critic reviews
A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Capbern is deep garnet-purple in color. It slides out of the glass with eager-to-please scents of crushed black cherries, black raspberries, and fresh blackcurrants, plus suggestions of candied violets and clove oil. The full-bodied palate is laden with juicy black fruits, supported by ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and layered.
The 2019 Capbern has improved since I tasted it just after bottling. Finally, it has developed a more elegant bouquet, mainly black fruit fused with cedar and undergrowth scents. It has mustered more classicism. The palate is medium-bodied with a strong graphite element on the entry, fine depth, quite fresh with a structured, gritty finish. Fine. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
Very deep purple-black in color, the 2019 Capbern explodes from the glass with notes of prunes, baked black cherries and fruitcake plus suggestions of mocha, Chinese five spice, tobacco leaf and cedar chest with a touch of peppercorns. Full-bodied, rich and voluptuous (15.1% alcohol!), the palate has a firm, chewy backbone and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.