The last vintage of Appassionata that will be produced, the 2016 Appassionata is a pristine 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was hand-picked and sorted then classically crafted with 3-4 weeks of fermentation followed by 26 months aging in entirely new French oak. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration and reveals a pure snapshot of Coombsville. As Maayan says, “this wine is not overly creative. It’s fairly straightforward between fruit and the bottle.” Manipulation is eschewed in favor of capturing a natural product of striking terroir. The only outside characteristic that exists is the complimentary oak influence. The result is an absolutely stunning cult-style Cabernet. The 2016 Appassionata displays an incredibly opaque, dark purple core with hints of magenta and ruby on the rim. The nose delights with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur, blueberry, blackberry, black cherry and violets over complex secondary notes of cacao, tobacco, a touch of wet leather, crushed earth, a kiss of ground coffee, finely crushed stones, vanilla bean and exotic baking spices. The full-bodied palate is layered with dense, captivating flavors that mirror the nose with lush black and blue fruit, coffee, chocolate, a touch of tobacco, crushed earth & beautifully integrated exotic spices from new French oak.
Rising star Maayan Koschitzky, whose first job was at Screaming Eagle working hand-in-hand with Nick Gislason. After three years at Eagle, he left to join Philippe Melka at Atelier Melka where he rose from assistant winemaker to director of winemaking, helping to craft cult icons Lail, Moone Tsai, Fairchild, and Tusk. His own project, On Q, has risen to its own cult-status with a full mailing list—and long wait.
“I’m a very traditional winemaker,” Koschitzky told us. “My focus is on getting it right in the vineyard and picking when the grapes are perfectly ripe. For Appassionata, we focus on the cooler Coombsville appellation... I age the Cabernet for 27 months in fine French oak Hermitage and Taransaud barrels, then bottle it unfined and unfiltered.”
A beautiful, deep, glass-staining, dark ruby-purple hue. Crushed violet and lilac floral aromas are complemented by dark roast espresso, and an herbal component redolent of mint and fresh tobacco. Bold, rich, and layered with a dark core of fruit and perfectly integrated fine French oak spices atop firm tannins. A true cool-climate Cabernet gem ready to drink or hold for 10-15 years.
