High praise from Robert Parker for our 2014 vintage wines

Posted: December 30, 2016

The Wine Advocate’s December 31 Napa Valley Issue is out, and the reviews of our 2014 vintage wines are standouts.

Our flagship wine, Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, received 95 points. Mr. Parker said the wine has an “…elegance allied to serious power. This is a stylish, impeccably crafted wine that is broad, flavorful and impressive.”

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label – 95 points
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label exhibits lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, a medium to full body and elegance allied to serious power. This is a stylish, impeccably crafted wine that is broad, flavorful and impressive. Drink it over the next 20 years.
Current release – Limited quantities available now

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard – 95 points
Another single-vineyard Turnbull utilizes is the Fortuna Vineyard. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Fortuna Vineyard is a larger cuvée of just over 700 cases of dense, purple-colored Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a nose of glorious blueberry and blackberry fruit with licorice, incense and floral background notes, with a full-bodied superb richness and a long, layered mouthfeel. This is elegant and at the same time seriously endowed and capable of drinking well and evolving for 20-25 years.
Release Date Spring 2017

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc Leopoldina Vineyard – 95 points
The 2014 Cabernet Franc Leopoldina Vineyard is a relatively small cuvée of just under 200 cases from their holdings in Oakville. Forest floor, spring flowers, blueberry, black raspberry and blackcurrant fruit soar from the glass of this dense ruby/purple wine that is medium-bodied, wonderfully intense and savory with judicious usage of oak barrels. It has wonderfully penetrating and vivid blue, red and black fruits and like most Cabernet Francs it is intense, but not heavy, and this is a classic example. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.
Release Date Spring 2017

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Pierra – 96+ points
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Pierra comes from rocky soils on their estate in Oakville. This is youthful and backward with sweet blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, licorice and earth. The wine almost seems like a barrel sample given its primary characteristics and youthfulness. Dense ruby purple, sweet fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannin and oak, this is a full-bodied wine to forget for another 5-6 years and drink over the following 25 years.
Release Date Fall 2017

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus Vineyard – 94+ points
The single-vineyard 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus Vineyard is from a Calistoga site. The wine shows none of the rugged tannins and sometimes rustic character that can come from the northern end of Napa Valley in Calistoga. This is a beauty. About 350 cases were produced, the wine has an opaque ruby/purple color, hints of loamy soil undertones, forest floor, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, and a touch of licorice and spice. This is deep, full-bodied and super-impressive. It is approachable now, but will be better with 2-3 years of cellaring and keep for 25-30 years.
Release Date Spring 2017

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Leopoldina Vineyard – 93+ points
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Leopoldina Vineyard is opaque purple to the rim, with black cherry and blackcurrant fruit in a tightly knit, reserved style that, more than the other wines, begs for 4-5 years of bottle age. This is a big, generously endowed wine with loads of blue and black fruits, incense and creosote, but needs time given the tannic profile. Forget it for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 30 years.
Release Date Spring 2017

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Merlot Fortuna Vineyard – 93 points
The 2014 Merlot Fortuna Vineyard is a beautiful wine showing plenty of black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, high-quality subtle toast and licorice. The wine hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, elegant, but intense and full. The purity of fruit, the dense purple color and the 40- to 45-second finish make for an exceptional example of one of the best Merlots you are going to find in Napa.
Release Date Spring 2017

2014 Turnbull Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – 92+ points
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Oakville shows plenty of blackberry, cassis, graphite, licorice, an opaque purple color, sweet blue and black fruits with ripe tannin and a nice, well-delineated full-bodied mouthfeel. Like most 2014s, it is already showing plenty of charm and fruit, but this has slightly more structure than many of them and would probably benefit from several years of bottle age, and keep for 20 or more years.
Current release available now

“Our long obsession with quality and excellence in every vintage, both in our farming and winemaking, is no secret,” says Winemaker Peter Heitz. “It’s great to see the entirety of our program receive this kind of recognition.”

2014 was a vintage of harmony and balance; freshness and verve, says Heitz. It was a beautiful growing season, filled with soft light and cool length, perfectly highlighting our Western exposure Oakville vineyards.

“We stand for producing consistently incredible wines that are of the highest quality, thanks to our estate vineyards that give us some of the most beautiful fruit in the Napa Valley,” says our second generation vintner and general manager Zoe Johns. “We’re proud to have both our longtime fans and new advocates that are seeking out our world-class, collectible wines.”