Newton rounds-out its Cabernet Sauvignon with a mix of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. All fruit is grown in the winery’s estate vineyards on Spring Mountain, Mt. Veeder, and Yountville. Grapes are harvested by hand, sorted, and macerated cold for five days before fermentation. The finished wine rests on skins for three weeks before being pressed off into barrels, 15 percent new, for aging.
The result is a ruby color, youthful looking now, and fragrant of brushy herbs, woodsy spice, and black fruits. It has the cedar-cypress-juniper leafiness I want in Cabernet (and its blends). The palate has firm tannins accented by sprightly acidity, and a flare of red cherry fruit at the core lends high notes to the finish. In the distance I get a sense of crunchy blackberries.
It’s a good wine for grilled rare steak, lamb, or duck, or slow-smoked pork shoulder. Try it with dishes studded with mushrooms or cuisine dosed with roasted nut oils. A drizzle of olive oil and rosemary will also make an obvious tie-in.
2017 Newton Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
14% abv | $59 (sample)
