2023 Amici Hirondelle Cabernet Sauvignon

98points

Jeb Dunnuck

“this beauty will age gracefully”

Vineyard Notes

Hirondelle Vineyard is the first vineyard in the Amici portfolio to come from the unique Stag’s Leap District in Napa Valley. Located in the eastern portion of Napa Valley, Stag’s Leap District was the first region to be approved in the United States based on soil type. Volcanic rock and river sediments make up a staggering blend of soils that give the region its famed intensity and flavor profile often described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Winemaking Notes

The 2023 Hirondelle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon opens with an alluring and aromatic nose of wild thyme and fresh violets, hinting at the wine’s cool-climate Stags Leap origins. On the palate, the wine reveals a tight, structured character with layers of graphite minerality, wild berry, and lush blue fruits that build beautifully with time in the glass. Firm, grainy tannins provide excellent backbone, while pure, focused acidity lends energy and precision through the long, savory finish. A compelling expression of one of Napa Valley’s most distinctive terroirs, this wine rewards patience — best enjoyed now with decanting or cellared for 5–8 years to reveal its full potential.

Vintage
2023
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard
Hirondelle
Appellation
Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley
Blend
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol
14.8%
Fermentation & Aging
100% Stainless Steel fermentation; Aged 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels

Reviews

98points

Jeb Dunnuck

From a site on Clos du Val’s ranch and aged 19 months in 100% new French oak, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Hirondelle Vineyard displays a deep, inky purple hue alongside red and black fruits, crushed stone, graphite, and sappy underlying floral notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a dense, compact mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. The balance is spot on, and this beauty will age gracefully. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 30. Drink 2029-2059.

98points

Decanter

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Hirondelle Vineyard and aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak. The vines were planted in 2002 to Clone 4 on 101-14 rootstock. The 2023 is a powerful, deeply structured, and highly polished Cabernet, marked by a tightly coiled personality and ultra-dark fruit driven by pronounced mineral tension. A striking freshness defines the wine and clearly reflects the vintage, lending lift and precision to its depth. With considerable texture and structure throughout, this is very much a sleeper wine in 2023, poised to reward patience.

96points

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Palate

The 2023 Hirondelle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rockets out of the glass with intense notes of black currant jelly, black raspberries, and cedar, opening out to reveal an undercurrent of wild sage, graphite, violets, and anise. The full-bodied palate is dense with black fruit and savory layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.

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