Caterwaul Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 750ml
NOTES
Great vintages are often signaled early in a wine’s life. Mere weeks into
existence, the richness, balance and power of 2023 was clear. Carefully sourced
Napa Valley vineyards produced great dividends with a perfect marriage of
round tannin and supple fruit. Brilliant scarlet red on the rim - denoting a natural
acidity - the wine quickly finds depth in an opaque, violet hue. A rich nose of
crushed minerals and red/black berry fruit fills the glass, framed by dusky, dark
violets. Complexity on the initial palate girds the expectation of an unbridled
wine. Like a gentle giant, this wine clearly has a powerful build but conveys a
restrained intensity that adds to the lore. Soft tannins marked by toasted oak and
a wide frame of confit red and purple fruit mark the midpalate. Freshness extends
the long finish. There is something here for everyone - and in spades.
VINTAGE
A high-potential vintage is characterized by a median experience of inputs like
rainfall, sunshine, heat and unexpected weather events. 2023 was heralded
early as a legendary vintage because of this exact scenario. Above average
winter and spring rains set up an uneventful frost season that was followed by
a mild growing season and a lack of harvest heat or rain. Winemakers were
blessed to pick fruit exactly when they wanted it, and the wineries processed
without the pressure to turn tanks. The word that keeps coming to mind with 2023
is seamlessness. Wines with an abundancy of everything that flows uninterrupted
from one element to the next.
PARTNERSHIP
A partnership between Matt Hardin and Thomas Brown was formed during the
2014 vintage after countless years of working together. Out of that friendship
the idea of utilizing the strengths of one another gave birth to Caterwaul wines.
Matt Hardin, a 6th generation Pope Valley resident and farmer, is owner of
Hardin Vineyard Management, one of the most renowned vineyard management
companies in Northern California as well as his own Matthew Wallace Wines.
Thomas Rivers Brown, winemaker for some of Napa and Sonoma’s most iconic
labels (Schrader Cellars, Outpost and his own Rivers-Marie, Aston & Dorsey),
has more than sixty 100-point wines to his resume.
NOTES
Great vintages are often signaled early in a wine’s life. Mere weeks into
existence, the richness, balance and power of 2023 was clear. Carefully sourced
Napa Valley vineyards produced great dividends with a perfect marriage of
round tannin and supple fruit. Brilliant scarlet red on the rim - denoting a natural
acidity - the wine quickly finds depth in an opaque, violet hue. A rich nose of
crushed minerals and red/black berry fruit fills the glass, framed by dusky, dark
violets. Complexity on the initial palate girds the expectation of an unbridled
wine. Like a gentle giant, this wine clearly has a powerful build but conveys a
restrained intensity that adds to the lore. Soft tannins marked by toasted oak and
a wide frame of confit red and purple fruit mark the midpalate. Freshness extends
the long finish. There is something here for everyone - and in spades.
VINTAGE
A high-potential vintage is characterized by a median experience of inputs like
rainfall, sunshine, heat and unexpected weather events. 2023 was heralded
early as a legendary vintage because of this exact scenario. Above average
winter and spring rains set up an uneventful frost season that was followed by
a mild growing season and a lack of harvest heat or rain. Winemakers were
blessed to pick fruit exactly when they wanted it, and the wineries processed
without the pressure to turn tanks. The word that keeps coming to mind with 2023
is seamlessness. Wines with an abundancy of everything that flows uninterrupted
from one element to the next.
PARTNERSHIP
A partnership between Matt Hardin and Thomas Brown was formed during the
2014 vintage after countless years of working together. Out of that friendship
the idea of utilizing the strengths of one another gave birth to Caterwaul wines.
Matt Hardin, a 6th generation Pope Valley resident and farmer, is owner of
Hardin Vineyard Management, one of the most renowned vineyard management
companies in Northern California as well as his own Matthew Wallace Wines.
Thomas Rivers Brown, winemaker for some of Napa and Sonoma’s most iconic
labels (Schrader Cellars, Outpost and his own Rivers-Marie, Aston & Dorsey),
has more than sixty 100-point wines to his resume.
Description
NOTES
Great vintages are often signaled early in a wine’s life. Mere weeks into
existence, the richness, balance and power of 2023 was clear. Carefully sourced
Napa Valley vineyards produced great dividends with a perfect marriage of
round tannin and supple fruit. Brilliant scarlet red on the rim - denoting a natural
acidity - the wine quickly finds depth in an opaque, violet hue. A rich nose of
crushed minerals and red/black berry fruit fills the glass, framed by dusky, dark
violets. Complexity on the initial palate girds the expectation of an unbridled
wine. Like a gentle giant, this wine clearly has a powerful build but conveys a
restrained intensity that adds to the lore. Soft tannins marked by toasted oak and
a wide frame of confit red and purple fruit mark the midpalate. Freshness extends
the long finish. There is something here for everyone - and in spades.
VINTAGE
A high-potential vintage is characterized by a median experience of inputs like
rainfall, sunshine, heat and unexpected weather events. 2023 was heralded
early as a legendary vintage because of this exact scenario. Above average
winter and spring rains set up an uneventful frost season that was followed by
a mild growing season and a lack of harvest heat or rain. Winemakers were
blessed to pick fruit exactly when they wanted it, and the wineries processed
without the pressure to turn tanks. The word that keeps coming to mind with 2023
is seamlessness. Wines with an abundancy of everything that flows uninterrupted
from one element to the next.
PARTNERSHIP
A partnership between Matt Hardin and Thomas Brown was formed during the
2014 vintage after countless years of working together. Out of that friendship
the idea of utilizing the strengths of one another gave birth to Caterwaul wines.
Matt Hardin, a 6th generation Pope Valley resident and farmer, is owner of
Hardin Vineyard Management, one of the most renowned vineyard management
companies in Northern California as well as his own Matthew Wallace Wines.
Thomas Rivers Brown, winemaker for some of Napa and Sonoma’s most iconic
labels (Schrader Cellars, Outpost and his own Rivers-Marie, Aston & Dorsey),
has more than sixty 100-point wines to his resume.
