2021 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

96 POINTS

James Suckling

A layered and flavorful red with black berries and blueberries with currants and chocolate. Iron, too. Full and chewy tannins that remain creamy. Savory with exotic spices. Cloves and Chinese spices. A blend of 88% cabernet sauvignon, 10% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc. Mostly Sycamore and Boshe vineyards. The balance and harmony in this is really fantastic. And it can age.

94 POINTS

Jonathan Cristaldi - Decanter

The Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of grapes from three vineyards: Sycamore, Bosché, and Red Barn Ranch, a site on sedimentary and gravelly river bed stones, which is northwest of Frog's Leap winery and owned by Round Pond. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc was aged in 64% new French oak for 26 months. The style here is more black-fruited, with very compact, fine-grained tannins and the fragrant dusty mineral character so distinct to wines from the Rutherford AVA. That dustiness is on the nose and palate, nuanced by wonderful dried herb qualities. Some decadent blue fruit notes are prevalent now and will soften into more red and black with time in the bottle. A very delicious wine in its youth, with compact tannins that resolve into juicy black and blue fruits underscored by racy acidity and a spicy finish redolent of dark cocoa.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Love the aromas of currants, sweet tobacco, lead pencil, and hints of redwood. Medium to full body with beautifully integrated tannins that are polished and refined. Fresh and nicely balanced. A beauty. A blend of 94% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot and 1% merlot. So drinkable now.

93 POINTS

Jonathan Cristaldi - Decanter

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot aged 18 months in 47% new French oak. Grapes were sourced from two estate vineyards, one in Oakville and one in Calistoga, with additional sources from valley floor to benchlands and mountain sites, making this a real snapshot of Napa in any given vintage. Case production in 2021 was a little over 11,000, which is about half the production in typical years. Moving forward, production will hover between 12,000 and 15,000 cases. Something longtime collectors of Freemark Abbey will want to note is that under Melton's supervision, the wines are being made in a more fruit-forward style with careful attention to toasting barrels at lower temperatures for longer periods of time to broaden the tannins in the mid-palate, while elevating the spectrum of fruit character and layering it with more baking spice notes, as opposed to saturated, rich, toasty oak. Indeed, this is quite evident in 2021, which boasts a very pretty bouquet that is more subtle than in years past and less smoky and toasty, more in the light graham cracker and baking spice arena with red currant fruit, tinged with vanilla and sandalwood. Medium-bodied on the palate, with red currant and black cherry fruit along with very fine, gentle tannins that have excellent presence and length. A really wonderfully textured Cabernet with a nice grip and elegance of fruit, never overbearing, thoroughly nuanced and laced with fragrant dried herb notes throughout. Starting with the 2021 vintage, winemaker Kristy Melton reduced the number of months the Napa tier of Cabernet Sauvignon ages in oak from 24-30 months down to 18-20 months. Additionally, beginning with the 2022 vintage, all the single vineyard wines will be unfined and unfiltered.

91 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Sourced from estate sites in Oakville and Calistoga and incorporating purchased fruit as well, there are 11,000 cases of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, about half the usual volume. Aged in just under 50% new French oak, it easily marries cherries with notes of vanilla and brown sugar. It's full-bodied and concentrated, richly tannic but ripe, with a lingering, dusty finish.