Splendidly intricate and inviting, our Block Twelve Cabernet Sauvignon offers classic layers of crème de cassis, blackberry, violets, and licorice. Though bold and powerful on the palate, fine-grained tannins add a pleasant freshness and textural elegance to the luscious flavors. The finish is long and satisfying with nuanced hints of leather and graphite mingling with dark berry fruit.
In a year best described as a “cold start to a warm, fast finish,” the harvest was a little early, with grape yields slightly lighter to average (due to a variety of water conservation efforts), yet the 2021 crop will be viewed as an excellent vintage. Our vines produced pristine grapes, with excellent natural acidity, wonderful balance, and pure varietal flavors. We harvested our Block Twelve Cabernet Sauvignon on September 21st at 25° Brix.
94 Points Wine Enthusiast -"This bold and intense Cabernet is deeply colored, showing opaque ruby, and gives spiced plum jam, licorice and dark-chocolate aromas on the nose. The palate is plush, with nicely integrated oak flavors mingling with blackberry, currant, candied asberry and menthol through a long finish. There's plenty of tannin her for aging. Drink 2028-2045.
Cellar Selection
Located at the southern edge of the Alexander Valley, where it converges with two other highly regarded Sonoma County appellations, Chalk Hill and the Russian River Valley. On its eastern edge, the 150-acre vineyard borders the Russian River. Situated in a location that is part river benchlands and part hillside, the vineyard benefits from its alluvial gravel soils and the rockier soils of the hillside sections.
Block Twelve was the first block of Cabernet harvested in 2021. Key fermentation techniques included indigenous yeast, 20-day whole berry maceration. 50% of the blend was fermented in open-top tank, with the remainder in new French oak barrels. The final blend was made entirely from free-run wine and aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, with 66% new oak.
