Cain Five 1997

94 points Decanter
"We are at the perfect drinking moment for this beautiful Spring Mountain wine, packed with gentle autumn leaf beauty. It’s elegant and balanced with notes of truffle, mocha and undergrowth yet still heavy with blackberry and black cherry fruits. Winemaker Chris Howell is one of my favourite people in the Valley, always ready to shine a light on viticultural decisions behind vintages and someone who studied at both Montpellier and Bordeaux before heading back to Napa and joining Cain in 1990. They were replanting the vineyard at the time so you have around 70% non-estate grapes, but still plenty of flinty, mint-edged Cain character. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend; with this one of the few vintages were there are 4 instead of 5 varieties in Cain Five (no Merlot). 70% new oak, unfiltered, native yeasts, long harvest from August 30 with the Malbec to October 10 for the final Cabs, giving a full and even ripening for all varieties, high sugar levels that gave initially rich and sweet wines that have softened well at this point. Drinking Window 2019 - 2038 (JA)" (11/2019)