Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs beautifully with savory mushroom dishes, lamb lollipops, or a grilled ribeye steak.
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
The 2021 Oakville Station Red Wine from Cornerstone, sourced from the UC Davis site in the shadow of the Monastery Block in Robert Mondavi’s To Kalon Vineyard, is beautifully composed. Fine-grained, mineral-laced tannins are balanced by a juicy thread of saline acidity that keeps the wine lively and fragrant. Black cherry and raspberry flavours are enhanced with high-quality cinnamon and coriander spices. At the same time, the lengthy, chocolatey finish is nuanced by pink Himalayan sea salt and a tangy twist of blood orange. Nicely structured, with the bones to cellar for a good long time—if you can resist it.
-
Wine Spectator
Sourced from UC Davis's vineyard holdings in Oakville (surrounded by and adjoining To Kalon but not entitled to use the trademark), Cornerstone's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Station features scents of ripe cherries, Mexican chocolate and loamy earth. Matured 26 months in 60% new French oak, with the balance in second-use barrels, the wine is medium to full-bodied and supple, framed by softly dusty tannins. It's nicely balanced, with enough structure but not too much and a long, mouthwatering, fruit-driven 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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.