Tomasello Winery, Palmaris Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Outer Coastal Plain, New Jersey

Tasting Note: A silky, sultry cabernet sauvignon done in an elegant, reserved style.

Deep-intensity ruby in color, this wine has an aromatic, medium-plus-intensity nose of violet petal, raspberry, black plum, blackberry and fig with a touch of starfruit.

On the palate the dry, silky-textured cabernet sauvignon has medium-plus-intensity, red-and-black-fruit flavors suggested on the nose supported by medium-plus acidity and well-integrated, medium tannin.

Bottle Note: 4 generations of Tomasello winemaking. In 1933, days after the repeal of prohibition, Frank Tomasello started Tomasello Winery with the revolutionary vison of creating wine to match Europe’s best. His two sons, their two sons, and then their two sons have continued the tradition. The Tomasello family grows and harvests 68 acres of traditional vinifera wines and native grapes in South Jersey’s designated Outer Coastal Plain AVA. Our 2016 Outer Coastal Plain Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is presented under the name “Palmaris,” Latin for “Prize-Worthy” a name we reserve for wines of substantive character and distinction made only in superior vintage. 2016 was a fine growing season in the Outer Coastal Plain, characterized by rainfall and temperature conditions which allowed for maximum fruit maturity by late season. The three grapes in the blend are: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon (harvested at 21 brix, t/a 5.0 g/l as tartaric), 20% Petit Verdot (harvested at 20.2 brix, t/a 7.8 g/l as tartaric), and 5% Cabernet Franc (harvested at 21.5 brix, t/a 6.0 g/l as tartaric). The musts were fermented in contact with the skins for a period of 14 days and were vinified using S. cerevisiae yeast originally isolated from France’s Languedoc terroir. They were made in separate lots between October 3rd and October 13, 2016 and subsequently transferred to a combination of French Nevers and American oak in December, 2016. Malolactic fermentation was effectuated in oak where the wine evolved for 36 months until November 2019. The wines were blended in December 2019 and bottled in April, 2020. The Palmaris 2016 OCP Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied red that needs aeration to develop its full flavor, so please decant prior to serving. We hope that you will enjoy this fine wine with a fine meal while in the company of good friends.