Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Former Reserve Club Selection

Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the sprawling, 660 acre Somerston Estate. This historic property lies in the Vaca Mountains, due east of the town of Rutherford, at an elevation between 800 and 1500 feet.  For years, many wineries farmed vineyards in the high valleys of the Vaca Mountains as the secret ingredient to provide power and structure to wines produced in their valley floor vineyards. Then the wines of the Prichard Hill, produced by Colgin, Schrader, and Chappellet, all well over $200 a bottle, brought the spotlight on this area. 

To produce this Cabernet Sauvignon, winemaker and general manager Craig Becker selects grapes from 24 different vineyard blocks on the estate. There are 3300 cases of this wine produced.

When you open this wine, make sure to decant it for at least one hour before serving, and take it down to cellar temperature if possible. Once you do, it explodes from the glass with a decadent combination of blackberry and blueberry jam, sassafras, tangerine peel, Maduro cigar wrapper, and black peppercorns. On the palate, it is quite powerful, with decidedly firm tannins framing the ample fruit. There is decent acidity and a subtle burn of alcohol on the finish, but I think a little time in bottle will resolve that nicely. Drink from now to 2030.