From those ITB what can we expect from the 16 vintage ? starting to get teh first mailing lists so im curious about good Napa cabs particularly BTK bottles
What general style and qualities does 16 bring, what recent vintages does it compare to ? softer 12 ? harder 13 ? approachable 14 ?
Thanks
Alan
What is BTK???
Beckstoffer To Kalon
I assume vintage of the century.
Lol!!!
sounds about right
Yep yep!
I hear it wasn’t great in Calistoga.
Oh no, this feud again?
2016 is better than 2011 but behind the other 14 vintages of the century!
what is your deal?
Ha ha. funny
Ok so any real feedback from anyone?
Ok got me. I’m out.
We blended our 16’s about a month ago - the only other reds I have tasted from the 16 vintage were during Premiere Napa Valley (if that is an indication 16 will be a very good vintage). Overall our 16’s have a bigger profile than 14 and 15 - but not quite in your face as 13 was at this stage. We will be bottling 16’s in August.
The barrel samples of 2016s I tried last summer were terrific. I think it will be another great vintage. I thought they had a bit more stuffing and concentration than the 2015s.
Bump
Well, 2016 is probably better than 2015. Better than 2014, too. Not quite at level of 2013, which is the second coming of 2002. 2016 is better than 2017.
The 16s are lower in alcohol than the 15s and there is more wine produced. Great balance. Kind of a cross of the balance of 2012 and the structure of 2014. Not as tannic as 2015, which like 2007 and 1997 is gonna need time. Then again, 1997 and 2007 never quite lived up to the early promise, so…
2016 reminds me of 2006, which has really turned into an excellent vintage in retrospect.
Most of the 2016s I’ve had were really good. And them have been good for some time and I don’t think they are gonna shut down.
thanks Roy
We will see with 2017, but the 2012-2016 range is the best run of consecutive vintages Napa has had since the 1991-1997 seven-peat. Just like that period, some are a little better than others. Here is my own current impressions of each Cab vintage since I arrived in Napa. Remember that I think Napa Cabs are best consumed between ages 8-15yrs most of the time.
2005: fruit forward, large crop, start drinking, 90pts
2006: gorgeous for last several years, improved a lot in bottle, drink over next 5yrs, 95pts
2007: tannic when young, huge early promise but hit or miss, will tannin outlive fruit? Try now. 91pts
2008: good but rarely anything spectacular. Start trying. 88pts
2009: quite ripe, lacking tannin, not long agers, drink up over next 5 years 87pts
2010: cool vintage with heat spikes, exc tannin, can age, give a try now 94pts
2011: poor, cold, wet vintage. A small number of wines are beauts. Drink now and next five. 75pts
2012: large crop, these wines have never shut down, drink now and next 5. Under-rated vintage. Beautiful 94pts
2013: has it all, fruit, tannin, depth. Should age well. The 2002 of this generation. Lay down a few years. 97pts
2014: leaner and more structured, might really appeal to some. Built to last. Lay down. 92pts
2015: a lot like 97 and 07. Very tannic, needs time. Have great potential but we will see. 90-94pts
2016: balanced and deep, showing immense promise. feels like the 06 vintage, 93-95pts
2017: lower alcohol, hit and miss, there will be excellence but not across board and we won’t know until its in bottle. 87-91pts
Awesome, thanks Roy