TOR'Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

This vineyard is part of Tor’s 40-year history in the Napa Valley. Vintner Tor Kenward knew its early stewards, Bob and Alex Phillips, who bought the vineyard in 1959 and made it one of Napa Valley’s stars in the 80s and 90s. The vineyard was first planted in 1884 and is a perfect site for Bordeaux varietals. They now work with their son, Bruce Phillips, in Block 7, where they have an acre of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon and 3D, just beneath the Bond Vecina block, with just over an acre of Cabernet Sauvignon and just under an acre of Petit Verdot. Block 7 is the gravelliest block in Vine Hill Ranch, with mature vines planted around twenty years ago, giving a wine of singular structure, depth, and definition. The 2018 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet is as it has always been a pure expression of Vine Hill Ranch. This bottling to be is a fantastic example of the old phrase ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’. This is so incredibly drinkable now but will age for years to come. The silky and seamless nature of this Cabernet hides the awesome depth and inherent structure that this has. The 2018 Vine Hill Ranch cabernet is a bit of an homage to the Cabernets of years past with its loamy/earthy profile but still has all the fruit and density that you could ever want. 300 cases were produced.