Winemaker Notes
This Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of dusty cedar and sage. Notes of dark cherry, sassafras, and fresh fig on the nose compliment floral notes of lavender and violets. Brambly red fruit layered with tobacco, bay leaf, and cassis round out the expressive bouquet. On the palate bright red and blue fruits of cherry and boysenberry burst from the glass. This bright fruit evolves into darker notes of brambly blackberry and black plum all layered with savory flavors of olives and sage. The fruit is balanced with toasty oak and a powerful tannin structure.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A nice muscular, toasty style, with a core of black currant and blackberry paste scored with loam, licorice root and alder. This has heft but also good cut and drive through the finish, with a late echo of espresso crema. Best from 2023 through 2038.
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.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.