"…(11% Cab Franc) tiefe, tolle, reife, frische Frucht, schöne Frische, blaubeerig, Schmelz und Struktur, feine Tabaknoten, feine spicy Töne, große Finesse und Struktur, feines Schoko, tolle Balance aus Süße, Säure, Tannine und Charme, nochmals viel Cassis im langen Finale, ganz großartig. Musste zweimal auf die Flasche schauen, ob es auch wirklich der Cab und nicht Maya ist. So großartig" (08/2024)
Decanter: 98 Punkte
The core blocks for the Cabernet come from those in front of the house (House Block) and from further down the west-facing hill and a block on the right-hand side of the driveway through the gate, which is typically a later ripening block that imparts good natural acidity, imparting focus and length to the wine. Those blocks are later blended with a barrel selection of the Cabernet Franc blocks from the property. The Cabernet Franc is roughly 30% of the entire vineyard. A towering wine in 2021, the estate's Flagship is super compact, teeming with concentrated black-toned fruits and perfectly integrated cedarwood spices. The tannins are elliptical with a palate-coating pixelated quality that comes into focus as the wine opens to reveal scented rose petals and black cherry, Damson plums, and tobacco spices. Nuances of crushed cocoa nibs and fragrant graphite minerality add depth and intrigue. Extravagantly long on the finish, revealing even more dried floral notes, herbs, and subtle hints of Indian spices. Don't even think of opening it until 2025 or 2026, and be sure to enjoy this wine, a bottle a year, at least for the next three decades or more. Maya Dalla Valle, the daughter of founder Naoko Dalla Valle, is the winemaker with Andy Erickson and Michel Rolland consulting, while Edgar Alfaro manages the vineyards.
- Jonathan Cristaldi (05/2024)
