2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

When we bottle a wine, we are documenting history. A chronicle of one year in the life of this land. In 2020, the crew hiked these hillsides, working with focus. The foxes and coyotes dashed between the vines as the sun set and the moon rose. The vineyard experienced the sweet serenity of summer on the mountain. While our collective memory is colored with the hardship that followed, a beautiful harvest was already happily fermenting, transforming, before the fires reached us. Meanwhile, our beloved oak tree experienced both the calm and the storm. It crowns the vineyard still, a symbol of strength and resilience.

The 2020 season commenced with a mild, sunny winter allowing for timely budbreak, while berry set and canopy growth hit benchmarks by mid-June. Healthy yields of small berries promised complexity and balance. Our first pick day landed on September 14th with an abundance of excellent fruit. Our final harvest was September 25th. On September 28th, the Glass Fire reached our region, ending the season.

The 2020 Estate Cabernet is a wine of focus and precision. This wine’s high energy and intricacy is expressed on the palate in waves of pomegranate, candied orange, and black olive, complete with an array of aromatic spices: anjelica, frankincense, juniper, tarragon, and licorice. Fine, seamless tannin envelopes the palate and elevates a marriage of red and black fruit. These are the elements of a deftly balanced wine that reflects our corner of the Mayacamas.

97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec
Élevage: 19 months in 40% new French oak barrels
Alcohol of 14.5%

Harvest Dates: September 14th – September 25th, 2020
Bottling Date: June 12th, 2022
Release Date: August 13th, 2023