Fait-Main Tierra Roja Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2022

For some, winemaking is about a lifestyle, but for Benoit Touquette and his small team at Fait-Main, it is about hard work.  When something clicks, be it the right vineyard site, the right people, or the right timing, you go for it, no matter how risky it might appear or how many more sleepless nights at the winery there will be.  Benoit says, "At home, I can't rest for long without my mind wandering back to the winery, the vineyards, the unexplored possibilities.  Fait-Main is the result of that restlessness." Meaning handmade in French, Fait Main wines tell the story of the individual vineyards and the people who make them, sharing a commitment to the highest standards in any endeavor.

Frenchman Benoit Touquette is unquestionably a genius.  He has earned 28 100-point scores for his wines throughout his career, so it is fair to say that just about every project he has his hands on turns to gold.  After studying for his Master's Degree in Chemistry at the University of Bordeaux, Benoit worked at several excellent but high-volume wineries.  There, he realized his passion lay in making limited-production, high-end wines.  Enter a remarkable mentor to Benoit, France's renowned Michel Rolland, who helped Benoit secure a position with Andy Erickson, who consulted on some of Napa's most elite brands, such as Screaming Eagle, Ovid, and Arietta, to name a few.  After starting his consulting business, Benoit is now the front man for labels such as Realm, Jack Quinn, Kata, Hartwell, and Teeter Totter.

Benoit started Fait-Main after falling in love with a vineyard and then another, and so on. His newest paramour, Tierra Roja Vineyard, lies in Oakville's eastern red, volcanic soils.  Developing a relationship with the vineyard owner, Linda Neal was a slow burn.  Since the 1980s, Linda and only one other winery have been the sole producers of wine from Tierra Roja.  But Benoit does not shy away from a challenge, and with neighbors like Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, and Rudd, he could only imagine the potential of fruit from the pedigreed plot.  Deeply rooted in the iron-rich soils, the vines produce intensely dark fruit with long, silky tannins.

The lower-yielding 2021 vintage contributed to the concentration and intensity of this wine.  Aged in 75% new oak, it exudes freshness with sprightly acidity and seamlessly woven tannins.  Dark fruits are resplendent on the nose with touches of black cherry, plum, and blueberries.  Anise, vanilla, and dark chocolate flavors fill the luxurious palate through a full-bodied, long finish.