Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Audacieux Sugarloaf Mountain is a single vineyard and single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has deep berry flavors with a touch of dusty earth and spice. Elegant and balanced with plenty of structure, fruit, and natural verve, this wine can be enjoyed for many years to come. Produced and handcrafted by Ron Allen and Winemaker Chris Taddei.
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Napa, California
- Un-fined and unfiltered
- Aged 18 months in new and seasoned French oak
The 2016 Audacieux Sugarloaf Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine deliberately made to emulate the style of fine Bordeaux and embody the tradition of patience and excellence but also to embrace the fruit, texture, and roundness that has made Napa wine so famous. The 2016 Audacieux is an extracted full-bodied wine with layers of berry and dark stone fruit, a long finish, and elegant tannins that lend to a round and soft mouthfeel. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine is balanced and approachable now but will age well for decades and will continue to evolve with time.
Tasting Notes:
Audacieux Sugarloaf Mountain is rich ruby garnet color in the glass. Clean and focused aromatics exude deep berry, leather, tobacco, spice, and earth. The powerful yet refined flavors show dark cherry, cassis, and blueberry with undertones of leather, plum, and sage. The long satisfying finish exhibits warm blackberry, graphite, and dusty earth with soft tannins and mouthwatering acidity. This wine is soft and round and has great balance with an ethereal quality. It is a great complement to steaks, lamb, aged cheeses, pan-seared duck breast, and dark chocolate desserts.
Winemakers Notes:
This wine is both expressive and elegant in nature. The 2016 Audacieux rivals the characteristics of the finest Bordeaux yet couples the best qualities of the most sought after Napa Cabernets. The tannins are soft yet bring structure, while the fruit rounds out the mid-palate with spice and minerality, leading to a long and memorable finish sure to leave you wanting more. The flavors are deliberate yet subtle and not overpowering and the finish is long and includes notes of dark berries with soft yet attentive tannins. The overall mouth feel is round, soft, and pleasing.
Vineyard Notes:
The 2016 vintage of Audacieux is a Napa County single vineyard-designate from the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard south of the Coombsville appellation. This vineyard offers a unique terroir for Bordeaux varietals in the Napa Valley. Unlike warmer vineyards up-valley, the climate of Sugarloaf naturally provides a longer hang-time resulting in profound color and flavor intensity. Combined with southwestern exposure and a rock-laden soil harvesting the sun’s energy, this extraordinary terroir delivers the exceptional ripeness necessary for both the power and complexity required for great Cabernet. The 2016 vintage endowed Sugarloaf Mountain Cabernet with striking aromatic intensity, nuance, and depth. 2016 is considered among the best vintages of the decade and comparable to the 2013s for top honors in Napa Cabernet.