Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps from the glass with blackcurrant jelly, warm plums and mulberries notes plus suggestions of black raspberries, roses, tar, anise and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, the palate is very tight-knit, with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and lively acidity supporting the layers upon layers of nuances, finishing very long and wonderfully minerally. 480 cases were made.
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. A big, statuesque wine, the 2018 impresses with its energy and vibrancy, both of which are great signs for the future. Today, the 2018 is a bit reticent, but the pedigree is there. Blackberry, mocha, gravel, spice, menthol and lavender begin to emerge, but only gradually. The 2018 is a magical wine from Chris Phelps. Don't miss it.
TWI
97pts
The Wine Independent
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. It races out with pure scents of cassis, juicy black plums, and black raspberry plus wafts of dried Provence herbs, mossy tree bark, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm, grainy, lively, and taut, with muscular fruit and a bright, energetic finish. - The Wine Independent
From the great vineyard site on the western flanks of the Mayacamas, this is an old-world styled wine, with robust structure and power. Cassis and violets are found in abundance, with dense yet cohesive and nearly silky tannins, the oak well-integrated and adding spice and weight. Enjoy 2028–2038. (Cellar Selection)
Gorgeous aromas of crushed blackberries and black raspberries. Currants, too. Purity of fruit. Full, layered and not heavy at all. Pleasantly austere at the end with tension and focus. Just beginning to open. Better after 2024, but already delicious.
The dense purple-hued 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard checks in as 100% varietal and is from a noteworthy site in Yountville. Pretty cassis, violet, menthol, and sappy herb notes give way to a full-bodied, beautifully balanced Cabernet with ripe tannins and a great, chalky mineral-like component on the finish. It needs 4-5 years but will keep for two decades or more.
This is packed with juicy red and black currant fruit flavors, wrapped in licorice root and applewood notes and carried by solid grip through a dark earth-tinged finish. Very solid. Best from 2023 through 2033. 480 cases made.
Winery Notes
Ad Vivum Cabernet Sauvignon is made from one small micro-block of vines at Sleeping Lady Vineyard, in Yountville, Napa Valley. The vines are located at the vineyard’s uppermost western perimeter along the Mayacamas Mountains. Row orientation is southwest-northeast. The vineyard is sustainably and meticulously farmed by the Bettinelli family.