2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County
In the glass it is deep garnet, nearly purple. Dark mineral tones reminiscent of slate soils come first, then graphite, dark chocolate, vanilla, and blackberry jam. It is full bodied and loaded with dark fruit, with round velvety tannins over a lively backbone and a finish that carries. Decant it for an hour, serve it just under room temperature, and put it next to something off the grill or a braise that has been going all afternoon. Cellared cool, it will keep growing for another decade.
2018 was the kind of season growers talk about for a long time. Spring came in cool, summer stayed warm without spiking, and fall stretched on so far that picking ran weeks later than usual. The fruit ripened slowly and evenly. Up here, above the fog, that gave us Cabernet with structure rather than sugar.
It was hand harvested from a single hillside block, cold soaked for four days, then fermented in small tanks for another twenty-six days on native yeast. Malolactic fermentation came from the native bacteria in the cellar as well. The wine spent twenty-three months in French oak, only twenty percent of its new, because the site has enough to say on its own. Martin Bernal-Hafner, who took over the winemaking after Mark’s retirement and trained with M. Chapoutier in the Rhône and Paul Hobbs in Mendoza and Sonoma, keeps the hand light.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Mendocino County
Aging: 23 months in barrel, 20% new French oak
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH 3.82
Total Acidity: 5.9 g/L
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x - 2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County
Case:
12x - 2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County
A homestead becomes a vineyard. Stewards of agrarian heritage and the wild. In 1989, Mark and Donnis Topel went looking for land and found an old sheep farm on the ridges west of Hopland, at the southern end of Mendocino County’s Sanel Valley. It sat at 1,400 feet, above the Russian River and above the fog that fills the valley most mornings. The soils were thin and shaley, the slopes steep, and the days warm without the heat ever settling in. Those are the conditions Bordeaux varieties ask for, and the Topels planted accordingly.
Of the estate’s 160 acres, only 15 are planted. The rest is left alone to oaks, manzanita, hawks, coyotes, and the occasional rattlesnake. The vineyard is farmed organically and worked by hand, without tractors, and picked row by row rather than block by block. Yields sit near two tons per acre, roughly a third of what a valley floor vineyard would carry. The vines now average forty years of age.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, 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, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2018 has proven to be the most collectable year for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley over of the last decade. Perfect growing season. The exact same conditions took place in the slightly cooler Mendocino AVA. Because of this, Topel Winery’s 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with ripe black fruit aromas and flavors!
Deep ruby in color with a medium body, it has delicious aromas of violet, black plum and black cherry, blackberry, smoke, and black currant leaf.
On the palate, the Topel Cab is dry, with medium plus acid and tannins, high alcohol, and medium finish. It’s the Cab we paired with Bolognese pasta on opening night and intended to pair it the second night with marinated beef fajitas, but the wine was so yummy it didn’t make it to night 2. Rare 2018 Cab. Delicious!
@cobijen would need photos with kitchen and wine in glass, and preferably a cat to show me it’s real. Except the cat; they run on their own AI nobody understands.
@cobijen@ern1@pmarin@rjquillin Awww, c’mon gang. I’ve been trying to get this rat on board for a while now. He’s a level 3 Sommelier with industry experience. No AI needed. Welcome @cobijen.
@cobijen@ern1@rjquillin@WCCWineGirl OK thanks for explaining. I will apologize appropriately.
Meanwhile my AI cat clearly is not interested in spicy tomato sauce pasta and is waiting for the one with tuna.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon - $90 = 32.14%
@cobijen OK thanks for picture and cute cat. I think we just don’t trust anything we don’t already know. We are mostly old and skeptical (“Get off my lawn!”) If you are real, welcome to the community!
edit: on second thought there is no way to have a cat pose for a photo for more than 2 seconds. So now… still not sure.
Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$780/Case at Topel Wines for 12x 2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, 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, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 31 - Tuesday, Sep 1
2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
3 bottles for $69.99 $23.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 has proven to be the most collectable year for Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley over of the last decade. Perfect growing season. The exact same conditions took place in the slightly cooler Mendocino AVA. Because of this, Topel Winery’s 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with ripe black fruit aromas and flavors!
Deep ruby in color with a medium body, it has delicious aromas of violet, black plum and black cherry, blackberry, smoke, and black currant leaf.
On the palate, the Topel Cab is dry, with medium plus acid and tannins, high alcohol, and medium finish. It’s the Cab we paired with Bolognese pasta on opening night and intended to pair it the second night with marinated beef fajitas, but the wine was so yummy it didn’t make it to night 2. Rare 2018 Cab. Delicious!
@cobijen
Do we sense some AI content here…
@cobijen Dear Lord
The second paragraph is at least worth reading.
@cobijen @ern1 Cobigenerative AI?
@cobijen would need photos with kitchen and wine in glass, and preferably a cat to show me it’s real. Except the cat; they run on their own AI nobody understands.
@cobijen @rjquillin @ern1
/showme nice kitchen with glass of red wine, plate of Bolognese pasta, and cat.
@pmarin Here’s the image you requested for “nice kitchen with glass of red wine, plate of Bolognese pasta, and cat.”
@cobijen @ern1 @pmarin @rjquillin Awww, c’mon gang. I’ve been trying to get this rat on board for a while now. He’s a level 3 Sommelier with industry experience. No AI needed. Welcome @cobijen.
@cobijen @ern1 @rjquillin @WCCWineGirl OK thanks for explaining. I will apologize appropriately.
Meanwhile my AI cat clearly is not interested in spicy tomato sauce pasta and is waiting for the one with tuna.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2018 Topel Winery Cabernet Sauvignon - $90 = 32.14%
@Mark_L yeah, the no-case penalty has been harsh lately. Not enough people to share with here, though the premise was good.
@cobijen OK thanks for picture and cute cat. I think we just don’t trust anything we don’t already know. We are mostly old and skeptical (“Get off my lawn!”)
If you are real, welcome to the community!
edit: on second thought there is no way to have a cat pose for a photo for more than 2 seconds. So now… still not sure.