Wine Reviews
This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Francis opens with a mocha and red currant bouquet with hints of cedar and blackberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is a balanced, very smooth and concentrated. The flavor profile is an extracted blackberry and black currant blend with notes of gentle crushed stone and black licorice. I also detected hints of oolong tea and a touch of menthol. The finish is dry and its well-managed fine tannins drift away nicely. I would drink this very food friendly Cab in the near term
From the winery’s estate vineyard on Howell Mountain, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, all aged 22 months in 59% new French oak. Scents of mocha, tree bark, black cherries, raspberries and cherries mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is supple, lush and long, with ample concentration and some nicely ripe, softly dusty tannins on the lingering finish.
Cakebread’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select blends five clones from two different vineyards to yield bold scents of black cherries, cassis and mocha but also some redder berries. It’s medium to full-bodied, edging just past 14% alcohol while still seeming generous and silky in feel, finishing long and harmonious, with a dusting of fine-grained tannins.
All barrel-fermented and then aged 15 months in a mix of puncheons and barrels, the 2021 Chardonnay Reserve comes entirely from estate vineyards in Carneros. Scents of vanilla, peppery spice, orange and pineapple appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plump, rounded and easy to enjoy, with an attractive bit of citrus on the finish to keep things lively and clean.
Cakebread’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Suscol Springs offers up scents of cherries and raspberries, framed by oaky, cedary notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, seemingly a bit less concentrated and more supple than the winery’s other named Cabernets, but it still firms up nicely on the finish. Drink it anytime over the next decade or so
