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Seavey Vineyard

2001 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

The 2000, Seavey Vineyard's eleventh estate produced Cabernet is a blend of 87% Cabernet, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot grapes harvested during the month of October from several different locations of the south-facing hillside vineyard.

The 2000 vintage’s growing season was described by Robert Parker as, “A challenging year, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon producers, this vintage’s cool growing season was complicated by unusual amounts of rain…Many rushed to harvest in order to save the grapes…the finest wines have come from those who waited…Some terrific wines can be found.” ‘The Wine Advocate’ , 8/31/02. At Seavey Vineyard we waited to pick until the grapes had reached optimum ripeness and complexity.

Harvested at 24.5% degrees brix, the yields were 2 tons/acre, up from 1.5 tons the previous year, but still quite low. Wine making style followed classic Bordeaux methods. The juice remained in contact with the skins for an average of 21 days, and, following malolactic fermentation, was aged in French oak barrels (60% new oak) until bottling on May 23-24, 2002.

The wine drinks beautifully now and should age well for 12 to 20 years. Production of 750 ml. bottles was limited to 2200 cases. Released on Oct. 10, 2003, the 2000 Cabernet is available by direct mail order, and at selected wine shops and restaurants here and abroad.

"A powerful, strong effort for this challenging vintage, it exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a tight but promising bouquet of earth, crème de cassis, wood, forest floor, and licorice aromas.  This is a big, deep, chewy atypically authoritative 2000 that will benefit from 5-6 years of cellaring, and keep for 15-20.  It may be one of the longest lived Cabernets of the vintage.  Kudos to Seavey for this accomplishment."

Robert M. Parker
The Wine Advocate
Issue December 23, 2003


"Complex nose melds black raspberry, dark chocolate, licorice, roasted meat, and sexy oak notes. Fat and sweet in the middle, with warm flavors of plum...suggests almost roasted ripeness, yet shows very good flavor definition. Finishes with horizontal, fine tannins and lovely persistence. A very successful 2000 from an area (Conn Valley) in which the fruit obviously ripened well."

Stephen Tanzer
International Wine Cellar
Issue May/June 2003

Seavey Vineyard

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

"A potential superstar in the making is the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon. It gets my vote as the finest wine made at this estate since the 1997, and it should have the longevity of their monumental 1991.  Sadly, only 1,500 cases were produced from a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot.  It should be called a vin de garde (a wine for aging) as it is a tightly knit, powerful, enormously-endowed offering with huge tannin, monster extract, and rich, intense black currant, tar, blackberries, loamy soil and licorice flavors. Closed, broodingly rich, and large-scaled, this 2001 possesses nearly the unlimited upside potential, but patience will be a virtue.  Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028."

Robert M. Parker
The Wine Advocate
Issue December 23, 2003


"Fascinating, super-ripe nose combines plum, iron, leather, mocha, hot rocks, underbrush, licorice and game, plus a light note of raisining fruit. Then sweet, pliant and generous, with exceptional depth of texture. Very suave, seamless wine, finishing very long and sweet, with huge, broad tannins that coat the cheeks and the front teeth. Seavey's flagship wine has performed consistently well in my tastings in recent year."

Stephen Tanzer
International Wine Cellar
Issue May/June 2004

The long anticipated 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon from Seavey Vineyard is a blend of 95% Cabernet and 5% Petit Verdot. The 2001 is powerful, large scaled and rich with intense black currant, blackberries and licorice flavors, and a long life ahead of it.  The grapes were harvested during the first three weeks of October from vines planted on several different locations of the generally South facing Seavey hillside vineyard.  Winemaking style followed classic Bordeaux methods.  Harvested at 25 degrees brix, the juice remained in contact with the skins for 28 days.  Following malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in 48% new French oak barrels.