Tasting Notes

Heady notes of cedar, licorice, vanilla and ripe pomegranate bent into a seductive palate that flows over the tongue like lava, enveloping the entire mouth in a cloud of creamy black fruit. Voluptuous and sizey, yet resolute and strategic, filling out the long finish with a firm backbone of marching acidity. Tucked off to the southeast edge of what many consider Napa’s “Valley” (the proverbial track alongside Highway 29’s north-south run) is Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. The nights here are often up to 10 degrees cooler than Napa’s northern AVAs, a key feature for making wines defined by freshness. What Carneros is for Chardonnay may very well become what Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard is for Cabernet Sauvignon. If this wine is any indication, we’ll want to keep a close eye on Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in the coming years—the balance is intriguing!