Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bold aromas, thick layers of fruit flavor, and a supple but steely texture of fine tannins and acidity add up to a powerful and complex wine that should improve with age. Pure, dark-fruit flavors are accented by smoke and cardamom while the structure is mouthpuckering with astringency but softened by the richness of body and fruit. Best after 2019. Cellar Selection.
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Wine & Spirits
This vineyard, planted in red volcanic soil at 2,500 feet of elevation in the hills above Clear Lake, produced a cabernet with cool, mountain-grown density. The fruit is rich enough to draw the stony granularity of its tannin into a satisfying line, as scents of cassis and pine duff fill its juicy wild-blueberry flavor with some savory detail.
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.
Located within the greater Clear Lake appellation, the Red Hills AVA is perhaps the hottest spot right now in Lake County for new Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. Recognizing the potential of its volcanic and obsidian heavy soils, many respected growers are flocking to the area. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in escalating the quality and recognition of Napa Valley, has already invested heavily in the area.