Winemaker Notes
2018 produced an unforgettable Cabernet Sauvignon for us. Even in its youth, the wine carries bold floral qualities from violets and sandalwood, as well as rich fruit traits of Bing cherry and huckleberry. This wine sits forward on the palate and exhibits a full mouthfeel with crunchy mountain and oak tannins. While the berries’ essence shines through, you are left with a fresh-cut leather finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of several stalwarts on Spring Mountain, Stony Hill has turned out a classic 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. Scented of cassis, graphite, cherries and sage, it's firmly structured and medium-bodied, framed by ample (fruit) tannins that linger elegantly on the long finish. With a relatively small proportion of new oak and a restrained alcohol level (labeled at 13.8%), it hearkens back stylistically to Napa Valley Cabs from 40 years ago, without any of the rusticity those wines sometimes carried. It's a refined, elegant offering, one that should be cellared for at least several years and then drink well for two decades.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Shows heavy sweet bay leaf and sassafras accents amid a core of gently mulled red currant, raspberry and red cherry fruit. Reveals pretty red tea accents and bright iron notes that run throughout, adding lovely cut, freshness and drive. A very typical Spring Mountain Cabernet. Drink now through 2035.
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.