| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | U.S.A. > California > Sonoma |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Lovely fresh thyme, currant and lead pencil. Black berry. Black olive. Pine cone and pine needles. Bay leaf. Medium to full body, with round and firm tannins and not too dry. There is real freshness and depth here. Iron underneath. This needs three to four years of bottle age. Try after 2026.
An exemplary mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from the team at Far Mountain, this wine is sourced from the 50-year-old, dry-farmed vines at Alta Vista Vineyard in Sonoma's Moon Mountain District. The volcanic soils and gnarled head-trained vines make for a dramatic, elegant wine: Pine needles and bay leaf frame wild mountain berries and mineral tones of pencil lead and iron. The palate shows sappy tart blackberries, muddled mint leaves, and graphite streaks across the flavour profile, finishing with fresh chopped herbs and white pepper—a fresh, invigorating Cabernet from Sonoma showing so much respect for the site.
Fuller and more satisfying than the 2020 though still lifted and fresh. This has a future! Both 2020 and 2021 are quite mineral with notes of graphite. Tannins, but good and interesting. Slightly pinched finish but this should appeal to British Cabernet lovers, maybe slightly less so to those enthusiastic about stereotypical Napa Cab. Drink: 2027-2040
Deep purple. Gorgeously herbal with dried sagebrush and warm, ripe-yet-tart blackberry on the nose. Rocky earthiness to the palate, with cedar spice and building tannin balanced by fresh acidity. Long. Not nearly ready. One of the best deals I've seen for Cabernet Sauvignon of this calibre in my time reviewing. This is only the third vintage for this producer (owned by husband/wife team Rodrigo Soto – ex-Quintessa – and Mai Errazuriz – ex-Faust) and I don't think the wine will stay in the $75 range for long ... this could go toe to toe with Napa's top names. Absolutely get in now if you can. Drink 2028-2046.
