2016 GAME TRAIL
Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
Yorkville Highlands Single Vineyard
The Yorkville Highlands are the mountain pass traversed between the north end of Alexander Valley and the west end of Anderson Valley. Our small block of Game Trail Cabernet is perched looking south from 1400 feet elevation upon that ridge. Coastal influence and large diurnal swings create small berries, thick skins, deep pigmentation, and tons of structure. Clone 6 Cabernet sets sparingly with berries the size of blueberries and no fruit to fruit contact, so it is cane pruned and left to hang as many clusters as possible. We find a purity in this wine: more acid and fore-mouth focused than other Cabernet, it is tart, bright, perfumed and refreshing.
Estate Series
Our Estate Series represents our purest expressions of place. Having worked with the fruit from tens of vineyards over the years, we have identified three special sites that we believe produce extraordinary wine. These wines are produced in limited quantities, have ultra-developed acid and tannin profiles and achieve a beautiful balance of intense structure and bright aromatics.
Marietta’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Game Trail is powerful, dark and quite savory. Smoke, tobacco, gravel, menthol, cedar and licorice all run through this bold, pungent mountain Cabernet. There is quite a bit of aromatic intensity to play off the blackberry fruit in this strapping young wine. Give it a few years in bottle for the tannins to soften.
94 points
—Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Spring 2019
- Aged in neutral barrels for 20 months.
- 775 cases produced
- 14.6% Alcohol
- Release date: Spring 2019
- Drink now or age up to 15 years
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