Winter Release Ballard Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2018

Winemaker’s Notes

There are few wines that, upon opening, immediately transport you to the vineyard itself, but our new Ballard Cabernet release is completely evocative of its forested mountaintop origins. When I take in the wine’s incredibly intense aromatics, I feel like I’m standing in the vineyard, rooted in dark red volcanic soils and surrounded by chaparral and redwoods. This is the highest calling for any wine – the unadorned, purest expression of site – and there are few vineyards more captivating than Ballard. Organically farmed, its steep hillsides produce tiny grapes that are filled with power, detail and a myriad of subtle nuances that, when combined, offer something magical and totally unique.

Its aromatics are pure, deep and intense: plum, blackberry and cassis with complex elements of cedar, oregano and bay leaf, and a delicate, lingering note of lilac. The palate is immediately dense, deep and powerful with ripe, layered black fruits. Remarkably poised and elegant for such a rich, powerful mountain-grown wine, all its elements are precise and integrated, flowing in unison. The wine finishes with harmonious plum sweetness and broad, velvety tannins, and a rising note of perfumed anise.

Decant this wine for an hour before serving, and drink between mid-2021 and 2030.

Andy Smith