WINE REVIEW: Charles Krug 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($39)

by Andrew Chalk

The Charles Krug winery was founded in1861 by Prussian immigrant Charles Krug. It was the Mondavi family winery from 1943 when Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased it but kept the name.

At a just pre-pandemic vertical tasting in Dallas the current generation of the Mondavi family showed their top-tier Napa Cabernet Sauvignons can age estimably for 40-years or more in good vintages.

The winery vintage notes state "The 2018 vintage enjoyed a long and even growing season, with cool nights and warm dry weather deep into November, the grapes received long hang time for ripening. We had some later rain in March and April, so more soil moisture in the ground, larger clusters, so it was also a relatively larger crop compared to recent vintages. Wines are balanced with good weight and texture.

Our Bordeaux harvest did not even begin until mid October and continued unhurried into mid November. Growing season was graced by a very even bloom, a short veraison, which is good, and no extreme heat weather/spikes."

The winery tasting notes for this wine note:

"Sourced principally from our five family estates in Yountville, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon displays cranberry and briary aromas with hints of brown butter and clove. This medium-to-full bodied wine showcases a rich mix of cranberry and black currant flavors set against a beautifully integrated backdrop of lightly toasted oak, all leading to a smooth lingering finish of berries and butter."

Sample