2018 JB Neufeld Cabernet Sauvignon

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 91.8 points

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  1/2/2023 - TallMikeWine wrote: 92 Points

  I waited a little over a year, then was able to decant this for a couple of hours! The desired effect was acheived. Amazing spice, cinnamon, cardamom, all those dusty smells, a hint of floral, and dried cherry. Coming into it's own now, but still lots of time to evolve. Excellent.

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  10/23/2022 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Justin Neufeld is crafting these amazing wines that punch WAY above they're weight class, **especially** for price point. If you open it now (I have a couple more I'll do my best to save 2-3 years) do decant for a good 30 mins. All the elements are there. Red and black fruit, graphite, spice and floral notes, and full mouth feel. The tannins are supportive of more cellar time for sure!

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  4/25/2022 - f22nickell wrote: 90 Points

  Deep dark purple in color. Nose is medium intensity, with primary notes of black cherry and black plum. Not a lot of secondary notes outside a hint of pencil shavings. So young, just lots of primary fruit here. Palate has the black cherry and a little green pepper to it. Palate is dry, medium acidity, medium tannins (still a bit harsh), medium alcohol feel, medium body. Flavor intensity is medium. Flavor finish is somewhat short, but the drying tannins go on for a bit. However, they aren't bad. Although still a bit rough, they blend in fine until the flavors fade off, and the tannins are all you have left. Wine appears to well made.
  
  All in all, not really in my wheelhouse. Maybe a bit too young. I shouldn't be surprised though - Yakima Valley fruit has never really done it for me.

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  1/9/2022 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 94 Points

  I thought this was pretty gorgeous for $35, maybe not fully realized at this stage (especially structure-wise) but still beautifully balanced and delicious without relying on underripe grapes. So many otherwise amazing Washington cabs seem to lean on excessive green tones and underripe fruit to achieve balance- this shows perfectly ripe fruit, solid oak, and uncommonly well-integrated green.
  
  Not a super expressive nose but not shy either- shows a lot of creme de cassis, spiced blackberry pie, rich but very taut, not even approaching baked or jammy. This is combined with a little touch of toasty oak, almost buttery like like a solid Napa, but tempered with a super subtle bitter note, maybe closest to dark coffee. As time went on the oak and earthy notes merged to show crazy vivid baking spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc. The fruit always took center stage. Such a gorgeous nose here- genuinely reminded me of the Long shadows feather, nearly twice the price.
  
  The palate was a little more awkward. The fruit is pretty bright, still mostly blackberry and plum but notably acidic and high-toned. I love that, such fantastic energy, but the tannins are genuinely harsh and dusty right now too. They linger long after the fruit and acids fade, making this pretty difficult to drink much of without food- or without further aging, which would be effortless here. Way more than enough fruit, acid, structure, and complexity to go the distance. About to try the 2019 Ciel du Cheval vineyard to compare, $10 more.

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