Description
2019 ULYSSES
Oakville – Napa Valley
Ulysses is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Harvest Start: Sept 26th
Harvest End: October 11th
Bottling: May 2021
Cases Produced: 1200
Release Date March 2023
WEATHER 2019:
- The 2019 vintage was characterized by heavy rains in winter and spring, with a total of 53” of rain compared to an
- historical average of 31”. A year of contrasts, a warm January was followed by the coldest February since 1998.
- April was the second warmest April on record after 2013, but May (during bloom) was particularly rainy and cold.
- The first heat wave of the season was on June 10th and 11th reaching 102 F, which represented a violent change of temperature after the very cold month of May. With soils saturated and warm temperatures, shoot growth was exuberant. The summer was warm with several heat spikes and high temperatures exceeding the historical average from June to September.
Winemaker’s Notes:
The wine opens with vibrant floral stems, red currants, forest undergrowth and iron ore, tightly wrapped in a lingering dark chocolate finish.
Vinous – 95 Points
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a very pretty Oakville Cabernet. Bright acids and lifted aromatics meld into a core of dark red-fleshed fruit laced with attractive exotic overtones. A wine of linear intensity, the 2019 impresses with its persistence and overall drive. It will be interesting to see if the 2019 develops a bit more mid-palate richness and overall depth. I suspect the heavy rains in spring and two heat spikes in late summer had some effect in a site, which was entirely replanted in 2008.
2019 | Tech Sheet | POS | Label | Bottle Shot