominantly gravelly loam thanks to the two rocky hillsides on the vineyard’s southern border. The plantings on Rhythm Vineyard include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon.

The modern winery, designed by world-renowned architect Howard Backen and completed in 2005, combines time-tested techniques with innovative technology. The winery utilizes a three-tier sorting line including an optical sorting machine, which sorts grapes based upon quality settings established by the winemaker. A custom crane system gently delivers the berries to tank by gravity before fermentation. In 2011, a 300kilowatt solar panel field was installed to fully power the winery. Wastewater is captured for irrigation and an extensive cave system provides a naturally cool space for wines to age.

Cliff Lede Vineyards’ production is overseen by Director of Winemaking Christopher Tynan and Winemaker Travis Bullard. Wines produced include Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley; Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District; Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard; the Rock Block Series, Stags Leap District; Songbook, Napa Valley; and the flagship wine, Poetry, Stags Leap District, among others that are offered only to wine club members.


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The 2021 Shafer Hillside Select is crafted exclusively from grapes grown on Shafer's rugged hillside vineyards, where steep, rocky soils push the vines to produce low yields of intensely concentrated fruit. The unique terroir, combined with Napa Valley's hallmark climate of warm, sunny days and cool nights, contributed to a vintage with exceptional structure, lush tannins, and deep, vibrant color. The 2021 growing season exemplified these conditions, allowing the grapes to mature beautifully by early September, resulting in a wine with refined, pure aromas and flavors that reflect the richness and elegance of the vineyard.


“Such a beautifully balanced wine with tremendous staying power and expressive Stags Leap ironstone minerality with heady sagebrush and conifer notes with white pepper and walnut husk. The wine has an impressive depth of red-toned fruit on the mid-palate framed by tannins that practically dance across the palate, exuding length, tension, and power. Huckleberry and black cherry fruits, black truffle, dried violets, graphite, and salted dark chocolate are all framed by racy acidity, which keeps everything fresh and lifted. The 2021 releases mark Elias Fernandez's 38th vintage as Shafer's winemaker. He was hired by John Shafer in 1984, two weeks out of UC Davis.”
-Decanter, 99 Points

“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select was tasted as a barrel sample. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out with powerful notes of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and juicy blueberries giving way to an undercurrent of tar, candied violets, and star anise. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and impactful, delivering a firm, grainy texture and well-knit freshness to support the generous black and blue fruits, finishing long with loads of mineral and exotic spices sparks. This is impressive!”
-The Wine Independent, 98-100 Points


“As always, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that will spend 28 months in new barrels. Its deep purple hue gives way to a behemoth of a wine that has incredible cassis, black raspberry, and even blue fruits to go with loads of camphor, minty herbs, graphite, and darker chocolate. It's full-bodied, concentrated, yet pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a great finish.”
-Jeb Dunnuck, 97-99 Points


 99 Points
Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Chappellet Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 95% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Petit Verdot.

Chappellet's Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon has been, since the beginning of their winemaking career, the most sought after wine of their portfolio. The wine is truly a love letter to the winegrowing potential of Pritchard Hill. The wine was inspired by Bordeaux, and like most left bank Bordeaux, the wine is a blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with remaining amounts other classic Bordeaux blend varieties. The vines grow upon rocky, mountainside vineyards. After harvest and fermentation, the wine was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels. 


Review:

Such an attractive and alluring bouquet of violet florals, blue fruit aromatics, sagebrush, bay laurel, and toasty cedarwood. Medium to full-bodied with a wonderfully rich fruit-forward palate of succulent blackberry, plums, and black cherry, nuanced by an inviting minerality with an ironstone quality laced by dried sage. The tannins are palate-etching and crisp and resolve with a fineness that leaves an overall impression of total harmony. Best from 2025; ideally, you'd hold off until near 2030 and enjoy until 2050.

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 99 Points
Schrader Double Diamond Oakville Proprietary Red 2021

Double Diamond Oakville Proprietary Red is made from 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Franc.

"The inaugural release of the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine upholds the level of excellence expected from winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. It expresses a fragrant perfume of ripe red cherry, blueberry, and pomegranate, mingled with bell pepper, iron, and vanilla bean. On the palate, generous red and blue fruits are complemented by blackberry compote, dark chocolate, and espresso. The wine has silky tannins, food-friendly acidity, and a lingering finish. It is ready to drink upon release but will cellar well for years to come."


