2014 Di Costanzo Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard

Di Costanzo's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard is elegant, polished and refined for such an intense wine, but it also needs time to recover from its recent bottling. A classic Coombsville Cabernet built on nuanced mineral and savory notes, the 2014 is absolutely gorgeous today. Time in the glass brings out black stone fruit, sage, gravel and smoke nuances. Naturally, the 2014 is not as explosive as the 2013 (that would have been impossible), but it possesses striking finesse and impeccable overall balance. The 2014 comes across as a bit riper than the 2013, but the Di Costanzo house style is very much in evidence. Massimo Di Costanzo adds that he picked at a bit higher sugars in 2014 because the large crop need a bit more time to reach the optimal level of balance on the vine. Readers should give the 2014 at least a few years in bottle.

Massimo Di Costanzo's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard opens with the most exquisite aromatics. Graphite, smoke and gravel meld into a core of purplish fruit, with hints of lavender, violet and plum that appear later. Nuanced, sculpted and precise, the 2014 stands out for its total class. This is the most vivid and striking wine I have tasted from Massimo Di Costanzo, and frankly the first wine of his that really seems to capture the stylistic goal he has set out to achieve. The interplay of savory, mineral and fruit nuances is riveting. What a gorgeous wine this is.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard is a real stunner. This is an exceptional showing for wine that was glorious from barrel but shut down hard after bottling. Deep, savory and explosive, the 2014 captivates all the senses with its rapturous beauty. Blackberry jam, lavender, dried herbs, menthol, incense, licorice and sage infuse this deep, layered Cabernet Sauvignon with tons of intensity.