2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
The 2022 vintage at Juliana Vineyard, a Stewart Family Estate vineyard in Napa Valley, produced a fruit-forward and fine-tannin-structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Featuring characters of fresh berry jam, muddled blackberry, and cocoa on the nose, the palate is perfectly balanced with flavors of dark cherry and cola framed by elegant tannins and a touch of French oak.
Called “The Flower of the Sun” for its propensity to proudly face the light, the Thistle has endured a long heritage of lore and mystique. It represents more than simply the Stewart Family name; it truly embodies the essence of the wines we produce.
Crafted from our estate vineyard, this wine symbolizes our passion and 20-year quest to capture the true spirit of the Napa Valley. Our winemaking is a balance of labor and creativity.
Harvest Date & Brix: September 22nd, 2022 at 24.4 degrees brix
Fermentation: Whole-berry fermentation in stainless steel tanks, daily wet cap immersion, and extended maceration totaling 20 days
Aging/Cooperage: 45% new French oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
TA: 5.52
pH: 3.84
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Case:
12x 2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $600/case MSRP
About The Winery
Thistle & Thorn
Winery Owner: The Stewart Family
Year Founded: 2017
Winery Location: Napa Valley, CA
At Thistle & Thorn, we craft Cabernet Sauvignon exclusively from our estate vineyard, Juliana Vineyard, in Napa Valley. This exceptional site, with its ideal climate and soils, allows us to produce wines of depth, elegance, and structure.
Each vintage reflects the vineyard’s unique terroir—warm days ripen the grapes to perfection, while cool nights preserve balance and acidity. The result is a Cabernet Sauvignon with rich layers of dark fruit, refined tannins, and hints of cola and French oak, leading to a long, memorable finish.
Only the finest grapes from Juliana Vineyard bear the Thistle & Thorn name, ensuring an unparalleled expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I was so excited to rat this bottle! I opened the box promptly after receiving it and laid it down in my rack. A red! A cab! Napa! Lovely label. At first glance, I’d be happy to bring this to someone as a gift.
As luck would have it, my entire family is now down with the flu. I unfortunately cannot taste or smell anything and neither can my husband. I waited to sample until last minute in hopes my senses would return. However, I can tell this is full bodied and dry and that’s all.
I’m going to see if my brother can come grab the rest of this bottle and add additional notes later today.
My primary note so far: save this wine for when you’re not sick so you can enjoy it.
@jchasma I can relate to your dilemna. I once received a rat bottle during a covid-induced loss of taste and smell (but was able to gather some opinions from others). Then there was the time last year when I got a bottle shortly after a head injury that knocked out my taste of smell (perhaps permanently)…
Update: Turned a corner and gave this another taste and sniff.
Nose: Roses. Cherry. Vanilla. Leather. Plums.
Sip: Plums. Raspberries. Full bodied, almost thick, syrupy. Leathered and spice finish. Better day 2 (HA!).
I’m guessing there are a lot of notes I am missing and unable to taste. From the look of the bottle alone, I was expecting $20+/bottle on here, probably $50+ in the store. Seems like a solid QPR, especially at the case price.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Thistle & Thorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $40 = 13.33%
Anne Sewell - DipWSET - Wine Content Writer and Tasting Panel, Wine Country Connection.
92 points. “The Thistle & Thorn 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon begins with aromas of green peppercorns, sweet rose, black currants, blackberries, black tea leaves, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine has penetrative flavors of black fruits, balsamic reduction, and baking spices with a warm, inviting character and a pleasant finish. This wine has an excellent concentration of fruit and spice notes, adding layered complexity and extra enjoyment.”
I’m on a boat! A cruise to be specific, so apologies for the delay in my post, other beverages are to blame (I also don’t seem to be able to post photos using the mobile version of the site)! Due to the time crunch, the wine had to be paired with a trip to my local sushi BYOB. Not the ideal pairing, but it worked surprisingly well with our selection. When I poured the first glass the first thing I noticed was the deep plum color and legs for miles.
It has a wonderful nose, oak, maybe a little chocolate. This thought came up a lot, but it was perfectly balanced. With the appetizer order placed, I took the first sip. It was an explosion of flavor; cherry comes through, smooth, nothing out of balance, no strong tannins.
Fifteen or so minutes later, it stands up very well to our appetizer of rock shrimp (shrimp tempora in a spicy sauce).
