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Cathedral Meritage
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes
Now, here’s a rare find indeed. A top-notch new Napa Meritage, based on an established blue-chip vineyard (which has supplied the Stag’s Leap and Silver Oak “Napa” cabernets, among others), that’s extremely limited in production – yet still less than $100 retail. And in the magnificent 2001 vintage to boot.
Emeritus Cellars is a Napa Valley star on the rise. It’s limited production cabernet, merlot and “Cathedral” meritage enjoy the pick of fruit from the Olive Hill vineyard (not to be confused with the Sonoma vineyard of B.R. Cohn), which is perfectly situated at the foot of Napa’s Mt. George. (It’s combination of deep, alluvial soils – laced with volcanic ash and mineral deposits from the mountain above – recalls many of Europe’s great grand crus.) As the only New York retailer to get an allocation of these “ultra-premium California reds” said, “you must try these magical wines to believe how sensational they really are!”
This is a truly serious California Meritage – with deep, rich, complex flavors, and a real capacity to age.
It is the magnificent, reserve-level “Cathedral” Meritage blend which is extra-special here. A blend of the very best lots of Emeritus’ cabernet and merlot (70% cabernet and 30% merlot), that has an even more powerful structure than the cabernet. But it’s so rich, opulent, lush and absolutely loaded with flavor, you hardly notice it. Now here’s an example by California’s 2001 vintage at its best. Drinkable now for its extreme richness of fruit, but set for many years of positive evolution in bottle.
The name “Cathedral”, by the way, refers to the atmosphere of this very special vineyard – with its peaceful solitude, Mt. George towering above it, and the brilliant luminosity in which its vines are bathed. This is a flat-out superb Napa meritage, and a brilliant example of this very special vineyard and vintage. It’s hard to believe we can still offer a 2001 Napa Meritage of this caliber for so little.
The production of this wine is extremely limited. Take advantage of it.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Click here to see additional Tasting Notes
Now, here’s a rare find indeed. A top-notch new Napa cabernet, based on an established blue-chip vineyard (which has supplied the Stag’s Leap and Silver Oak “Napa” cabernets, among others), that’s extremely limited in production – yet still less than $100 retail. And in the magnificent 2001 vintage to boot.
Emeritus Cellars is a Napa Valley star on the rise. It’s limited production cabernet, merlot and “Cathedral” meritage enjoy the pick of fruit from the Olive Hill vineyard (not to be confused with the Sonoma vineyard of B.R. Cohn), which is perfectly situated at the foot of Napa’s Mt. George. (It’s combination of deep, alluvial soils – laced with volcanic ash and mineral deposits from the mountain above – recalls many of Europe’s great grand crus.) As the only New York retailer to get an allocation of these “ultra-premium California reds” said, “you must try these magical wines to believe how sensational they really are!”
This is a truly serious California cabernet – with deep, rich, complex flavors, and a real capacity to age.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is, as you might expect, an absolute Napa archetype. Deep, rich and powerful – with more obvious structure than the Cathedral blend. It’s also more structured, I think, (and certainly less marked by oak) than either the Silver Oak or Stag’s Leap cabernets this vineyard has informed. What’s especially impressive here is the balance between the deep, chewy yet unmistakably cabernet flavors of the best valley floor vineyards with the greater power, intensity and thrust of the best mountain cabernets.
The production of this wine is extremely limited. Take advantage of it.
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