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Today's Wine Review

2023 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon "Napa Valley"

Charles Krug 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Winery: Charles Krug

Vintage: 2023

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Napa Valley"

Wine Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Petite Sirah, 1% Cabernet Franc & 1% Malbec

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Napa Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $45

Cases produced: 85,000

KWG Score: 90.1 (based on 6 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (90)

Review date: August 3, 2026

Wine Review: This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Charles Krug opens with a black currant and blackberry bouquet with hints of pencil shavings, violets, and tobacco. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with integrated medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, and spicy. The flavor profile is a juicy black plum, Australian soft black licorice, and graphite blend with notes of black currant and 85% dark chocolate. I also detected hints of black olive and cedar. The finish is dry, and its flavors, acidity, and moderate and noticeable tannins stick around for a while. I would decant this Napa Cab in the near term before pairing it pair with flat iron steak tacos. Enjoy - Ken

Winemaker Notes: Grapes grown at our five family estates in Yountville form the foundation for our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine opens with inviting aromas of sweet blueberries, cherries, and black plum, layered with toasty oak, a hint of eucalyptus, dried currant, and baking chocolate. Concentrated blue and black fruit is supported by a subtle savory note of kalamata olive. This full-bodied wine presents a firm structure and rich layers of concentrated blue and red fruit, along with hints of date, mission fig, and slightly briary undertones. The finish is long, firm, and elegant.

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