Vineyard 29 Aida Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is a powerhouse. Dark red cherry, gravel, crushed rocks, herbs and licorice saturate the palate. This explosive potent Cabernet offers tons of intensity as well as structure. I would give it a few years to soften. A wine of breadth and textural richness, the Aida is lights-out.

Rich, broad and impressively saturated, this full-bodied wine from stony soil north of St. Helena floods the palate with überripe black fruits, mocha and bracing black currant, blackberry and blueberry flavors with well-integrated tannins for grip without grit. Made with just 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine has been fermented for 30 days in oak tanks and matured for 20 months in 80% new French barrels. Best 2026-2036.

While I adored the Turley Petite Syrahs (yes, that's how they were labeled) sourced from this vineyard, it's hard to argue with the Cabernet Sauvignon that replaced those old vines. Vaguely smoky, with layers of dark fruit-black cherries, plums, cassis and blueberries-framed by lavish vanilla and cedar notes, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is full-bodied and expansive in the mouth, richly textured and tannic, with a long, velvety finish. It should begin drinking well in a few years and continue to do so for up to two decades.