Barrett & Barrett Wine
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon | Calistoga, Napa Valley
Barrett & Barrett is a handcrafted, small production Napa Valley wine that reflects our two complementary winemaking styles. Bo’s expertise is in single appellation wines that highlight distinct vineyards, while Heidi excels at creating perfectly balanced, layered Cabs with an elegant, artistic style.
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.
Looking back on the 2018 vintage - it was a beautiful and even idyllic growing season, blessedly free of the challenges of some other recent years - we've heard it described as "drama-free", which seems apt. We had a cooler start to the growing season, leading into a nice warm summer and optimum growing weather. Even during the hotter spells, the cool nights allowed for great flavors and structure to develop. We had healthy, normal crop levels and a slightly later harvest date (late Sept into October). Harvest was slow and steady, with excellent ripening weather throughout. The more leisurely pace allowed for very selective and precise harvest decisions, resulting in a wine we are extremely proud of!
TASTING NOTES
2018 Barrett & Barrett Cabernet Sauvignon (tasted 11/6/21 by Heidi & Bo Barrett)
The 2018 Cab presents some sediment on opening. The wine is a deep inky garnet color, with enticing aromatics of black currant, ripe cherry, dark plums, licorice and spice, with a lifted floral note and nuances of French Oak. Across the palate, it’s smooth, velvety, and elegant, serving up tons of lush berry flavor with complexity, balance, and a long graceful finish. Tannins are soft and integrated, yet present enough to provide body and weight. Showy and already quite approachable as a young wine, it also has great structure that will allow it to evolve in the cellar over the next several decades. An excellent example of why the 2018 vintage is proving to be a favorite among critics and consumers – ripe & powerful but also stately and elegant, 2018 Barrett & Barrett Cab is a stunner across the board.
ACCOLADES
From The Wine Advocate:
97 points - "A fabulous expression of the vintage.. it offers up exuberant aromas of ripe cherries, fine sandalwood and a hint of dark chocolate. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, ripe and silky in feel, with a lingering, elegant finish. Exhibiting impeccable balance and harmony, it's a terrific effort from a couple of Napa legends." - Joe Czerwinski
From The Wine Independent:
95 points "...Emerges from the glass with an evocative perfume of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and violets, followed by hints of chocolate box, menthol, and black truffles. The full-bodied palate is laden with juicy black fruits and loads of earthy accents, framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and mineral-laced." - Lisa Pierotti-Brown
PAST VINTAGES
Vertical Collection 2008-2019
Current vintage: 2019
2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon