Catherine Fallis awarded today’s wine with one of her highest ratings, a stratospheric 96 points. No wonder either, today’s wine is simply fantastic.

If Napa Cabs are king, then today’s Vellum Wine Craft 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is aiming for a lengthy reign. Vellum Wine Craft takes pride in producing wines with excellent aging potential, and this vintage most certainly delivers.

Classic Napa Cabernet aromas waft from the glass, delivering candied cassis, black cherry, raspberry, blackberry jam, cherry tobacco, bramble bush, chocolate, subtle sweet spice and toasty oak.

A soft and elegant entry ushers in fast-spreading flavors of Blackberry juice, blanc cherry, cassis, wild blueberry, wild spice, subtle fennel, spice and a hint of black pepper.

Vellum was kind enough to allow us a small allocation, even though the wine’s high score virtually assures them that they’d be able to sell this wine all on their own - and at full retail price.

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What the wine press has to say

“This is a memorable, engaging, juicy blend of Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon along with Merlot and Petite Sirah. Friendly forward fruit notes of cassis, wild cherry,pomegranate and ripe plum bound out of the glass, followed by cherry cola, espresso bean, mocha, dark chocolate shavings, vanilla, red rose petal, porcini dust, savory spice… cumin perhaps… and a note of freshly ground sumac.

There is also a savory roasted or grilled Pasilla or Anaheim pepper note – it is not green, or vegetal in any way, rather it is deeply flavored, savory, and earthy. The wine is full, luscious, at first, then the tannins begin a subtle ramp up. They are fine grained and fairly well integrated in such a young wine. - 96 points - Catherine Fallis, Master Sommelier