2017 Casa Piena 'Estate' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Harvest at the Policy Vineyard took place in the third week of September, with all the fruit coming into the winery cold, at first light. The 2017 wines are marked as having more of an old world, elegant quality, very pretty and expressive.
The aromatic profile starts with notes of mint, plum, kirsch, blackberries and lavender. The palate is layered with a variety of red and black fruits, dark chocolate, black tea, flint and violets. While the wine is super concentrated for Casa Piena, the tannins are well integrated providing abundant structure without interrupting the very long finish.
It seems that everything Carmen Policy touches turns to gold. After a successful career as a trial attorney, he set his sights on the gridiron and was an instrumental force in helping the San Francisco 49ers win 5 Super Bowls. After twenty-five years as a successful executive in the NFL, he still wasn't satisfied. Firmly connected to his family's Italian roots and their love for making wine, he and his wife Gail set their sights on finding a special slice of California heaven to try his hand at being a vintner. After looking at more than 15 Napa Valley properties, they decided on a 14-acre slice of Yountville nirvana perfect for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. With the help of legendary winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown in the cellar and acclaimed vineyard manager Jim Barbour, Carmen assembled another championship team and has been churning out superlative juice from his estate property since 2006. Carmen is involved with every step of the process, and he, Jim, and Thomas all share an obsession to produce wines of structure, depth and purity.