Jackson Estate Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
This Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon shows mountain intensity in its rich blackberry, black currant and cassis flavors. It’s bone dry, with thick but refined long tannins, and brightened by a fine burst of fruit and acidity. Blended with a little Merlot for complexity and richness, it drinks beautifully now, and will age for a decade or longer.
Acclaim
92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous July 2021
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley) is another very pretty wine in this range. Bright red toned fruit, cedar, iron, sweet pipe tobacco and mint add a striking aromatic upper register to this mid-weight, highly nuanced wine. Firm tannins and the energy of this site at 2,200 feet in elevation extend the finish effortlessly.
2017 Vintage
92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2020
A bold, powerful wine, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley possesses tremendous density and tons of pure power. Black cherry, menthol, licorice, chocolate, cloves and French oak (40% new) add to an impression of gravitas and brooding power. This is an especially rich, muscular style.
2016 Jackson Estate Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points, Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com, Jun 2019
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate is a beauty. It comes all from estate vineyards in Alexander Valley and spent a full 19 months in 47% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied, fresh, concentrated Cabernet offers classic Sonoma character as well as notes of crème de cassis, spice box, vanilla bean, and smoky oak. Elegant, nicely textured, and beautifully balanced, it’s well worth seeking out and will keep for over a decade.
91+ points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Feb 2019
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Appellation series from Alexander Valley is blended of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, aged 19 months in 47% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives up warm cassis, red currant jelly and cigar box scents with hints of mint tea, underbrush and pencil shavings plus a touch of cloves. Medium to full-bodied, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, ripe, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and minerally.
Winemaking
This wine is aged for 19 months in 100% French oak, 47% new
Vineyards
Established in 1984, the Alexander Valley AVA is a long, slim winegrowing region defined by the Russian River winding up its mid line and the Mayacamas Mountains lining its eastern borders. The AVA, comprised mainly of mountains, ridges, hillsides and benchlands, is filled with a diverse array of soils rich in iron based volcanic rock, gravel, sand and clay.
