Wine Reviews

Founded in the early 1970s, Cakebread Cellars began with a land purchase in Rutherford and now owns 243ha of vines across 16 vineyards, mostly in Napa. Winemaker at the time Stephanie Jacobs usually included a dash of Cabernet in this bottling. Merlot from Suscol Springs Ranch in the valley’s cooler southeast joins fruit from warmer valley-floor sites in the Rutherford AVA. Ageing for 17 months in 44% new French oak gives this wine plushness. Ronan Sayburn MS: Nose is open, floral and ripe. Sweet summer berry fruit and a little graphite. Lean minerality on an elegant palate. A refined wine. Eugenio Egorov: Vibrant, fresh. Redcurrant and blackcurrant with notes of black pepper and sweet tobacco. Lively acidity and good structure. Ben Gubbins: Dark fruits, toasty mocha, blackberry jam, bramble leaf and vanilla on the nose. Refreshing acidity. Powerful, almost hedonistic.

Expressions of bramble and forest fruits, English tea and tobacco. Fresh acidity with complex spice and liquorice. Solid, yet charming.

Attractive minty blackberries and blueberries with dark chocolate and a touch of roasted red pepper. Pretty full-bodied on the palate, with masses of dusty tannins forming a nicely chewy texture. Long and flavorful.

Fragrant white with lilies, citrus blossoms, peaches and lychees on the nose. It’s medium-bodied and lightly oily in texture, with excellent freshness and a tasty finish.

A youthful, plummy malbec with aromas of fresh plums, raspberries, nutmeg and violets. It’s medium- to full-bodied, clean and focused