Cliff Lede Vineyards
Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Robert Parker Wine Advocate:

Composed of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry prances out of the glass with impressively flamboyant scents of blackberry compote, blueberry preserves, blackcurrant pastilles and candied violets, giving way to nuances of dried roses, menthol, powdered cinnamon and aniseed with a waft of cedar chest. Full-bodied, the palate is impactful yet maintains compelling restraint, featuring layers of crunchy black fruits, exotic spices and floral hints, framed by firm, exquisitely ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. This is one of those beguiling 2018 Napa Cabernets that is simply going to blow you away! Drink Date 2023-2055. Rating 100/100. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown -  

Vinous:

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry is sourced from Cliff Lede's best hillside blocks. It is one of the very best wines I have ever tasted here. Inky dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and new French oak are all beautifully woven together. The Poetry is rich and unctuous to the core. More importantly, the extraction here is spot on, so that the fruit takes center stage without the edginess of oak tannin that sometimes penalized these wines in the past. In a word: brilliant! Drink Date 2026-2043. Rating 97/100.  - 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 2018 vintage was a glorious growing year for Napa Valley. A frost-free and uniform bud break was followed by steady spring weather during flowering, allowing for an even and generous fruit set. Summer conditions were moderate, with warm days and cool nights, ideal for slow and steady grape maturation. Optimal ripeness was achieved thanks to an early autumn of consistently warm, but not hot, days. The pristine ripening conditions allowed for very intense fruit flavor concentrations. The wines show exceptional balance with concentrated, ripe fruit complemented by bright acidity and supple, yet intense, structure.

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 is 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 pump overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. Following twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 82% of which were new, the blend was selected from our best lots of the Poetry Vineyard.

Winemaker Notes:

The deep garnet 2018 Poetry is already fully integrated, with its well-appointed components all seamlesslyleaping from the glass. Dark red and black currants, black raspberries, and candied violets form this elixir’s fruitier elements, while a bouquet of pretty ylang-ylang, jasmine, lilac, and tuberose blossoms decorate the balmy perfume. The lush, effortless quality of this vintage shows in this wine’s unified precision and heady sandalwood, cedar, loam, and rose petal notes that fleck the long fresh finish. –Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking–

Analysis:

Composition: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc  

Bottling Date: July 2020

Release Date: September 2021

Production: 1436 cases