Pulido-Walker Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2018

By now the esteemed wines of Pulido~Walker need no introduction. With none other than the uber-talented winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown at the reins since the inaugural 2010 vintage, Mark Pulido and Donna Walker have fostered a devoted following with exceptional wines released year after year. Successive vintages were crafted with fruit sourced from two widely lauded locales: the Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill and the Panek Vineyard in Saint Helena. But now at long last, and with bated breath, we'd like to announce their very first, much-anticipated Cabernet Sauvignon from the Pulido~Walker Estate on Mt. Veeder! 

Almost a decade has passed since Pulido~Walker acquired 100 stunning acres, nestled on Mt. Veeder, at the southern end of the Mayacamas Mountains with views eastward across the breadth of the Napa Valley. During that time, Thomas and his team meticulously gathered soil and microclimate data before even beginning to put just one single rootstock in the ground. The result of all this extensive research is a mere 13 acres of vines further subdivided into 18 micro-blocks planted to four different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. Each unique site and clone contribute, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, to the complexity, structure, and powerful richness of the final estate blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2018 was a stunner of a vintage in the Napa Valley: with plentiful spring rains, and a warm even-keeled summer ripening season marked by a lack of heat spikes. Thomas chose to hand-harvest the four individual clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and ferment them in separate lots to isolate outstanding particular fruit characteristics. The wine was then racked into 100% French oak barrels (80% new) to gracefully age and evolve over the course of 20 months. The resulting wine practically barrels out of the glass with bold aromas of ripe summer blackberries, crushed slate, and savory plum pudding. On the palate, this wine is textured with juicy dark fruits and velvety opulence. This exquisite wine is still in its youth, if you just can't wait to enjoy it, it will open up beautifully with some decanting. We encourage patience as well because this gorgeous wine is a true cellar trophy!