Benchmark Wines by
Forman Vineyard
The Winery
Forman Vineyard
Based in St. Helena, California, Forman Vineyards is an estate known for its Cabernet Sauvignon made by Ric Forman. Having previously worked at Sterling and Newton Vineyards, Forman began his own label in 1983 and now owns three vineyards. Although his winemaking philosophy follows more of a traditional approach, Ric is an advocate for the terroir in which he gets his grapes from.
The eight-acre Clos Vineyard below the winery has the deepest soil with granite and sand deposits, while the 20-acre block above the winery has more dense and rocky volcanic soil. Even further up the mountain in the Rutherford AVA, the third block has more pink gravel with ancient ash, and all of the soil types contribute to the complexity of the principal wine in the portfolio, Forman Vineyard Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The wonderfully situated vineyards combined with his deliberate intervention make his wines a personal testament to producing quality wines from the Napa Valley.
Tasting Notes
- V97
- A totally dazzling wine, Ric Forman's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is easily one of the wines of the vintage. Today, the 2013 is dense, powerful and explosive, with fabulous energy and tons of sheer intensity. Graphite, smoke, tobacco and layers of dark-fleshed fruit all open up in the glass. This is the first vintage to incorporate a dollop of Malbec. The 2013 has just been bottled. I will not be surprised at all if it merits a higher rating at some point in the future. Even better from bottle than it was from barrel, Ric Forman's 2013 is a super-classic, old-school Napa Cabernet to treasure for the next three decades. Best of all, Forman's Cabernet is probably the single greatest value in Napa Valley Cabernet.
- WA95
- A beautiful wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and the rest tiny proportions of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Opaque ruby/purple with beautiful blueberry and black raspberry fruit moving toward cassis on the palate, it is plush, medium to full-bodied, well-delineated, juicy and succulent. This is another terrific 2013. This one was aged 22 months in barrel, but 60% was new oak, and it was never fined prior to bottling. It should drink well for 15 or more years.
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