Gemstone'FACETS' Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

It had been a long time since we tasted wines from Gemstone. The wines were originally made by Philippe Melka when Paul and Suzie Frank founded the winery. After Amy and Adam Dornbusch acquired the 16-acre vineyard along Silverado Trail in Yountville in 2008, they brought on Thomas Rivers Brown to be their full-time winemaker. Shortly thereafter, they decreased production to focus on producing wines at an elevated level. While they produce Cabernet Sauvignon from their estate vineyard, ‘FACETS’ is all about Thomas’s access to some of the most sought-after vineyards in Napa Valley which provide great diversity and allow him to craft their best version of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2019 ‘FACETS’ Cabernet Sauvignon is concentrated and rich, with bright fruit tones of raspberry and cassis across the palate. Notes of cloves and cocoa add to the complexity. The finish is long with elegant and soft tannins. The grapes were hand-harvested, double sorted and cold-soaked in stainless steel for 7 days before beginning whole berry fermentation for 18 days. The wine went through secondary fermentation in French oak barrels, assuring a balanced integration of fruit and oak. It was barrel aged for 20 months in 80% new French oak including Baron, Darnajou, Ermitage and Taransaud before being bottled, unfiltered and unfined. 500 cases were produced.