Partridge, Richard
Napa Valley, California
Cabernet Sauvignon
2001
$37.99
14.0%
Opaque black core, thin rims of brick red with more yellow than orange, no visible sediment, looks about its age. Cedar, leather and potpourri lead the nose, smoky but the oak mostly knit in and unobtrusive, the plum, cherry, blackberry fruit beginning to trail off, lacks an earthy anchor, comes off foursquare. Medium-bodied, round and soft with hardly any tannin to speak of. Here you still get the caramel, molasses oak as well as grill smoke. Abundant potpourri perfume followed on by damp cedar, incense, lavender. Runs a bit hot, this lessens the innate juiciness of the blackberry, currant, plum fruit. Even allowing for this lack of full integration there's enough going on to keep you sipping. Likely better about 5-6 years ago.
88 points