Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Helena Montana is densely structured and loaded with complexity, showing ripe red and black currant, with fresh bouquet garni, framed by sweet baking spices and dark roast coffee. The palate is linear in texture, showing concentrated fruit and non-fruit flavors, balancing a core of firm tannin and juicy acidity. The finish is very long, marked by persistent minerality.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A beautifully layered and complex wine that wraps generous tannins around lovely black fruit and subtle, smoky, graphite nuances. Blueberries and blackcurrants with hints of minerals and cocoa. Full-bodied, complex and structured for further aging.
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Jeb Dunnuck
An inky dark red color, the 2021 Helena Montana Vineyard is entirely composed of Cabernet Sauvignon from this more coastally influenced site and was aged for 15 months in 85% new French oak. The nose is lush with aromas of graphite, polished leather, fresh plums, sweet tobacco, and lavender. Full-bodied and refined, it boasts a velvety texture, with a long finish and an incredible structure that will make this wine truly shine over the long haul.
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 small and picturesque valley separating Napa Valley on its south border and Alexander Valley to its north, Knights Valley excels in similar varieties as the two aforementioned appellations, namely red Bordeaux varieties and blends, as well as Sauvignon blanc. Originally established by Beringer Vineyards, today several outstanding producers claim acreage here. The circadian cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean create a nighttime respite for vineyards during the hot growing season.