Fritzsche Cabernet Sauvignon Bengier 2022

This is a pre-arrival offering that is expected spring 2026 Our tasting impressions Many have heard me proclaim that I can't appreciate and enjoy Napa Valley Cabernet unless it is at least 30 years from the vintage. Typically how long it takes for the tannins, fruit and oak to become less dominant in the expression of the wine. Go back even further and Napa wines were a very different style...more subtle fruit, less alcohol and new oak. Well, the Fritzsche Cabernet Bengier is a glorious throwback to those good old days. The alcohol hovers around a mere 13%. I cannot remember liking and being this impressed by a young Cabernet. In fact, one could argue that it is more reminiscent of a fine Pauillac from Bordeaux than most Napa Cabs. The aromatics are so amazing, I almost forgot to taste the wine. The palate doesn't disappoint, despite its youthful structure, Freshness and juiciness are the dominant characteristics. The gorgeous dark fruit flavors are complemented by some floral and herbal notes. The real corker is the distinct earthiness from the gravel soil that further adds to old-world impression. Everything is in perfect balance. Vincent sold lots of this wine while it was still in tanks. Visitors were so enchanted by the fermentation aromas that they placed orders before it was even wine! He suggests this classic Napa Cabernet will drink well for 10 years. The silky, well-mannered tannins, combined with the pure fruit, make it delightful for current consumption. It's hard to comprehend how Vincent nailed this wine on his first vintage. This is a sensational, world-class wine that is simultaneously light and powerful. It offers considerably more quality and pleasure than its price. Yes, expensive wines can be great values. Don't miss this! About this wine The inaugural vintage of this Cabernet Sauvignon from select rows in Napa Valley's esteemed Bengier Vineyard. This vineyard in the Oak Knoll District AVA is farmed by the acclaimed team at Matthiasson. The vines were planted on gravelly soils off Dry Creek Road, at the base of Mt. Veeder in the 1990s by the late George Vare, who founded Luna Vineyards. The vineyard is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but also has a few acres of the first US planting of the Ribolla Gialla grape. The vineyard was purchased by Gary Bengier and family about 10 years ago and renamed. The harvest began September 27th. Sugar levels were 22-22.5 brix, a testament to our viticulture partner's focus on farming for ripeness at modest potential alcohols, even in this challenging, seesaw of a growing season. Vincent personally trucked the grapes to his facility in Oregon for processing, sorting, de-stemming and filling fermenters. Fermentation lasted four weeks at moderate temperatures. He did a few pump-overs early and then at least one punch down per day. Vatting (keeping the juice in contact with the skins, etc.) lasted 4 days. Vincent’s goal is to help soften the formidable Cabernet tannins. The wine aged 18 months in barrel (one new, the rest used), from Francois Frères and two neutral Taransaud barrels. Approximately 720 bottles were produced. About the Grape Cabernet Sauvignon is a hearty grape that flowers and ripens late. It is highly adaptive to a wide variety of climates and soils. Its vines are capable of prodigious production, which must be restricted in order to produce the grape's best quality. Among the world's noble red wine grapes, it is the most popular and widely planted. Vincent's Vintage Report The 2022 growing season in Napa Valley started very dry, with lots of concern about ongoing drought after another dry winter. Then the next week, unexpected rains and cool weather set in for about 10 days, a welcome relief for the vines. Flowering ended up happening in a normal range of later May, setting up expectation of a mid-September harvest. The Napa climate is fascinating. Yes, it gets hot, but that's missing one critical aspect of why this valley remains a top growing region in the world. Proximity to the San Francisco Bay means nights cool down quickly. The summer progressed fairly normally for Napa, with warm ups for a few days, followed by several more mild days, then another spell of heat. Then major heat around Labor Day brought serious concern about the condition of the vines and fruit. Luckily, our vines were fine. In mid-September, we saw an early and decent rain in Napa Valley that pushed off picking plans for several more days until the vines had really dried out.