Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA 2022

From the Winemaker:

This may have been the second best Cabernet we made in 2022. It was also the last lot we harvested for the vintage, running counter to what most people have said about the more successful vineyards in 2022. The deeper soils and 25+ year old vines allowed this site to withstand the week of heat in September, recover and click back on to achieve full ripeness. This hang time also allowed for full development of tannin and color making this more brooding and darker hued than its Napa appellation cousin. The addition of the older vine clone 7 from Peterson Family Vineyard adds red fruits and a dusty gravel note to the black walnut tinged profile. This has the open early aromatics of the vintage that lead into a generous (are you sensing a theme?) front palate of blackberries, brambly spice, incense and cassis. Right now the fruit of Peterson really dominates the savory, but with age I’m guessing that will reverse. The structure is what helps the finish fan out and prolong picking up a few toasty barrel notes on the back end.