A. Rafanelli

Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

9.2569 ratings
9.264 pro ratings
Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
Cabernet Sauvignon
Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Pasta, Venison, Tomato-Based, Potato, Pork, Chocolate & Caramel, White Rice, Mushrooms, Beef, Lamb, Chili & Hot Spicy
Top Notes For
Brian S

More red fruit than blue, medium plus acidity, medium tannins. I would let this sit down for at least 5 years.

More red fruit than blue, medium plus acidity, medium tannins. I would let this sit down for at least 5 years.

Jul 23rd, 2023
David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The very definition of velvet wrapped in an iron fist. It is singing on my palate.

This Dry Creek is better than the Select Terraces I’ve opened lately. Deep, black, ripe, ruby, currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, blue hues, dark cherries, crazy, deep, Indian spices, dark berry cola, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, malt balls, fresh tobacco, used leather, tree bark w/ sap, steeped fruit tea, limestone, crushed risks, river stone, forest floor with dry leaves, dry herbaceous notes, endless rainbow of florals, beautiful acidity and well balanced, structure and tension that is tightly knit with finish for days.

Crazy, stupid, producer that continues to fly well below the radar. I am thankful it does.

This 2010 has 10 years plus of life left ahead. The best Ca Cabernet I’ve had in many years. Wine affects me differently than most but this wine is like a full body massage. Maybe, that is why I discovered my palate.

The very definition of velvet wrapped in an iron fist. It is singing on my palate.

This Dry Creek is better than the Select Terraces I’ve opened lately. Deep, black, ripe, ruby, currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, boysenberries, blue hues, dark cherries, crazy, deep, Indian spices, dark berry cola, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, malt balls, fresh tobacco, used leather, tree bark w/ sap, steeped fruit tea, limestone, crushed risks, river stone, forest floor with dry leaves, dry herbaceous notes, endless rainbow of florals, beautiful acidity and well balanced, structure and tension that is tightly knit with finish for days.

Crazy, stupid, producer that continues to fly well below the radar. I am thankful it does.

This 2010 has 10 years plus of life left ahead. The best Ca Cabernet I’ve had in many years. Wine affects me differently than most but this wine is like a full body massage. Maybe, that is why I discovered my palate.

Jun 25th, 2023
Jay Kline

Brought from my cellar to a friends house and paired with our dinner of burgers and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. Popped and poured; consumed within about 90 minutes. The 2017 Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep ruby color with a translucent, but near opaque core and only a small sign of sediment. Viscosity is medium+ and there is moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is intense: expressive of cassis, black and red bramble fruit, tobacco, green pepper, baking spices, espresso, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry and there is pretty significant structure, which I would place at medium+. The fruits and non-fruits are confirmed. Finish is long and comforting; like a warm blanket on a cool night. To my palate, the 2017 Cabernet is just entering its early drinking window. It's showing really well on the pop and pour with everything in deft balance. It's worth noting that this was consumed after enjoying a bottle of Christopher Tynan's "L'Enclume de Velours" and while that is a very nice wine in its own right, the Rafanelli really showed its pedigree. These should drink well over the next 10-15 years.

Brought from my cellar to a friends house and paired with our dinner of burgers and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. Popped and poured; consumed within about 90 minutes. The 2017 Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep ruby color with a translucent, but near opaque core and only a small sign of sediment. Viscosity is medium+ and there is moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is intense: expressive of cassis, black and red bramble fruit, tobacco, green pepper, baking spices, espresso, and dry earth. On the palate, the wine is dry and there is pretty significant structure, which I would place at medium+. The fruits and non-fruits are confirmed. Finish is long and comforting; like a warm blanket on a cool night. To my palate, the 2017 Cabernet is just entering its early drinking window. It's showing really well on the pop and pour with everything in deft balance. It's worth noting that this was consumed after enjoying a bottle of Christopher Tynan's "L'Enclume de Velours" and while that is a very nice wine in its own right, the Rafanelli really showed its pedigree. These should drink well over the next 10-15 years.

Mar 27th, 2023
Jay Kline

Popped and poured; consumed over a matter of a few hours. The 2014 Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon pours a slightly turbid, deep garnet color with a nearly opaque core. Medium viscosity with some signs of sediment. The nose is very expressive and seems to build in character with exposure to more air. Redolent of red and black cassis with some tobacco and baking spices. On the palate, this is a wine of uncommon structure and seems to channel California from yester-year. From this standpoint, acid takes opening credits with tannin playing a very strong supporting role. The fruit is still primary and there’s an overarching sense of freshness. Five years since my last note, this seems to be tracking quite well towards the long life I expected when I first tried it. Drink now with patience and enjoy well past 2029. For what it’s worth, I’m in no rush to open my remaining bottle.

Popped and poured; consumed over a matter of a few hours. The 2014 Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon pours a slightly turbid, deep garnet color with a nearly opaque core. Medium viscosity with some signs of sediment. The nose is very expressive and seems to build in character with exposure to more air. Redolent of red and black cassis with some tobacco and baking spices. On the palate, this is a wine of uncommon structure and seems to channel California from yester-year. From this standpoint, acid takes opening credits with tannin playing a very strong supporting role. The fruit is still primary and there’s an overarching sense of freshness. Five years since my last note, this seems to be tracking quite well towards the long life I expected when I first tried it. Drink now with patience and enjoy well past 2029. For what it’s worth, I’m in no rush to open my remaining bottle.

