Tasting Notes:
94 points — James Suckling, February 2021
Beautiful blackberry, mushroom, bark and oak leaf, with some pine cone too. Full-bodied, round and savoury with layers of ripe fruit. A rather chunky wine, but nicely done. Drink after 2025.
93 points — Vinous
Jam-packed with inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, chocolate, cloves and liquorice. Dense and full-throttle, the Cinq packs a serious punch. Undoubtedly racy, though not as opulent as it can be. “A fine showing for the Cinq.”
CellarTracker Community Score: 91.8 (40 reviews)
Cult Wines International Notes:
Chateau St. Jean was founded in Sonoma Valley in 1973 and sits below the Mayacamas on 250 acres of vineyard and garden, its historic château built as a country retreat in 1920. Cinq Cépages is the flagship, first made in 1990 and named for the five Bordeaux varieties it blends. It is the wine that put the house in the front rank of American reds: the 1996 was named Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 1999, still one of only a handful of Californian wines to hold that distinction. Margo Van Staaveren has overseen it for decades, selecting each year from proven Bordeaux-variety vineyards across the county rather than from a single site.
The 2017 blend is 83 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with 10 percent Merlot, 3 percent Cabernet Franc, 3 percent Malbec and 1 percent Petit Verdot. Nearly half the fruit comes from Knights Valley, where it contributes boysenberry flavours and elegant tannins, with Cabernet from the Monte Rosso and Mountain Terraces vineyards on Moon Mountain adding structure, and estate Malbec from the Sonoma Valley home vineyard. Expect fresh raspberry, red and black currant, blackberry and crème de cassis with lavender, sweet floral notes, chocolate, clove, liquorice, toasted chestnut and autumn spice. Full-bodied, dense and savoury, with layers of ripe fruit over refined, smooth tannins and a silky finish. Rewarding now, and built to evolve further with proper cellaring.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar since purchase.
Condition:
Perfect.
