Cardinale Estate Red Napa Valley 2011

The 2011 growing season for Cardinale was like opening a new piece of music from a familiar band that you’ve been told has taken a new musical direction, but you soon realize that while the influences are different, the musical underpinnings remain the same. The artist Beck comes to mind, as each of his musical releases is slightly different, but his voice, his resonance, and his message all form the foundation for each of his albums.

The 2011 vintage was a much cooler, wetter vintage than many in the past. It caused us to look at our winemakingmethods differently, while still holding to our stylistic foundation. As you open the album that is the 2011Cardinale, you will find the familiar flavors of dark cherries and milk chocolate, with a velvety mouthfeel and longfinish. But you will also find elements that pay homage to the vintage that helped create it with notes of currants,Asian spice, and rosemary. Blend 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot

Critical Acclaim

96 Vinous

The 2011 Cardinale is another of the many exceptional wines I tasted with Chris Carpenter this year. The 2011 is beautiful and exceptionally polished, but at the same time, the flavors are beautifully defined, crystalline in their beauty and flat-out striking. In this vintage, Cardinale is all about finesse and persistence, with less volume than some previous versions, but a touch more aromatic refinement. Today the 2011 is a bit compact, but I expect it to gain texture with more time in bottle. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot from vineyards on Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, the St. Helena bench and a small parcel in Yountville adjacent to Blankiet.

91Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Winemaker Christopher Carpenter, who is also responsible for the wines of Lokoya, has fashioned an opaque ruby/purple-colored 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon offering notes of black cherries, black currants, and spicy oak, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, low acidity and light but sweet tannin. Another strong effort in this challenging vintage, it should drink well for 10-12 years.