Winemaker Notes
Dark and brooding, the 2019 Cabernet is mysterious and full of power. Cassis, maraschino cherry and faint whiffs of cola start the journey. On the palate, a very generous amount of velvety mountain tannin is caressed into an almost endless finish. Some soft vanilla notes, more dense black fruit: blackberry, cherry and cedary spice combine to entice another sip. Yum.
Blend: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is lifted with graphite and pencil shavings, compact blackcurrant, and dried tobacco leaf. It has powerful mountain structure, with black plum skin, a bit of gamey iron richness, and dried herbs.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Pine Mountain Vineyard is blended with 10% Merlot and matured for 20 months in 40% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling aromas of blackcurrant, black plum, pipe tobacco, savory herbs and cocoa powder. The full-bodied palate features nuanced, mineral-driven fruit framed by powdery tannins and juicy acidity, and it has a long, perfumed finish.
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.
One of the highest growing appellations in California as well as the smallest, Pine Mountain incidentally extends into both Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Its vineyards range from 1,600 to about 3,000 feet in elevation at the top of Pine Mountain.