Barrett & Barrett Wine
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon | Calistoga, Napa Valley
Barrett and Barrett, two renowned and distinct winemakers working together, finally, is really what this wine is all about. The result is a handcrafted, limited edition Napa Valley wine that reflects our two different, yet complementary, winemaking styles.
WINEGROWING
We hand select small sections of the very best grapes from our Calistoga vineyards, vine by vine. With 20 years of experience growing Cab at this vineyard, we know the most unique and special areas, which have the lowest yields, tiny berries & stressed vines to create the super-selected wine we desire. Our winemaking in the vineyard comes down to our personal selection of each vine and is carried through to impeccable detail in the winemaking.
2015 was the last year of the infamous California drought, and was the vintage where the drought's cumulative effects were most apparent. Our vineyards performed well in the warm 2015 season, the third dry year in a row; however we had an unusually early harvest and much lower crop levels. The Cabernet for the Barrett & Barrett is located on steeper and exposed hillside vineyards, bringing a slightly early harvest, August 28th-September 8th. These hand selected blocks showed the super concentration and tiny berries we expect from an extraordinarily dry year. 2015 will be noted for having extremely concentrated, flavorful wines grown under very dry, low-yielding conditions and is expected to be a very popular vintage for collectors due to the intense structure and powerful flavors of these wines.
UPDATED TASTING NOTES
Tasted Feb 2023
The 2015 Barrett & Barrett Cab presents a powerful and complex nose - definitely some more savory characteristics along with the fruit. The blackberry jam fruit character is joined with meaty and earthy tones, like mushroom, soy/hoisin sauce, shiso leaf, bramble, and minerality. On the palate, it is extremely concentrated - 2015 was a strong drought year, so we had lower crop, but incredible concentration of flavor and texture that is evident here. It’s savory yet juicy on the palate, reminiscent of blackberry pie with a little extra salt.
ORIGINAL TASTING NOTES
Tasted 11/14/18 by Heidi & Bo Barrett
The wine exhibits a deep garnet hue in the glass. My first impression is WOW, just wow. Aromas are expansive and bright throughout - concentrated, ripe and layered. Strong aromatics of dark berry, cedar, spice, cherry, cinnamon and toasty French oak give complexity and opulent appeal. The 2015 was an early harvest producing very little crop, yet what we did pick is spectacular. Across the palate it is a big wine, lush with gorgeous pure flavors and a long, persistent finish that brings to mind notes of warm cherry. Although still very young, the structure and balance of this wine makes it compelling to taste now and bodes well for age-ability. This will be one of the star vintages of the decade.
ACCOLADES
from Jeb Dunnuck:
97 points - "A bouquet of blackcurrants, toasted spices, smoke tobacco, and lead pencil... a slightly Bordeaux’ish (Pauillac even) bouquet. Beautifully concentrated, full-bodied, and layered on the palate, it has good acidity, notable tannic structure, and a great finish. A more classic, focused, structured wine than the more opulent 2014, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will shine over the following two decades.
from Antonio Galloni of Vinous:
95 points"...A heady, exotic wine that captures the essence of the year beautifully. Bittersweet chocolate, leather, blackberry jam and cedar infuse this dramatic, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon. Firm Calistoga tannins give the wine a striking sense of proportion. Potent and virile in feel, the 2015 needs a few years to settle down, but it is impressive.
PAST VINTAGES
Vertical Collection 2008-2019
Current Vintage: 2019
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon