Heritage School Vineyards
Missiaen's Hillside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Calistoga, Napa Valley, California, USA
It’s been awhile since I’ve stayed up really late with a bottle and truly dissected it. I really only do that if it’s something I absolutely love and when I know I can sell large quantities of it.
Robert Parker praised prior vintages of this single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon going back to 2002 (it was the Harris Treva’s Vineyard until the name change to Heritage School), comparing it to early 1970’s vintages of Mayacamas as well as the great wines of Graves on the left bank of Bordeaux. He describes it as “opulent, full bodied and impressive,” as well as, ahem, “enormously well-endowed.” Leave it to Parker.
The 2017 Heritage School Missiaen’s Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon leaps from the glass with just as much verve if not more than it did when I opened it four hours prior. Extraordinarily perfumed with rich cassis, ripe blackberry preserves, and baked earth, with a woven edge of underbrush and savory herbs. Given enough time and air the distinctive initial profile eventually bleeds into ripe boysenberry, smoked meat, creosote, and freshly ground espresso beans. Its style is both classic and familiar, and yet quite impressive when you realize it’s simply the seamless expression of the terroir.
It’s been awhile since I’ve stayed up really late with a bottle and truly dissected it. I really only do that if it’s something I absolutely love and when I know I can sell large quantities of it.
Robert Parker praised prior vintages of this single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon going back to 2002 (it was the Harris Treva’s Vineyard until the name change to Heritage School), comparing it to early 1970’s vintages of Mayacamas as well as the great wines of Graves on the left bank of Bordeaux. He describes it as “opulent, full bodied and impressive,” as well as, ahem, “enormously well-endowed.” Leave it to Parker.
The 2017 Heritage School Missiaen’s Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon leaps from the glass with just as much verve if not more than it did when I opened it four hours prior. Extraordinarily perfumed with rich cassis, ripe blackberry preserves, and baked earth, with a woven edge of underbrush and savory herbs. Given enough time and air the distinctive initial profile eventually bleeds into ripe boysenberry, smoked meat, creosote, and freshly ground espresso beans. Its style is both classic and familiar, and yet quite impressive when you realize it’s simply the seamless expression of the terroir.