90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4%Cabernet Franc; 195 cases produced

Tasting Notes

With a warm, southwest exposure and deep red, iron-rich soils, our 84-acre Edcora Vineyard provides a powerful backbone to our Estate. This prominent vineyard expresses itself in opulent mountain flavors framed by a strong, age-worthy structure.

2015 Vintage Notes

The 2015 vintage opens with a bouquet of violets, dark espresso, sweet hay, and the eucalyptus trees that dot the hillsides around the Estate. On the palate, we find aromas and flavors of black cherries, bramble berries, Mission figs, Campari, mint chocolate, oranges, and mountain blueberries. The firm structure and mouth-coating tannins display the warm, sun-drenched exposure of the vineyard and combine with a rich freshness and aromas of Valrhona cocoa powder, tobacco, saddle leather, and basalt that continue to evolve through the long, and well-framed finish.

With all the power and structure found in the 2015 PEAK Edcora Vineyard, we feel this vintage will continue to develop and add an elegant bottle bouquet over the next 15 to 20+ years in your cellar.

Reviews

Wine Review Online
“A very impressive wine that hearkens back to the early days of the Napa Valley, when age-worthy structure and balance were king. Intense berry fruit aromas are joined by notes of fig, baker’s chocolate and savory hints of meat and dried herbs. It’s all there on the palate, with a rich earthy character in front at present that will feather itself into the mix with further aging.

Perfectly balanced, nuanced and thought provoking, and a definite cellar trophy at what’s become a bargain price for such a wine. This isn’t a score I throw out very often, but there’s so much to offer here—I’m all in. Contains 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.” 100 Points -Rich Cook, June 2019 

Forbes
“Acumen - A New Shining Star From Napa Valley”
“Recently I have tasted the releases of a relatively new Napa Valley winery that I believe will become, if not a household name, at least a name worth remembering. The winery is Acumen.

I’ve reviewed the wines below and thoroughly enjoy the 2015 Mountainside Cabernet Sauvignon, but the PEAK Cabernet Sauvignons, one from the estate’s Edcora Vineyard and the other from their Attelas Vineyard, are a step up in body and complexity, and are wines of outstanding complexity. These last two wines combine not only impressive weight on the palate along with notable structure, they are also very supple with graceful tannins, a style seen too rarely with Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from mountain vineyards.

It’s this restrained manner of Cabernet Sauvignon that renders the Acumen wines as being so special. This signature style will certainly help in terms of identity, but apart from that, the Acumen Cabernets are much more enjoyable upon release that many counterpart wines from Napa Valley. I’ve tasted only a few wines from Acumen, but let me repeat, this is an estate worth remembering. Keep an eye out for these wines. Deep ruby red; aromas of cassis, black currant and anise. Full-bodied with excellent concentration. This has ideal ripeness, yet is not forced or showy, as there is good acidity as well as finely balanced tannins. The wood notes are especially well integrated. A rich young Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with lovely harmony and excellent complexity. While it is somewhat approachable now, this is clearly a wine for 5-7 years down the road with peak drinking after 10 years. Proof that a big, young Napa Cabernet Sauvignon can offer a marvelous sense of finesse.” -Tom Hyland, September 2019

Wine Spectator
“Thickly layered, featuring plum, fig and black currant reduction notes, as well as charcoal and loam details, this has a brooding persona. Streaks of bay leaf and tobacco lend cut and lift, with an alder hint adding range at the end.” 92 Points: Outstanding; a wine of superior character and style -James Molesworth, August 2019

Los Angeles Times
“Some cabernet sauvignons to pair with your Valentine's Day meal”
“Here are some very nice cabernet sauvignons we recommend for a dinner at home: Acumen’s stellar portfolio of premium red wines reveals the greatness that comes from mountainside grapes. This one – a blend of cabernet sauvignon (90 percent), petite verdot and cabernet franc – is deep, complex and layered with expressive aromas of violets and espresso. Black cherries and wild blackberries are cloaked in promising tannins. Acumen makes a 2015 Mountainside Cabernet Sauvignon that uses less new oak and more merlot and malbec for a delicious and more approachable blend.” -Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr, February 2019

JancisRobinson.com
“I prefer not to score barrel samples but I did taste the 2015 assemblage for each of the three Peak reds – Peak, Peak Attelas and Peak Edcora. They are showing very well with quality levels at least comparable to the 2013 wines. They also give interesting insight into the character of the two sites, so I am sharing my brief notes on each of them. Subtler aromatics. All blue notes – both in terms of fruit and other elements like gunmetal and ink. The most savoury with bigger palate coverage but not from the cellar, from the fruit itself. More dusty tannin and structural and iron accents throughout.” -Elaine Chukan Brown, April 2017

Restaurant Wine
“Most high quality 2015 Cabernet Sauvignons may not have quite the opulence of the 2014s, but they generally display more finesse and structure. Among those we are especially keen on include... the outstanding Edcora bottling from Acumen.

Acumen is an Atlas Peak Cabernet specialist, founded in 2012. The winery owns 116 acres of certified organically farmed grapes in two vineyards: Attelas (32 acres) and Edcora (84 acres); the latter is situated 350 feet higher that Attelas, in a lightly warmer site. The wines are intensely flavored, and structured, capable of long-term aging.

The Edcora is exceptional: supple and fairly rich, it is a full bodied, balanced wine with excellent depth of fruit, evident tannin, and a firm, long finish, tasting of black cherry, cassis, cedar, mint, tobacco, and spicy oak. Needs several more years of aging.” 5 stars out of 5: Exceptional quality for its type and style; a superstar within its price category. Merits an extra special effort to purchase. Very highly recommended -Ronn Wiegand, January 2019 

South Florida Reporter
“Wines For Valentine’s Day”
“Here are some very nice cabernet sauvignons we recommend for a dinner at home: Denis Malbec joined Henrik Poulsen in making some great wines from mountain-grown grapes on Atlas Peak, but sadly the 2015 are his last. Malbec died in 2016. Acumen’s stellar portfolio of premium red wines reveals the greatness that comes from mountainside grapes. This one – a blend of cabernet sauvignon (90 percent), petite verdot and cabernet franc – is deep, complex and layered with expressive aromas of violets and espresso. Black cherries and wild blackberries are cloaked in promising tannins.” -Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr, February 2019 

Houston Chronicle
“Nine bottles our panel suggests seeking out”
“The fruit was sourced from the 84-acre Edcora Vineyard on Atlas Peak and includes some petit verdot and cab franc. The wine spent 22 months in French oak, most of it new. The estate covers 116 organically certified acres.” -Dale Robertson, June 2019