Forman Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
- Vintage
- 2013
- Country
- USA
- Region
- US-Napa Valley
- Size
- 750ml
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- Rating
- VAG97, WA95
A totally dazzling wine, Ric Forman's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is easily one of the wines of the vintage. Today, the 2013 is dense, powerful and explosive, with fabulous energy and tons of sheer intensity. Graphite, smoke, tobacco and layers of dark-fleshed fruit all open up in the glass. This is the first vintage to incorporate a dollop of Malbec.
The 2013 has just been bottled. I will not be surprised at all if it merits a higher rating at some point in the future. Even better from bottle than it was from barrel, Ric Forman's 2013 is a super-classic, old-school Napa Cabernet to treasure for the next three decades. Best of all, Forman's Cabernet is probably the single greatest value in Napa Valley Cabernet. - VAG97
A beautiful wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and the rest tiny proportions of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Opaque ruby/purple with beautiful blueberry and black raspberry fruit moving toward cassis on the palate, it is plush, medium to full-bodied, well-delineated, juicy and succulent. This is another terrific 2013. This one was aged 22 months in barrel, but 60% was new oak, and it was never fined prior to bottling. It should drink well for 15 or more years. - WA95
The stones, the gravel, the exposure; yes, it’s all there! An intense mineral driven bouquet of subtle mint, licorice, raspberry and that elusive Bordeaux spice wafts from the glass. One instantly knows this will be a regal wine. The very young but already complex nose lures quickly the desire to taste. Huge energy and fruit quality are lively in the flavors. It’s young and nervy but also exciting to drink even in its infancy. The final impression is of a substantial wine but also of a wine with more elegance than power. It definitely carries a statement. - Winemaker's Notes
Forman Vineyard is a Californian wine estate based in St Helena, particularly known for its red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon. It was founded in 1983 by noted winemaker Ric Forman, who had previously made wines at both Sterling and Newton Vineyards.
The estate consists of three vineyards, each planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The 3-hectare (8-acre) "Clos" vineyard below the winery has the deepest gravel and sand deposits. Directly above the winery is a steep 8-ha (20-acre) block on denser, rockier volcanic soil that was broken up for planting using dynamite. Further up the mountain in the Rutherford AVA, the third vineyard block is planted on pink gravel over volcanic ash subsoils. The variations in soil and site contribute to the complexity of the Forman Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the principal wine in the portfolio.
Forman's second label is the Château La Grande Roche Cabernet Sauvignon, made from barrels that do not reach the standards required for the top wine. The portfolio also includes a small amount of Napa Valley Chardonnay, sourced from the Rutherford Star vineyard on the Rutherford Bench. Forman has also released several one-off wines made from Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sauvignon Vert (better known as Friuliano). - Information from Wine Searcher