WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
The driest winter in a decade and prolonged drought led to an early harvest in 2021 and grapes of great power and concentration. Layered notes of ripe black cherry and red currant are backed by spicy nutmeg, cinnamon and cracked black pepper. Full-bodied and savory on the palate, this is a wine of power and grace, delivering rich and expressive fruit with smooth tannins and a long, savory finish. Very drinkable now, it is a wine that will be enhanced with time and bottle age.
93.5% Cabernet Sauvignon; 6.5% Cabernet Franc
TASTING NOTES:
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch shows all the style of this site in its inky dark fruit and salivating acids. Readers will have to be patient with the 2021, as it needs a ton of time to shed some of its formidable tannins. Crushed rocks, lavender, graphite and luscious fruit build effortlessly.
- Vinous, 96 pts.
Refined tannins and lush black-fruit flavors make this full-bodied wine delicious and compelling. So rich in creme de cassis, black cherries, dark chocolate and baking spices supported by dense but fine-grained tannins that give a plush, velvety mouthfeel. Drink now or hold.
- James Suckling, 95 pts.