After sitting, after eating, it’s such a well balanced wine. The explosion is gone, now it’s smooth and we summed it up as cherry and oak with a hint of chocolate. It’s a fantastic wine.
You are able to upload photos using the mobile site while using your phone.
First, you have to enable the screen rotation setting on your phone. Then hold your phone sideways. Then you will see this icon, which enables you to upload photos directly into your post.
@kawichris650@markgm You MUST be in landscape mode, as shown above, BEFORE beginning the post; you cannot begin in portrait mode and then rotate into landscape for the icon format bar to appear.
2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $600/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 7 - Tuesday, Apr 8
2022 Thistle & Thorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
I was so excited to rat this bottle! I opened the box promptly after receiving it and laid it down in my rack. A red! A cab! Napa! Lovely label. At first glance, I’d be happy to bring this to someone as a gift.
As luck would have it, my entire family is now down with the flu. I unfortunately cannot taste or smell anything and neither can my husband. I waited to sample until last minute in hopes my senses would return. However, I can tell this is full bodied and dry and that’s all.
I’m going to see if my brother can come grab the rest of this bottle and add additional notes later today.
My primary note so far: save this wine for when you’re not sick so you can enjoy it.
@jchasma I can relate to your dilemna. I once received a rat bottle during a covid-induced loss of taste and smell (but was able to gather some opinions from others). Then there was the time last year when I got a bottle shortly after a head injury that knocked out my taste of smell (perhaps permanently)…
Update: Turned a corner and gave this another taste and sniff.
Nose: Roses. Cherry. Vanilla. Leather. Plums.
Sip: Plums. Raspberries. Full bodied, almost thick, syrupy. Leathered and spice finish. Better day 2 (HA!).
I’m guessing there are a lot of notes I am missing and unable to taste. From the look of the bottle alone, I was expecting $20+/bottle on here, probably $50+ in the store. Seems like a solid QPR, especially at the case price.
Trying again after letting it sit out- unfortunately stuffy again. Now it tastes like a fruit bomb.
@jchasma
Your effort is appreciated. Hopefully you and your family all feel better soon!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Thistle & Thorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $40 = 13.33%
Anne Sewell - DipWSET - Wine Content Writer and Tasting Panel, Wine Country Connection.
92 points. “The Thistle & Thorn 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon begins with aromas of green peppercorns, sweet rose, black currants, blackberries, black tea leaves, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine has penetrative flavors of black fruits, balsamic reduction, and baking spices with a warm, inviting character and a pleasant finish. This wine has an excellent concentration of fruit and spice notes, adding layered complexity and extra enjoyment.”
fwiw
@kaolis Not from DipWSET, it is a certification program. Highly regarded I believe. But I’ve the palate of a yak…
I can’t be sure, but is Thistle & Thorn related to the Stewart Cellars that had a CS offering early on this site (2/5/2018)?
@Mark_L That would be correct, a few Stewart wines have been offered here, including Slingshot
I’m on a boat! A cruise to be specific, so apologies for the delay in my post, other beverages are to blame (I also don’t seem to be able to post photos using the mobile version of the site)! Due to the time crunch, the wine had to be paired with a trip to my local sushi BYOB. Not the ideal pairing, but it worked surprisingly well with our selection. When I poured the first glass the first thing I noticed was the deep plum color and legs for miles.
It has a wonderful nose, oak, maybe a little chocolate. This thought came up a lot, but it was perfectly balanced. With the appetizer order placed, I took the first sip. It was an explosion of flavor; cherry comes through, smooth, nothing out of balance, no strong tannins.
Fifteen or so minutes later, it stands up very well to our appetizer of rock shrimp (shrimp tempora in a spicy sauce).
After sitting, after eating, it’s such a well balanced wine. The explosion is gone, now it’s smooth and we summed it up as cherry and oak with a hint of chocolate. It’s a fantastic wine.
@markgm
You are able to upload photos using the mobile site while using your phone.
First, you have to enable the screen rotation setting on your phone. Then hold your phone sideways. Then you will see this icon, which enables you to upload photos directly into your post.
@kawichris650 Thanks for the tip, unfortunately I still don’t have the option.
@kawichris650 @markgm You MUST be in landscape mode, as shown above, BEFORE beginning the post; you cannot begin in portrait mode and then rotate into landscape for the icon format bar to appear.
/giphy oval-usual-taco
