Perfection is hard to realize, but 2012 might come close. A beautiful growing season raised our spirits after the challenges of 2011. A cool spring with plentiful rains made the vines incredibly happy. Summer temperatures danced between the upper 70s and low 90s. No rain. No hot stretches. Nothing for a farmer to complain about! October brought cooler temperatures, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly…perfectly.
So, what do you do when Mother Nature hands you impeccable fruit? Make the most breathtaking bottle of wine! Aromas of wild blackberries and currants intermingle with dusky notes of fresh tobacco, allspice and cedar. A mélange of ripe blackberry, boysenberry and huckleberry flavors is interlaced with warm spice notes, bourbon, vanilla and a hint of cocoa. This wine waltzes between mouth-watering luxurious tannins and bright and intense fruit. This is a sultry wine that beckons you to sip…and savor…and come back for more.
Drink it now, or put it away? The only answer is YES!
95+ POINTS "Deep rich color, velvety palate impression and fine balance are all hallmarks of Linked Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 vintage offers up deep cherry fruit on the nose, intense cassis and chocolate with hints of smoke, fine tannin and a long finish round out this excellent wine for the cellar or with an hour decanting. Linked Vineyards is the true embodiment of small-batch Sonoma County luxury wine. Founded by the Link Family in 2000 as a place to build a family legacy, Linked Vineyards offers ultra-exclusive, handcrafted Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to discerning collectors. Renowned Winemaker Luc Morlet oversees every aspect of every lot, from handpicking to hand sorting, and this meticulous, gentle attention results in wines of extraordinary elegance. Every step of the winemaking process is thoughtful and deliberate. The complete fermentation of this lot was done in French Oak puncheons, allowing the early integration of oak and grapes. Luc’s delicate approach to the entire process allows the terroir of both this amazing vineyard and Knights Valley to emerge in the wine. Each sip is a well-orchestrated progression of dark berries, chocolate, black tea and toasted brioche."
- Wine Spectrum, July 2016
91 POINTS The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is made from clone 337 and is
aged in 100% new oak. This wine offers up notes of chocolate, crème de cassis,
cedar wood and forest floor. It has a dense ruby/purple color, a medium to
full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long, round finish with sweet, well-integrated
tannin. Drink it over the next 15 years.
The vineyards of this small producer in Knights Valley sit at
an 1,100-foot elevation and are composed of the famous aiken red soils over
volcanic ash, which is a terroir well-suited for Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted
their three vintages, which certainly merit attention.
- Robert Parker, eRobertParker.com, The Wine Advocate, October 2016