Winemaker Notes
From its inviting cherry and black currant aromas to its hints of vanilla, sage, and clove, this wine displays lovely French oak-inspired layers of sweetness and spice. The lush, dark berry layers echo on the beautifully balanced palate, where elegant, fine-grained tannins and an energetic beam of acidity frame the generous fruit flavors while carrying the wine to a long fruit and spice finish.
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Astute and high-toned, with skyscraper structure. Purple plum, boysenberry bramble, and soy sauce are vibrant and zippy on the palate, which finishes with blue floral notes and a touch of sandalwood. The fruit was sourced from mountain and hillside vineyards and spent 18 months in (30% new) French oak.
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich with concentration and palate-coating flavor, this wine is approachable and satisfying. Toasty oak aromatics couple with flavors of black fruits, sweet tobacco and freshly ground coffee. Abundant while velvety tannins persist into a long finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Acumen Mountainside Cabernet Sauvignon speaks of hillside purity. Winemaker Phillip Titus captures the wine's true essence. MY TASTING NOTES: This wine offers bold black fruits and mineral notes. Pair it with a rare slice of prime rib. (Tasted: November 28, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Notes of cassis, ripe blackberries, charred bark, sweet spices and cocoa powder with hints of vanilla and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, very fine and polished with silky tannins that are melted together with the dark fruit. Balanced and fresh with hints of blue fruit at the end.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe red and black fruits, iron, leafy tobacco, and spice notes all emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mountainside, a medium-bodied, supple, undeniably delicious, well-made Cabernet Sauvignon with soft, nicely balanced tannins, good purity, and outstanding length. It's up-front, charming, and shows the classic, balanced style of the vintage. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years or so.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Black cherries and cassis appear on the nose of Acumen's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mountainside. Despite the fruitiness on the nose, the palate is somewhat tannic and savory, making for a nicely balanced wine that could easily partner steak or chops in its youth. Medium to full-bodied, it finishes with softly dusty tannins and a touch of black olive.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.