Description
Recoltant, Cabernet Sauvignon
Recoltant is a new project from Julien Fayard, whose winemaking resume spans both his native France and California. He starting making wine as a kid on his uncle’s estate in Provence making rosé. He then leap-frogged to the “big leagues,” getting on board with the winemaking teams at both Châteaux Lafite Rothschild and Smith Haut Laffite before relocating to Napa Valley. He dove right into the Napa scene by becoming Phillipe Melka’s right-hand man as Director of Winemaking before signing on with the highly esteemed Purlieu Wines.
There have been several ambitious projects in between but his inaugural release of the 2018 Recoltant Cabernet showcases top-tier fruit at an affordable price. This small production Cabernet Sauvignon over-delivers, offering ultra-rich dark berry and currant fruit lathered in spicy notes of cloves and anise. The wine is extremely approachable after a 30-minute decant with well-integrated tannins that offer a supple mouthfeel from the start to finish. Again, this is a bargain Napa Cab. It’s hard to believe this retails well south of $50!
