94 points, View From the Cellar
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About the Wine
Critic Reviews
94 points, View From the Cellar
The 2014 cabernet from Ric Forman is another absolutely superb wine that seems lower in octane than its stated level of 14.8 percent on the label. The bouquet is precise and beautifully vibrant, offering a complex blend of sweet cassis, dark berries, Cuban cigar wrapper, a nice discreet touch of eucalyptus, dark soil tones, coffee bean and coffee bean and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and light on its feet, with superb soil signature, a lovely core of fruit, fine focus and grip, ripe, moderately chewy tannins and a long, nascently complex and very classy finish. This is a stunning young bottle of cabernet, with the inherent complexity and transparency one used to find routinely in young Médoc. 2026-2080.
About The Winery
Influenced early on by the wines and winemaking practices of the Bordeaux region of France, Ric Forman has consistently sought a similar perfection for the wines of Forman Vineyard. Ric founded Forman Vineyard in 1983 to fulfill his dream of producing, as a sole proprietor, small quantities of classically made Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1978, after a 3-year search of Napa Valley for the perfect location, Ric purchased the current winery/vineyard site, which is perched on the ridge at the base of Howell Mountain overlooking the town of St. Helena. Overall, Ric Forman grows his grapes on 88.5 acres of land split between three different parcels, each one planted to the four Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. These locations each contribute their subtle differences to the wine, the whole of which is a synergy of complexity. Thus, with a wonderfully situated vineyard and deliberately planned cellar, Ric is fulfilling his dream and is constantly vigilant in personally making sure that each step is without compromise in the pursuit of producing the finest quality possible from his estate.
