Winemaker Notes
Dark garnet red in color, the 2021 Grounded Cabernet Sauvignon leads with warm aromas of ripe black cherry, espresso, vanilla, and clove. The well-structured palate displays a round, luxurious mouthfeel and notes of cedar, forest floor, clove, and anise that extend through the generous finish.
Blend: 79.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.8% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 3.4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Savory and spicy red with a plush, fruit-forward palate. The nose shows ripe red berry, crushed herb and crushed stone notes, following through to a medium body with a chalky texture and mellow fruit character.
Covering the most vine acreage in the state compared to any other red wine variety, Cabernet Sauvignon produces as much wine in California as Merlot and Pinot Noir combined. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates, as well as the freedom of its winemakers, allow for an incredible range of wine styles from this single grape.
California’s most famous region—and especially for Cabernet Sauvignon—is the acclaimed Napa Valley. While Cabernet is successful throughout the world, rarely has it achieved such merit as it does from the Napa Valley. At this point the two are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other.
Napa’s closest neighbor, Sonoma County, does an impressive job keeping up with Napa’s fame and glory. Alexander Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain and Knights Valley contribute to the lot of some of California’s top-rated Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lake County in California’s North Coast has become a focus for some of Napa’s more respected growers. From the Central Coast come iconic examples of classic California Cabernet; Lodi and the Sierra Foothills are great budget-friendly sources of amicable Cabernets.