I know a good chunk of berserkers think im just nuts full stop but thats not the post.
Everyone raves about 13, everyone tells me dont worry it will be fantastic, everyone says it will soften, everyone says the fruit will come out
Well i keep on drinking various 13’s and they are not softening and fruit is not coming out. I know that eventually they will soften, all wines do but will the fruit survive ? drinking Napa 13 cabs now is a mouth puckering experience, 14 cabs are generally drinking great with only the sterner ones not being approachable yet and even those are way ahead of 13’s.
Now im sure ive had an odd bottle that breaks the above thoughts but it certainly applies for the majority of 13’s
Is it possible that the critics are wrong and its not a great vintage just a powerful mean one that never softens up ?
You are totally wrong about 2013. The vintage is truly profound, the wines are just really far from accessible. I tasted most of the wines out of barrel, and there was so much raw material in the wines, it was easy to see they were going to need a long time too. I also think 2010 is far more underrated than it should be, and is a close second to 2013. Vintage has a ton of class to it.
I assume we’re talking Napa cabs. I’ve actually found the '14s at times too flamboyant - certainly when tasted side by side with the 13s and have preferred the latter.
I’ve had one or two 2013 Napa Cabs, and the experiences were enough to stick mine in the back of the locker. Thinking 4 more years before I’ll like them, and they’ll still have a ways to go.
Also, everyone needs to keep quiet about the 2010’s!!!
I’ve probably tasted 150-200 Napa cabs from 2013. I tend to think they have a ton of fruit but sometimes can be masked by the tannins. Sometimes the wines just seem way over the top, but I’m a stickler for balance. IMHO I think they will be long lived as long as the fruit hasn’t been picked too late putting the wine in the overly licorice, stewed fruit profile (ex. Mark Herold). The best 2013s I’ve drank have been Corison Cabs and the Buccella Cabs and Cab blends.
Apparently many others are “nutz” about 13 too, just try to find a 2013 Burlotto Monvigliero! But you can find many other cheaper 13s from Piedmont that are good too.
So were 2001 and 1997. There’s a lot of awesome from both vintages now though. Patience. Drink your 2009’s now (if you didn’t finish them all by 2012.5 ).
Best 2013 Napa cab I’ve had thus far was from MACDONALD back in April of this year. The amazing thing about it was that it was a pop & pour, after Alex MacDonald, myself and my friend polished off a bottle of the gorgeous 2012 that he’d decanted for 4 hours, a bottle of 2014 Thomas PN that I’d brought, and a 2013 Hall my friend brought. Alex hid the label and asked me to guess what I was drinking. I knew it was MACDONALD, but b/c it was so approachable and tasty right out of the gate, I guessed the 2011. Was flabbergasted when he revealed it was the 2013.
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