Winemaker's Notes
I love to open bottles from this vineyard at 10-20 years of age. They appear immortal, which is an asset of ‘classically-styled’ Cabernet Sauvignon from our area. By contrast, what I call the ‘chocolate milkshake’ style that is showy/yummy when freshly made but doesn’t even make it past a decade without decay and decline. To some folks, those wines are simply delicious and consume them very young. Fair enough. But to me this is frankly a wasted opportunity to have a ‘great’ wine. One may as well drink a very delicious young Dolcetto without a potentially $200 price tag.
Here, there’s red fruit, cassis, menthol, pipe tobacco (my dad used to smoke a pipe many years ago-the unburned tobacco smelled great) and fresh plum on the nose. On the mouth, brightly lit red fruit is balanced by shadowy umami-laden notes of grilled portobello mushroom, with a fruity reprise of hibiscus, notes similar to those in the 2020 Pinot Noir as well [Pinot descriptors in a Cab?]. Holding up the non-fruit side of the equation again, freshly tilled loam finds its way into the retro nasal aromas at the end. Having a Cabernet Sauvignon wine with some red fruits and just enough acidity to give a mouth-watering finish is uncommon today and rather exciting.
Day 2 after opening there is a more cohesive aromatic character, kind of like how a lasagna becomes more integrated upon a second heating. It’s the same story on in the mouth. There’s also an overall menthol nuance that emerges as a tiny back note. While meant to age a long time, this can certainly be enjoyed younger. If you want a preview of what’s to come, open bottle and nurse it over a few days.
