Wine Each Week – Newton 2016 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon

Too many Napa Cabernet Sauvignon suffer from a character flaw: they want to be big, bold, and brash. But Napa Cabs that assault you are just that: assaulting. Then, Newton walks through the door. What’s interesting about the 2016 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon is that it provides all the Cabernet qualities you want but in a much more subtle and subdued package. The oak treatment is not nearly as obvious, the fruit is more restrained yet a little brighter. It’s a big Napa Cabernet without being a big Napa Cabernet. To put it in a theatrical perspective; many Napa Cabs act like Jack Nicholson busting down the bathroom door with an ax in The Shining. Big, bold, brash. Certainly entertaining. But Newton is a Cabernet that is far more nuanced - not Jack Nicholson, but Tom Hanks tapping on the bathroom door with a pen, slipping a note under it.

The 2016 offers beautiful notes of huckleberry, blackberry black cherry, raspberry, and boysenberry. Pulling fruit from three distinct sources – Spring Mtn., Yountville, and Mt. Veeder, this is comprised mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon with less than 6% of Petite Verdot and Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Eschewing a big oaky style this had a mere 14 months of oak aging with just 15% new French oak. That it is unfiltered adds to its quiet generosity.

ORIGIN: Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL: 14%

PRICE: $59/ 750ML

SCORE: 94 POINTS

NEWTON