Cliff Lede Vineyards
Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Robert Parker Wine Advocate:

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry needs a little coaxing to begin to unfurl the tightly wound yet exciting scents of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry preserves, warm redcurrants and kirsch plus fragrant nuances of candied violets, underbrush, cigar boxes, menthol and star anise. Full-bodied and built like a brick house in the mouth, the palate features an almost impenetrable structure of super ripe tannins framing the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long. This beauty needs at least 5-6 years to begin to blossom, after which it may well warrant a perfect score. Drink Date 2021-2051. Rating 99+/100. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown -  

Vinous:

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry is another gorgeous wine from Cliff Lede. Crème de cassis, lavender, cloves, graphite, chocolate, sweet French oak and torrefaction notes infuse this sumptuous, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Lede's Poetry block in Stags Leap. This is another full-throttle wine endowed with a ton of character. Drink Date 2022-2036. Rating 94/100.  - Antonio Galloni -    

Cliff Lede Winery:

Established in 2002, Cliff Lede Vineyards encompasses sixty acres in the famed Stags Leap District. Cliff Lede, Vineyard Architect David Abreu, and Winemaker ChristopherTynan have come together to form an unrivaled team, making the most of this remarkable property.

Vintage :

The 2016 growing season represented a continuation of exceptional vintages in Napa Valley. Another drought year, 2016 began with a dry winter, followed by a warm, frost-free early spring with just enough rainfall to fill the soil profile, leading to an early budbreak with resources to develop healthy canopies. The vintage progressed at a leisurely pace due to moderate temperatures throughout most of the remaining growing season. Crop levels were slightly below average due to a dry late spring and a cool weather spell during flowering. The dry soils led to small berries, creating very concentrated fruit. With lovely summer weather, grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness and the resulting wines have generous fruit with intensity and vibrancy.

Vineyard :

The Poetry Vineyard, carved into a steep west-facing hillside, reaches from the highest elevations of the Stags Leap District appellation to the valley floor. This vineyard draws its uniqueness from shallow, volcanic soils atop fractured shale. Due to the stressful nature of the site, planted with high vine density and farmed to very low yields, the vines develop slowly and produce small flavorful berries. The vineyard was designed by David Abreu and planted to legendary, proprietary heritage selections of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaking:

In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five pound bins to minimize crushing.By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process,which includes our cutting edge optical sorter and a slow,individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity-delivered to small tanks by our unique crane system,which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pumpovers and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. Followingtwenty-onemonths of élevagein French oakbarrels,81% of which were new, the blend was selected from our best lots of the Poetry Vineyard.

Winemaker Notes :

Our captivating 2016 Poetry is an ode to symmetry and precision. This is the highest expression of our Stags LeapDistrict estatevineyard and all of itsirresistiblecomponents are well apportioned and fabulously integrated even at such at young age. Dense and brooding on opening, with time liquefied rocks, warm plum, black licorice, bay leaf, and sage soar from the first glass. Equal parts black currant and summer fig flavors coalesce on the expansive entry, while smoked cardamom and lavender aromas saturate the olfactory in a glorious cornucopia of ambrosial harmony. The voluptuous palate finishes with a wave of ultrafine tanninsthat unites for aseamlessfinale of gorgeous violet perfume. -Christopher Tynan, Winemaker

Analysis :

Composition: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. Bottling Date: July 2018. Release Date: September 2019. Production: 993cases.