Keplinger, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Ranch, Napa Valley 2023

Overview of the Wine
In 2004, I moved to the Priorat region in Spain to start the winery for a group of partners who had purchased a vineyard there. Over the next three years of living there full-time and then traveling back and forth from Napa Valley, I became steeped in the culture, lifestyle, food and wines.

Great wine is only possible from great vineyards – we select vineyards, farm grapes, and make wine by this mantra. At our core, we are wine lovers, and we thoroughly enjoy the process of seeking out exceptional vineyards ideal for a specific varietal, and farming for the highest quality. We sweat the details with pleasure – focusing on small quantities made from small wine lots, respecting and responding to the uniqueness of each site and year. Working hard but with finesse, we believe in gentle winemaking to create wines of balance and complexity that are true to their varietal and speak of their terroir and provenance.

In 2014, we began working with the gorgeous mountain fruit of Oakville Ranch Vineyard, which is high up on the Vaca range above Dalla Valle, tucked just below the southern edge of Pritchard Hill. Farmed organically with great heart and attention to every leaf and bug by the brilliant Phil Coturri, the soils are comprised of gorgeous Aiken and Hambright series red volcanics and the hills, swails, and aspects mean many little microclimates for layers and complexity. We coax fine texture from the tannin-building rocky soils, which also give a distinct note of minerality that is an unmistakable hallmark of this vineyard. Cool air spills and drains through this geomorphic bowl of vine rows daily, retaining acidity and freshness of flavors in the berries. Phil's canopies are the perfect balance between health and stress, spread open at the top for ideal holy grail dappled light, giving greater nuance to the red fruit notes that are a signature of this sun-bathed ranch. Working with Phil and his dedicated team really feels like a true collaboration to make something special, which is essential when making world-class wines with a soul.

91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot. The vibrant nose sings with notes of cassis, black cherry, boysenberry, violets, raspberry flower, aromatic herbs, red licorice, pink peppercorn, darjeering tea, iron. The silky entry opens to intense flavors of red and black fruits, black tea, anise, bittersweet chocolate, and terra cotta with exotic Indian spices underpinned by powder fine, textural, mouth-coating tannins through to the long finish.

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Grape / Blend
91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot

Origin
Oakville Ranch Vineyard, Napa Valley, California

Tasting Notes
The vibrant nose sings with notes of cassis, black cherry, boysenberry, violets, raspberry flower, aromatic herbs, red licorice, pink peppercorn, darjeering tea, iron. The silky entry opens to intense flavors of red and black fruits, black tea, anise, bittersweet chocolate, and terra cotta with exotic Indian spices underpinned by powder fine, textural, mouth-coating tannins through to the long finish.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Ultra-classic Saint-Julien-like notes of cassis, freshly sharpened pencil, spring flowers, truffle, and violets all shine in the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch Vineyard, which comes from three blocks on red volcanic soils on the east side of Oakville and is based on 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. Aged 22 months in French oak with 85% new barrels, it's full-bodied and delivers a concentrated, pure, layered mouthfeel with building tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. I love everything about this wine, and it reminds me of the 2009 Ducru-Beaucaillou, one of the most consistent 100-point wines I have ever had. This will have 50 years of longevity. Drink 2029-2075.

97 Points - James Suckling
This shows a lovely savory undertone, with aromas of black currants, olive tapenade, cassia bark and dried flowers. The palate is fine, tightly wound and built for a long life ahead. The level of polish and sophistication is excellent. Drink or hold.

Product size: 750ml