Cornell Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2018

Perched peacefully 1,900 feet in elevation and straddling the Mayacamas mountain range, just west of the Spring Mountain District is a striking mountainous property called Cornell Vineyards, not too far from Togni, Pride and Fisher. The estate is a 240-acre property with sweeping views and impressive scenery. In 2013, proprietors Henry and Vanessa Cornell hired consulting winemaker Françoise Peschon to oversee a complete makeover of the estate. Peschon brought in vineyard specialist Phil Coturri (Harlan Estate, Bedrock Wine Co, Moon Mountain Vineyard), who created the plan to redevelop the property and convert the estate to organic farming. Today, all farming is done in house, which is the kind of investment we only see every so often from vintners with very high aspirations for total greatness. Of the 240 acres, only 20 have been planted to Bordeaux varietals that are farmed to make this intricate estate Cabernet Blend. The wines are done in the same contemporary, classical style that has brought Françoise so much praise from her days at Araujo Estate and, more recently, at Accendo and Vine Hill Ranch. Quite simply, these Cornell wines are gorgeous mountain Cabernets of class, purity and pedigree. The location is Sonoma County's highest vineyards and the land is wild, vigorous and peppered with beautiful wildflowers and an abundance of trees. This lustrous landscape is just one of the reasons why the wines taste the way they do. Like many of the best places to grow grapes in the world, the soils at Cornell are diverse containing a generous mix of prehistoric seabed, volcanic rock, loamy clay, and sandstone. Crisp, fog-free mornings and warm afternoons make the setting an ideal growing climate for these hearty Bordeaux varietals and unlike the vineyards on the valley floor, the temperatures up on the mountain rarely reach 100 degrees resulting in perfectly balanced wines. Almost 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cornell Estate has only 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec in the blend. It leads with enticing blackberry, black currant, cardamom, and violets on the nose. Cassis-hued and anchored by sleek minerality and cohesive structure, its mountain provenance is evidenced by a full spectrum profile of fresh summer cherry, dried mint, river rock, and espresso on the palate. Aged in 62% new French oak over 20 months, the wine is brimming with vitality and gravitas, this supremely balanced wine promises decades of enjoyment.