1 double-magnum per lot
Details
BRYANT FAMILY
At 1,500 feet elevation, Bryant's Pritchard Hill Vineyard is a mere 10 acres dedicated to fine Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. The soils are mostly rocks and cobbles, allowing for excellent drainage, much like the gravelly soils of the Haut Medoc. During these two vintages, winemaker Helen Turley and vineyard manager David Abreu created a wine that earned Bryant a permanent place amongst the most-desirable wines of Napa and the world. The 1994 is thought to be one of the wines of the vintage.
As stated by Robert Parker, Bryant Family makes "wine of world-class quality, and is certainly as complete and potentially complex as any first-growth Bordeaux. To date, it has been characterized by extraordinary richness, complexity, and harmony, as well as the potential to evolve and improve for 20 or more years. I often wonder if I get too excited about wines such as this. I truly believe that in 20, 40, or 60 years, when the history of what appears to be a golden age for California wines is analyzed, these wines, and the work of their winemaker, will be even more admired and appreciated by future generations than they are today."
Large formats are not common phenomena at Bryant. Each of these double-magnums is one of 10 or less made, none of these were commercially released.
Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon--Vintage 1993
Napa Valley
"Bryant's opaque black/purple-colored Cabernets are fermented with wild yeast and bottled without any clarification techniques such as filtration. They also receive a pre-fermentation five day cold maceration. This technique is used by consultant Helen Turley for all the Cabernet Sauvignons she makes. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon has turned out even better than I predicted last year (and I thought it was an amazing wine from barrel). It exhibits an opaque purple/black color, and a huge, fragrant, penetrating bouquet of minerals, licorice, toast, and remarkable layers of black fruits. Although extremely full-bodied, the wine's hugeness and massive concentration come across as beautifully poised, balanced, and delineated. The tannin is not as sweet as in the 1994, but it is ripe. The quantity of tannin should ensure this wine's graceful evolution for another 20-25 years, although it will be easy to drink within 2-3 years." Wine Advocate #102 (Dec 1995) Robert Parker
1 double-magnum per lot
At 1,500 feet elevation, Bryant's Pritchard Hill Vineyard is a mere 10 acres dedicated to fine Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. The soils are mostly rocks and cobbles, allowing for excellent drainage, much like the gravelly soils of the Haut Medoc. During these two vintages, winemaker Helen Turley and vineyard manager David Abreu created a wine that earned Bryant a permanent place amongst the most-desirable wines of Napa and the world. The 1994 is thought to be one of the wines of the vintage.
As stated by Robert Parker, Bryant Family makes "wine of world-class quality, and is certainly as complete and potentially complex as any first-growth Bordeaux. To date, it has been characterized by extraordinary richness, complexity, and harmony, as well as the potential to evolve and improve for 20 or more years. I often wonder if I get too excited about wines such as this. I truly believe that in 20, 40, or 60 years, when the history of what appears to be a golden age for California wines is analyzed, these wines, and the work of their winemaker, will be even more admired and appreciated by future generations than they are today."
Large formats are not common phenomena at Bryant. Each of these double-magnums is one of 10 or less made, none of these were commercially released.
Bryant Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon--Vintage 1993
Napa Valley
"Bryant's opaque black/purple-colored Cabernets are fermented with wild yeast and bottled without any clarification techniques such as filtration. They also receive a pre-fermentation five day cold maceration. This technique is used by consultant Helen Turley for all the Cabernet Sauvignons she makes. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon has turned out even better than I predicted last year (and I thought it was an amazing wine from barrel). It exhibits an opaque purple/black color, and a huge, fragrant, penetrating bouquet of minerals, licorice, toast, and remarkable layers of black fruits. Although extremely full-bodied, the wine's hugeness and massive concentration come across as beautifully poised, balanced, and delineated. The tannin is not as sweet as in the 1994, but it is ripe. The quantity of tannin should ensure this wine's graceful evolution for another 20-25 years, although it will be easy to drink within 2-3 years." Wine Advocate #102 (Dec 1995) Robert Parker
1 double-magnum per lot