Our 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is grown at 800-feet elevation in the “banana belt” of the Chalk Hill District east of Shiloh Ridge, where sunshine wakes us up nearly every morning. While the valley floor has extremely hot afternoons, we benefit from the cooling Pacific breezes at our elevation that moderate our temperature on hot days. This gives fewer heat spikes and longer hangtimes. Cane pruned vines were hand-harvested in the wee hours of the morning. We hand-sorted to ensure optimal maturity and pristine fruit. Bordeaux inspired us, as we blended three varietals together to create our Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is deep garnet in color with aromatics of blueberry, black cherry and cola greet you on the nose along with hints of cedar and bay leaf. The first sip opens up to black cherry, cassis, and cocoa that are highlighted by an firm backbone. Briary tones and a bright, mineral-tinged finish framed by supple tannins make this wine very approachable.

The 2020 vintage began with a dry winter with early rains, only half the average rainfall, overall. This led to minimal vegetative growth, a lighter crop and more concentration in the wine. There were several short heat spikes during summer and a smaller crop load created optimal conditions for early ripening, but due to our elevation and cooling breezes we picked the same time we usually do, in October.