2013 Reserve Claret

Like the 2013 Reserve Claret, this year’s Reserve Claret has a massive structure that guarantees it to be nearly immortal. The fruit is dense and ripe, with aromas of plum, baking chocolate, cedar, graphite and subtle floral notes. On the palate, the wine coats every surface of the mouth with its unctuous fruit, then gets comfortable and settles in for the long haul. Our Cabernet is our vision of the best of Pride’s estate, a blend of 62% merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% petit verdot that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. It is a beautiful illustration of merlot at its best - supple, round and rich with gorgeous fruit, but with the big size that merlot rarely achieves outside of a mountaintop setting. The hefty dose of Cabernet adds nuanced varietal character and even more size to this blend, contributing to its complexity and ageability, while the petit verdot brings acidity and subtle aromas of violet and freshly grated nutmeg. -- Winemaker Sally Johnson

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Appellation: Sonoma County
Vintage: 2013
Harvest: November 2013
Fermentation: Stainless Steel
Cooperage: French Oak
Blend: 62% Merlot
37% Cabernet Sauvignon
1% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.8%
Bottling: December 2015
Production: 450 cases
Release Date: March 2016
Release Price: $140.00

Reviews

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  • Wine Spectator: November 30, 2016 - Rating: 91

    Muscular tannins pair with rich fruit in this cellar-worthy wine, offering notes of red currant and cherry accented by crushed stone, dusty mocha and spice. Best from 2018 through 2028. 450 cases made.

    –TF

  • Wine Advocate: October 2016 - Rating: 98

    Close to perfection is the 2013 Reserve Claret, a blend of 62% Merlot, 37% Cabernet and 1% Petit Verdot, aged 22 months in 20% new French oak. There are 450 cases of this big boy (14.8% alcohol). This is a 30-year wine and a spectacular effort, with 14% coming from the Napa side of the property and 86% from the Sonoma County side. Dense opaque purple, with a glorious nose of chocolate, and espresso intermixed with mulberry fruit, blueberry and blackberry, it is fleshy, succulent, full-bodied, opulent and impressively structured. In fact, the 2013 tannic profile is alive in this wine, and thus I suggest 3-5 years of bottle age. Drink it over the following three decades.
    - Robert M. Parker, Jr. (October, 2016)

  • Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: November 2016 - Rating: 91

    Richness and ripeness are the usual calling cards of Pride’s ambitious red wines, and, if there is no shortage of either here, the latest Reserve Claret stands out equally for its structured solidity and ageworthy balance. It is a deep and dense effort with a wealth of well-extracted black cherry and currant-like fruit, but it is not one that should be poured before it has had the chance to grow out of its moderately astringent youth and into its very considerable best, and, if it will become more approachable in four or five years, it is certain to improve for a good many more.

  • California Grapevine: Vloume 43, February 2017 - Rating: 92

    2013 Pride Mountain Vineyards, “Reserve Claret,” 86% Sonoma County and 14% Napa County ($140) – Mediumdark ruby color; attractive, fragrant, spicy, black cherry, dark currant, and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of dried herbs, leather, mocha, and graphite; full body; rich, fleshy, well balanced, elegantly styled, red and black fruit flavors with firm acidity and a pleasing mouthfeel; medium-full to full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very approachable and appealing to drink now, and also has potential for further development with bottle aging. Very highly recommended. 14.8% alcohol; 450 cases; blend of 62% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon (CS), and 1% Petit Verdot (PV); released March 2016. (Group Score: 16.6 of 20 points, 2 of 11 first-place votes/3 seconds/0 thirds; My Score: 17 [92 of 100 points], first place)