2012 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon Cask

A bold, dramatic wine, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask offers plenty of the radiance of the vintage, along with sweet floral and spice notes that add lift to the expressive red fruit. Deep, unctuous and supple throughout, the 2012 Cask is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Dark cherry, raspberry jam and mocha with attractive smoky savory underpinnings add the closing shades of nuance in this very pretty, silky Cabernet Sauvignon from Inglenook. The 2012 has really blossomed over the last year. This is the last vintage the designation 'Cask' was used for Inglenook's Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 is in a great spot right now, where all the elements have come together and the wine is super-expressive.

Sweet tobacco, leather, smoke, spices and cedar are all laced together in the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask. The 2012 impresses for its aromatics, ripe, silky tannins and overall balance. All the elements fall into place in a graceful, understated Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next decade or so.

There have been a number of changes of late at Inglenook, so I was anxious to taste the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask. This wine was first created in 1949 and during that era, through the 50s and early 60s, was considered one of the finest wines of California. This is the best, young Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon I have tasted during my professional career of 35 years. Dense ruby/purple with classic crème de cassis, but underlying minerality and spice box. The wine is full-bodied, but not over-the-top, yet nevertheless authoritative, rich and quite long. There is a thickness and concentration I haven’t seen from this estate in many a year and this wine should age beautifully for 20-25 years at the very minimum.