2016 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA (750ml)

TASTING NOTES:

Blackberry jam, chocolate, new leather, licorice, dark chocolate and espresso all infuse Buccella’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon with notable complexity to play off the super-ripe, plush fruit. Readers should expect a full-throttle, extroverted style. Even with all of its opulence, the 2016 is very nicely balanced. It is another compelling wine in a streak of strong recent releases from Buccella. – Vinous, 95 pts

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Malbec and Merlot. This inky colored effort has a big bouquet of currants, plums, licorice, black olives, bloody meat, and roasted herbs, with maybe even a hint of espresso roast. It’s a big, rich, powerful wine that has good acidity, ripe tannins, and a stacked mid-palate, with a touch of the austerity that’s common in the vintage. 93+
– Jeb Dunnuck, 93 pts.