2018 Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Community Tasting Note
csimm wrote:
Saturday, August 24, 2019 - Mike Smith 2018s & 2017s - Myriad, Quivet, Scarlett, Becklyn, and others (Saint Helena): Equally dark as the regular sample, the Reserve fires-off with a serious streak of minerality and a tannic backbone that immediately frame-out and control the electric fruit just waiting to explode. On the attack is a measured and chiseled delivery, with plenty of concentration and skillful extraction to create both a highbrow and a sensual shape. The Reserve behaves much like the Elysian does with its elevated locked-and-loaded application as well as conveying its succulent fruit core with appetizing appeal. Not as overtly flamboyant as the standard Scarlett at the moment, this Reserve offering ultimately impresses for its focus and knife-blade accuracy of execution from front to back. Finishes like a 6’2” German runway model’s skintight skirt; precise, stimulating, and mesmerizing.
This instantly reminded me of the beguiling 2015 Scarlett Reserve (which was a 99-100 point wine for me last time I had fun with it). The 2018 has a near-identical profile, with just a bit more spine-forward attack in its current state. This will need a few years in bottle before it will produce a like level of extravagance as the 2018 standard Scarlett now. 96-99+ points for the Reserve.
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8 comments have been posted
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (6,386 views)
Comment posted by PIZZAandBAROLO:
9/19/2022 8:30:00 PM - Greetings Mr. (Master??) CSIMM,
Have you had the opportunity to try the '19 wines from here.
I ask only bc I ordered 3's of each offering and was hoping to hear some of your feedback, here,. on the streets of CT ;)
Gotta know what they're saying on the street lmao
Hope all is well!
Comment posted by csimm:
9/20/2022 8:51:00 AM - PIZZA! Hope as is well with you sir. Unfortunately I have not sampled the 2019 Scarletts yet. Alas, I have no street cred here. Barring some insider's issue with production, I can't imagine them being slouches by any means. 2019 was a great vintage for Napa, so I'd think they'll follow suit with 2018, with perhaps an even more elevated sensual profile.
Comment posted by PIZZAandBAROLO:
9/20/2022 11:27:00 AM - Ok. Great. Thanks for that. I'll be eager to pop some corks when I receive them. I had a few '19 Napa cabs in the last year and had similar thoughts. Really good stuff overall. But ok, stay well and hydrated my friend. Cheers!
Comment posted by csimm:
9/20/2022 11:45:00 AM - Thanks; you too! I'll report back if I'm in the Valley and have a chance to check the Scarletts out.
Comment posted by PIZZAandBAROLO:
9/20/2022 1:37:00 PM - Ok awesome. If you do, I'll look forward to reading your tasting novels, ehhemm, notes! ;-)
Comment posted by csimm:
9/20/2022 1:53:00 PM - Haha..Ya, I can be a bit...verbose.. at times :)
Comment posted by PIZZAandBAROLO:
9/28/2022 8:22:00 PM - Hello again Mr. CSIMM.
I know it was just last week that we chatted.
I got my order yesterday of various Scarlett offerings and opened the '19 Cab and '19 Cab reserve today.
A friend and I drank the reserve over ribeyes and stuffed cheddar and bacon baked potatoes. We popped the Cab, as kind of a night cap.
For the reserve, just one word for me sums it up, Stunna! I thought this was so similar to wines from LPV. Just tons of black/black red fruits, great minerality, and no shortage of impressive concentration and focus.
The cab, was really delicious, more open for business then the '18 and just super solid.
I hope you get to try these soon and get to the typewriter soon thereafter. No one else could give these wine the proper run-through and rundown better then you.
I'll have a pipe lit and a warm glass of Martell Cordon Blue ready when the time comes to read your thoughts on these wine...
Cheers!
Comment posted by csimm:
9/29/2022 10:21:00 AM - Pizza! I do hope to be able to break away from the work world and spend some time in Napa (which has been few and far between lately). With the 2018 Reserve being as good as I recall, I can surely believe the 2019 would be stellar. Glad you got to enjoy both Cabs. You should wax poetic some notes yourself on the 2019s. I'm sure the CT community would appreciate it. No reviews of those 2019s yet! Make history! :)