Review by Antonio Galloni
Rating: (97)
Helen Turley turned out a brilliant 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon for proprietors Claude and Katherine Blankiet. The 2001 is a wine of its era, there is no doubt about it, and yet it shows just how compelling the best wines of this period remain in a word: brilliant.
“The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard was one of the highlights of my tasting for this retrospective. Dark, plush, and inky to the core, the 2001 possesses tremendous explosive intensity. Blue/purplish fruit, iron, leather, cedar, spice, chocolate and heavy torrefaction abound. Helen Turley made the 2001, a blend of 90% Blocks 7 and 8 (planted in 1998) and 10% Block (planted in 1996). The wine very much reflects her style and the prevailing approach at many Napa Valley properties at the time. It’s a towering wine that is in a great place today.”
Antonio Galloni, April 2023
Tasting date: October 2021
Drinking window: 2021 – 2028
