Winemaker's Notes
Our style of Cabernet Sauvignon is rather latent, generally needing a period of years after bottling for the wine to achieve its varietal and regional destiny. However, there are certain vintages where a rather hedonistic youth leads to graceful maturity. This wine represents just that. I have abused young bottles over the course of days, sipping daily with food, watching its resilience to the slow oxygen exposure developing a fast and lasting friendship with this bottling.
Besides the typical cassis thing, I see a ‘deciduous and fir forest underbrush after the first rains’ along with a black fruit/sage interplay that makes for interesting and pleasant table-side company. Fruit vs. non-fruit elements are in perfect alignment with the balance of angles and rounds. It’s important to stress here that to me, achieving dynamic tension, balance and hedonistic joy are important factors in great wine as much as it is in individual life and social government. Yes, this is truly special.
Judi Scherrer –
Vinous – February 2015
Barrel Sample: Fred Scherrer’s flagship 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Scherrer Vineyard is shaping up to be a real beauty. Huge, powerful and voluptuous on the palate, the 2012 offers superb depth and richness on the palate, with hints of smoke, licorice, lavender, tobacco and menthol that add complexity. A huge, inky finish rounds out this distinctly old school Cabernet Sauvignon. Readers who enjoy primary fruit will find much to admire in the wine’s youth, but the full breadth of nuance is likely to only develop after a few years in bottle. Either way, the 2012 is gorgeous. (91-94 Points) Antonio Galloni
Judi Scherrer –
Vinous – February 2016
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Scherrer Vineyard emerges from parcels planted on St. George rootstock in 1989. Beams of tannin give the 2012 its sense of structure and overall shape. Dark red cherry, plum, herbs, leather, smoke and tobacco are all pushed together. Virile and explosive in bearing, the 2012 is going to need time to fully come together, even if it is already quite impressive. 93 Points. Antonio Galloni
Judi Scherrer –
California Grapevine – June 2016
Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, spicy, cassis and blackberry fruit aroma with a hint of sage; full body; textured, cedary, black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with herbal notes and a hint of mocha; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Appealing to drink now though deserving another three to five more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended. My Score: 91 Nick Ponomareff
Judi Scherrer –
The Wine Advocate – October 2016
A real killer effort is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. Alexander Valley has been producing more and more top Cabernets and deserves certainly to be considered up there with some of the best AVAs in Napa. The opaque purple wine has a beautiful nose of blueberry, blackberry, licorice and earthy undertones. Stunningly full-proportioned the wine has terrific depth of fruit and richness. Scherrer was telling me that Cabernet was planted on the old St. George rootstock that was favored and not prone to the Phyloxera scourge that took out all of the AXR rootstocks primarily in the 1980s. This long, rich concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon also has licorice and unsmoked cigar tobacco nuanaces, giving it great complexity and palate presence. The price is a steal for what it is. Look for it to continue to drink well for 20 – 25 years. 95 Points. Robert Parker