La Pelle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 2021

Overview of the Wine
La Pelle Wines was founded in 2016 by Maayan Koschitzky, Miguel Luna and Pete Richmond. With a mission to create terroir-driven wines that are the ultimate expression of the sites from which the fruit is sourced. Though the partner's backgrounds are varied: Maayan - a winemaker and farmer from Israel, Miguel - a viticulturist and winemaker from Mexico, and Pete - a vineyard manager and business owner from Northern California. All three share a connection to farming, a curiosity about the science of wine growing, and a love of Napa Valley.

With La Pelle, they are fulfilling a common desire to explore how the precise management of vines at the ground level translates into the creation of high-quality wines that exude freshness and acidity, balanced with complexity and depth. Sourced exclusively from vineyards tended to by Silverado Farming Company, which Pete founded in 2001 and Miguel joined as Partner in 2015. La Pelle controls all farming aspects and additionally provides the team access to some of the finest vines in Napa Valley. With each vintage, Maayan and Miguel confer closely throughout all phases of winegrowing: from pruning, canopy management, and timing of picks to winemaking technique, barrel selection, and aging.

Winemaker
Maayan Koschitzky

Grape / Blend
96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot

Origin
Napa Valley, California

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
This wine is a blend of our six Bordeaux-style vineyards. We focus the fruit selection from four AVA designations in Napa Valley; Coombsville, Oak Knoll District, Oakville, and Saint Helena. The 2021 vintage is one for collectors. Before bottling, the wine aged 18 months in 60% new French oak. A classic Napa Valley concentration and density for a Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a dark tone, unlike in 2019, which was a bit softer and sweeter. 2021 is more structured, similar to 2016, with great integrated acidity reminiscent of the 2018 vintage.

Aromatics are expressive with notes of dark chocolate, licorice, crème de cassis, and hints of warm spices. The palate is full-bodied and juicy. Black and red fruit layered front to back with pronounced tannins and excellent acidity carrying it to a long finish. The wine is powerful yet elegant without being heavy.

This vintage is a harmonious representation of balance between four vineyards. All are farmed exclusively by our partners at Silverado Farming Company. We craft the wine to capture the season, and this 2021 embodies our intentions. Enjoy it now and over the next 15+ years.

94 Points - Wine Independent
La Pelle now farms six different Cabernet vineyards in Napa and their Napa Valley blend is from all six, including fruit from Combsville, Oak Knoll, Oakville, and St. Helena. They are really looking to capture each vintage with the La Pelle Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2021 has a deep garnet-purple color and it springs from the glass with notes of blackcurrant pastilles, redcurrant jelly, and wild blueberries, plus suggestions of tar, black truffles, and fragrant earth, with a touch of roses. The full-bodied palate is laden with intense black fruit flavors, with loads of earthy sparks, framed by grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with wonderful purity.

93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley includes 4% Petit Verdot and comes from a mix of vineyards in Combsville, Oak Knoll, Oakville, and St. Helena that was brought up all in barrel. It's a classic, incredibly classy 2021 exhibiting darker currant fruits, some smoky tobacco, gravelly earth, bay leaf, and espresso nuances, medium-bodied richness, good acidity, and a great finish. It's a smoking value in impeccably made Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that readers should snatch up.

Product size: 750ml