2018 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch
Community Tasting Note
tyfabes Likes this wine:
Friday, January 5, 2024 - What an absolute treat!
Opened this up and put a small splash in a glass before throwing the rest into a decanter. This one is definitely not a pop and pull, but you are rewarded if you have the time and patience to give this one at least 3 hours of air. If you're in a pinch, 90 mins would work, but I wouldn't want to drink this any sooner.
The nose is intoxicating. Dark fruit dominated with swaths of minerality, hints of tobacco, and a good balance of oak driven vanilla. The palate carried forward everything from the nose, and there's no mistake this is quite a brooding wine, while still managing to have the precision and depth you come to expect with Francoise. We consumed this over about 90 mins and the last sips saw this bottle turning more red fruit dominated with the tannins becoming a bit drying.
If you're opening now, I think the sweet spot for this wine is between 3-6 hours of air, preferably drinking near the 4 hour mark after the decant.
If there is knock on this wine right now, it's that the nose had a bit too much vanilla for my liking after an extended decant. It's not something I've noticed on the 16s or 19s I've tried more recently, and I don't recall this when tasting with Bruce back in 2021. Hopefully with more time in the cellar, it won't be an issue, but wanted to acknowledge it, as it was a surprise.
97 now with potential for 2-3 more points of upside in the next 2-5 years!
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6 comments have been posted
10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (3,051 views)
Comment posted by AGELVIS:
1/6/2024 8:52:00 AM - Appreciate the excellent preview. Cheers and Happy New Year TYFABES!
Comment posted by Mark1npt:
1/6/2024 8:58:00 AM - Totally agree with you on this one! It is a fabulous wine. So much going on in the glass......
Comment posted by tyfabes:
1/7/2024 7:27:00 AM - Cheers and Happy New Years, AGE!
Mark, this one definitely didn't disappoint!
Comment posted by MJP Hou TX:
1/8/2024 5:35:00 AM - Glad this bottle got going for you. My last bottle was locked down so tight that I'm convinced this needs to be stored offsite and forgot about for a long time. Maybe bottle or barrel variation?
HNY!
Comment posted by tyfabes:
1/9/2024 7:23:00 PM - MJP, that's unfortunate! This is the first 2018 from my allocation that I've popped, so I don't have any other data points, but given how this wine showed in the first 90 mins, I would have certainly agreed with you. It did really come around with 3 hours of air, but given your experience, there must be something else in-play!
Comment posted by MJP Hou TX:
1/12/2024 4:58:00 AM - Must have been! Not to worry has I've got a hefty stash for the long haul and I'll pull another one in a few years.
re: VHR, I just got a three pack of 09's in that need to settle. I'll be opening one of those soon!