2013 Carl Roy Cabernet Sauvignon East Side Cuvee 750 ml

2013 East Side Cuvée: Anticipated Maturity: 2015-2024

In the summer of 2011, while dining at Restaurant Jean-Georges on Columbus Circle, and with the country still mired in the Great Recession, we were treated to a bottle of the 2008 Carl Roy “East Side Cuvée.” Paired with a beef tenderloin in a red wine reduction, that chiseled Cabernets Sauvignon blew us away with both its intense black-fruit concentration and chiseled structure. In the months that followed, Carl Roy took NYC by storm, turning up on top wine lists all over town.

A month later, we published a story about Carl Roy and a Cabernet Sauvignon drawn from three vineyard sites — one in St. Helena, another in Rutherford, and the last just south of Stags Leap. Hundreds of members were intrigued and hit the buy button, about 20% of whom took the time to rate — showering 4- and 5-star ratings and reviews on what has become the highest-rated under-$35 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in WineAccess history.

In our view, it’s particularly in with its last two releases that Carl Roy has really turned on the jets. Robert Parker has suggested that 2012 and 2013 could well be the finest back-to-back vintages ever in Napa Valley, while calling 2013 “the greatest in 37 years.” We spent two hours with a bottle of “East Side Cuvée” from each vintage last Tuesday night. Here’s how they stacked up — and why.

There are many similarities between 2012 and 2013. Flowering came early in both springs, making for a sizable fruit set. Each growing season was mild and largely absent the torrid heat spikes that often blister Cabernet clusters in July and August. Like most of the serious growers in the valley, Carl Roy dropped fruit twice, pushing the envelope on ripeness while still harvesting nearly 40% more fruit than in a normal year.

Still, there are also salient differences in the two years. Yields in 2012 were gigantic, the second-largest on record. Berries were plump and juicy, and while there was plenty of acid to maintain balance, tannins were soft and supple. After two hours in oversized Riedel and evaluating for early drinking, we gave the nod to the 2012 “East Side Cuvée.”

In 2013, berry size was smaller and skins were thicker. Yields, while high, were not as large as 2012. Concentration was comparable (finished alcohol on the 2013 “East Side Cuvée” came in at a whopping 14.9%!), but clusters were “tight-fisted” and strewn with small berries. The 2013 “East Side Cuvée” is far more tightly wound than its predecessor. It’s also more elegantly structured, with sturdier tannins. While still luscious out of the gate, if you choose to lay down one of the two vintages, opt for the 2013, a bottle that won’t hit its peak until the early 2020s.

Among those who have purchased and rated each vintage, buyers have given a slight edge to the glorious 2013. Of the 111 members who rated, 93 have come in at 4 or 5 stars, with 34 posting a PERFECT 5-star rating.

The 2013 Carl Roy Cabernet Sauvignon East Side Cuvée is opaque purple in color. Voluptuous aromas of blackberry, mountain blueberry, violets, and graphite, braced with new-wood cedar. Terrifically concentrated, dense, and compact, yet still somewhat back on its heels at this stage in its life, slowly peeling away layers of black- and red-fruit preserves, finishing with sturdy, dusty-tannin backbone. Drink now for its primary-fruit hedonism, or do as we’re doing and lay down the most age-worthy “East Side Cuvée” to date until the early 2020s.

Compared to $60/bottle. Still just $25/bottle this morning on WineAccess. Last call: 960 bottles.