Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Flying Lady’s hallmark Cabernet Sauvignon comes off a single block of the York Creek Vineyard on Spring Mountain, sitting at 1,450’ in elevation. The wine has lush base flavor of red fruit and cassis, with complexity of fresh red flowers, slow-burning spiciness, buoyant minty coolness and diffuse impressions of moss, forest-floor, chocolate, and volcanic minerals. Raspberry and cranberry give playfulness to a wine that, from a different angle, has some rugged features.

The tannins in 2018 are plump and enveloping on the palate, but not too harsh. Cellaring for a few more years to round out the wine. Its floral, spice and earthy aspects are subtle and tightly-wound now, and promise to develop with further age. The alcohol is integrated, standing behind and amplifying its aromas into the finish. While the wine is highly typical of its grape variety and shows the character of its region of origin, it’s not a “big Napa Cabernet.” The winemaking is restrained, the oak is judiciously applied, and there’s ample acid to make the wine refreshing and enjoyable with food. You may encounter nice “wine diamonds”—tartaric acid crystals in the bottle.

VISUAL, AROMATIC AND FLAVOR CHARACTERISTICS:

Appearance: Dark ruby-garnet, youthful; medium-plus to full body
Fruit, Floral: Cassis, raspberry, cranberry, fresh flowers, perfume