2015 Vangone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
Community Tasting Note
sean7711 Likes this wine:
Saturday, May 25, 2019 - A day late reviewing this, but opened on the Saturday of MDW after having a sublime DiCostanzo Farella the night before. One of my first Kaplan experiences, although I have a few ones in the cellar that I'm saving.
I decanted this for approximately 4 hours, the same as the Farella. It's nice when you have a long weekend and don't need to stress about the wine selection and can prepare adequately!
Nose was phenomenal, I wanted to just sit with the wine and smell it all night. I can't pretend to the write the best tasting notes like those more experienced, but for me, it was a tick below the Farella, on par with the 2015 Anomaly from 2 nights ago, and slightly ahead of a 2016 Outpost from a few nights ago. Dark red fruit, I got blueberry, blackberry, and a bit of chocolate (more dark than milk), cassis, and a bit of vanilla cream, but not an overpowering vanilla. Very silky, and in a nice place right now.
That being said, it's definitely a wine worth following - low buzz, good fruit, easy mailing list access (for now), and the winemaker pedigree is there. I think this only has room to improve over the next 3-5, with the stuffing to last longer if you are patient person. You'd do yourself a disservice by not opening up one of these to check out for yourself.
I'm wondering if it's worth picking up 3 more of the 2015, or if the 2014 would be a good investment. I'm happily taking recommendations!
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2 comments have been posted
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Comment posted by msuwine:
5/26/2019 9:59:00 PM - Hi Sean - Thanks for the great note. Moving from Di Costanzo to Vangone is quite a shift! I'm glad you enjoyed each of them (as I did). Anyone who says all Napa Cabernets taste the same should try these two wines: each winemaker has his own style, of course, but the difference in Coombsville and Oakville shows through, too.
As for the 2014 vs. 2015 Vangone, I haven't tasted them side-by-side, but I did taste them within a week or so of each other. My CT notes are (quite) long, but here's my bottom line: I thought the 2015 had more tension and complexity, while the 2014 was more viscous and easy-going. In other words, I liked the 2015 better. They are both intense and powerful wines, though, so it may come down to which vintage you prefer.
P.S. If you like Kaplan's style, I would highly recommend trying Memento Mori. It draws from different vineyards than Vangone (which is just Oakville), and it comes across as a bit more earthy and gravelly, with the same fruit goodness. I've followed Memento for several years (a lot longer than Vangone), and they are special wines.
Comment posted by sean7711:
5/29/2019 11:14:00 AM - Thanks for the note on the 2014 vs. 2015. I think I prefer 2015s from a vintage standpoint, but given the small production (2 barrels) I thought maybe taking a plunge with the 2014s could be nice to have before they dry up. I know one thing for sure, is when the Vangone 2016 come out, I'll be ready to open the wallet given how that vintage is showing.
I am visiting with Memento Mori in a few weeks in Napa - they've never been able to ship into PA (although I've heard there are ways around it) so I've never pulled the trigger on buying from them. I will definitely be posting some notes on whatever I taste that day (along with Anomaly, 2017 Carters, Sodhani, DiCostanzo, Bure/Fait main to name a few!)
Cheers and keep the good (and entertaining) notes coming!