Winemaker Notes
The wine is intense yet elegant as a beautiful bouquet of violet, iron, roasted meat, and rose petal greet the nose. It is balanced yet powerful on the palate with flavors of currant and soil-influenced minerality.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
More intense than the 2018, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon blends 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot into an elegantly medium-bodied mountain expression of rounded tannins, crunchy red fruit, and notes of iron and smoked meat. From the estate's 1,600-foot elevation, it shows plenty of structure and tannin power without being heavy, though it will benefit greatly, as these wines always do, from decanting and/or aging another 10-20 years.
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Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is everything this wine should be and can be. Floral, deep and yet also light on its feet, the 2019 is a model of total elegance. Crushed flowers, herbs, menthol, rose petal and sweet pipe tobacco run through a core of red-toned Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. The 2019 is perhaps not quite as explosive as the best wines in this range, but it does possess magnificent finesse and tons of personality. Don't miss it.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a fresh, vibrant showing of this historically consistent and always elegant wine. The nose opens with refined aromas of loganberry, clay dust, roses, redwood and oiled leather. The palate is svelte, plush and lifted with youthful yet accessible tannins and a pleasing, high-toned finish. This wine always benefits substantially from cellaring until the 10-year mark and should provide a wonderful drinking experience for two decades beyond that.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dried meat, toasty wood, savory leather and black plum-elderberry aromas converge on the nose of this bottling. There is a savory, toasty combination to the palate, where dried dill, soy and cocoa flavors decorate the strawberry and cherry fruits.
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James Suckling
This wine shows elegance and freshness. The long tannins frame cherries and their pits, carob, bay laurel, lavender and oolong tea. Earl Grey and tilled earth in the finish.
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Wine Spectator
A chunky, earthy and iron-driven style, with a solid core of black currant and black cherry reduction flavors, while generous notes of iron minerality and sweet bay leaf fill in. Solidly built, with a tangy, mouthwatering, savory finish. Drink now through 2035.
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 rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.