Cornell'Courtship' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Led by consulting winemaker Francoise Peschon and winemaker/viticulturist Elizabeth Tangney, this property is really hitting its stride now. This wine exemplifies a signature, refined style that we love in all the wines Francoise helps to make- whether at Accendo, Heimark, or VHR-Vine Hill Ranch. And this top-notch estate Spring Mountain Cabernet is also a great example. Cornell Vineyards is in the Mayacamas Range just west of the Spring Mountain District. It’s a microcosm of almost absurd geological diversity. Derived from ancient seabeds and volcanoes, the colorful soils are comprised of volcanic rock, sandstone, shale, cobblestone, and loamy clay. This diversity and the rolling terrain led to the identification of 20 distinct blocks, each bearing a different combination of variety, clone, and rootstock. This is the second vintage of Cornell’s newest Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from their estate vineyard on Spring Mountain. Their vineyard averages about 2-2.5 tons per acre which is very low but offers focused dark red, fruit and underlying notes of dark cocoa in the glass. This polished expression of Cabernet opens with aromas of violets, bramble, and cherry, while the palate is marked by an inviting core of wild blueberry and snappy pomegranate. Utilizing younger vines from the estate, this Cabernet can be enjoyed upon opening with a brief decant.