Caterwaul 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cemetery Napa Valley 97 Points

Vinous 97 Points: “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cemetery Vineyard is a new wine from this range, emerges from a parcel in St. Helena, you guessed it, right by the cemetery. Inky, rich and explosive, the Cemetery captures all the exuberance that makes wines from St. Helena so appealing, especially Cabernets from this central part of town. Rich red fruit, sweet floral notes, spice and crushed rocks abound. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this gem. What a wine!”

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points: “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cemetery from St. Helena is in the same ballpark yet offers a touch more up-front generosity. Gorgeous black cherry, cassis, flowery incense, Asian spices, tobacco, and candied orange zest give way to a full-bodied Cabernet with wonderful purity of fruit, moderate tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. Both of these 2018s shows the more open, slightly less concentrated style that can be common from the higher yields and are already a joy to drink, yet they’re going to evolve gracefully for a solid 20 years on their impeccable balance and purity.”

Thomas Rivers Brown Notes: “The vintage complements this site well. The word that keeps coming to mind as I try this wine is amplitude. It’s so far above the Napa norm for Cabernet in color saturation, aromatic intensity and depth of flavor. There’s a great streak of minerality shooting through the whole experience that adds a sense of balance and restraint. The wine is pure black fruited showing notes of graphite, gunpowder, crushed rocks, violets and ripe blackberries. There is plenty of tannin here but it is perfectly ripe which helps to frame the finish without clipping it. It’s been a while since I’ve been this excited about rolling out a first vintage of anything but I certainly expect this bottling to achieve the same heights as several of the best client wines that have come before it.”