2018 Krupp Brothers Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon “Veraison” Napa Valley.
The Krupp Brothers Veraison Cabernet was the first wine I ever tried from this small family Napa Valley winery, that was almost 20 years ago now, so it was great to taste the latest version, which is a powerhouse of a wine, sourced primarily from Napa’s famed Pritchard Hill district and a luxurious full bodied effort with a good tannic back bone. The mountain fruit shows here and the dark purple black color invites you into a deep and chocolatey rich palate that shows blackberry, dark currant, blueberry and plum fruits along with toasty cedary oak shadings, acacia flowers, licorice, sweet pipe tobacco, sandalwood, vanilla, mocha and lingering creme de cassis. While incredibly opulent and thrillingly dense, the 2018 still somehow manages to be lifted by the vintage’s natural acidity and this big wine manages its heft very nicely, quite remarkable for wine of this proportion. This hedonistic vintage, which has less Stagecoach fruit in the mix, was aged close to two years, around 19 months, in a selection of Taransaud, Gamba, Francois Freres and Seguin Moreau, with mostly new, which helps add the smooth textures here. The Version Cab mostly came from the Sleeping Lady Vineyard which is set on classic Napa soils with alluvial gravelly, sandy clay loam, with a touch coming from the famed Stagecoach Vineyard that has intense rocky volcanic reddish-brown earth underneath, adding spice to wine.

As mentioned in my recent reviews of these wines, my visit to the winery was a spectacular experience and the Krupp Brothers lineup of 2018s and 2019s are outstanding wines, I’m grateful for the tour and tasting in this idyllic setting. So again, a big thank you to Ms Nicole Lincoln, Director of Hospitality & Regional Sales Manager for the Krupp Brothers, for being such a gracious host and taking me in on short notice. This 2018 Version Cabernet Sauvignon, which was pretty much all Cabernet Sauvignon, but with a dash of Cabernet Franc looks set to provide rewarding drinking for next 5 to 10 years, but in the shorter term I’d say go for it, as long as you enjoy it with a robust meal. Released last April, this wine is maturing well and there was just over 800 cases made, so it is a bit easier to find, and I’m excited to try the 2019, which should be available this fall. It should also be noted these wines are now being made by the home grown and talented winemaker Desiree O’Donovan, who has been with the Krupps for a while now, and after working behind the scenes at a few notable wineries is taking her opportunity to show what she can do at the Krupp Brothers winery, with impressive results. There’s a real excitement here and these wines are expressive, authentic and pure, I highly recommend visiting this estate and I really suggest not missing these latest offerings, with this Cab, the Syrah, the Cab Franc based Synchrony (think Dalla Valle Maya!) and the Doctor (Tempranillo and Cab based red) being my favs!
($120 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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