2019 Memento Mori, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Another wine that will be a candidate for perfection in 7-8 years, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a mix of sites (Dr. Crane, Las Piedras, Vine Hill Ranch, Weitz, and Oakville Ranch) and spends 22 months in new barrels. Reminding me of the 2016, it has remarkable purity in its cassis and darker fruits as well as some obvious minerality, full-bodied richness, perfect balance, and building, subtle notes of violets, graphite, and chocolate. A brilliant wine, hide bottles for 4-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more.

Made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon opens somewhat reluctantly with cedar and baking spice scents, eventually giving way to a tantalizing core of Black Forest cake, blackcurrant cordial and candied violets with a waft of black raspberries. The tightly wound, medium to full-bodied palate is taut with ripe black fruits and a fine-grained textured, delivering loads of perfumed layers on the long finish. Stunning.

Memento Mori is a cult Napa Cab made by Sam Kaplan (also the winemaker at Arkenstone, among others), sourced from some of the top vineyards in Napa, such as Beckstoffer Dr Crane, Beckstoffer Las Piedras, Oakville Ranch, Vine Hill Ranch and Weitz. A glass-staining opaque ruby colour gives way to layered aromas of graphite, blueberry, chaparral/shrubland, florals, pie crust and baking spices. Super-concentrated flavours of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry follow, with fine-grained tannins and cedar lift from 22 months in 100% new French oak, and a sumptuous, earthy dark chocolate finish.