Nichols Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 | Compare to $100 wines – it’s $25 by the case!
The Exclusive Nichols Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is deep ruby color with a bright magenta rim. Black raspberry and new wood cedar aromas give way to juicy black cherry and chocolate covered raspberries on the palate, unfolding with warm red-berry compote, tinged with black tea notes. Sturdy, super-fine-grained tannins are buttressed by an energetic acid cut and the finish is exceptionally long and spicy. Winemaker Britt Nichols impresses with another great release.
Britt’s 2015 Reserve benefitted from a California drought year that yielded an immense concentration in Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition, she employed the deft touch learned under masters Nicolas Morlet and Philippe Melka to extract deep flavor and color from the fruit, blending several small lots to balance ripeness with freshness; power with plush luxuriousness. The result is a true Napa Reserve that speaks to vintage and place. The one thing it’s missing is a triple-digit price tag, and we’re okay with that.
Exclusive Nichols Reserve Value
“Value” is a word becoming an extreme rarity in Napa Valley, where $80 Cabernets are the new normal. Luckily, our relationships run deep. Hence, we recently signed an exclusive agreement with Britt Nichols. Therefore, we are able to lock in the entire production of her luxurious Exclusive Nichols Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015. Take out all the layers of normal retail distribution and we can offer a wine that compares to $100 bottles at just $24.99. An astonishing price for excellent Napa Cabernet from this highly pedigreed young winemaker.
Winemaker Britt Nichols
After tasting Britt Nichols’ 2013 Rutherford Cab, we didn’t think the young enologist could climb much higher. Then came 2014, the year Wine Spectator called a “dream vintage,” and Robert Parker deemed, “excellent.” Squared up against it’s older sibling, Britt’s 2014 gets the nod. Tasted in a lineup of Rutherford heavyweights with higher profiles and much higher price tags, Britt’s 2014 still holds its own. That’s because it’s made from the same heavyweight fruit — a historic vineyard just a stone’s throw from Caymus and Staglin. As Britt told us, “Cabernet bottlings from this estate reach $125…easily.”
Pressing her for details about the source, Britt’s lips were sealed by a lengthy non-disclosure agreement. Nor would she take much credit for her brilliant 2014. “In Rutherford, the weather was ideal for ripening,” Britt told us. “There was almost no pressure from rain or heat on the fruit, which came out perfectly — deep purple colors, thick skins, massive concentration. The wine practically made itself!”
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Of course, we knew better than to be fooled by Britt’s humility. She has more pedigree than many winemakers twice her age, with time spent at Jordan Winery and alongside legends Nicolas Morlet and Philippe Melka. Like those of her mentors, Britt’s Cabernets are deep in color, rich, and intensely concentrated. Yet unlike all too many Napa Valley Cabernets, these are also wines of great class, sleekness, and polish. The 2014 Nichols Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is hardly an exception. In fact, it may be her best yet. Please check out the Nichols Cabernet Rutherford Napa Valley 2014 for yourself!