2014 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Vaso

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 92.9 points

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  10/19/2021 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points

  By the end of the second night, this wine earns this score as it deepens and adds secondary flavors. Upon PnP, it is at best 91 points as it is smooth and full but relatively simple. Got much more depth and character by the end of day #2. Really good QPR at current auction pricing.

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  2/15/2021 - alvinquah Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Bold and expressive. Decant for an hour and slowly consumed over 3 hours with Argentian steak. The high tannins and acidity really complement the steak. Note of berries, coffee, vanilla, leather, oak and plum all slowly reveal by itself just shout out into my face. Can taste the freshness of the wine. Very good. Truly deserve high rating.

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  5/15/2020 - steak&pizza Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Very easy to enjoy and appreciate. I really like the dark fruits and chocolates that I so often get from Napa Valley cabs. This is not especially concentrated nor overdone in terms of ripeness while the tannins are soft providing a nice texture to the whole experience. Perhaps the lower acidity levels are preventing it from reaching new heights? Perfect for drinking now and the next 5 years although not sure it will improve much.

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  5/13/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points

  Tasted blind from decanter. Ripe fruit but in a slightly cooler setting and with lots of perfumed fragrances. Sweet without being overpowering and revealing a lot of vintage typicity. There is lots of great freshness, but not yet in perfect balance and felt less settled than other 2014 Napas. Nonetheless in a very good spot vs 2013 and 2015 which we tasted right next to it. This time round the 2014 came in ahead, although with a proper decant and sufficient time in the glass I still think the 2013 will easily win further down the road. Probably best to just stick to the 2016 for immediate pleasure.

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  3/23/2020 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 93 Points

  VASO cellars is essentially Dana Estate’s third label. However, what makes VASO unique is that while it’s a third label, the fruit that is used is the same fruit that goes in to Dana. Not necessarily young vines. The main difference is the way it is oak aged.
  
  After popping the 2012 VASO Sauvignon Blanc (which was lights out), I wanted to try one of the Cabernets (from Dana’s Hershey Vineyard on Howell Mountain). Due to the ‘14 vintage being one that is drinking fairly well now, I assumed this would be close to pop and pour...wrong. Very tightly coiled on day one. Very crunchy and underripe fruits with herbs and baking spice. Re-corked and gave an hour decant on day two and it was immensely better. Sweet toasted oak, violets, charred plum, baked mixed berry pie with some added herbal flair on the nose. More plush on day two but still flexing those powerful mountain tannins. On the palate it is full of rich dark fruits, dark chocolate, mocha, nutmeg, licorice and quite a bit of graphite. It’s dusty, herbal with a good amount of ripe fruit with nice lift. I’d hold for a few more years.

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