Racking and Blending at Brandlin

It is springtime in the cellar and we are busy racking and blending our 2013 Brandlin wines. When wines age in thin staved French oak barrels, a small amount of sediment, or lees, will settle to the bottom of the barrels over time.  To remove the sediment, we siphon (called "racking”) the clear wine off the lees, dump the lees, wash the barrels and refill them with the racked wine.  Given the tannic nature of mountain grown grapes we will typically rack our Brandlin wines about four times a year.

When racking, it not only cleans up the wine, it also introduces a small amount of air that will help polymerize the grape tannins.  As tannins come out of the grapes at crush and fermentation time, they are small molecules that can readily fall into your taste buds and be perceived as astringent and bitter.  With the help of a little bit of air through the winemaking and cellaring, the tannins will start to bind together forming long chains (polymerizing), creating big molecules that are too large to fall into your taste buds, but rather glide over your tongue leaving an impression of silkiness or velvety feeling.

During the spring racking, we also blended the various blocks to create our 2013 Brandlin Estate Cabernet and Henry’s Keep blends.  Our 2013 vintage shows lush, forward wines that will drink well in their youth and be quite appealing. The vintage was slightly warmer with an earlier harvest than the past few years and the wines are a bit showier for it, making them great restaurant wines when released. 

  

Fantastic Recognition by Jancis Robinson!

We are pleased to share recent comments from Jancis Robinson, a British wine critic, weekly wine writer for The Financial Times, and editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, who recently reviewed Napa Cabernets. Needless to say, we were excited about her take on our Brandlin Estate Cabernet, in comparison to these other much higher priced producers.

Jancis Robinson – April 2015 
Napa Cab lightens up

At February’s 2015 Premiere Napa Valley Auction, Jancis Robinson tasted verticals from 12 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon producers organized by the Napa Valley Vintners. The wines were from the 2010, 2011 and 2012 vintages.

She was struck that exaggerated fruit bombs are becoming the exception rather than the rule and there really does seem to be a move towards more finesse and geographical expression. “Most of these wines were, admirably, single-vineyard Cabernets.”

Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) was one of only 12 Napa Cabernet producers selected by the NVV for this prestigious tasting. Others included Paul Hobbs ($175), J Davies ($90), Shafer Hillside Select ($250), Realm ($165) and Spottswoode ($175) among others.

Following are her notes from that tasting that used a 20 point scoring scale:
Brandlin, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Mount Veeder
Well balanced and complete on the nose. Sweet start and spicy with lovely high-quality oak in evidence. Very pure and confident. But definitely new Napa.
17.5 pts (highest score for the vintage) 

Brandlin, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 Mount Veeder
Bright crimson. Red cherry fruit. Sappy and sinewy. Much less sweet than most Napa Cabs. A little dry on the end but a sincere honest wine that is not fighting the vintage. 16.5 pts (highest score for the vintage)

Brandlin, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Mount Veeder
Bright ruby. Minty-sweet Napa but not overripe. Nicely balanced and fresh. Maybe a hint of green on the end? But attractive and appetizing. 17 pts (2nd highest score for the vintage)
Needless to say we were excited about her take on our Brandlin Estate
Cabernet in comparison to these other much higher priced producers.  

Two Fabulous eRobertParker.com Reviews to Share!

2012 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Brandlin Estate exhibits a dense purple color, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit, an attractive floral component, impressive purity, and the vintage’s hallmark characteristics of ripe tannin, luxurious texture and medium to full body. Drink it over the next decade."
- Robert M. Parker (10/2014)

90 Points

Retail: 60.00 / Bottle

Learn more and purchase this wine here. 


2012 Brandlin Henry's Keep Proprietary Red Wine
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"The sexy 2012 Proprietary Red Blend Henry’s Keep, a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, is a beauty. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of Asian plum sauce, blueberries, cassis and a chocolaty component that emerges with coaxing. Full-bodied, rich, savory, complex and delicious, it should continue to age nicely for 7-10 years."- Robert M. Parker (10/2014) 

91 Points 

Retail: 98.00 / Bottle

Learn more and purchase this wine here. 

"More Winners for Dinner" - Houston Lifestyles Magazine

"More Winners For Dinner"
Houston Lifestyles Magazine | January 1, 2015

2011 Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"First planted in the 1920s, Brandlin Vineyard has been nursed and farmed by hand for almost 90 years. It is a certified sustainable vineyard located in the southern Mayacamas range at 1,200’ elevation. The 15 distinct vineyard blocks leverage the site’s diversity of sun exposure, slope and soil. Purchased by Cuvaison Estate Wines in 1998, the Brandlin name live on with the elegant, classy label. Black currants, black cherry, a hint of black tea, followed by a lovely finish. A great new find! $60" 

Retail: 60.00 / Bottle 

Learn more and purchase Purchase Here. 

"Wine Enthusiast's" February Buying Guide

Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide | February 2015  


2011 Brandlin Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley

"Solely from Mount Veeder, this Cabernet Sauvignon has small percentages of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The trio combine to offer currant and cranberry around a complex, woody core of oak, black tea and herbs.  — V.B.  (2/1/2015)" 
90 Points

Retail: 60.00 / Bottle 

Learn more and purchase this wine here.


2011 Brandlin Henry's Keep Proprietary Red Wine
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 

"Brandlin is Cuvaison’s Mount Veeder-situated property devoted to Bordeaux grapes. This particular bottling is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with 15% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Juicy and woody, it opens with a rich, Cabernet Franc-like nose of herb and cassis and is balanced on the palate, with a ripeness of oak at the end.   — V.B.  (2/1/2015)"

Retail: 98.00 / Bottle 

Learn more and purchase here.