We just got word that Vineyard 29 is going to be selling, so they are closing out more of their wines to boost cash flow. We have one of those great deals today from the Aida Estate vineyard, far below the original asking price. Vineyard 29, founded by Chuck and Anne McMinn, has been producing wines with great success since the 1990s. The winemaker for this vintage was Philippe Melka, a renowned French winemaker based in Napa Valley. The wine was fermented with native yeasts and aged for approximately 20 months in new French oak, which contributes to its robust structure and aging potential. This is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon with 1% Petit Verdot added, sourced entirely from the 3.5-acre Aida Vineyard located in St. Helena. It is a classic example of this vineyard: richer, more powerful, with beautiful opulence and fantastic intensity of ripe fruit, but it has the freshness, acidity, and structure to keep everything in check. It's another very impressive bottle from Vineyard 29 and a tremendous deal for the category, given the prices of its peers and its original release price. One that can be enjoyed now or cellared for another 5 to 10 years, this is an exceptional buy and also would make for an impressive gift this holiday season!
Jed Dunnuck 97 pts! Another gem of a wine from this estate, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate includes 1% Petit Verdot and spent 20 months in French oak. It has a darker red and blue-slanted fruit profile as well as some classic tobacco, scorched earth, and graphite aromatics. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a seamless, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, building tannins, and a pure, focused style that will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age. The balance, purity, and sheer class here are top notch, and this will see its 20th birthday in fine form. (Drink between 2025 - 2043)
Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) 96+ The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is very close in quality to the 29 Estate bottling, with perhaps a touch more concentration and tannin. There's less herbal nuance to the fruit, leaving black cherries to take the lead, backed by cedary oak and hints of dusty earth, while the palate is full-bodied and structured, leaving little doubt regarding this wine's potential longevity. Thankfully, the considerable tannins are fully ripe, leaving a softly dusty sensation to linger on the finish.
Antonio Galloni 96 pts! The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is a super-classic wine from this sector of St. Helena. Dark, sumptuous and beautifully resonant, the 2021 wraps around the palate with striking depth. Black fruit, mocha, new leather, spice and espresso all build over time. A focus on Cabernet Sauvignon over blenders in recent years has paid off big time. (Drink between 2024 - 2033)
2021 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate
2021 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate
We just got word that Vineyard 29 is going to be selling, so they are closing out more of their wines to boost cash flow. We have one of those great deals today from the Aida Estate vineyard, far below the original asking price. Vineyard 29, founded by Chuck and Anne McMinn, has been producing wines with great success since the 1990s. The winemaker for this vintage was Philippe Melka, a renowned French winemaker based in Napa Valley. The wine was fermented with native yeasts and aged for approximately 20 months in new French oak, which contributes to its robust structure and aging potential. This is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon with 1% Petit Verdot added, sourced entirely from the 3.5-acre Aida Vineyard located in St. Helena. It is a classic example of this vineyard: richer, more powerful, with beautiful opulence and fantastic intensity of ripe fruit, but it has the freshness, acidity, and structure to keep everything in check. It's another very impressive bottle from Vineyard 29 and a tremendous deal for the category, given the prices of its peers and its original release price. One that can be enjoyed now or cellared for another 5 to 10 years, this is an exceptional buy and also would make for an impressive gift this holiday season!
Jed Dunnuck 97 pts! Another gem of a wine from this estate, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate includes 1% Petit Verdot and spent 20 months in French oak. It has a darker red and blue-slanted fruit profile as well as some classic tobacco, scorched earth, and graphite aromatics. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a seamless, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, building tannins, and a pure, focused style that will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age. The balance, purity, and sheer class here are top notch, and this will see its 20th birthday in fine form. (Drink between 2025 - 2043)
Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) 96+ The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is very close in quality to the 29 Estate bottling, with perhaps a touch more concentration and tannin. There's less herbal nuance to the fruit, leaving black cherries to take the lead, backed by cedary oak and hints of dusty earth, while the palate is full-bodied and structured, leaving little doubt regarding this wine's potential longevity. Thankfully, the considerable tannins are fully ripe, leaving a softly dusty sensation to linger on the finish.
Antonio Galloni 96 pts! The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is a super-classic wine from this sector of St. Helena. Dark, sumptuous and beautifully resonant, the 2021 wraps around the palate with striking depth. Black fruit, mocha, new leather, spice and espresso all build over time. A focus on Cabernet Sauvignon over blenders in recent years has paid off big time. (Drink between 2024 - 2033)
