2013 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard

Community Tasting Note

Cristal2000 Likes this wine:

97 Points

Sunday, January 8, 2017 - WOW, the nose on this wine is UNBELIEVABLE! Just amazing complex notes of expressive blue/black fruit and stark minerality. You can smell this wine from across the room. A coiled up monster on the pallet, if you don't give this about 12 hours in the decanter you'll be chewing through a tannic wall the size of Everest. As big, broad and enormously built as they come, this is stacked full of layers with a finish that goes for days. Probably a 40yr+ wine. Give it another 10 years or so.

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5 comments have been posted

Comment posted by csimm:

1/20/2017 3:56:00 PM - 10 years?! Crap, I was afraid you'd say that. I had the 2014 True after the winery had double-decanted it for 24 hours, and it was beautiful, but indeed still in need of some serious time in the cellar. I also had the 2012 standard Cabernet not too long ago and only gave it an hour or so of a decant...that was a mistake on my part... I still felt like it needed another 3-5 years to work itself out. These Outpost wines are more long-term than I had anticipated, but they seem to have some great potential for sure. Thanks for posting the note!
Comment posted by Cristal2000:

1/20/2017 4:56:00 PM - I can't even properly describe how ridiculously amazing the nose on this wine was...just phenomenal. These mountain wines really need some time, and the True just that much more. That said, it is very enjoyable to drink even in its youth with a long decant. It's really hard to imagine the 2014 being better than the 2013, but I'm excited to find out. The 100pts had it sell out in an hours. Amazing. Glad I got my order in early!
Comment posted by csimm:

1/21/2017 7:53:00 AM - Me too. Nice to have some bottles to play with over time. The 2014 True is ridiculously good in my opinion and seems easily worth the three digit score. It too had a crazy bouquet, texture, and endless finish. And QPR-wise they haven't elevated their prices (given recent accolades over the past few years), which is always a sign of a winery I like to stay with across vintages.

I've been sitting on my 2013s and trying to ignore them for now... and it sounds like I should forget about them for an even greater chunk of time. Thanks for the scientific sacrifice on one of your 2013 True Cabs.
Comment posted by Cristal2000:

1/21/2017 10:45:00 AM - Certainly true re: staying with the winery based on conservative pricing policy. Maybe the least expensive TRB single vineyard. Surely the cheapest with these high scores from him. I always find it interesting the pricing of the wines made by the big boys: Melka, TRB, Welch, etc. I often wonder if price has anything to do with how much the winemaker charges. Seems that ALL Melka wines are more expensive. Not sure why.
Comment posted by csimm:

1/21/2017 1:49:00 PM - Surely some winemakers who have a "name" can and do charge their clients more than some of the others not as well known. I'm sure it's a number of other factors as well. If you want to put Andy Beckstoffer's name on your wine, for example, you are paying a premium; obviously that gets passed down to the customer - Beckstoffer himself has said he is not just selling grapes, but "in the business of selling a branded product." Anyway, who you are and what your reputation is (to include how RP and other professionals have "branded" you), has to play into the $$$.

I think then the more subjective "pricing philosophy" of the winery comes into play. Larkmead and Dan Petroski want to charge as much as they possibly can, thinking that the more money you charge, the more the perception of quality is attached to your wine and your operation. Petroski has personally said to me that he wants to charge as much as possible, because his wines are "worth it." Schrader jacked up their prices and a lot of folks jumped ship. Others, Outpost for example, seem to understand there is a reasonable sweet spot for wine pricing. Hey, $125 a bottle isn't cheap by any means, but it seems fair given the totality of what it represents. It's like any other business I guess...you can price yourself right out of the market if the perception is that you're too greedy, especially if your product isn't something everyone "needs" and is more of a luxury. I enjoy wine very much, and I'll spend money for that luxury (kinda like going on vacation - you know you're paying too much, buy 'Hey, we're on vacation!")...but I grow increasingly put off by wineries that just don't seem to care one bit about customer service (and pricing is a reflection of that). I'll take my business elsewhere at that point. Anyway, sorry for the rant, I find the business aspect interesting (and sometimes disappointing) as well.