Plinth, Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2021

Overview of the Wine
Plinth Wine began as a love letter from Flora and Jason Chang to their cherished Houyi Vineyard sitting atop Pritchard Hill. Like any good story, we must venture to the beginning.

After arriving in California in 2010, a majestic plot of land enchanted the Changs. It was there that they planted their entrepreneurial wine roots, founding Nine Suns Winery and Houyi Vineyard. The wine brand grew under their passionate direction, as did Houyi’s reputation among wine-lovers and winegrowers within—and far beyond—the rolling hills of Napa Valley.

In 2022, the Changs passed stewardship of the winery and vineyard to their longtime partners and friends, Realm Cellars. Their wine journey, though, was far from over. During those 12 years with Nine Suns, a budding interest in wine blossomed into a great reverence for wine's distinct ‘somewhere-ness’ and the occasions and people that give wine its meaningful relevance. This perspective on the meaning of a wine’s plinth inspired a brand devoted to both the land it grows from and the experiences over which it is shared.

Under the winemaking direction of Philippe Melka and continued relationship with Realm Cellars, Plinth produces its own expression of Pritchard Hill with a very limited batch of Cabernet Sauvignon Houyi Vineyard wines and choreographs Bordeaux blends and white varietals that celebrate wine as a foundational element of a life well-lived.

Grape / Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
To sum up the qualities of the 2021 Houyi Vineyard Cabernet - it is one of the most graceful we've produced. It opens with aromas of fennel, allspice, blackberry, dark cherry, and currant. The well-structured palate showcases chalky and robust tannins typical of the 2021 vintage. Yet the tannins do not mask the refreshing minerality which mingles with charming red berries. The wine's persistent finish closes with a lingering note of cocoa.

98+ Points - FMW
The Plinth 2021 Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has a very dark, deep purplish hue, and intense aromas of black stone fruit, violets, and chocolate that jump out of the glass upon impact.  The 2021 Plinth Cabernet is intense, lush, full-bodied, concentrated yet incredibly elegant!  The wine’s body is laced with bold black currant, plum, and chocolate, a touch of underbrush, and a  hint of spice. Fine-grained tannins lead to a very long, satisfying, lingering, and opulent finish that does not seem to end.

Product Size: 750mL