Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
Of the 2023 Hibou wines I recently tasted — the Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon and the Red Blend — this Moon Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon (at just 14% alcohol) is the structured powerhouse, and the most ageworthy of the range. While pleasure-packed today, it benefits from a good decanting to soften its towering, skyscraper-like tannins. A mix of red- and black-fruit notes is framed by expensive, beautifully toasty French oak. Nuance abounds, too, with loamy earth and dried sage and mint adding layers of complexity to the long finish. Crafted by Keith Emerson of Vineyard 29 and Gundlach Bundschu Winery.
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.
Covering the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, facing the city of Sonoma, Moon Mountain District is one of Sonoma’s newest sub-appellations. Here the well-drained, red volcanic and ash soils produce hauntingly intense red wines, mainly from Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties.