Jon Nathaniel Komes Brockhoff Block Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2021

In founding Jon Nathaniel Wines, the Komes family is taking an unexpected route by scaling back from the role of high-volume producer to a small, boutique winery. Father-son duo John and Nathaniel launched their new label in 2019 with the completion of a custom-built winery adjacent to the family’s Rutherford vineyard. This construction completion coincided with the sale of the Flora Springs winery and estate in 2020, which the Komes family established and led since 1978. John and Nathaniel are reverting to their roots as Napa Valley winegrowers by showcasing wines crafted from the family’s two Rutherford vineyards. Their belief lies in the notion that “small, family-owned wineries are a way of life worthy of preserving in Napa Valley.”

The 30-acre Komes Estate was initially planted in the late 1990s and early 2000s to Cabernet Sauvignon and replanted in 2020 and is adjacent to the historic family home of Jon and Carrie Komes. It lies along the western edge of the Rutherford sub-AVA at the base of the Mayacamas, where the soil foundation is a mix of volcanic, sedimentary, and metasedimentary rocks deposited over time by the alluvial fans of the range’s natural springs. For the Jon Nathaniel wines, John and Nathaniel source the Cabernet from a small, six-acre block within the Komes Estate. These vines produce exceptionally concentrated fruit, resulting in wines of intense flavor and complex layers.

Creativity can flow once again for John and Nathaniel in a way they’d previously lost when making large-volume wines, which focus on consistency and a specific palate/taste versus highlighting the nuance of vineyard, vintage, and varietal. To honor this rediscovered way of winemaking, they teamed up with visual artist Simon Röhlen KEF! to create an abstract piece that “captures balance and harmony, similar to the flowing subtle complexities of a beautiful wine,” which graces the bottles of 2021 Komes Brockhoff Block Cabernet Sauvignon.

Upon harvest, the sustainably farmed, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon soaked in a 3-day cold maceration before fermentation in stainless steel vessels. An 18-month aging in a combination of both French and American oak barrels (of which 70% were new) provided the dark-fruited notes time to fuse with toasted spice and roasted tones. “The excellent 2021 vintage produced a dark, rich, highly concentrated wine with broad swaths of dark plum, fresh-baked berry pie, and warm cassis. The abundant fruit is joined by notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and whispers of toasted coconut on the mid-palate that is plush and open-textured. A hint of earth adds complexity, and the firm yet supple tannins bring a long-lasting finish.” ~Winemaker Notes