2018 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Rich velvety texture and vibrant violet-edged plum in colour, with sweet silky tannins pressing down on the fruit right from the first attack to the close of play. Grilled cedar, charred pepper and vanilla bean. This is full of pleasure, if a trace of heat on the finish. Ashley Hepworth oenologist, Clarice Turner director.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is bright, punchy and full of energy. Sweet red berry, mocha, licorice, spice, menthol and a kiss of new French oak all grace the 2018. Plummy and pliant, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate, but it has the pedigree to develop nicely for a number of years. Most of this fruit is sourced from vineyards in the southern end of the valley.

The larger production 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley shows the vintage nicely and has a classic, balanced, medium to full-bodied style that offers textbook Cabernet Sauvignon notes of crème de cassis, smoke tobacco, damp earth, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, this is a young, relatively unevolved, yet beautifully balanced 2018 that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years.