Winemaker Notes
From the hillsides of Napa and Lake counties, this Cabernet has the best of both counties. Bright fruit, spice, and texture come from the high elevations of Lake County and dark fruits, old-world characters and dried herbs come from the low elevations of Napa County. The merriment of the two create tobacco, cherry, and cassis aromas. On the palate, we get dried fruits, old world spice, integrated oak, notes of cedar and a lingering finish. Blend: 59% Napa County, 41% Lake County.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This big but balanced wine carries aromas of black cherry and mint. The palate offers a firm texture, with fresh flavors of ripe black cherry, cranberry and black plum.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The recent history of the Clay Shannon Cabernet Sauvignon suggests a profile that straddles the power of Napa County and the elegance of Lake County. The 2016 vintage is rock-solid in style. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers a mouthful of richness. Its generous and focused black fruit aromas and flavors, and its backdrop of oak should pair well with spit-roasted leg of lamb. (Tasted: September 11, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.