Each spring, we introduce a new vintage of Nickel & Nickel Single-Vineyard Cabernet Futures during our annual Futures Barrel Tasting. It's a lively celebration, as well as a unique opportunity to taste our Single-Vineyard Cabernets while they are still in barrel and reserve some of our most acclaimed (and limited production) wines before they are bottled.
Learn more about our Cabernet Futures Program.
When we tasted the 2014 vintage at last spring's barrel tasting, it was already showing bright young fruit, yielding tannins and a wonderful richness on the midpalate. We couldn't believe how well integrated and approachable the wine already seemed to be.
We checked in with Winemaker Darice Spinelli to see how they're doing now. Her 2014 Cabernet Futures update is below!
Almost a year has passed since our 2014 Cabernet barrel tasting, and the vintage is showing strong similarities to 2012. All of the wines have beautifully focused fruit that makes the single-vineyard characteristics really stand out. The French oak has paired so well with this vintage, and the resulting wines are juicy, spicy and beautifully balanced."
So what's happening with the 2014 Single-Vineyard Cabernets now?
"Currently, we're in the process of fine tuning all of the wines, ensuring that they are beautifully polished when we start putting them to bottle in mid-April. We will start pulling our first ten 2014 Cabernets out of barrel in mid-March. The remaining five Cabernets will come out of barrels in May, as some of our wines benefit from those two additional months of barrel contact. Each vineyard“ and the wines that they give us“ are truly unique!
Bottling begins in April, and all of the wines will be bottled by the second week of June. From there, they will bottle age until we release them in 2017. This vintage is readily approachable and will be one that tastes great upon release or can be cellared for more flavor maturity. Either way, you can't miss.
In the midst of our 2014 vintage preparations, we have also begun racking our 2015 vintage Cabernets and making the Futures barrels for this year's May Futures event. The 2015 vintage wines are finally starting to lose their fermentation flavor, allowing us a first glimpse at the true potential of this incredibly small vintage. The wines have vibrant fruit flavors with nice depth, which is the first indication of age worthy wines, but when we say small, we mean small. Three of our Single Vineyard Cabernets have only 12 barrels each! The 2015 Cabernet Futures Barrel Tasting certainly promises to be an exciting day.
Learn More About Our Single-Vineyard Cabernet Futures Barrel Tasting in May.