Details by Sinegal Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

If you look closely, you will notice the devil is in the details. The skull label is inspired by the ever-mysterious goat eyes, which are capable of seeing and sensing two things at once. The art conveys the double meaning behind the devil inside. The hieroglyphs tell their own detailed story within the goat’s skull.  What do you see?

 Review:

Coming from Sonoma and based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and smaller amounts of Petit Verdot, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Details is a smoking bottle of wine, as well as an incredible value. Darker berries, currants, scorched earth, lead pencil, and hints of chocolate all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a plush, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It's from Sonoma but will stand toe to toe with any number of Napa Cabernet Sauvignons that run two to three times the price.

-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points

 





 93 Points
Booker Fracture Paso Robles Syrah 2018

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Review:

The inky colored 2018 Fracture is another wine that’s going to push at the upper limits of the grading scale. Awesome crème de cassis, charred meats, graphite, plenty of minerality, and subtle oak nuances all flow to a powerful, full-bodied, beautifully balanced Syrah. Similar in style to the 2017 with its powerful yet elegant vibe as well as good acidity, it’s a magical Paso Robles Syrah in the making.

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 100 Points
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Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.

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Combe des Fous literally means, the hill of the fool. The hill, in this case, is located in the far southern reach of Le Crau which was left barren for many centuries because the layer of galets was so exceedingly deep that everyone assumed vines could never survive there. The fool in this situation is Edmund Tacussel, the great-great-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal Maruel who planted a Grenache vineyard on this site in 1905. That old-vine Grenache form the heart of this cuvée with a small amount of Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse. La Combe des Fous is only made in the best vintages.


Review:

Pumps out heady raspberry, mulberry and blackberry compote notes that keep form and direction, thanks to a roasted apple wood spine and flanking ganache, garrigue and warm earth notes. Seriously grippy finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points


The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous is a normal blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Vaccarèse and Cinsault. Beautiful, full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe black raspberries, violets, ground pepper, lavender, and herbes de Provence all emerge from this gorgeous barrel sample, and it shows the pure, fresh, yet still concentrated style of the vintage brilliantly.

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 Wine Spectator: 96 97 Points
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Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Clif Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap  is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.

Our Stags Leap District and Calistoga estate vineyards build the foundation of this wine with support from valued grower sites located in Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain. Composed of small batches from a variety of blocks of varying age, this wine represents a diverse range of carefully selected rootstocks and clones. Yields are maintained at sparse levels, with a focus on canopy management and vine balance. The resulting blend boasts a remarkable depth and complexity that is quintessential Napa Valley.

Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours. The freshly-harvested fruit immediately underwent rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which included our cutting-edge optical sorter. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank using our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of délestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from four to five weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 48% of which were new, for twenty-one months.

Elegantly soft and lithe the 2021 coaxes the taster with warm dark chocolate and luscious black cherry aromas. More graphite, chocolate cake, crushed mulberries, and iron notes leap from the glass. The entry is filled with dark fruit flavors of cassis, blackberry, and blue berries and they’re all tinged with floral notes of jasmine and violets. The polished tannins along the finish feel Cashmere-like and beg the taster for another sip. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking

 Review:

So silky and drinkable at the first sip, this well-concentrated wine feels tight and restrained with more tastes, holding its trove of black fruits, cedar, cinnamon and dark chocolate in a rich blanket of extra-fine tannins. Its complexity, layering and lingering finish are something special.  

-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points

 Wine Enthusiast: 94
Cliff Lede Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2019

Clif Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap  is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.

The fruit was sourced from the hillside terraces of our Poetry Vineyard, our Twin Peaks Vineyard estate surrounding the winery, and a few neighboring vineyards in the Stags Leap District. The wine is composed of small lots from our best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected clones and rootstocks.  From Poetry’s exposed, rocky terraces boasting volcanic origins, to the ancient riverbed alluvial soils of Twin Peaks, the breadth of contributing sites translates into a wine of impressive complexity.

Grapes were picked in the darkness of the early morning hours. The freshly-harvested fruit immediately underwent rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which included our cutting-edge optical sorter. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank using our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately seven days, and fermentations were managed via a combination of délestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from four to five weeks fine-tuned our tannin profiles, allowing us to perfect mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 38% of which were new, for twenty-one months.

