2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard
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Tasting Notes
Blackberry and crème de cassis aromas swirl from the glass, followed quickly by more savory notes of black tea leaf, tobacco, cocoa nib and faint cedar. There is so much concentration of fruit on the palate, but there is also a gorgeous sense of finesse that leads the wine into a long, refreshing finish. The 2021 is a study in perfect balance between power and elegance. With finely built tannins and an electric feel on the palate, this wine has plenty to offer now, but will age gracefully for 10-20+ years.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Ultra-concentrated, smooth and velvety, peppered with sage, earth and iron aromas. It’s equally flavorful on the palate. So full-bodied, broad and deep, but gentle to sip. Dark plums, black cherries, blackcurrants, spearmint and dark chocolate supported by good acidity and very fine-grained tannins. From the Sleeping Lady Vineyard. Drink or hold.
The single-varietal 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. Notes of black cherries, blackcurrant jelly, and boysenberry preserves spill from the glass, followed by hints of sassafras, underbrush, and stewed black tea. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with lively black fruits and bags of freshness, framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy.
An elegant, polished, and seamless Cabernet Sauvignon from longtime Napa Valley winemaker Chris Phelps. It possesses an ethereal quality, an almost weightlessness, but contains multitudes. I tasted it on three separate occasions and one bottle over a three-day period. It was still vibrant and full of life on day three, and that is the mark of a classic. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Sleeping Lady Vineyard in Yountville, a stone's throw from Dominus. It shows a deep ruby to purple in the glass. It is beautifully fragrant with black cherry, wild herbs, and cedar wood spices nuanced by rose petal florals. Medium to full-bodied with gorgeous, silky fruit redolent of blackberry, plum, and black cherry, all laced with tobacco spices. The tannins are super fine-grained, and a firm spine of juicy acidity keeps everything lively and fresh. The finish is exceedingly long, with a wealth of concentrated fruit that lingers for a full minute. Simply the best vintage of Ad Vivum that Phelps has ever produced.
About the producer
Ad Vivum is a tiny Napa project from winemaker Chris Phelps, previously of Dominus and Caymus. Created in 2007, Phelps makes one wine, exclusively from two blocks in the Sleeping Lady vineyard, the southernmost site in Yountville.