Winemaker Notes
The core of this wine is Cabernet Sauvignon grown on steep, west facing terraces that rise above the winery, reaching a towering elevation of 1,400 feet. Other contiguous vineyard blocks yielding fruit of mature character and balance incorporate a great diversity of soils and exposures, providing additional complexity and unmistakable mountain terroir.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain Estate vineyard is loaded with notes of wild cherry, plum, iron, cedar, smoke, tobacco, and grilled herbs. Powerful and ample in feel with tremendous richness, this is shaping up to be positively stellar. Swaths of tannin and bright saline notes give the wine its distinctive sense of energy and overall feel. The 2017 matches fruit density with more floral, savory, and mineral notes that are typical of this site.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from Sonoma County, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain Estate Vineyard reveals a deep purple hue as well as brilliant notes of crème de cassis, gravelly earth, flowers, graphite, and hints of tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, seamless, and beautifully balanced, it has high-quality tannins, terrific purity of fruit, and a fabulous finish. This beautiful Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon will evolve for two decades or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
...the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain Estate Vineyard has classic scents of black currants, cedar, bay leaves, touches of sweet spices, flowers and a hint of milk chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied and restrained, with a grainy frame and well-woven freshness lifting the finish.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.