Ratings:
93
Antonio Galloni - Vinous
"The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Papa's Knoll is the richest and darkest of these three wines. Black cherry, plum, spice, and new leather abound. Rich, ample and generous, with soft contours and plenty of early appeal for the year, the Papa's knoll offers tremendous depth, finishing with substantial weight and substance married to a real sense of explosive energy."
93 Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The third cuvée, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Papa’s Knoll has a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood. Beautiful blueberry and blackberry fruit, a dense opaque purple color, wonderful purity, a savory, broad, multilayered mouthfeel make for a stunner and another great value from Buehler Vineyards. This wine should drink well for 15-20 years."
Product Description:
"Historically, we’ve produced one Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
at Buehler
Vineyards
in which we blend
wines
from various vineyard blocks: a melding of the
disparate
characteristics
into one
whole wine
.
From time to
time, we’re tempted to showcase a particular vineyard block for its unique character by
bottling it on its own.
Beginning with the 2004 vintage, we gave in to the temptation and bottled a very limited amount of wine from
Papa's Knoll's vineyard which is only sold directly from the winery or through our wine club.
What is Papa’s Knoll and where is it located?
Named after the landform
in front of
“Papa’s”
(the late
John
Buehler, Sr.) house, this is our oldest
vineyard block of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The face of the knoll is steeply
terraced with an easterly exposure; the
top of the knoll is best described as a shallow bowl with no rim on the
south side.
This three
acre block was planted in 1971 and is the only dry
-
farmed Cabernet block
on the estate.
The fact that we have to pay the pickers by the hour rather than by the ton to pick this block is testament
to the
ruggedness and inaccessibility of this
block that routinely gives us little
more
than two tons
of grapes per acre.
What differentiates the wines from Papa’s Knoll from our other vineyard blocks?
A few terms spring
to
mind: power, color, depth.
If a dark, lushly textured, concentrated wine is your goal,
this wine argues that dry
-
farming old vines
is a good
way to achieve it.
Papa's Knoll is typically the first block harvested off the Estate; dry
-
farming
as we
ll as
the light
-
cropped
nature of
this
block
ensures that it delivers its bounty
a full 7-20
days earlier than our other Estate blocks.
The color is skewed to the blue end of the Cabernet spectrum and is opaque in nature. The aromas hint at black fruit: ripe black cherries and black plums. Enticing barrel qualities of cola spice and a hint of dried tarragon complement the fruit aromas.
The 2013 vintage will be fondly remembered for its classic proportions and near perfect ripening season that began with ideal flowering and fruit set and then was coaxed to ripeness by a steady stream of moderate sun drenched days and cool foggy nights. Like 2012, the late light rains of the 2013 harvest season posed no threat to our crop since it was safely tucked away in the winery once they arrived.On the palate, the wine shows layers of deeply extracted flavors that only old vine hillside vineyards can render.
Papa’s Knoll Cabernet may be enjoyed anytime over the next 20 years. For those who seek youthful fresh cabernet fruit aromas and a more structured wine, drink it from 2015 through 2021. If you prefer the less fruity, more developed bottle bouquet aromas and a softer, more velvety wine on the palate, drink it from 2022-2035." - Winery