2022 Sojourn Cellars Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Sojourn Cellars in Sonoma was founded in 2001 when Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley decided to produce small quantities of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bradley was an assistant winemaker at Arrowood Vineyards and Winery and is the head winemaker at Sojourn. The estate sources grapes from the Sonoma Coast and Rutherford, in Napa Valley. Sojourn’s Pinot Noirs have earned praise from wine reviewers, including Robert M. Parker Jr., who has often rated the wines in the low 90s. Sojourn also produces Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from the legendary Beckstoffer Vineyard. Wines are made in limited amounts of a few hundred cases.

Atlas Peak AVA is perched above the Stags Leap AVA to the northeast of the city of Napa. Elevation ranges from 760 to 2,600 feet, and temperatures are up to 15 degrees cooler in the Atlas Peak vineyards compared with vineyards in the valley. There are 1,500 vineyard acres planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The appellation was named for Atlas Peak, which, at 2,633 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in the area.

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.