2018 Leviathan Red

2018 Leviathan Red

2018 Leviathan Red, Red Blend from California.

We have just received an allocation of the 2018 vintage of this spectacular red. At its price point, this is one of the most complete red wines I have ever tasted from California. The 2018 Leviathan is pound for pound one of the greatest California red wines there is. The wine got great press, 94pts by Jebb Dunnuck who wrote for Parker’s WA for many years and 94pts by Suckling and has been on Wine Spectator’s Top 100. Leviathan is the project of Andy Erickson’s of Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle fame. Cabernet lovers know how hard it is to find a great bottle of Cabernet for less than $50. This is that wine. Erickson took over from wine-making legend Heidi Barret at Screaming Eagle, no small task. Leviathan is a pet project for Erickson that allows him to express himself creatively through blending different grapes and vineyard sources. Andy is tight lipped about his fruit sources but based on the vineyards he has worked with, assumptions can be made. Leviathan is a rich, full wine with vibrant texture. Its complex flavors are derived from a unique blend which highlights the best of California — carefully fine-tuned each vintage to create a bold, rich, enticing wine. The wine got great press, 94pts JD 93pts by Suckling, 92pts Vinous and has been on Wine Spectator’s Top 100.  What’s even better is the vintage.  2018 was a phenomenal year for Napa, very similar to the indulgent 2012’s, a vintage that was irresistible in its youth but with impeccable ability to age. For a short time we have the wine down to $32.99 which is a whopping 37% Savings. Open a bottle and you will not believe how good this is for the money. This wine is a rare breed, serious quality made by serious people at a reasonable price. I strongly recommend. Get your wines delivered.

Always a great value, the 2018 California Red Wine is a Bordeaux blend put together by Andy Erickson. The wine reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as complex notes of red and black fruits, green tobacco, cedary spice, and spring flowers. These all flow to a medium to full-bodied, elegant wine that offers good overall concentration, seamless tannins, and a great finish. Very much in the style of the 2018 vintage with its more streamlined, elegant style, it’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age (although it’s far from unapproachable today) and keep for a solid 10-12 years or more. This is one of the more age-worthy examples of this cuvée that I recall. 94pts
An intense mix of fresh boysenberry, black cherry and plum jump from the glass with cocoa powder, allspice and nutmeg.  Its earthy elements of our rocky northern California hillsides include Bay Laurel, sage, cedar, dry earth which speak to its origins.  Supple and balanced tannins of this rich wine lead to a long savory finish with hints of graphite and star anise.  It is approachable now and built to cellar.