Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 The Mascot

Professional reviews

BOW (8.50)

Following a vintage full of changing conditions and
demanding decision points, the steady and pleasant
progress of the 2018 vintage left our team, at times, in
limbo. Contradictory as it may seem, the dramas that
sometimes punctuate the definitive months for the
growing season help to frame the winegrowing team’s
course of action; yet the tranquil of succession of
weeks that emerged between spring and fall in 2018
left almost entirely open the question of when to
harvest. Healthy rainfall in March and April preceded a
benevolent summer, whose mildness was interrupted
only briefly by a few warming periods. The fruit of the
young vines maintained a measured balance that gave
the team little indication that harvest was imminent.
Fog and temperate days followed in September,
when—relying more on instinct than empirical
cues—we began to pick. This judgment—as well as the
gentle nature of the season—is confirmed in the subtle,
ethereal power of the vintage, which reveals itself first
in the deep, brooding aromas of dark fruit, black tea,
and herbal notes. The texture expands around a lifted
structure, as powdery tannins gently resolve. This
di used, enigmatic softness is anchored on the
mid-palate by a gratifying density, which prepares the
senses for a flourish of hidden energy and vivid detail
that illuminates the finish.