2011 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon

We are incredibly proud of our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is a beautiful wine and one that clearly demonstrates the advantages of our unique mountaintop location and of farming our own property with a full-time vineyard crew.  After all of the hard work in the vineyard and in the cellar, the finished wine is just as rich, ripe and balanced as you would expect from us.  The nose is the essence of cabernet sauvignon with concentrated blackberry, plum, cassis, resin and subtle menthol.  On the palate, the wine is round and full while retaining a delightful freshness and a finish that lingers.  This is a wine that will show well early in its evolution but age beautifully, and one that was definitely worth the effort!  

Surprisingly, the timing of the 2011 harvest wound up being quite similar to 2010, with most of our grapes being harvested in early to mid November and fermentations completed in early December.  Individual lots were aged in French oak, about 50% new, for 18 months prior to final blending and bottling in July 2013.

 

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Appellation: 62% Sonoma
38% Napa
Vintage: 2011
Harvest: November 2011
Fermentation: Stainless Steel
Cooperage: French Oak
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Merlot
3% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.2%
Bottling: July 2013
Production: 5193 cases
Release Date: November 2013
Release Price: $70.00

Reviews

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  • Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: August 2014 - Rating: 90

    2011 may not be a vintage where ripeness is universal, but Pride's full-scaled Cabernet suffers no shortfall in fully ripe fruit and juxtaposes creamy oak with a touch of milk chocolate and well-defined cherries and currants in both its ample aromas and constant, impressively filled flavors.  It is still on the tough side but no more so than serious young Cabernet routinely is, and it should show a bit of much needed polish some six to eight years hence.

  • California Grapevine: Volume 40, June 2014 - Rating: 90

    2011 Pride Mountain Vineyards, 62% Sonoma County and 38% Napa County ($70) – Medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, fragrant, spicy, currant and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of dried herbs, tobacco leaf, and green olive; full body; rich, fleshy, currant and dark fruit flavors; full tannin; some harshness on the finish; lingering aftertaste. Needs a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended. 14.2% alcohol; 5,193 cases; blended with 5% Merlot and 3% PV; released November 2013. (Group Score: 16.2, 2/2/1; My Score: 17 [90/100], second place)

  • Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: Online - Rating: 90

    Bright, moderately saturated red-ruby.  Cassis, licorice, tobacco and tea on the varietally expressive nose.  A step up in intensity and density from the merlot, with good vinosity giving the berry, pepper and herb flavors a sappy quality.  Boasts a better integration of acids and tannins than the merlot.  The crop level was very low here due to winedy conditions that resulted in shatter during the flowering. 

  • The Wine Advocate: October 2014 - Rating: 91

    The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is outstanding. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, it was aged 20 months in 40% new French oak, and there are nearly 5,200 cases. A strong effort in this vintage, it boasts ripe black raspberry and blackcurrant fruit intermixed with underbrush and dusty, loamy soil characteristics. The complex aromatics are followed by a beautifully poised, pure, medium to full-bodied Cabernet with silky tannins and a precocious, lush personality. It can be drunk now and over the next decade.