2020 Soda Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon
ABOUT DISTINGUISHED VINYARDS
We are fortunate to source grapes from some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon growers in the Napa Valley. To honor the vineyards that stand out, each year we produce the Distinguished Vineyards wines. In 2020, we chose Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyards on Atlas Peak as one of those vineyards.
VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
The Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyards are set high up on Atlas Peak in Napa Valley. The vineyard is on a very steep slope with rocky, red volcanic soil that gets great exposure to sunlight, yielding small berries that lead to an intense wine with a very distinct personality. The vineyard is owned by the Thornberry Family and this is one of the most unique sites from which we source grapes. The grapes were harvested on October 6th. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak.
VINTAGE
A dry and hot growing season, coupled with a global pandemic, and multiple wildfires made 2020 a year we won’t forget. Due to the dry winter, we started more tillage than normal in February to preserve soil moisture and reduce competition. Rain right at bloom interrupted fruit set and provided a “natural fruit thinning” that brought the crop in balance relative to the dry soil conditions. We were excited during the heart of the growing season, as vines were in balance, and the timing of impactful viticulture practices (leafing, crop adjustment, etc.) was nearly perfect. Several heat events, including a three-day heat spike over Labor Day weekend, led to an early harvest. This was the year of the LNU Complex Wildfire and the Glass Fire Complex. As we do every vintage, we taste grapes daily in the vineyards and back up what we are tasting with lab analysis. We are fortunate to have ready access to our own lab as well as the tools necessary to make educated picking, winemaking and bottling decisions, ensuring overall wine quality. The warm weather during this vintage produced wines with a riper character. We are very pleased with the resulting wines from the 2020 vintage (although there won’t be as many bottles) to carry our legacy forward.
TASTING NOTES
This Cabernet Sauvignon offers ripe dark fruits, tobacco, mocha, and ripe plums. The nose is filled with these aromas, along with hints of cedar and clove. The wine is full-bodied with rich, ripe tannins on the mouthfeel with notes of cedar, sage, and dark chocolate, a lingering finish that coats your mouth with lively berry and spice flavors.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Enjoy with grilled flat iron steak, speck and sage-wrapped pork tenderloin, or creamy mushroom risotto.