Vineyard 29 Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Professional Ratings

• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is a fabulous wine from Chuck and Anne McMinn, who own this vineyard in northern Napa Valley. A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc, aged 21 months in 100% new French oak, there were 742 cases produced in 2005. Absolutely delicious, it is a complex, Mediterranean style of Cabernet Sauvignon, with notes of new saddle leather, lavender, creme de cassis, spice box and licorice in a fragrant, aromatic style. Quite intense, spicy and full-bodied, this gorgeous wine was made under the helmsmanship of Philippe Melka. It was bottled after 21 months in barrel with no fining or filtration. Melka told me that the only change really made over the last decade with this particular Cabernet Sauvignon is that he does less racking than he did initially. This is a fabulously rich, seemingly fully mature wine, but with at least 10-15 years of further aging potential.