Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

The Pride family owns and manages Pride winery and vineyards. They strive to create a work environment in which excellence, honesty, and fun spontaneously flourish. This is a classic example of California mountain Cabernet: concentrated and layered with deep complexity that emerges after a wave of ripe fruits coat the palate upon entry. Twenty seven lots of Cabernet were night-harvested and transferred to individual fermentation vats, where they were cold-soaked for several days before being gently warmed for fermentation. After twenty days on skins, the wines were drained to French oak barrels, 50 to 60% new, for eleven months of barrel aging before the final additions were made to the blend: 5% Petit Verdot for spice and acidity, and 2.5% Merlot for roundness and red fruit accents. 53% Napa Valley, 47% Sonoma.

Pair this excellent red with all red meat dishes, scalloped or baked potatoes, roasted carrots with cumin and turmeric, or crumbly cow’s milk cheeses such as aged Cheddars and aged Goudas.

'This beautiful estate, which sits on the top of Spring Mountain straddling both the Napa and Sonoma County lines, continues to turn out a super-impressive, exciting lineup of wines that first made headlines when Bob Foley was the winemaker. The transition from Foley to the current winemaker, Sally Johnson, has gone flawlessly.' Wine Advocate

Black currant, Morello cherry and just-ripe black mission fig dance with the aromas of sage, candied violets, star anise and black truffle. The palate is dense and compact with incredible structure. Layers of complex black and red fruit fill the mouth, while sandalwood, bay, graphite and forest aromatics linger with the velvety tannins on the long and dynamic finish. This is a showstopper!