Double Gold Medal - San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2018
Bright garnet in the glass. The nose approaches you with flavors of lavender, vanilla, ripe blackberries, caramel apples and a hint of smoked bacon. The wine is elegantly feminine, with long well—integrated tannins and a soft, silk-like mouthfeel. Flavors of blueberries, dark chocolate, cassis, and pink peppercorns lie underneath a top floral layer of roses and key lime blossoms. The finish is lengthy but refined and focused and leaves you smiling anticipating your next sip.
The 2014 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in color and nearly opaque; at 12 years post vintage the bouquet still smells youthful with both red fruit and spicy characteristics. This wine offers a light ferrous/minerally quality with additional scents of raspberry, red cherry, boysenberry, dried rose petals and some light herbal notes. A lighter expression of the variety, this wine shows primarily red fruits including of raspberry, cherry, plum and finishes with a light note of dried tobacco leaf, and an additional accompanying spicy/earthy character which persists beyond the fruit on the finish. The tannins are rounded, resolved and easy going at this age, they persist with a light gravelly character. Very approachable but with the fruit and acidity to continue aging nicely for another number of years. And very much a food wine. This wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. 14.4% ABV. - Dave Thompson , Napa Wine Project
