First, a big thank you to Todd who makes this happen and to my fellow Berserkers, who made last year’s release of our 2012s very successful.
Riverain focuses on single vineyard wines from great sources. Our winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, needs no introduction. He and his team bring incredible focus to getting the details right, especially farming, yields and meticulous vinification.
Those skills led to some very nice scores, on both Cellartracker and from Mr. Parker (95 for the Cabernet and 94 for the Syrah) for our 2012s.
This year we preview our 2013 offer (which will be released to the mailing list in March).
Both wines are completely stacked. There is more fruit, more tannin and more acid than I thought we could ever achieve. The wines were incredible out of settling tank, right before bottling. But this vintage requires some patience. We have already waited longer than normal to give them some extra bottle time, but if one is inclined to open one soon, give it a lengthy decant or drink it over several days.
We recently had a dinner where we tried all of the bottled wines we have made from 2011-2013 and this vintage was my “favorite”, primarily because I believe they will be the best with time and last the longest.
The weather in 2013 was consistent without any crazy heat spikes. Drought likely factored into the concentration, but the yield was very nice (way better than 2011 and 2015). There was essentially no real rain from January to harvest that year, resulting in earlier harvest dates and no weather issues during the picks. Can we have this kind of weather every year please?
Some costs have gone up (and the yield being down nearly 50% in 2015 did not help), but we feel these still represent a very good value for the neighborhood as high quality Cabernet from Oakville is not inexpensive to make as demand is usually quite high.
The wines:
2013 Oakville Cabernet, Tench Vineyard
Dense, dark and brooding, this really showed well after a four hour decant. The fruit profile is much like the 2012, only deeper. Blackberry, black cherry and a bit of charcoal, the fruit acid and tannin are already pushing hard against the oak. It is the finish where the wine really shines. Eastern Oakville Cabernet always seems to keep its acid and that, combined with the tannin and deep structure, give the wine a very long finish that bodes well for aging. Classic TRB Oakville Cab.
2013 Bennett Valley Cardiac Hill Syrah
This is midnight dark, even darker than the Cab, without any real translucence. Again, the fruit, tannin and acid are all present in spades. This is aged in neutral barrels and includes approximately 50% whole cluster (we like this as it cuts the primary fruit and adds considerably to the bouquet, especially with age). The black olive component from this vineyard is once again there, along with lavender and the dark berry fruit. Intentionally made in a Northern Rhone Style, with all of the abundance that 2013 offered. Very structured, this bodes well for extended aging as well.
The Offer
Please visit http://www.riverainvineyards.com If you have not signed up previously, you will need to do so so your information is captured by the system. Both wines are 20% off the 2013 mailing list price. Please use the promo code Frenchie when you order to get this pricing.
Cabernet, (normally $110) is $88. We have a few magnums as well for $188.
Syrah, (normally $48) is $38. Syrah magnums are $88.
Free ground shipping is included on all orders. There is a three bottle minimum, but mix and match is fine.
Thanks, as always, for your interest. If you have any questions feel free to email me at steve@riverainvineyards.com