Tech Notes
Wine Details
Wine Enthusiast
Jeb Dunnuck
James Suckling
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Antonio Galloni
By Cakebread Cellars
2019 Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Details
Benchland Select is a special blend of five clones of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from two superior vineyards in the gently sloping western benchlands of Rutherford and Oakville. These vineyards benefit from cool afternoon shade provided by the Mayacamas Mountains, allowing the grapes to mature at a slow, even pace, and gravelly loam soils affording excellent drainage.
Harvest Notes
In 2019, the season began with significant rainfall, preparing the soils for an exceptional season. Overall, summertime temperatures were moderate across Napa Valley, which allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly before harvest.
Winemaking Notes
Each lot is gently destemmed and fermented separately in small stainless steel tanks designed to maximize color, flavor, and tannin extraction. Yeast strains, fermentation temperatures, maceration techniques, and barrel aging regimens were specifically tailored to the character of each lot to capture the finest attributes of each vineyard block in the final blend. The blend spent 22 months aging in French oak barrels, 57% new, prior to bottling.
Technical Details
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley
Aging: 22 months in 57% new French oak
Alcohol: 14.80%
pH: 3.66
Acidity: 0.59 g/L
Tasting Note
Aromas of black fruits, including blackberry, cassis, and boysenberry, lift from the glass along with hints of mocha and vanilla. On the palate, the wine is silken with concentrated and intense black fruit flavors supported by elegant, fine-grained tannins. The finish is rich and long with hints of dark chocolate and fig.
[Information provided by Kobrand Wine and Spirits]
Unit Size | 750.00 ML |
Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon
|
Vintage | 2019 |
Grape | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Country | United States |
Region | North Coast |
Cakebread 2019 Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
From: Napa Valley, Napa, California, US
Rating: 94 - Cellar Selection
Winery: Cakebread
Region: Napa
Alcohol: 14.8%
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Type: Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Issue Date: 5/1/2023
Posh blueberry, mocha and cooked cherry flavors pack this velvety, rich 100% varietal wine from the first sniff through a lingering finish. The wine is impressively concentrated, yet soothingly soft in rich tannins and easy to enjoy now through 2035.
Reviewed By: Jim Gordon
2019 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select
Producer: Cakebread Cellars
Location: USA, California, North Coast, Napa Valley
Color: Red
Price: $140
Rating: 94
Tasting Date: 5/4/2022
Maturity: 2022 - 2042
Reviewed By: Jeb Dunnuck
Source: Napa Valley's 2019s: Part 3
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select is another gem, offering lots of cassis and darker cherry fruits as well as notes of lead pencil and crushed stone. Flawlessly balanced, medium to full-bodied, and as elegant and seamless as they come, it's already impossible to resist (as are most 2019s) but I've no doubt this will evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars.
Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Benchland Select 2019
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2022
Score: 93
Color: Red
Country: United States
Region: California
Vintage: 2019
Blueberry and blackberry aromas with some violets and lavender. Full-to medium-bodied with fine tannins and lots of juiciness. Drink or hold.
2019 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select
Rating: 92
Producer: Cakebread Cellars
Wine Region: USA, California, North Coast, Napa Valley
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Color / Type / Sweetness: Red / Table / Dry
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Release Price: $140
Drink Date: 2023 - 2033
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select spent 22 months in 57% new French oak, enough to impart the distinct scent of baked pastry crust to the otherwise pure aromas of cassis on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, supple and creamy in feel and expansive on the palate, with a lingering, mouthwatering finish that features just enough softly dusty tannins. Drink it over the next decade or so.
Published: Mar 31, 2023
Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Benchland Select 2019
Score: 91
Wine Type and Color: Red Still
Reviewed By: James Molesworth
Drinkability: Drink now through 2030
Primary Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Issue: February 28, 2023
Region: California / Napa / Napa Valley
Ripe and polished, with a core of gently mulled blackberry and black currant fruit cloaked in melted licorice and backed by a subtle alder accent on the finish. A crowd-pleaser style. Drink now through 2030.
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select
Producer: Cakebread Cellars
Place of Origin: United States, Napa
Color: Red
Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating: 90
Drinking Window: 2024 - 2034
From: The 2019 Napa Valley Cabernets: A Deep Dive (Jan 2022)
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select is a supple, juicy wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Jammy dark fruit, chocolate, spice, dried herbs and licorice are nicely pushed forward. The tannins need a bit of time to soften, but this is nicely done.
By: Antonio Galloni on October 2021