THE VINTAGE
Winter was warm and dry, setting off budbreak slightly earlier than usual. But a cool, mild spring followed, slowing things down and allowing canopy growth to thrive. Hot days held through the summer, encouraging the vines to ripen slowly and fruit clusters to develop impressive complexity, while acid remained appealingly high. Through it all, the berries at harvest time—smaller than usual because of drought conditions—were vibrant and concentrated, yielding a wine with lovely balance.

COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
Coombsville is not just Napa Valley’s newest AVA, but its southernmost growing region for Cabernet Sauvignon. Nestled into the rocky ruins of an ancient caldera, its bowl-shaped depression perfectly positions it to collect and hold cool air and fog that’s funneled up from the San Pablo Bay. Volcanic soils, along with the marine breezes, combine to offer polish and structure alongside consistent Napa ripeness. It is a special corner of Napa that allows us to fully express the land as we continue to pursue our craft of perfecting a modern classic.

WINEMAKING NOTES
Above all, our 2020 is fragrant. Blue fruit, fresh-turned earth, warm spice, and cocoa swirl in the glass, with fresh, leafy herbs right behind. Graphite gives way to bright, red fruit flavors—think red currant and black raspberry—on a beautifully tense and textural palate marked by crushed-oyster-shell minerality. A backbone of tannins is fine-grained but just a little angular and persistent, adding to a long, complex finish that evolves as the wine lingers in the glass.

THE ACCOLADES
“This is a throwback to the cabs from the 1980s with tobacco, iodine, oyster shell, and crushed stone. Medium to full-bodied with currants, hot stones and a beautiful length.” 94 points — James Suckling

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
COMPOSITION: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
AGING: 22 months of French oak, 45% new | ALCOHOL: 14.8%
COOPERS: Seguin Moreau, Taransaud and François Frères