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Hewitt Vineyard
2018 Hewitt Vineyard Double Plus Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
$550.00
Bottle
Price
$550.00
$6,600.00
Case
(12)
Price
$6,600.00
Member Pricing
Tasting Notes
Tasting Notes
This 2018 Hewitt Double Plus Cabernet is exceptional. Intrigue, intensity, complexity, depth, and richness all come together in this remarkable vintage. The concentration is almost old-world like, with a nod to the Amarone-like dried fruit character with notes of fig and raisin, alongside a fresh, bright, voluptuous, and sinewy mouthfeel, exhibiting the true elegance of this spectacular vineyard selection. Consistently a favorite among wine critics, this Cabernet is exemplary of the enigmatic character of Hewitt’s terroir, showcasing a saturated, deep red brick color, alluring aromas, and multi-layered, nuanced flavors. Double Plus epitomizes the complex character of Hewitt Vineyard showing a focused purity of fruit, with rich tones of dark plum, deep black cherry, alongside nuances of warm sticky toffee pudding, caramel, molasses and mocha, all tributes to the perfectly harmonized oak-integration. Signature Rutherford dust characteristics unfold into velvety smooth, cocoa-powder tannins, with secondary flavors and aromas of sarsaparilla, holiday spice cake, and exotic star anise, persisting through the unctuous, supple, mouth coating finish that evolves, revealing more complexity with each sip. The wine was fermented in small French barriques, enhancing the wine’s opulent mouthfeel and structure, softening tannins, and giving this Cabernet its signature rum-raisin profile and spectacular concentration.
Technical Information
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Alcohol % | 14.9% |
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
Scores & Accolades
-
98
JamesSuckling.com
“There’s transparency and brightness here with blackcurrants, violets and some black cherries. It’s full-bodied, dense and layered with fine, firm tannins and a tight, linear finish. This is closed and agile. Structured without heaviness. Drink after 2025.” - James Suckling, June 2021
-
95
Vinous
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Double Plus is another compelling wine from Hewitt. The Double Plus sees more barrel fermentation than the straight Cabernet. In tasting, the Double Plus shows a bit more elegance and refinement, but the two wines are not markedly different at this stage of their lives. I expect that may change in time, as the wines develop.” - Antonio Galloni, March 2021
Winemaking
Trevor Durling - Winemaker
Trevor grew up in nearby Sonoma County, one of the wine hubs of Northern California. Wine was a staple at his family dinner table, and he enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California, Davis. After an internship at Sonoma-Cutrer in 2003 and two consecutive harvest internships making sparkling wine at Gloria Ferrer, Trevor joined Moon Mountain Vineyard, a small, well-regarded organic vineyard in Sonoma, shortly after his graduation from UC Davis. In March of 2010, Trevor joined the winemaking team at Hewitt Vineyard and Provenance Vineyards and was appointed senior winemaker in 2015.
"From a winemaking standpoint, we have access to some of the best fruit in Napa Valley, not just from our estate in Rutherford, but also from Carneros in the south all the way up to Calistoga in the north. Our job is to make sure that each wine is balanced, complex, exciting and representative of its terroir."
WinemakingThe grapes are hand sorted on tables two times; first, as clusters to remove any leaves or inferior fruit, and then, after destemming, as individual berries. This gentle process retains about 70 percent whole berries. Then, the must was fermented in new French oak barrels to integrate the tannins and enhance the plush texture of the wine. Five to seven days of cold soaking, and roughly 45 days of total skin contact helped to develop the rich varietal character. During in-barrel malolactic fermentation, bâtonnage (lees stirring) is used to round the tannin profile and soften acidity. Finally, the wine is clarified with two or three rackings during barrel aging and then bottled without fining.
Vintage
Vintage>
Vineyard
Vineyard
Sourced from the 60-acre Hewitt Estate Vineyard, this wine is composed of a barrel selection of the very finest parcels from this prized winegrowing land. Typically, only one or two special barrels are selected from at least two or three vineyard blocks that consistently produce the most exceptional fruit. The wine is renowned for showing impeccable balance, supple tannins and highly concentrated flavors. Hewitt Vineyard is tucked against the Mayacamas mountain range on the western Rutherford Bench which provides ideal sun exposure and slope, promoting even ripening, while the well-draining alluvial soils allow the vines to root deeply, providing additional complexity and flavors. The current vines in the Hewitt Vineyard were planted from 1996 to 2002, and consist of Cabernet Sauvignon clones 4, 7 and 8, for flavor diversity as well as a small percentage of Petit Verdot.
