Famed Napa Library Selection - kept in ideal temperature control conditions at Burgess Cellars since bottling - As recently profiled in the NewYork Times

By Jonathan H. Newman*
1996 Burgess Library Selection Napa Cabernet
Varietals: 80% Cabernet, 12% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc
Appellation: Napa Valley
Alcohol: 13%
Review: 92 plus
This is a wine I know very well having first sampled four vertical Burgess Cabernets almost seven years ago,  and this vintage  is widely considered to be one of the most approachable and long lasting of their storied Cabernet vintages. For those consumers lucky enough to have purchased the 95 or 97 vintages, this vintage will be the perfect addition to enjoy a spectacular vertical tasting to compare the three special vintages side by side and see how good Napa Cabernet from a respect producer is a special experience. The  Burgess  Cellars  Cabernet Library Selection concept is that they would set aside a small amount of their original vintage and re-release it at least 10 years after its initial distribution so American consumers could enjoy their top wines with nice bottle age. Few wineries have adopted this practice because of the cost of cellaring wine for over a decade. These vintage selections were also intended to sell at a premium to their original release prices but given economic conditions, this is a very rare opportunity to enjoy this kind of wine at attractive pricing which gives it an attractive Quality-Price Ratio (“QPR”) . And this wine has softened with age to create a sexy smooth mouth feel that shows its  suppleness yet shows off layers of complexity from the gorgeous 96 vintage. Kept in perfect temperature control at the Cellars, it shows that good Napa wines age gracefully and that bottle age can bring a very unique and pleasant experience that cannot be captured by typical current vintages on store shelves as you can miss the beauty and mystique of fine wine aging.  1996 was also considered to be a very solid  vintage with full bodied wines as most critics gave the overall vintage a 93 rating. The wine still has a nice purple color with expressive aromas of blackberries, black raspberry and mocha. On the palate, the wine still really nice acidity and backbone with pleasant well integrated tannins that are smooth and round. On the palate, the oak is well integrated with black cherry,  black raspberry, dark chocolate interwoven with touches of blueberries and licorice. Enjoy this wine now and for several more years. It will be an enjoyable wine to pair with sirloin steaks, veal parmesan, blackened pork loin and roast beef.


By burgesscellars.com
BURGESS NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON – Napa Valley
Vintage: 1996
Appellation: Napa Valley, California
Vineyard Locations: Burgess Estate Vineyards
Grape Variety: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot
Winemaking data: Alcohol 13.0%; pH 3.66; T.A. 0.61; 100% Malolactic Fermentation

Description:
The harvest of 1996 was certainly unique and one of outstanding quality. This was the result of a warm summer and earlier than normal maturity. Our mountain vineyards always ripen early due to lack of ground water, but this year was even earlier which gave us luscious fruit by mid-September. The wine has a blend of 8% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. This, along with the stylistic fruit from our Estate vineyard, produced a very serious, complex and rewarding wine. There is a spicy quality that combines with the French oak, creating an aroma and a flavor that continues through many layers.
Interesting Facts:
Grapes for Burgess Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are grown on a Western, exposed, terraced 30-acre Estate Vineyard with contours rising to an elevation of 1,000 ft. These terraces contain stony clay loam soil, ideal for growing Cabernet grapes.