Long Meadow Ranch 2018 E.J. Church Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750ml

E.J. Church Reserve is Long Meadow Ranch’s showcase Cabernet, a barrel-select blend of the best blocks from its Mayacamas mountain estate, from vines planted in 1991 at about 400 meters. The wine is named for pioneer E.J. Church. The estate is part of a family farm known for sustainable, organic farming, and the mountain fruit gives the wine a leaner, more structured style than many Napa valley-floor Cabernets. The winemaker describes it as “elegant and age-worthy,” built on “the natural acidity and delicately structured tannins that I love in our mountain block fruit.”

The winemaker’s notes describe “a rich nose of warm Bing cherry, Loganberry, plum, and cocoa,” with “finer layers of green tobacco leaf, sweet French oak, and a powdery minerality” on the palate. Wine Enthusiast scored it 95 Points and named it a Cellar Selection, calling it “impressively structured and handsomely spiced,” a “medium- to full-bodied wine” that “exudes serious scents of toasted oak, graphite and pipe tobacco followed by nicely dry black currant and black-olive flavors wrapped in firm but fine-grained tannins.” The review adds that it is “a bit austere to show its best stuff while still young,” and that this “exceptional wine should drink best from 2027–2037.” Decanter also reviewed it, noting “good ripeness of fruit with a hint of woody spice” and a palate that is “serious... with liquorice notes.”

That makes it a wine for people who like their Napa Cabernet savory, structured, and Bordeaux-leaning, rather than plush and jammy. It’s at 13.5% ABV, and it’s built for the table with beef, lamb, and game.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Long Meadow Ranch 2018 E.J. Church Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is produced by Long Meadow Ranch in Napa Valley, California, from the best blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon on the Mayacamas mountain estate, vines planted in 1991 at about 400 meters elevation. It is a barrel-select 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French oak. Bottled at 13.5% ABV, 750ml.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast — 95 Points, Cellar Selection (April 2023):
“Impressively structured and handsomely spiced, this medium- to full-bodied wine exudes serious scents of toasted oak, graphite and pipe tobacco followed by nicely dry black currant and black-olive flavors wrapped in firm but fine-grained tannins. A bit austere to show its best stuff while still young, this exceptional wine should drink best from 2027–2037.”

Decanter:
“Good ripeness of fruit with a hint of woody spice. Serious on the palate with liquorice notes.”

Long Meadow Ranch (official winemaker’s notes):
“This barrel select blend is a showcase of the best blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon from their Mayacamas Estate ranch. Elegant and age-worthy, the E.J. Church has a rich nose of warm Bing cherry, Loganberry, plum, and cocoa. Finer layers of green tobacco leaf, sweet French oak, and a powdery minerality are found on the palate and carried by the natural acidity and delicately structured tannins that I love in our mountain block fruit.”

Tasting Profile

Nose
Warm Bing cherry, Loganberry, plum, and cocoa lead, with toasted oak, graphite, and pipe tobacco.

Palate
Medium- to full-bodied and savory, with dry black currant and black olive, green tobacco leaf, sweet French oak, and powdery minerality, framed by firm, fine-grained tannin and fresh acidity.

Finish
Long, with liquorice and graphite, and austere in its youth.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Grilled grass-fed ribeye
• Braised lamb shanks
• Roasted game
• Aged cheeses

Serving Note

Decant for an hour or more to open the structure.