Winemaker Notes
The vines in the rocky soils on the east side of our estate give us wines with a darker fruit profile, more concentration, more palate weight, and more tannin. In a low rainfall year like 2021, this can be even more accentuated. The 2021 PlumpJack Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon does not disappoint. Aromas of raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry, plum, and cassis leap from the glass. The classic Oakville sage and iron lay just beneath the fruit, and the oak barrels contribute a subtle spice and a sweet note reminiscent of toffee and mocha. The palate bursts with dark fruits and has a silky texture with firm yet supple tannin. The acidity brings life to the wine and contributes to a beautiful, lengthy finish.
*This vintage was finished at the winery with either a cork or screwcap. Requests for specific closures cannot be accommodated.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From rockier soils on the eastern side of the valley, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot that was aged 22 months in new French oak. It's an absolutely killer bottle of wine offering pure cassis and darker currant fruits as well as textbook tobacco, Oakville iron, black olive, dark chocolate, and graphite. It's full-bodied, massively concentrated, has building tannins, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It will probably merit an additional point or two in 5-7 years and, I suspect, will be a 30+-year wine.
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Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a fabulous wine that captures all the magic of the rockier soils on the eastern side of the property. It offers a fabulous combination of red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol, licorice and a discreet touch of oak. I especially admire its vibrant, vertical feel. All the elements are so well balanced in this deep, layered Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 is showing exceptionally well, considering its recent bottling. This is a properly hedonistic wine.
Rating: 97+ -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel selection drawn from the rockier, eastern side of the estate, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve sees 22 months in close to 100% new French oak but occasionally a used barrel comes into the blend. It's brighter and fresher than the regular Estate bottling, with notes of fresh raspberries and cherries joined by cedar and vanilla. Full-bodied in the mouth, it's taut and zesty, its ripe tannins accentuated by bright acidity. Yet to be released, give it a few years to round into form.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and fruit-filled, this delivers a mouthfilling ball of currant, blackberry and black cherry paste flavors laced with singed vanilla and wrapped in black licorice.
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.