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FROM WINE CRITIC ROBERT PARKER, THE WINE ADVOCATE:
As I said in 2007, there is a strong argument to be made that this is the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Napa Valley. Sadly, Mary Seavey, long-time wife of Bill Seavey, passed away just before my 2008 visit, and my heartfelt condolences go out to her husband who, along with his wife, were visionaries with regard to what could be achieved on these dry-farmed hillside vineyards tucked away in Conn Valley, east of Meadowood Resort. Their winemaker is the brilliant Philippe Melka, who has always said that the challenge is not with the complexity or quality of the fruit, but rather taming what can be the savage tannins that can emerge from these hillsides. He has done just that, and along with Bill Seavey, introduced perhaps the best second wine in all of Napa Valley, the Caravina. Keep in mind that I have Seaveys going back to 1990 in my cellar, and they are still young wines, so this is a wine that can easily hold up for 25+ years when well-stored. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon (the production varies between about 725 to just over 1,000 cases depending on vintage conditions) tends to be anywhere from a minimum of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon to as much as 92-93%, with the balance always Petit Verdot, and over recent years, no Merlot whatsoever.
SEAVEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON: 100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED AND BOTTLED
FLAGSHIP LABEL - CLASSIC BORDEAUX METHOD AND STYLE - 20-40 YEARS CELLARING
The 2008 SEAVEY CABERNET is a blend of 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9.5% Petit Verdot from very tiny yields. Less than one ton of fruit per acre was harvested, resulting in half the production made in 2007. One of the stars of the vintage, this big 2008 is even more concentrated than the 2007. The wine is as dark as a moonless winter night, and offers dense, chocolatey, creme de cassis, blackberry, charcoal, smoked herbs, and scorched earth. Very dense with great fruit purity, richness, and intensity, this is another tribute to the brilliant winemaking talents of Philippe Melka and proprietor Bill Seavey’s often underrated vineyard tucked away in the Conn Valley, just east of the Meadowood Resort.
- Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009, (94-96+), Drink: N/A, Pricing: TBD, Release: 2011
- Jeremy Weintraub, Winemaker; Philippe Melka, Consultant Winemaker
The 2007 SEAVEY CABERNET (90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9.5% Petit Verdot) is one of the more remarkable bargains for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Like most vintages of Seavey (the 1990 and 1991 are still very young wines), it will require patience. Dense purple opaque to the rim, it reveals a stunning nose of burning embers, soy, blackberries, coffee, and cassis along with a hint of scorched earth. It is a true blockbuster, concentrated, massive Cabernet that should be forgotten for 5-10 years, and drunk over the following four decades. Seavey’s 2007s could be compared to some of the Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignons from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009, 96+, Drink: 2014-2054, Pricing: TBD, Release: TBD
- Matt Reid, Winemaker; Philippe Melka, Consultant Winemaker
CARAVINA CABERNET SAUVIGNON: 100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED AND BOTTLED
SECOND ESTATE LABEL - INTERNATIONAL STYLE - 10-15 YEARS CELLARING
The 2008 CARAVINA CABERNET, also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibits sweet, chocolatey, cassis fruit in the nose and on the attack. It is more primary and less nuanced than the 2007 , with more austere tannins. It should turn out to be just a notch or two below the brilliant 2007.
- Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009, (90-92), Drink: N/A, Pricing: TBD, Release: 2011
- Jeremy Weintraub, Winemaker; Philippe Melka, Consultant Winemaker
Readers looking for value in Napa Valley reds need look no further than Seavey’s 2007 CARAVINA CABERNET. Last year I wrote that it was the finest second wine they had yet made, and now that it’s in bottle, I can reiterate - it is a sensational effort. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 19 months in French oak casks, this 525-case cuvee is a sleeper of the vintage. This silky smooth, inky/purple-colored wine offers up notes of roasted herbs, cedar, chocolate, espresso beans, and black fruits. Sweet, round, opulent, textured, and fleshy, this beauty can be enjoyed now or cellared for 15 more years. Rating: 94 Points (our highest Caravina rating ever from Parker).
- Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009
- Matt Reid, Winemaker; Philippe Melka, Consultant Winemaker
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