2016 Brand, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Case of 3 Btls

JD97 A bigger, richer wine and my favorite of the trio, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is all varietal and spent 22 months in 70% new French oak. It’s fabulous wine that has both power and elegance as well as complex blue fruits, crushed flowers, lavender, and forest floor aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with sweet fruit galore, perfect balance, and plenty of underlying structure, I suspect it’s best forgotten for 4-5 years, but it should cruise for 2-3 decades. These Brand releases come from a vineyard on Pritchard Hill that’s owned by Ed Fitts. (It was originally planted by Josh Clark starting in 2005.) The wines are made by Philippe Melka.
RP96+ Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Pritchard Hill aged for 22 months in 70% new French oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is very deep garnet-black in color and opens with a compelling nose of blackcurrant cordial, warm black berries, black raspberries and Black Forest cake with touches of spice cake, Sichuan pepper, hoisin and cedar chest plus a hint of camphor. The palate is full-bodied with a firm level of very ripe, fine-grained tannins and beautiful freshness supporting the perfumed black fruit layers, finishing very long. 500 cases produced.

AG96 Brand's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. Bright and focused for such a big wine, the 2016 offers tremendous aromatic nuance to play off its intense, inky dark fruit. Lavender, spice, menthol, crème de cassis and a dollop of new French oak develop in this powerful, unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with tons of personality. The Cabernet is mostly a blend of the higher elevation parcels on the property.