Cardinale Estate Red 2018

8 reviews for Cardinale Estate Red 2018

1. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   William Daniel – April 30, 2021

   This generous and layered Cabernet is drinking beautifully in the early going, with nothing but blue skies ahead. Dark red, almost purple in color, the wine is full in body, though somehow being both tight and round in the mouth. The aromas are pure and elegant, with notes of blueberry compote, black cherry, graphite, fresh rosemary, and trail dust. The flavors are somewhat more raw, with rush of boysenberry, elderberry, cocoa bean, leather, and mulberry, followed by a fruity but structured finish (read: sweet fruit but dry tannin) that begs for more age. Blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Draws almost entirely from mountain sites (32.5% Spring, 25.5% Diamond, 18.5% Howell, 8% Veeder, and 5% Atlas) with a little more than 10% valley fruit (7.5% Stag’s Leap and 3% St. Helena). 14.5% alcohol.I know Cardinale is nothing new, but it is always amazing how this blend can be both (1) true to its mountain origins (bright acidity, dusty tannin, red fruit) and (2) accessible upon release (yeah, it’ll get way better with time, but you don’t need the patience as you do for a Dunn or Togni). This is close to as good as the 2016 (my favorite Cardinale of recent vintages), but the 2018 has less generosity than the 2016 did at this point. Still, the 2018 is a stunning wine with an incredible future. 95+ for now, with upside in 2-4 years.

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Julianna Farmer – June 29, 2022

   Incredible nose from the jump. Floral notes, graphite, streaks of minerals. Dark bing cherries all day, maybe a tad one dimensional in its flavor profile for me. This is a cellar wine and will reward the consumer as it develops secondary and tertiary notes, but right now it is good, but not great. Started to shut down hard after 15-20 minutes of us sitting down. This received about 3 hours of air.

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Micheal Rodriquez – June 29, 2022

   Napa day trip (MacDonald, Cardinale, La Pelle) (Napa): Aromas of subtly dark fruits, dark flowers, dried stone with crushed minerals, more subtle stone notes and a spiced oak.Flavors of dark fruits, good intensity in terms of wildness/prickliness, giant halved boulders, and dark forest floor. Silvery minerals with a decent shine. Nice darkness to the wine.Unsure if these were given too much air but the nose and palate dissipated quickly given around 10 minutes.

4. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Gary Espinoza – February 16, 2023

   Showing good potential but drinking very young. We decanted for about 30-40 minutes and could’ve used more time. But showing great promise

5. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   WA – March 23, 2023

   Composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2018 Cardinale was aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, 81% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it prances out of the glass with gregarious notions of warm cassis, black cherries and wild blueberries, followed by emerging earth scents with a tobacco and garrigue undercurrent. Medium to full-bodied, gracefully styled and refreshing, the vibrant black and blue-fruited palate offers a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bags of energy, finishing long with a skip in its step.

6. 

   JD – March 23, 2023

   The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that spent 22 months in 81% new French oak. It’s a wonderfully complete, borderline perfect wine that shows the class of this estate as well as the vintage, revealing a seamless, full-bodied style that carries lots of blackcurrant, graphite, lead pencil, and tobacco aromatics, a deep, layered mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and flawless balance. As with most of Chris’s 2018s, it’s a wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a layered, singular character. It’s a gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today with ample pleasure, but it will ideally be given 4-6 years of bottle age, at which point it should evolve gracefully for 30-40 years.

7. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   JS – March 23, 2023

   Aromas of blackberries, plums and spice with some pine needles and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied with very fine, round tannins and a juicy sophistication and flavorful profile. Dark and thought-provoking. So approachable. 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. Drink or hold.

8. 

   VIN – March 23, 2023

   The 2018 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and sumptuous right out of the gate. Soaring aromatics and silky tannins add finesse to the dark mountain fruit. It’s hard to remember a vintage with this much sheer appeal in the early going. As always, Cardinale is a blend of choice hillside blocks. In 2018, the core is built around Stags Leap, Atlas Peak and St. Helena. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has backed off some of the overtness of the past years, and that is a huge benefit in allowing the wine to be more natural, more relaxed. The 2018 spent 21 months in 80-90% new oak, and clearly has the stuffing to handle the oak. It is one of the most refined Cardinales I can remember tasting.