Wine Last Sold on: September 6, 2012
Ardente Estate Winery
Featured Wine:
2001 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon
| Varietal: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Region: | California: Napa Valley |
| Availability: | Limited |
| Avg. Price: | $60.00 |
| Wine Spies: | [REDACTED] |
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DOUBLE AGENT ALERT!
Today’s Erba Cabernet Sauvignon has SOLD OUT. We’re sorry if you missed out, but we are pleased to present you with a lovely alternative, from our friends at Ardente Winery. If you missed out on this wine, during the holiday weekend, this is a rare second chance to pick up an elegant stunner - at a great price.
Mission Codename: Burning Desires
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- For our Elite Operatives, infiltrate the Atlas Peak winery, Ardente Estate. Raid their private library and secure an ample allocation of their perfectly-aged 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Current Winery
- Ardente Estate Winery
- Wine Subject
- 2001 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon
- Notable Accolade
- 92 Points, Robert Parker
- Winemaker
- Derek Irwin
Final Assessment
Highly Recommended
Today’s 92-Point (Rober Parker, Jr.) 2001 Ardente Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon is the Aged Cabernet Sauvignon lover’s dream. Just a little bit shy, at first, this wine really opens up to reveal aromas of leather, tobacco, spice and dark fruit. On the palate, the wine is elegant, supple and soft. Decant this delicious, food-friendly wine for best results. Pair with a grilled steak or a bacon wrapped pork chop with rosemary.
Tasting Profile
Dark burgundy hues, through the darker core of the wine. Color is evenly concentrated, from the heart of the wine right out the the edge of the glass. Thin, closely-spaced tears run quickly down the glass wall after you swirl.
Somewhat shy, at first, this wine really opens up as you swirl or decant it. After it breathes for a bit, dried broad tobacco leaf, spice, black cherry, smoky braised plum, overripe blackberry and leather rush up to greet you on the nose. These are followed by toasty vanilla and oak, dusty bramble and a hint of brown sugar.
Soft and lightweight on entry. Then, the wine becomes softly grippy and exhibits a medium body that gives the wine an easy complexity. Integrated, medium tannins and a medium acidity contribute to a balanced structure.
Spin this wine, just a little bit, after opening and you’ll coax out delicious black cherry, ripe blackberry, dark cocoa, leather, tobacco leaf, dried earth, bramble and hints of star anise and subtle savory herbs.
Long and complex, with dark fruit and earthy flavors slowly dwindling in even proportion. At the very end, subtle spice and a dark, mineral dryness remains. So, too, does a hint of brown spice and black pepper.
What the Winery Says
A stunningly brilliant Napa Cabernet that can be drunk now or cellared for another decade or more, Ardente’s dense plum/purple hued 2001 offers up sweet notes of chocolate, cassis and espresso roast along with supple tannin, full body and a fleshy, concentrated style.
Awards and Accolades
92 points – Robert Parker, Jr.
Technical Analysis
- Winemaker
- Phillipe Melka
- Appelation
- Atlas Peak in Napa Valley
- Grapes
- 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot
- Alcohol
- 14.4%
About the Winery
Ardente Estate Winery was founded in 1996 on a twenty acre estate located in the quiet hills of Atlas Peak in Napa Valley.
The area was selected for its rich volcanic soil, 1500 feet elevation and moderate microclimate which provide perfect condition for growing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon. Our wines are hand-crafted and aged to be enjoyed upon release, with a depth of flavor, great acidity and a promise of a long aging.
The warm arid climate and rocky terrain denigrate the vines forcing them to work harder and produce more concentration of fruit, with dense tannins which intensifies the flavors of the mature grapes. The mountainous terrain presents some challenges, and with late harvest the weather conditions can change by the minute. But for those with a passion for exceptional wine and to overcome the challenges of this unique appellation the rewards are extraordinary. After consulting with different growers and enologists in the Napa Valley, the objective was to make a French style Cabernet Sauvignon, inspired by the wines from the Medoc.
- ardente [ar’ dεnte]
- From the latin for pyre; a burning desire, passionate, flaming.
This is the word that Carlo Di Ruocco felt best described his relationship to the land and the wine that is his “Ardente”.
