Barnett Vineyards Rattlesnake 2014

Description

They only made 69 Barrels. Rating: 95+ Price ($) $N/A Drink Date 2016 – 2036 Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr. Issue Date 30th Dec 2016 Source 228, The Wine Advocate The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Rattlesnake is their reserve wine and has been called this since 1991, no doubt because of the number of rattlesnakes that populated the property. It is usually their greatest wine, when they declare it. They only made 69 cases in 2014, so this is a tough one to find. The color is opaque ruby/purple and the wine has a few extra gears in it, with plenty of blueberry, cassis, forest floor and white flowers, followed by a full-bodied, beautifully built style of wine. This wine goes on and on – it is incredible rich, but with no defects or hard edges. A full-bodied, lush, elegant, yet powerful wine, this is a classic Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 20+ years. 

The 2014 Rattlesnake is deeply purple and opaque in color. The nose is filled with blackberry, concentrated cassis and crushed violets, matched with cocoa nibs, black licorice and anise. The viscosity and plushness of the wine is immense. The sizeable chalky tannins begin to emerge showing the wines youthfulness. Blackberry puree, menthol and dark cooking chocolate are predominant on the palate. The tannins are big but so is the wine overall, which demands time in the cellar. This immense yet beautifully balanced wine will age wonderfully over the next 18-20 years (2034-2036). 

Winemaking and viticulture practices at Barnett Vineyards are influenced by the artisan craft of creating wines by hand. Due to the estate’s low yielding vineyard, it is critical to hand-harvest the vineyard vine-by-vine to ensure each cluster is picked at optimal ripeness. This manual work is additionally challenging on a 35º slope that is not conducive to any normal farm equipment. To preserve the integrity of each individual vineyard block, the grapes are fermented separately in small batches. The “must” is punched down several times a day utilizing traditional techniques. This process maximizes the extended skin to juice contact providing added richness, flavor concentration, aromatics, and deep color extraction, while allowing the tannin levels to be micro-managed. Only French oak barrels are used, with a preference to use between 65% and 100% new oak barrels and the balance being one to four year old barrels. The winemaking at Barnett Vineyards is undertaken with the utmost care and attention, assuring that the wines possess the ultimate fruit, complexity and well-balanced tannins necessary to age the wines for decades to come. Barnett Vineyards’ first harvest was in 1989 and yielded 232 cases of Cabernet. The winery has expanded gradually since then, selecting outstanding vineyard sites for grapes in addition to those grown on the estate, and now produces approximately 8,000 total cases. Rattlesnake and Spring Mountain District wines, including Merlot and Cabernet Franc, remain the focus with total estate production varying between 5,000 and 6,000 cases annually. In addition, we produce limited amounts Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc sourced from single vineyards located in desired appellations.

11/16/2024 #VP