Napa Valley, California
Alcohol 14.9 %
Bought: 2015-09-20 at CostCo
Price (w/o TAX 9.00 %): $ 39.99
Tasted: 2015-09-24 & 2015-09-25
Ratings: WA 88/100
Great stuff from a Ghost Winery: 2012 Liparita Cellars V Block Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep, dark cherry red. Intensive aromas of black fruits, some tree root and tart plum compote. Rich, creamy, and very sexy. Warm and pleasant taste. The plum compote is present all the time up to the very long finish which is accompanied by a wonderful acidity after swallowing. This is a wonderful Napa Valley Cab!
"Resurrecting the Ghost" - that's the motto on the Liparita website (http://www.liparita.com/). The reason for this motto is quite obvious: Liparita's long and successful history. The Liparita stone cellar was built in 1880 and still stands high atop Howell Mountain. Therefore Liparita is one of the "Ghost Wineries" - wineries that were built between 1860 and 1900. Liparita was awarded already 1900 in Paris and 1904 in St. Louis with gold and bronze medals!
Today the different Ghost Wineries have different faces. Some were simply abandoned, some were converted to shops, restaurants, etc., and others were renovated and used again in wine business. I will describe in a further entry the way the Hall winery is going.
Liparita was reinvented by proprietor Spencer Hoopes - a former lawyer and entrepreneur. His goal is to bring back Liparita to its former glory. And this 100 % pure Cab is a perfect statement. For the 2012 vintage fruits from 15 different sub-appellations of Napa Valley were blended - and the Liparita people did a great job. I love the warmness and the charm of the wine. It is a wonderful partner for an overwhelming Thanksgiving dinner. The delicate sweetness of the wine together with the turkey ... not from this world.
You can already drink this beauty, but you can also wait another five to seven years.