Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 750ml

Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California

Notes from the Winemaker

With the 2014 vintage, a smooth and steady growing season that had only a few short heat spikes, I finally decided on 24 different wines, spanning six different appellations and 12 vineyard sites. Roughly 33% of the final blend came from Spring Mountain whose vineyard sites have soils composed primarily of volcanic loam, imparting fine tannins and delicate floral notes to the wine. To the east on Howell Mountain, we have two estate vineyards making up roughly 25% that contribute dark fruit characters, herbs and weight adding complexity and depth.

Reviews and Accolades

98 Points/Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A magnificent wine made the by the brilliant winemaker Chris Carpenter, who also works for the Kendall-Jackson empire at Lakoya and a handful of other estates, this blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot is sourced from multiple vineyards owned by the Jacksons, from Veeder Peak to Spring Mountain to Howell Mountain. In 2014, it reminded me of a great vintage of Pontet-Canet from Pauillac, but slightly bigger than life. The inky purple color, the stunning nose of cedar wood, unsmoked cigar tobacco, graphite, crème de cassis and subtle new oak is followed by a multi-layered, profoundly concentrated, large-scaled wine with sensational levels of blackcurrant fruit moving toward blackberries. A wine of great intensity, silky tannins and adequate acidity, this is clearly one of the great, great wines of the vintage, and another tour de force in winemaking from Carpenter. It is a 15- to 20- year wine, but the window for drinking its is probably that big as well.

98 Points/Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Cardinale is another awesome wine from winemaker Chris Carpenter, and I actually like it more than the 2015. A blend from multiple estate vineyards, its deep purple color is followed by a larger than life bouquet of sweet crème de cassis, scorched earth, graphite, tobacco leaf and spicy wood. A big, opulent, sexy wine, it has incredible grace and elegance as well as beautiful purity and a great finish. This is a tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon that does everything right. It's approachable today (as are almost all 2014s) yet is going to cruise in the cellar for another two decades or more. Bravo!

97 Points/Tasting Panel
Bright ruby color with a soft plum nose; bright cherry and boysenberry with notes of vanilla, toast, and spice; deep, intense, and ageworthy. Another Chris Carpenter masterpiece that’s incredibly elegant, precise, and generous.