Review:

This wine substantially overdelivers on its price point, presenting a dark fruit profile, generous tannin and oak, and an expansive full-bodied style. Blended with 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, it is approachable while never forgetting its structured, complex roots.
-Editors' Choice Wine Spectator 95 Points

 Wine Spectator: 95
Cliff Lede Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon 2021


Vineyard Notes
The Poetry Vineyard, carved into a steep west-facing hillside, reaches from the highest elevations of the Stags Leap District appellation to the valley floor. This vineyard draws its uniqueness from shallow, volcanic soils atop fractured shale. Due to the stressful nature of the site, planted with high vine density and farmed to very low yields, the vines develop slowly and produce small flavorful berries. The vineyard is planted to legendary, proprietary heritage selections of Cabernet Sauvignon.


Production Notes
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five-pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which includes our cutting-edge optical sorter and a slow, individual berry hand sort. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank by our unique crane system, which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles.


Winemaker Notes
There is an effortlessness and ease to the 2021 Poetry that springs from the continuity and familiarity of its caretakers and the experience of the vines themselves as their roots dig deep into the shallow unforgiving terraces of rock and rhyolitic crevices. Wafts of warm summer mulberries, fractured rock, and violet perfume envelop the glass. Wild blackberry preserves form the flavor on the entry and combine with tantalizing, black truffle, sea salt, and steak au poivre juices. Plush tannin swathes the finish and wraps the tongue in a mineral laden, majestic embrace where the flavors linger long and pleasingly -Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking


Review:

“The medium-bodied palate is so tightly wound at this youthful stage, slowly revealing layer upon layer of fragrant black and red fruits with loads of mineral sparks, supported by beautifully fine-grained yet firm tannins and seamless acidity, finishing with epic length and a whole firework display of mineral and floral notes. This is gorgeous. ” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent 100 Points

 100 Points
Cardinale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Cardinale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot.

Super structured and with minerality to spare, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers a real presence on the palate from start to finish. Generous notes of dark chocolate balance beautifully with a blue and black fruit flavor explosion, finishing with a subtle whisper of rose petal.

Reviews:

So much crushed lead pencil, tile and dried flowers, together with blackberries and brambleberries. Full-bodied with round, polished tannins. Layered and so delicious. Black olives and graphite at the end. This potpourri of Napa cabernet character takes your palate on a tour of so many of the regions, including all the mountains, such as Howell, Veeder and Spring Mountain, as well as Atlas Peak, Stags Leap, Yountville and St. Helena. Precision and polish to the wine. Drinkable now, but better to hold.

- James Suckling 98 Points


Pure, classic California notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, chalky minerality, graphite, and spring flowers emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot that's sourced from multiple mountain AVAs in the valley. Full-bodied and powerful on the palate, it has a deep, rich mid-palate, beautiful tannins, notable acidity, and a great, great finish. It's another brilliant wine from Carpenter that can offer pleasure today yet also evolve for 20-25 years or more.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points


 98 Points
Lexicon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Lexicon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Lexicon varietal wines are carefully selected by Fran Kysela to show the essence of each variety, along with its terroir of origin, both of which are essential elements of a good wine.

Lexicon Cabernet Sauvignon offers rich and concentrated fruit aromas of red and black currant, cassis and black cherry along with black pepper and dried herb accents. It is soft and generous in the mouth, intense and complex, with supple tannins and elegant structure.

Pair with: Grilled meat, ribeye steak, filet mignon, roasted lamb with fresh herbs, cheesburger, semi-hard cheeses, truffled brie, portobello mushrooms.

Pine Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Pine Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Petite Sirah, 5% Malbec.

While admiring the cranberry red hue, forward fruit aromatics of black cherry and cassis begin to make your mouth water before the first sip! On the palate, juicy notes of blueberry compote and cherry cordial meld seamlessly with hints of cinnamon and cream soda. The wine methodically transitions from the bright, round entry through the viscous midpalate and onto a broad-shouldered finish. This is where hints of clove, graham cracker and toasted marshmallow are juxtaposed with those of dark roast coffee and Bing cherry. This wine can be enjoyed now but will benefit from another 10 to 20 years of bottle age.


It pairs beautifully with a vegetarian chili and cornbread slathered in a generous helping of sweet cream butter.


Review:

Alluring nuances of rose petal, tobacco and cinnamon lead into a ripe, chocolaty palate of black cherries, cocoa and raspberries as a soft, velvety texture achieves a very smooth mouthfeel.

-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points

 Wine Enthusiast: 93
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