96 points, James Suckling
Carneros Cabernet Sauvignon stands as a unique bridge between the allure of the Right Bank Bordeaux style of wines and the cherished fresh fruit character emblematic of Napa Valley. Exuding a captivating combination of raspberry coulis and fresh fennel fragrances reveals the cooler climate origins of the fruit. The palate is enlivened by a rich tapestry of flavors, where the essence of Bing cherry, pomegranate, and an inviting cola nuance intermingle. The wine’s finale is as expansive as it is profound, with a culmination of fine-grain tannins that stretch into infinite horizons, accompanied by a delicate hint of mocha. To amplify the enchantment of this wine, consider an exquisite pairing with Tortilla Española featuring chorizo and Manchego – a fitting pairing for this enthralling wine.
The 2021 growing season was a prime example of why Napa Valley is such a great place to grow grapes. The winter heading into the 2021 growing season was colder than average with a drier than average spring. There were four total heat events over the growing season with the May and September heat events being outside the typical range for that time of year. The rainfall for the year was below average for the fourth straight year, presenting a challenge for our viticuluture tea due to irrigation ponds and wells being at levels that have not been seen since 2017. The summer growing conditions were exceptionally good, making for ideal berry development. Both bloom and veraison, which typically last two to three weeks each, were each over in about a week! The start of harvest was early due to September being very warm. This was good, because in October California experienced a series of atmospheric rivers that dumped 9.5” of rain that month. The yields for the year were below average, but from a quality standpoint, it was a vintage year!
The 2021 vintage was harvested from October 6th to October 19th. The grapes were hand-harvested at night when temperatures often dip to 50°F to capture vibrant acidity and fruit
expression in the wine.
We first cold-soaked the must (crushed grapes) for gentle extraction and then fermented in stainless steel, concrete and oak barrel fermenters at 88°F. Rigorous pump-overs, increasing during the peak of the fermentation, developed deep color, rich varietal character, and fine tannins in the wine. The wine was aged in 60% new French oak barrels to meld the bright fruit expression with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blended the vineyard components allowing them to marry for a total of 20 months of barrel élevage. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!