The 2016 vintage was the beginning of the end of the drought in Napa Valley. The vines were finally given a break with close to normal amount of rain in the winter preceding the vintage. 2016 was cooler overall than 2014 & 2015, it was warm and dry, but without the massive spikes in temperature that challenged the previous two years. 2016 was the kind of year where even a blind squirrel can find a nut, so most wineries could coast along and make good wine. We don’t coast, so 2016 was an epic vintage for us, one for the ages.
Critic Ratings
Jeb Dunnuck Review – Tasted 6/2/2020 – Rated 100:
Even better, and a perfect wine from my viewpoint, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith is a blend of estate vineyards and spends 40 months in new French oak. As with all of Woodbridge’s wines, it has an incredible sense of elegance and finesse paired with beautiful richness and depth. Deep ruby/purple, with cassis and kirsch fruits as well as stunning notes of tobacco, toast, and gravelly minerality, this is Cabernet Sauvignon at its most complex, seamless, and elegant. The tannin quality is off the charts, and this magical, full-bodied, multi-dimensional effort can be enjoyed any time over the coming 30+ years or more.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate Review – Published 16th Dec 2021 – Rated 100:
Deep garnet colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith soars out of the glass with Black Forest cake, Indian spices, tobacco leaf, dried Provence herbs and smoked meats notes, with touches of damp soil, black truffles and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with layer upon earthy layer of nuanced black fruits, framed by finely grained tannins, finishing with a lifted, bright red fruit burst. It’s like a complex scent puzzle that only begins to make sense when knitted with the textures in the mouth and then long after the wine has been swallowed. Still incredibly youthful, give it another 5 years in the cellar, at least, and drink it over the next 40 years+. – Lisa Perrotti-Brown