Fotinos Brothers
2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
The Kings of Spades
ALERT: Today’s very highly recommended (94 point and Gold Medal - World Wine Championship) Cabernet Sauvignon will sell out. At today’s price, the wine will not last the day, so please read this review and see if this wine is for you.
Today’s Fotinos Brothers 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was the smash hit of a recent tasting panel. We ended our tasting with this wine and by the end of the tasting, each panelist was on his or her feet, animatedly discussing its virtues. We all agreed that this is one of the best Cabs that we’d reviewed in some time.
If only we could get our hands on more of this elegant and flavor-packed delight.
When we discovered Fotinos Brothers, we fell in love with their wines. The Pinot Noir that we showcased earlier this year was so incredible that we sent Agent Red back to the winery to secure today’s CS.
This complex wine is delicious and packed with deep aromas and deeper flavors. The velvet-smooth mouthfeel and the integrated tannins give the wine a very elegant overall feel.
Decant this classic Cabernet Sauvignon for at least 30 minutes, and you’ll be rewarded with an even softer - and tastier - drinking experience!
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Dark and mysterious, with a bold crimson heart. At the edge of the wine, a pretty garnet ring runs around the glass. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Very well integrated with a vibrant lush and heady nose of dried violets, blackberry jam, leather, sweet spice, dried dark rose buds, |
| Taste: | Juicy and bold in perfect juxtaposition, with sweet berry fruit, blueberry pie, plum and blackberry that balances against dried violets, tobacco, dark chocolate, smoky vanilla bean, leather and dark spice. |
| Finish: | Elegant and exceedingly long with dark berry, tobacco and dried flowers linger forever. |
| Pairing: | Seared duck breast with cherries and port sauce. |
What the Winery Says
This Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on our single, Lake Spring Ranch Vineyard in Northern Napa Valley. Warm valley days and cool nights, create the ideal microclimate for this exceptional Cabernet. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon have received multiple gold medals in various international wine competitions, finished in the top 1% of all wines entered and received a 94 point rating. Our uncompromising viticulture techniques yield deeply concentrated and complex fruit, rich in flavor. After being hand selected and double sorted, they are barrel aged in French oak for 24 months and bottle aged for a minimum of one year prior to being released.
This is a full-bodied, fruit forward, Cabernet with firm tannins and a nice acid backbone. The palate displays beautiful berry flavors of black cherry and cassis along with a hint of smoke. With nuances of toasted oak and spice this wine balances out with a smooth, silky finish.
- Winemaker
- Tom Fotinos
- Accolades
- 94 Points and Gold Medal Winner - World Wine Championships
- Appellation
- Napa Valley, California
- Vineyard Designation
- Lake Spring Ranch Vineyard
- Case Production
- 350 Cases
- ABV
- 14.7%
About the Winery
In Lefkas, Greece, toward the end of the 19th Century, our grandfather, Christos, was taught the art of traditional wine making by his father. Christos immigrated to the United States in the early part of the 20th Century and eventually farmed his own vineyard in Sonoma, California.
As Christos perfected his viticulture and wine making techniques, he passed his knowledge along to his son, Tom, our father. As children we were immersed in this deep tradition, working in the vineyard in the Spring and Summer months and harvesting in the Fall. Being a large family, twenty or so of us would meet monthly at our grandparent’s home and vineyard enjoying food, wine and each other.
Sundays at our grandparent’s house were spent eating Greek lunches under the grape arbor with family and friends. This was back in the days when we would climb inside half barrels and stomp grapes with our feet. We have come a long way since then.
In 1968, our father, Tom, purchased his own vineyard. He used the traditional skills of his heritage along with his own contemporary ideas to create one of the best private label Pinot Noir’s in Napa Valley. In the 1970’s, he won many 1st place ribbons in Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa County wine making contests.
We grew up with this rich history of wine making, honing our skills to produce what has taken four generations to perfect, our 2006 Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, our father passed away in 1983. We want to dedicate this first vintage in his memory. Our mother, Martha, remains involved in the family vineyard, carrying on our father’s legacy.
Vineyard Notes
Since 1969, the George Fotinos family has been growing premium pinot noir grapes. What was once a prune orchard on Old Sonoma Road today is 25 acres of premium pinot noir vines and reservoir at 100’ elevation in the heart of Napa’s Carneros region.
The vineyard is planted to Dijon 115, Pommard and Calera Selection clones. The average age of the vines is 21 Years.
The vineyard is operated with sustainable farming practices and sufficient irrigation from captured rainwater each year. The first vintage of Fotinos Vineyard Pinot Noir was bottled in 2003. George passed away in August of 2014, but Fotinos Vineyard carries on as a family partnership between Vivian, Angela, Margaret, and Elaine.