Comparing 2014 Derby and 2018 Derby Cabernet Sauvignons by Spring Valley Vineyard is an excellent example of one of the essential Wine Swinging experiences and is a top suggestion for our wine club members. Why?
If you are not Robert Parker, James Suckling, Jancis Robinson, or Aldo Sohm, 2008 World Somm Champion, who plies his trade as ‘chef sommelier at Michelin-starred Le Bernardin in New York, just to name a few people with exceptional palates, it might be a tidbit challenging to tell two similar wines apart unless you drink them side-by-side.
How did we pick these two bottles to compare? On our visit to Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room, while touring the Walla Walla wine region in Washington state, we had a rare opportunity to taste library wines. 2014 Derby Cabernet Sauvignon was so impressive that we took a few bottles home.
During the same trip, Walla Walla wineries started releasing 2018 wines and based on our first impression, it’s a fantastic vintage. We didn’t taste 2018 Derby back then, and when we saw the bottle in the local store, we couldn’t pass an opportunity to compare it with the 2014 vintage.
Derby Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 and 2018
In the Bottle
The Spring Valley attributes its labels to family members who farmed the same land before becoming the vineyard and winery. Derby Cabernet Sauvignon commemorates the marriage of Shari Corkrum Derby and Dean Derby in 1954, who spearheaded the farm’s transition into a vineyard.
The grapes from both wines came from Estate vineyards in Walla Walla Valley. Both 2014 and 2018 were warm vintages, with dry and hot summers and similar harvest time frames.
The grapes were s hand-picked, hand-sorted, and gently de-stemmed by gravity. While both wines were undergone ageing in French barrels, the 2014 vintage was held in 50% new oak barrels for 20 months and 2018 in 20% new barrels for 19 months.
So technically, going into the tasting, 2014 Derby had a few advantages over the 2018 Derby: extended ageing in new oak and four years since the harvest.
So how did they compare?
In the Glass: Derby Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 and 2018
As expected, the younger Derby had an intense ruby color, and the older one showed its age with a tawny ruby hue.
True to the varietal, both started with aromas of black currant. 2018 Derby was more fruit-forward with black cherry and plum, red lily, and sweet tobacco notes. 2014 had a more complex profile with jammy cherry and violets, cigar box, and cedar aroma.
On the palate, it was exciting to taste how fresh black currant and plum of 2018 tasted black currant jam and prune in 2014; cocoa nibs transformed into dark chocolate and sweet tea into tobacco.
Finish
Finish or the aftertaste is one of the best indicators of the quality of the wine. The longer and more complex the finish – the better the wine.
Both Derbies had a long finish and impressed us almost equally.
From the structural feel, Derby 2014 had the edge over its younger brethren because it felt more substantial with better incorporated tannin and acidity that balanced the fruit and added more complexity to the flavor profile. Soft violets and cigar box scents that only come with age complimented the dark fruit aroma and compelled us to dip our noses repeatedly in the glass to get a whiff of the exquisite perfume-like smell.
In this round, 2014 Derby Cabernet Sauvignon was able to overcome its younger competitor. But only slightly. Four years is a considerable difference in the wine world, and 2018 Derby is like a young athlete yet to reach her prime.
With a couple of bottles in reserve, we look forward to the next Wine Swinging Derby between this pair in a couple of years.
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