Review: 2009 Pina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons
We’re longtime fans of Pina Napa Valley, which makes exclusively Cabernet from a variety of single-vineyard parcels throughout the Valley. The 2009 bottlings are hitting the market now, all showing much riper, more velvety character than when I sampled them from barrel in 2010. Here’s what your investment (not insignificant) will get you.
2009 Pina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon D’Adamo Vineyard Napa Valley – Planted at the foothills of Atlas Peak, D’Adamo is not in a particular AVA other than the more general Napa Valley designation. Inky purple in color, it offers traditional chocolate, raisin, and plum notes, almost in a dessert-like structuring. Lush and easy to drink. B+ / $75
2009 Pina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Ames Vineyard Oakville – The fruitiness is pulled back here, giving this wine a little more room to spread its legs. Less sweet, the tannin structure shines through more clearly here, with more of a dark cherry character tinged with olives. Could stand a few more years in bottle to let the flavors mingle a bit more, but ready to go today. A- / $85
2009 Pina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Firehouse Vineyard Rutherford – Cuts a similar profile to the Ames Vineyard bottling. Easy-drinking now, with a cherry and plum profile atop a slightly more acidic body. B+ / $85
2009 Pina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wolff Vineyard Yountville – Not a vineyard you hear much about, this Yountville wine is perhaps my favorite of this batch. Ready to drink now, it’s heavy on the berry flavors, with a strong blueberry character coming along strong as the finish builds. Alongside that, bittersweet chocolate, tea, and nutmeg. And yet it’s not overly dessert-like. This wine can stand on its own or, with its lush (yet not coating) body, match well with food. A / $85
2009 Pina Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon D'Adamo Vineyard Napa Valley
$75
About Post Author
