2016 Sbragia Family Cabernet Sauvignon Andolsen Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 90 points

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  11/21/2020 - bbakove wrote:

  Tannins overwhelm a vegetative palate of grape stem and cedar. Surprisingly unpleasant wine from an otherwise outstanding producer. It's possible this is just a flawed bottle, so we have not scored it, though I suspect it's just in a building phase and will improve. We'll open another bottle in a year or so.
  Next day: Stored the half full bottle overnight in the cellar with the cork in (no vacu-seal) and tried again. Deep purple color, to the edge, remains. The off-putting grape stem, vegetative quality has blown off and the nose displays notes of older cedar, dried cherry and cranberry with a faint hit of guava in the background. Parching tannins are still very big and somewhat offset by mouthwatering acidity. Black fruit flavors wrestle with the tannins so the profile seems more woody. We expect this will shift as tannins resolve. Cacao nibs, neutral oak and citrus notes are observed through the medium long finish.
  I'm convinced this wine, clearly well made, is in its teenage phase, all spikey hair and awkward phrasing, and suggest waiting to 2022 to revisit.

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