Kapcsándy Family Winery Kapcsándy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon - Grand Vin 2019 750ml

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon again this year. "Now that the vineyard has matured, the Cabernet vines give us full, complete wines," Kapcsandy’s consulting winemaker, Tony Arcudi, said. The wine was aged in French oak, 90% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose needs a little coaxing to release scents of fresh black and red currant, blackberries and kirsch with touches of unsmoked cigars, cedar chest and violets, plus a waft of chocolate mint. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house with super firm, super ripe tannins and amazing freshness supporting the packed-in layers of black and red fruits, finishing long and earthy/savory. Yep, nailed it. 400 cases were made. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Deep purple-black, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard rockets out of the glass with intense notes of blackcurrant cordial, plum preserves and blueberry pie, plus hints of Chinese five spice, dusty soil, menthol, tar and black truffles, with a waft of roses. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, delivering layer upon layer of vibrant black and blue fruits with a rock-solid backbone of super ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and just plain delicious. Pure, seemingly effortless, seamless perfection. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 80% new French oak, the alcohol is a relatively modest 14.3%. 300 cases were made.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is simply magnificent. I think it is the kind of wine Lou Kapcsándy always wanted to make. A wine that is everything - powerful, elegant and structured. The 2018 is all of that, and so much more. Soaring floral and mineral accents make a strong first impression. The 2018 positively sizzles with energy. Dark cherry, plum, graphite, leather and chocolate build over time. What a showstopper it is! (Antonio Galloni)

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is another Bordeaux look-alike (Latour?) with its density, structure, and regal style. It offers blackcurrant, graphite, crushed rock, and lead pencil shaving aromas and flavors and is full-bodied, supple, and seamless on the palate, with building yet perfectly polished tannins. Showing the polished, elegant style of the estate, flawless balance, and a great, great finish, it’s going to keep for 30–40 years.

I always love this Cabernet from this team, and while it’s never the biggest or richest wine from the Valley, it always has a Château Lafite-like elegance and poise. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from the estate vineyard, that was raised in 80% new French oak. Beautiful, classic notes of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, tobacco, violets, and Asian spices dominate the bouquet, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with flawless balance, wonderfully integrated tannins and acidity, and just a beautiful, seamless, regal style that’s something to behold. It’s going to benefit from 4–6 years of bottle age, and I suspect it will still be drinking brilliantly in 30, 40, maybe even 50 years.

This is the first year that Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 100% of the Grand Vin State Lane. Aged in French oak, 90% new, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard slowly unfurls to reveal tantalizing notes of chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries and crème de cassis with nuances of pencil lead, bouquet garni, tree bark and crushed rocks plus a waft of iron ore. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated yet with fantastic tension, the palate has a firm backbone of grainy tannins to support throughout the long, mineral-tinged finish. 500 cases were made. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is, for the first time, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the more reticent wines in this range, the Grand Vin is also going to need a bit of time to shed some of its tannic heft. Cedar, leather and spice add gorgeous aromatic complexity. Rich, brooding and quite powerful, the 2017 offers a lot of potential but it is not especially forthcoming today; that should not be an issue in time. Clearly, the pure Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin is a bit of a stylistic departure from the past. All the 2017 needs is patience.