Perliss, Pearl of the Ravens, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2021

Overview of the Wine
The essence of our Calistoga landscape is expressed in The Ravens Vineyard - a 2.6 acre volcanic knoll, surrounded by forest. The streaming coastal wind & fog, the radiant days and dark, chilly nights, the spectrum of volcanic soil, from tuff to obsidian, combine to yield fruit of complex nature and alluring balance.

The Ravens Vineyard, Calistoga AVA, is set on our family property at the northern-most end of Napa Valley, where the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges converge. Mount St. Helena looms behind the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, planted on a knoll surrounded by forest of oaks, manzanita and madrone. Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, and Ravens circle in the warm air currents above the property.

Vineyard rows mount a slope comprised of volcanic, rocky and loamy soil with excellent drainage. Calistoga's temperature shifts are the most extreme in Napa: 24-hour temperatures can range over forty degrees, as cool nights and foggy mornings are followed by dry, sunny days. The vineyard's natural orientation allows for even fruit ripening throughout the growing season and shaded projection when the sun is at its most intense. Cooling breezes and fog from the Sonoma Coast stream into the property through the Chalk Hill Gap.

Low-vigor rootstock was planted in 2008 with the See clone grafted the following year. The closely-planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines are organically farmed and cane-pruned. Birds, bats, and ladybugs help keep the vineyard pest-free.

Organic

Winemaker
Aaron Pott

Grape / Blend
100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
NOSE: Toffee, chocolate, plum, cherry, taro, violet, nutmeg, cumin, fennel, mineral.

PALATE: Rich attack - plum, porcini, road meat. Massive mid-palate. 

FINISH: Super tight-grain finish with great length. The tannins are super supple, leading to a beautiful finish of plum and cocoa.

97 Points - James Suckling
Aged in 80% amphorae and 20% barrels, this bold wine from the northern end of the valley has a brawny structure and savory tobacco and mineral accents over black fruit, graphite and espresso. Has plenty of stuffing to age for years. Best from 2029.

94 Points - Wine Independent
The 2021 Pearl Of The Ravens is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it flows effortlessly out of the glass with gregarious notes of black cherry compote, fresh blackberries, and blackcurrant pastilles followed by wafts of lilac, dried mint, and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is firm and grainy, with bags of expressive black fruit and a minty kick to the finish. There is no Ravens label in 2021 as yields were so low.

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Due to the miniscule yields, the 2021 The Ravens wasn't produced, but the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Pearl of The Ravens is brilliant, offering a medium to full-bodied, darker fruited style with fine tannins, notes of gravelly earth and peppery herbs, terrific purity, and outstanding length.

92 Points - Wine Advocate
Due to the low yields, there is no The Ravens in this vintage, just the 2021 Pearl of the Ravens. It's a ripe, rich year for this wine, marked by black cherries, mulberries and hints of dark chocolate. It's full-bodied, supple and creamy textured, yet dark and richly tannic. It really could use something to lighten it up a little, yet it retains some sense of balance on the lingering finish.

Product size: 750ml