WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Sourced from the coveted Summit Block at Oakville Ranch high in the eastern red hills of Oakville, this unique wine hails from one of the finest areas in the world for growing Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. We have been making wine from these vines for a decade, and the results are always spectacular. Co-fermented in this vintage, these two varieties show the absolute best of what Oakville has to offer. After 22 months in barrel and one year in bottle, this blend is tightly knit together, but with a softness and polish that makes it immediately accessible. Ripe and intense, this vintage is at once round and textured, as well as taught like a high wire. Bright plum and huckleberry, cedar, wet stone, clove, cocoa and bay leaf are just a few of the descriptors that are apropos of this multi-layered wine, along with tertiary tones such as balsam, antique book binding, and frankincense.
TASTING NOTES:
Next up, the 2018 La Magalena comes from the Oakville Ranch Vineyard and in 2018 is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, tobacco leaf, violets, and spring flowers all emerge from this beauty, and it hits the palate with flawless balance, full-bodied richness, a great, great mid-palate, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Probably a candidate for perfection in 5-7 years, this is a magical Bordeaux blend from an incredible terroir as well as a great winemaker. Hide bottles in the cellar for 5-7 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30 years or more.
- Jeb Dunnuck, 99 pts
The 2018 La Magdalena is one of the most polished wines I have ever tasted here. Favia's Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend pulses with intensity from start to finish. In 2018, La Magdalena appears to be a bit more nuanced than in the past. There is plenty of power, but less of the bombastic intensity that has marked some previous editions. Mocha, espresso and floral notes wrap around a core of dark fruit effortlessly.
- Vinous, 97 pts
