Review: Wines of CV Wines, 2024 Releases
Nested within California’s Paso Robles district along the Central Coast, Continental Vineyards (CV) is a sister label to Broken Earth Winery, releasing only wines sourced from its estate vineyards, produced in highly limited editions and only during exceptional vintage years. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the latest vintages in its portfolio, all released in 2024.
2019 CV Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – Dense with layers of licorice and ripe strawberry on the nose. With time they are accompanied by subtle layers of cocoa powder, rose petals and a touch of graphite. The juicy palate full of red fruit leads the charge but eventually, nuances of cracked black pepper, oak and leather peek through. Some plum and chocolate linger around on the finish for a considerable amount of time, and balanced acidity and tannins provide excellent structure throughout. With a limited edition of 123 cases, finding this could prove tricky at your local retailer. However, should you find a bottle in the wild, pick one up and put it away for a year or so. It will be well worth the wait. A
2019 CV Cabernet Franc Reserve – With the word “Reserve” affixed to this wine, it is easy to assume that opulence is the name of the game here, and indeed it is. Lush cherry and concentrated cranberry aromas up front lead the charge as the wine develops, with a touch of chocolate slowly appearing in the glass. The palate shifts from red to dark fruit with a touch of cassis resembling a higher-end Malbec from Argentina, with dark chocolate and a touch of spice pushing through the creamy tannins on subsequent sips. A-
2020 CV Studium Red Reserve – A proprietary blend whose construction is equally enigmatic as its name (Latin for “house of learning”), this wine found itself in the house of neutral French oak for 12 months and then transferred to second-year French oak for an indeterminate amount of time. I normally do not attempt such feats of deduction, but if I had to guess there is certainly a bit of Petit Verdot and possibly Merlot at play here. A generous amount of cherry and raspberry on the nose work well with a palate that adds notes of pepper and oak over time. Good acidity and soft tannins let the fruit shine right through to a finish that turns slightly floral and earthy, but never enough to become a nuisance. B+
each $80 / brokenearthwinery.com
The post Review: Wines of CV Wines, 2024 Releases appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.