Scenic Drive Cabernet Sauvignon San Benito 2018

One of the joys of visiting California is taking a classic road trip and discovering hidden gems along the open road. When presented with a highway or a windy road, we always choose the latter; and in that spirit, we'd like to transport you now to the bucolic byways of the Central Coast. At ACME, we pride ourselves not just on introducing our clientele to the coolest up-and-coming winemakers, but also to what may be entirely new wine regions. With this wine, we get to do both! Dynamic duo Jared Heber and Christopher Miller have whisked us away to San Benito County, a pocket of Wine Country just off the radar for many California wine enthusiasts. And their debut vintage 2018 Scenic Drive Cabernet Sauvignon is juicy and crowd-pleasing.

Chris Miller, a native of New Orleans, and Jared Heber, from Washington State, became fast friends while working the floor as sommeliers at the iconic Canlis restaurant in Seattle. Chris went on to manage the wine program at Wolfgang Puck's legendary Spago restaurant in L.A. while Jared added the storied French Laundry to his résumé. Along the way, Chris found the time not just to work harvest under the tutelage of the acclaimed Greg Brewer at Brewer-Clifton in the St. Rita Hills, but also to become a Master Sommelier. The two have reunited to make wine under one of the hippest new Cabernet Sauvignon labels we've seen in a minute. San Benito County makes up a tiny sliver of the 300 mile-long Central Coast AVA. Sandwiched between the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Gabilan Range, San Benito is tucked midway between the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey County. Boasting a moderate climate with warm, sunny days tempered by cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean, Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in the region's rolling hills.

The grapes sourced for the 2018 Scenic Drive Cabernet Sauvignon hail from an organically farmed vineyard planted in 1988 on gravelly loam soil. Entirely destemmed, the juice was fermented with native yeast and then gently pumped over twice daily. The wine was laid down to rest for 30 months in neutral barriques and puncheons. Featuring aromas of red Bing cherry and perfumed brown spice, this is an eminently quaffable Cabernet Sauvignon made for enjoyment now or in the next several years. The playfully retro label depicts the highway sign selected in a 1954 contest to inaugurate the 49-mile Scenic Drive from S.F. down the coast towards San Benito County. And we hope you let the juicy deliciousness of this wine take you on your next sensory adventure!