2018 Cliff Lede 'Poetry' Cabernet Sauvignon

The deep garnet 2018 Poetry is already fully integrated, with its well-appointed components all seamlessly leaping from the glass. Dark red and black currants, black raspberries, and candied violets form this elixir’s fruitier elements, while a bouquet of pretty ylang-ylang, jasmine, lilac, and tuberose blossoms decorate the balmy perfume. The lush, effortless quality of this vintage shows in this wine’s unified precision and heady sandalwood, cedar, loam, and rose petal notes that fleck the long fresh finish.

Cliff Lede Vineyards was founded in 2002 by Cliff Lede following the acquisition of 60 acres in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. With a focus on producing wines from estate vineyards, Cliff engaged industry experts to redesign and replant the majority of the estate. The plantings were so specific and precise to each soil type and exposure that, to keep track without having to refer to a clipboard, Cliff decided to name each block after some of his favorite rock songs and albums. From “My Generation” to “Dark Side of the Moon,” he created what is known today as the Cliff Lede Vineyards “Rock Blocks.” The winemaking team gets creative with this innovation, annually crafting a small-lot Rock Block Series “mash up” of two or more blocks, featured in the tasting room and wine club.

Robert Parker | 100 pts

Wine Enthusiast | 98 pts

Jeb Dunnuck | 98 pts