--Michael Trujillo
I've previously met Michael Trujillo, the President & Director of Winemaking at Sequoia Grove Winery. You can read my prior post about that meeting, and get some background and details on Michael and the winery. We dined together, tasting through several of his wines, including the 2009 Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I enjoyed that wine so much that it ended up on my list of 2013: Top Ten Wines Over $15.
Recently, I received a media sample of the 2011 Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($38), and opened it with dinner the other night. The wine is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 1% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec. It has an alcohol content of 14.2%, spent about 20 months in American oak (40% new), and was released in March 2014. The 2011 vintage was challenging, with a late and wet spring, a cool summer and rain in October. Compared to the 2009 vintage, this wine had a slightly different blend and a little less new oak.
When I reviewed the 2009, I wrote: "This dark purple colored wine possesses an alluring aroma of subtle black fruit and spice, and on the palate it presents as silky and elegant, with delicious flavors of black cherry, ripe plum, subtle spice, vanilla and hints of leather. A well balanced wine, the smooth tannins lead to a lengthy and satisfying finish." As for the 2011, much of my prior review applies to this vintage except that it seemed to possess more herbal notes and a little less spice. So, it was similar in many respects, but with some subtle differences It remained an impressive wine, one I highly recommend. The slight vintage differences don't detract from the quality of the wine.
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