Bevan Cellars Ontogeny 2018
99 Jeb Dunnuck – 95 The Wine Advocate
If you love full-on unapologetic Napa Cabernet sourced from some of the best sites in the valley,
but don’t want to pay $200-$300 and more per bottle THIS is your wine! Ever since I met the
larger than life personality of Russell Bevan there was no denying the impact his wines
represent. They are amazingly deeply layered, complex expressions of all Napa has to offer,
with the single vineyards and top end bottlings commanding very high prices indeed. But this
wine sums up all that Bevan is about at a fraction of the price, and in the outstanding 2018
vintage this is a wine not to miss. – Chris Cree, MW
$94.97
Description
Country: USA
Region: California, Napa Valley
Variety: Red Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc)
Winemaking: Selected barrels from various vineyard designates to create the best blend possible.
Jeb Dunnuck 99
While this cuvée is one of the least expensive in the lineup, it’s often one of my favorites. The 2018 Ontogeny is no exception and should be snatched up by readers. A classic 2018 nose of ripe, pure blue fruits, cassis, violets, and smoked earth gives way to a full-bodied, dense, concentrated Cabernet with beautiful tannins and length. It’s going to evolve for 20 years or more.
Wine Advocate 95
Ontogeny is a barrel-selection blend of Bevan’s vineyard sources: Tench, Sugarloaf, Harbison, Wildfoote, Saunders and Sage Ridge. The varieties include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Ontogeny Proprietary Red Wine comes barreling out of the glass with intensely fruity notes of crème de cassis, black cherry preserves and stewed plums plus a savory undercurrent of grilled meats, sautéed herbs and Indian spices. The palate is full-bodied, rich and velvety, delivering impactful black fruit preserves with loads of earthy nuances, finishing long with a spicy kick. 3,952 cases were made.
I tasted verticals of Ontogeny, Sugarloaf Mountain and Tench Vineyard EE with Russell Bevan and his partner Victoria De Crescenzo back in mid-September. While that article is in the pipeline, due to be published in December, I thought I would push out the reviews of the current release 2018 wines sooner rather than later.
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