Gallica 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine 94 Points

Gallica Wines

Admirers of restraint, structure and pleasing acidity, will be delighted by this small crop vintage. A dry spring with significant frost followed by blissfully cool summer temperatures define the growing season. These are often the conditions that reward us with small clusters rich in color and intensity. Tannins are best described as confectionary with volume. This is a winemaker’s vintage and patience will be amply rewarded with unfurling aromatics, succulent fruit and layers of baking spices. Gallica cabernet sauvignon is a blend of three Bordeaux varietals-cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and petit verdot. My goal is to make balanced wines that marry power, elegance, and drinking pleasure. 165 cases.

Wine Advocate
#192 Dec 2010 Robert Parker 94+
The 2008 Gallica is slightly more structured and restrained. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, production is 50% higher than it was in 2007 (165 cases). This deep purple wine exhibits some notes of subtle barbecue smoke intermixed with black currants, blackberries, licorice, a hint of white chocolate, and some crushed rocks. Impressively endowed and full-bodied, with the tannins slightly more elevated, this wine will benefit from several years of bottle age and again last 20-25 years. Kudos to Rosemary Cakebread!
A new project from long-time Spottswoode winemaking assistant Rosemary Cakebread, she is off to a roaring start – make no mistake about that. The winery name obviously has a double meaning, in that Gallica is the earliest known cultivated species of the rose, utilized in French perfumeries.
Wine Spectator
The More restrained and refined than 2007, graceful and complex, with a core of mineral, melted black licorice, currant, blackberry, roasted coffee and cedar oak notes. Full-bodied, ending with a long, deep, persistent finish.
James Laube, Wine Spectator Insider - August 31, 2011.

International Wine Cellar
Captivating aromas of cassis, licorice, smoked meat and menthol. Highly concentrated and velvety, a solid mineral spine underlying very pure dark fruit and bitter chocolate. Most impressive today with a very long rising finish, featuring talc-like tannins and vibrant suggestions of minerals and rose pastille.
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar - May 2011.

Type	Red
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Vintage	2008
Bottle size	750mL
Alcohol content	14.8%
Appellation	California – Napa Valley
Wine Advocate	94
Wine Enthusiast	--
Wine Spectator	--
Other	n/a

ROSEMARY CAKEBREAD, Winemaker & Owner
One in a group of seasoned winemakers who have been instrumental in bringing Napa Valley Cabernet to prominence, Rosemary has earned a reputation for handcrafting wines of grace and balance. Armed with a degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California Davis, she was introduced to Cabernet Sauvignon at the historic Inglenook Winery, where she took her first winery job. Enjoying varied experiences, a harvest in Bordeaux as well as immersion in the world of sparkling wine round out her winemaking resume.
A love for Cabernet Sauvignon was nurtured as winemaker for Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery from 1997 through the 2005 vintage where she divided her time between winemaking and overseeing the organically farmed estate vineyard.
Always keen for a new challenge, a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was the first release under her own label-Gallica.
The arrival of Gallica wine has long been imagined. Rosa gallica is one of the earliest known cultivated species of rose and has been prized by French perfumers for centuries. This heirloom rose has much in common with wine grapes. Both are highly scented, softly textured and elegantly layered. Both are rooted in antiquity. Gallica wines aspire to share in this rich history.
My philosophy is simple: to seek out unique sites, work side-by-side with growers who remain close to the land and embrace organic and sustainable farming practices, and personally handcraft each wine. Artisanal practices are used, relying on small lot fermentation and punch-downs to gently coax lush tannins. The resulting wines strive to be complex, balanced, yet poised to age. It is made for pure delight in the process, and the joy of sharing with others.