Winemaker Notes
The 2020 McNab delivers wonderful complexity and elegance, with round, full fruit and age-worthy structure. The nose offers a asket of sweet purple, blue and black berries scented with vanilla bean and a touch of summer bramble. The palate bursts with blue fruit and plums braided with fragrant mocha, cedar, cloves, pepper, savory herbs and pencil lead. Tightly-woven oak tannins support
the wine through its long finish of mint tea and black fruits.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This potent but sophisticated wine combines powerful, focused black fruit flavors with restrained mint, toast and cocoa accents cradled by fine-grained tannins that help it glide smoothly through the palate and lingering finish. Boosted by 20% Petite Sirah, it will drink best from 2025-2035.
Cellar Selection -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Bonterra McNab Cabernet Sauvignon is wild yet steady and bold. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of wild red fruit, hints of black fruit, and dried herbs. Pair it with an oven-roasted leg of lamb. (Tasted: March 14, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
Organically farmed and masterfully crafted, Bonterra Organic Vineyards epitomizes wines that are perfectly in tune with nature. A celebration of farm-fresh flavors, the portfolio features wines coaxed from the earth by careful farming practices carried out on a dynamic network of estate and partner farms throughout California. In addition to a widely available collection of organically farmed wines that includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Equinox Red and Rosé, Bonterra crafts a trio of sought-after single-vineyard offerings from estate Biodynamic® vineyards in Mendocino County, and The Elysian Collection Merlot, an elevated offering from organic grapes.
Long before organic produce filled the shelves of neighborhood groceries, the dedicated team at Bonterra was committed to organic and Biodynamic® farming because they passionately believe that farms teeming with biodiversity—encompassing vines, insects and wildlife, and healthy soils—yield organic grapes leading to better wines. Whether supporting the health of honeybees with hive housing in its organic vineyards, trading tractors for sheep to maintain vineyards during the winter months, or giving back to the future of agriculture through educational outreach and shared knowledge, Bonterra strives to leave behind a legacy of thoughtful winegrowing inspired by the potential of nature itself.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.