Farmers love to talk about how things were way back when, like how 1997 was a spectacular vintage in Sonoma and Napa. Now, Linked Vineyards wasn’t even a concept back then, but history is known to repeat, and we really couldn’t have asked for better weather than we were handed in 2016! It was very similar to 1997. Ample late winter rain filled the soil with water, and warm days pushed an early budbreak. High temperatures in spring oscillated between the mid-80’s and low-60’s, and summer got just a little bit warmer. There were no boiling hot or freakishly cold days and vines were happy and growing strong! Late summer was cool, allowing ripening at a leisurely pace, and mild heat in the end of September gave a perfect nudge into harvest.
The 2016 Linked Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon has a beautiful deep garnet/purple color. The nose is intense and explosively rich with cranberry, black cherry and pomegranate, with touches of black pepper, earthy mineral and just a hint of thyme. Dark chocolate, layered with cassis, blackberry, black cherry compote and leather burst through the plush tannins to create a mouthfeel and palate that extend into an epic, rich, sexy finish! This wine has the body of Marilyn Monroe with curves in all the right places! Our advice… when Covid is over, bring this stunner to any dinner party and folks will know you’re a wicked smart wine connoisseur, someone in the know, sharing an exceptional wine from a tiny family producer in the lesser-known Knights Valley AVA. Within moments they’ll think you’re the next Robert Parker.
122 Cases Produced