Palate
One of the standouts in the lineup, the impressive 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve reveals a dense purple hue to go with rocking cassis and blueberry fruits intermixed with plenty of cedar, spice, and flowery incense. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, with ripe tannins, it shows the more straight, focused style that’s common in all of these 2018s from O'Brien, yet it has ample mid-palate depth as well as length. It's going to evolve for 15 years. - Jeb Dunnuck
Growing Conditions
February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes. The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for winemakers to allow their fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels.
