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: 2018 Heir Apparent Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Heir Apparent Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon (Elsewhere $150)

SKU #1560543 95 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Unquestionably my favorite in the lineup, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Heir Apparent has a Pauillac-like bouquet of blackcurrants, freshly sharpened lead pencils, tobacco, crushed stone, and new leather. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a seamless, elegant texture, good concentration, notable purity of fruit, and a great finish. While it’s not a blockbuster, it shines for its complexity and terrific overall balance and just has loads of character. If drinking any time soon, give bottles a solid hour in the decanter. It should evolve for 15-20 years. Inner quote mark (1/2021)

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2018 Heir Apparent Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Price: Hidden

JD: 95

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Product Reviews:

By: Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 10/28/2021 | Send Email

This is for fans of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose has aromas of red fruits with a subtle savory undertone. In the mouth it is classic Napa Cabernet, big and round with expressive juicy fruit flavors. Although easy to drink alone, it will be best with hearty foods.

By: Ralph Sands | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 9/15/2021 | Send Email

Mr. Dunnuck's review on this wine is dead on perfect! This is absolutely textbook Rutherford Cabernet. Warm perfectly ripe fruit, with a touch of dust and perfectly balanced. The wine is elegant and delicious. I think the wine drinks beautifully young with some air. If you are looking for huge-dark-oaky Napa Cabernet this wine is NOT for you; this is classic Rutherford Cabernet in the style that made the whole Napa Valley famous. 3 Stars for quality and value! Ralph Sands

By: Thomas Smith | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 9/12/2021 | Send Email

For the past couple of months we’ve seen some outrageous deals on Napa Cab, but this one is definitely the best I’ve seen in awhile. There’s nothing to write but laudations here. For me, this hits Rutherford spot on. There’s that Rutherford dust quality to this wine that half the producers in Napa would kill for. On the nose there’s gentle, soft aromas of cassis, blackfruits, the slightest hint of aromatic pepper and iron. The palate is generous, warm, sleek and velvety. Seriously, this hits the nail right on the head, I would gladly drink this anytime, anywhere and with a big grin on my face. Well done to our domestic buyer on this one--this is a great deal.

By: Ryan Woodhouse | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 9/7/2021 | Send Email

Heir Apparent delivers seriously good, classically styled Rutherford Cabernet for a very affordable price. I was hugely impressed with this wine and thought it more than lived up to Jeb Dunnuck's monster 95-point review. In addition, I thought his comparison of the flavor profile to Paulliac was spot on. I also found several markers in the wine that remind me of the great wines of Paulliac. The 2018 Heir Apparent is ripe and powerful with lashings of blue and purple fruit, crème de cassis, blackberry, and mulberry. Then distinctive pencil shavings, graphite, cigar box, dried herbs, and dusty minerals. Supporting the fruit, are well-refined but substantial structural tannins, giving wonderful length and definition on the palate. Whiffs of exotic French oak spice give another dimension. The finish is pure and fresh with poised acidity and fine tactile tannins. I love the power and opulence, so emblematic of what makes Rutherford such a world-class place to grow Cabernet. At the same time, it is refined and measured in its ripeness, extraction, and oak use, ultimately achieving a more classically styled expression that pays homage to the great wines of Bordeaux. While hard to resist right now with its considerable early appeal and suave fruit, it's also a wine I think will do very well with some time in the cellar. A legit bargain in top-notch Rutherford Cab, and that's not something we get to say often!

Top Value! Drink from 2021 to 2040

Fans of this product include:

Jin Zhang

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year.

Specific Appellation:

Napa Valley

- America's most famous wine region, which encompasses a varied geographical territory running about 20 miles long from the San Francisco Bay northward to the foot of Mount St. Helena. Napa's great diversity, both in terms of climate and terroir, has led to the creation of a number of smaller AVAs like Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Mount Veeder, among others. Cabernet and chardonnay still reign supreme, but just about everything under the sun is grown in Napa Valley, in quality levels ranging from $2 jug wine to $500 a bottle California cab.

Alcohol Content (%):

14.4