Cliff Lede Vineyards
Songbook Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Robert Parker Wine Advocate:

The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Songbook Cabernet Sauvignon is blended of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. It comes prancing out of the glass with a beautiful display of crushed black cherries, black raspberries, cassis and potpourri with touches of pencil shavings, fragrant soil, allspice and cedar chest. Full-bodied, opulently fruited and very seductive in the mouth, it offers a tantalizing array of perfumed red and black fruits with a plush texture and very long finish. Drink Date 2020-2049. Rating 98/100. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown -  

Vinous:

Cliff Lede's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Songbook is imposing and massively tannic, but also super-intriguing. Today, the Songbook doesn’t have the inner sweetness, perfume or seductiveness of the other wines in the range, but that should come once the tannins start to soften. The 2016 finishes with substantial depth and energy. There is certainly a lot to look forward to. Songbook is a blend of fruit from several David Abreu sites: Cabernet Sauvignon from Madrona Ranch and Thorevilos, Merlot and Petit Verdot from Thorevilos, and Cabernet Franc from Madrona Ranch. Drink Date 2022-2036. Rating 95+/100.  - Antonio Galloni -  

Cliff Lede Winery:

Inspired by the friendship between Cliff Lede and David Abreu, Songbook is our interpretation of two celebrated vineyards farmed by David.

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.

Vineyards:

Songbook is sourced from two of acclaimed viticulturist David Abreu’s personally-farmed properties: Thorevilos Vineyard, situated between the St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs, and Madrona Ranch, nestled in the foothills of the Mayacamas mountain range.These vineyards produce grapes of exceptional character resulting from proprietary clones, extremely low yields, and meticulous farming. The result is a winemaker’s dream.

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 sorterand a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity-delivered to smalltanks 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. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage inFrench oak barrels, 72% new.

Winemaker Notes:

Our 2016 Songbook is a beautiful dance of sweet and savory fragrances and flavors. The fruit leads this vintage with ambrosial notes of fig paste, crushed wild raspberries, and black currants. Following, but no less important, are savory nori wrapper, fennel pollen, black truffle, and dried shiitakes. On the finish, cocoa powder, new tobacco, and sage leaf aromatics waft in the retro nasal cavities while layers of unctuous black licorice, wild raspberries, and white chocolate notes linger on the long finish.-Christopher Tynan, Winemaker

Analysis:

Composition: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Bottled: July 2018. Release: March2020. Production: 384cases.