Oct 21st, 2022
Jay Kline

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Compelling on the first pour but best on day two and boy, was it rockin’. A drop dead gorgeous nose of red and dark fruits, tobacco, dusty earth and baking spices. The palate is equally generous with perfectly ripened fruit and all of the aforementioned non-fruit characteristics. Superb balance. The finish is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid and forever long. The texture…is like chinchilla fur. It’s wonderful now but it’s best with significant air. Drink now with patience or sometime over the next 15 years. One of the more memorable Rafanelli Cabernets I’ve had in a while…and that says a lot.

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Compelling on the first pour but best on day two and boy, was it rockin’. A drop dead gorgeous nose of red and dark fruits, tobacco, dusty earth and baking spices. The palate is equally generous with perfectly ripened fruit and all of the aforementioned non-fruit characteristics. Superb balance. The finish is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid and forever long. The texture…is like chinchilla fur. It’s wonderful now but it’s best with significant air. Drink now with patience or sometime over the next 15 years. One of the more memorable Rafanelli Cabernets I’ve had in a while…and that says a lot.

Jul 6th, 2022
Paco Suro

Pretty frickin delicious #drycreek #calicabernet For a year that was hot and CS style was in the big and brooding phase, this accepted the warmth but held on to tradition. Lean with some green but balanced with good fruit. Yum!

Pretty frickin delicious #drycreek #calicabernet For a year that was hot and CS style was in the big and brooding phase, this accepted the warmth but held on to tradition. Lean with some green but balanced with good fruit. Yum!

Apr 26th, 2020
Jay Kline

One half of a double-blind, France Vs. USA 1990 vintage showdown that also included a Chateau Meyney Saint-Estephe. Both wines had great provenance and were properly cellared over the last thirty years. I opened both bottles about three hours before we got into them. Corks on both wines had held up very well but looked pretty gnarly. The Rafanelli exhibited great color, noticeable darker than the Meyney and quite a bit of sediment too which left the appearance a bit cloudy but certainly not murky. The fruit was remarkably fresh! Red and dark fruits with leather, red rope licorice, mushrooms and a heavier amount of smoke than the Meyney. Full bodied. This was remarkably tannic still! As I mentioned in my note about the Meyney, it was really hard to chose a favorite between the two. I think the Meyney had a more compelling nose but the Rafanelli had a slightly more gratifying palate. Regardless, we were all winners tonight! Sort of blown away how well this Rafanelli has aged and it has years to go before it dies. Bravo!

One half of a double-blind, France Vs. USA 1990 vintage showdown that also included a Chateau Meyney Saint-Estephe. Both wines had great provenance and were properly cellared over the last thirty years. I opened both bottles about three hours before we got into them. Corks on both wines had held up very well but looked pretty gnarly. The Rafanelli exhibited great color, noticeable darker than the Meyney and quite a bit of sediment too which left the appearance a bit cloudy but certainly not murky. The fruit was remarkably fresh! Red and dark fruits with leather, red rope licorice, mushrooms and a heavier amount of smoke than the Meyney. Full bodied. This was remarkably tannic still! As I mentioned in my note about the Meyney, it was really hard to chose a favorite between the two. I think the Meyney had a more compelling nose but the Rafanelli had a slightly more gratifying palate. Regardless, we were all winners tonight! Sort of blown away how well this Rafanelli has aged and it has years to go before it dies. Bravo!

Mar 8th, 2020
Jay Kline

“Let me tell you somethin’! Let me tell you...✋🏼. Don’t drink these now. Seriously. Just don’t. Five years from now? That’s probably okay. But not now. Unless...unless you are willing to decant for an extended period of time or slow-ox for three days. Patience will be rewarded however if you allow time to do its work. Only then do you get the classic Rafanelli of red and dark fruit with chocolate, coffee, tobacco and baking spices; executed in a most seductive fashion. Sound structure. The finish is long. This is a great vintage from Rafanelli with a long life ahead. Better after 2025.

“Let me tell you somethin’! Let me tell you...✋🏼. Don’t drink these now. Seriously. Just don’t. Five years from now? That’s probably okay. But not now. Unless...unless you are willing to decant for an extended period of time or slow-ox for three days. Patience will be rewarded however if you allow time to do its work. Only then do you get the classic Rafanelli of red and dark fruit with chocolate, coffee, tobacco and baking spices; executed in a most seductive fashion. Sound structure. The finish is long. This is a great vintage from Rafanelli with a long life ahead. Better after 2025.

Jan 15th, 2020
Nick Apone

2002

2002

Dec 7th, 2019
Jay Kline

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Day 1: very primary, fresh, vibrant fruit with some tobacco but super compact. Day 2 was a different story with fresh raspberries, cassis, plums, and tobacco and wonderfully balanced. Loads of structure to go with. Finish is long and delicious. This bottle already exhibits a lot of sediment, expect more in the future. Best yet to come.

Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Day 1: very primary, fresh, vibrant fruit with some tobacco but super compact. Day 2 was a different story with fresh raspberries, cassis, plums, and tobacco and wonderfully balanced. Loads of structure to go with. Finish is long and delicious. This bottle already exhibits a lot of sediment, expect more in the future. Best yet to come.

Jun 5th, 2019