Winemaker Notes
Balanced aromas of cassis and loamy earth frame the nose. Fresh, lively flavors of savory herb and blackberry engage the palate. The depth of flavor and length of finish complete the experience.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon noticeably overperforms in this vintage, offering a lush nose of black fruits, oiled leather and dried herbs with greater intensity than usual. The palate is generous but classy, beautifully combining dark fruits, mouthwatering but structured acidity and fine-grained tannins that continuously propel the finish. One of the greatest values in California Cabernet, this should continue to impress past its tenth birthday.
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Vinous
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine to focus on in this range in 2018. Dark and brooding, the 2018 is such a classic Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet. It offers up copious black fruit, dried herbs, chocolate, lavender and underbrush, all in a super-classic, mid-weight style that is hugely appealing. This might very well be the best value in artisan, high-end California Cabernet.
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Wine Enthusiast
Subtle aromas of dark cherry, toasted mahogany and roasted nut are very balanced on the nose of this bottling. The palate offers incense and potpourri flavors against a fresh red-fruit element. On the spicy, peppery finish, the leathery tannins continue their grip.
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Wine & Spirits
Jeffrey Patterson blends this wine from five Bordeaux varieties, focusing on cabernet sauvignon grown at his Mount Eden and Domaine Eden estates, as well as fruit from three other vineyards in Saratoga and Los Gatos. He ferments the parcels separately, without added yeasts, building a wine with quiet persistence in its cherry essence and delicate chanterelle scent. It feels clean with the cool ripeness of a Pacific cabernet. Decant it if you open the bottle now; it needs hours of air before serving with lamb.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and compact, with a core of dark currant and bramble backed by warm earth, tobacco and licorice root. Shows a singed mesquite frame around the finish, which has mouthwatering acidity buried within. Best from 2023.
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 rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.