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Pellet Estate - Henry's Reserve

2017
Blend
85% Cabernet Sauvignon
15% Merlot
Country
USA
Region
California
Appellation
Saint Helena
UPC
00868811000233
Other
Verified Stock
72315-17
Product Ratings
Jeb Dunnuck 93pt

A step up in price, the 2017 Red Blend Henry's Reserve is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that gives up a deep purple color as well as juicy blueberry and cassis fruits interwoven with lots of spice box, flowery incense, and lead pencil nuances. Medium to full-bodied, lively, focused, and elegant on the palate, it's another classic 2017 that will keep for 15 years or more. Both reds from this estate showed beautifully.

by Jeb Dunnuck, 2020
Vinous Media 93pt

The 2017 Red Blend Henry's Reserve offers lovely mid-palate juiciness and sweetness as well as plenty of allure. Sweet raspberry, red plum, mocha, spice, mint and rose petal are all nicely layered in this supple, engaging wine from Pellet. The Red Blend is ripe and jammy, but also understated, with plush fruit, soft contours and tons of appeal.

by Vinous Media, 2020
Wine Advocate 91pt

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Henry's Reserve is scented of creme de cassis, blueberry compote and fruitcake with touches of earth, tobacco and Chinese five spice. The palate is medium to full-bodied with nice, ripe grainy tannins and a lively line of freshness lifting the ripe, rich fruit, finishing on a compelling savory note.

by Wine Advocate, 2019

Vinification

We hand sorted our grapes both prior to and after de-stemming, and following a four day whole berry maceration and cold soak, we began primary fermentation. After nearly three weeks, the wine was gently pressed-off and racked to 100% new Darnajou and Ermitage 36 month-aged tight grain French Oak barrels to complete a slow secondary fermentation for anoth-er few months. This year’s Reserve features 85% Cabernet Sauvignon (50/50 Clones 4 & 337), and 15% Merlot, which yielded almost two barrels, then hand blended from the top barrels in our progam.

Description

The Pellet Reserve wine is unique every year. They let each season, each barrel, each varietal guide them in crafting this rare blend. Their approach differentiates from what most people expect from a Reserve wine – rather than the best lots of a single varietal or extra care for designated barrels – theirs is driven by what nature and vinification techniques result from each year. They exist to make great wine, therefore all of our lots are made with the utmost quality at their disposal – they treat every drop the same. It’s the standout barrels and varietals that rise above all expectations each year, from which they select pay close attention to, when blending the reserve program, only yielding about a single barrel or two. This is Henry’s Reserve – the constant pursuit of the most authentic expression, each year, from what fruit this historic vineyard provides them. It never will be, nor is meant to be, the same.