2011 Cabaud Mon Hommage Cabernet Sauvignon, 6-bottle Lot

Cabaud Wines’ debut vintage was a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Luc Morlet, a much-admired French-born winemaker who has earned a reputation for making outstanding California wines. Philip and Bonnie Cabaud founded the estate and moved their family to St. Helena for several years to start their wine venture. They work with independent growers, sourcing grapes from such prestigious parcels as Beckstoffer’s Missouri Hopper Vineyard. Morlet is winemaker. The wines are generally available only through Cabaud’s mailing list. Reviewers have rated the Cabaud Cabernet Sauvignons with scores in the mid- to high-90s. Robert Parker compared the 2012 to “a young Pontet Canet…full-bodied with stunning fruit intensity and purity…”

St. Helena AVA is at the northern end of Napa Valley just north of Rutherford and south of Calistoga. It is a relatively warm climate thanks to the Mayacamas Mountains on its western edge, which protect it from Pacific Ocean fog. Out of the 9,000 acres in the appellation, some 1,500 are under vine. The principal grapes grown in St. Helena are the Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. St. Helena is considered prime wine producing territory, and it was one of the first important wine producing regions in northern California. The legendary Charles Krug founded his winery just north of the town of St. Helena in 1873, and today the appellation is home to many prestigious producers, including Abreu, Grace Family and Spottswoode.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.