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2021 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

Removed from a professional wine storage facility

2 available
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Lightly depressed cork

Removed from a professional wine storage facility

4 available
Bid *
Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

98The Wine Advocate

...fabulous... On the nose, it's a bit restrained, with a subtle herbal perfume, hints of peppery spice and a concentrated mix of red and black cherries. In the mouth, the wine is similarly composed and polite, being medium to full-bodied, silky and taut in feel, balanced and elegant on the lingering finish.

98Wine Spectator

...deep well of gorgeous flavors -- raspberry, boysenberry, mulberry and black currant preserves -- sparkle in this red, with anise, violet and wood spice hints throughout. All of that is riveted to a terrific graphite spine running from start to finish, where a flash of cast iron peeks in. As the fruit lingers, a subtle echo of hibiscus provides a suave counterpoint.

98+ Vinous / IWC

...super-polished. Freshly cut flowers, rose petal, lavender and spice lend notable aromatic presence to this silky, nuanced wine... Silky, perfectly-ripe tannins wrap around a core of red/purplish fruit. Medium in body and wonderfully refined...shaping up to be a gem. It is, quite simply, magnificent.

98James Suckling

Lots of black fruits, lead pencil, graphite, and ink pot. Currants. Black earth. Some bark. Medium-bodied with chewy yet polished tannins with a minerally undertone. Hints of black mushrooms. Juicy and reserved at the end. Lots of freshness and structure at the same time. Good grip in the finish.

98Decanter Magazine (points)

...fabulously classic and tightly knit Cabernet. Expressive bouquet of black cherry fruit, sandalwood, sagebrush, and graphite notes. Laser focused on the palate with pure red and black-toned fruit laced with tobacco. Beautifully sculpted tannins are fine-grained and help broaden the palate, and the finish is fueled by classic Oakville iron-like minerality.

98+ Jeb Dunnuck

...stunning nose of blackcurrants, charcoal, leafy tobacco, and violet. This beauty is full-bodied, rich, concentrated, has a great core of tannins, and a killer finish.

18Jancis Robinson

...deeper-flavoured on the nose and gentler on the palate.

PRODUCER

Vine Hill Ranch

Vine Hill Ranch is a family-owned grape-growing operation in Oakville that is now making its own artisanal wine. The Phillips family has been farming the 50-acre Vine Hill Ranch since 1959 growing outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon for such producers as Cakebread and Robert Mondavi. But like an increasing number of long-time, multi-generational growers, the Phillips family in the last decade decided to use some of their grapes for their own cuvee. Their first commercial release was a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Francoise Peschon, who trained at Chateau Haut-Brion in Bordeaux and is the long-time winemaker at Araujo, is the winemaker at Vine Hill. Noted viticulturalist Mike Wolf is vineyard manager. Vine Hill Ranch is on prime land at the edge of the Mayacamas Mountain Range with Harlan and Dominus as neighbors. In 2011 the Phillips family won the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ Grower of the Year Award. Reviewers have awarded Vine Hill Ranch wines with ratings in the mid to high 90s. In 2013 Vinous Media wrote that “Vine Hill Ranch is one of the very best and most pedigreed wines in Napa Valley…” Vinous also noted that “Vine Hill Ranch….continues to cement its place in Napa Valley’s top echelon.”

REGION

United States, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

Oakville AVA is one of the two or three most prestigious appellations in the United States. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, its 5,000 vineyard acres produce some of the world’s most acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, including such California “cult” Cabs as Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate. Before those boutique producers rose to fame in the 1990s, Oakville was already renowned as home to Robert Mondavi, Opus One and Groth Vineyards, among others. Along with the famous wineries, there are premier vineyards in this AVA, including Martha’s Vineyard and To Kalon Vineyard. To Kalon was first planted in 1868 by H.W. Crabb, one of California’s first viticultural researchers, and he named the vineyard after the ancient Greek phrase for “most beautiful.” Though many grapes can be successfully grown in Oakville, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. Merlot and Chardonnay are also frequently planted. Oakville Cabs are prized for their richness, complexity and weight. Oakville was designated as an AVA in 1993.

TYPE

Red Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon

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.

VINTAGE

2021 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon